Salary report
Full-Stack Engineer in Chicago Salary 2026
Median total compensation for full-stack engineers in Chicago is $200K. The 10th–90th percentile band runs from $152K to $283K.
Full-Stack Engineer in Chicago pay band
| Percentile | Total compensation | Who lands here |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $152K | Junior or early-career engineers; lower-tier employers |
| 25th percentile | $172K | Mid-level at non-tech-first companies |
| Median (50th) | $200K | Senior at most software companies |
| 75th percentile | $235K | Senior at top-paying tech employers |
| 90th percentile | $283K | Staff/principal IC, top-tier total comp |
Chicago anchors the Midwest tech labor market with strong representation in finance/quant, healthcare-tech, and cloud (Salesforce, Google). Cost of living vs the coasts means disposable income outperforms the multiplier.
About the full-stack engineer role
Full-stack engineers ship features end-to-end across frontend, backend, databases, and deployment. They are especially valued at startups and growth-stage companies where versatility multiplies engineering throughput.
Top employers for full-stack engineers
How we computed this
Numbers are estimates synthesized from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS, May 2025 release, SOC 15-1252 Software Developers) and hand-curated total-comp medians at tech employers calibrated against public salary surveys. They reflect 2026 market conditions and refresh annually after the next BLS release.
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