Aerospace & Defense salaries in Chicago
| Role | BLS occupation | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Executive Officer | Chief Executives | $198K | $345K | $429K | $600K |
| Chief Operating Officer | Chief Executives | $198K | $345K | $429K | $600K |
| Chief Technology Officer | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $133K | $163K | $200K | $235K |
| Chief Engineering Officer | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $133K | $163K | $200K | $235K |
| VP Defense Programs | General and Operations Managers | $77K | $109K | $175K | $298K |
| VP Engineering | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $133K | $163K | $200K | $235K |
| VP Systems Engineering | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $133K | $163K | $200K | $235K |
| VP Manufacturing | Industrial Production Managers | $104K | $130K | $165K | $217K |
| Director of Program Management | General and Operations Managers | $77K | $109K | $175K | $298K |
| Director of Systems Engineering | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $133K | $163K | $200K | $235K |
| Director of Quality Assurance | Industrial Production Managers | $104K | $130K | $165K | $217K |
| Director of Business Development | Sales Managers | $110K | $159K | $212K | $288K |
Advanced Manufacturing salaries in Chicago
| Role | BLS occupation | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Manufacturing Officer | Chief Executives | $198K | $345K | $429K | $600K |
| Chief Operating Officer | Chief Executives | $198K | $345K | $429K | $600K |
| VP Manufacturing | Industrial Production Managers | $104K | $130K | $165K | $217K |
| VP Operations | General and Operations Managers | $77K | $109K | $175K | $298K |
| VP Supply Chain | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $95K | $124K | $160K | $211K |
| VP Quality | Industrial Production Managers | $104K | $130K | $165K | $217K |
| Plant Manager | Industrial Production Managers | $104K | $130K | $165K | $217K |
| Director of Manufacturing Engineering | Architectural and Engineering Managers | $133K | $163K | $200K | $235K |
| Director of Continuous Improvement | Industrial Production Managers | $104K | $130K | $165K | $217K |
| Director of Lean Manufacturing | Industrial Production Managers | $104K | $130K | $165K | $217K |
| Director of Quality | Industrial Production Managers | $104K | $130K | $165K | $217K |
| Director of Supply Chain | Transportation, Storage, and Distribution Managers | $95K | $124K | $160K | $211K |
Technology & AI salaries in Chicago
| Role | BLS occupation | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Technology Officer | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
| Chief AI Officer | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
| Chief Data Officer | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
| Chief Information Security Officer | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
| VP Engineering | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
| VP Data Science | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
| VP Software Engineering | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
| Director of Software Engineering | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
| Director of Data Science | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
| Director of Cybersecurity | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
| Head of AI | Computer and Information Systems Managers | $138K | $174K | $215K | $280K |
How to read these numbers
Figures are annual base wages from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025 (bls.gov/oes). Bonus, long-term incentives and equity are not included.
BLS groups several executive titles under one occupation, and each occupation also includes less senior managers. Director, VP and C-suite seats therefore usually sit in the upper half of the range. Illinois applies a flat 4.95% income tax; senior executives should model the Chicago city personal property lease transaction tax on SaaS and certain perquisites.
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