SOC 17-3023

Building Automation Specialist Salary in Chicago Metro, IL-IN (2026)

Data updated · Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025, HUD FY 2027 Fair Market Rents, EPI 2026 Family Budget, 2026 tax tables · Methodology

Tax Tables: 2026 Fed + IL
COL Index: 125.81 (+25.8% vs US)
Net Compensation Yield 71.5% Realized
$61,150 / net annual direct deposit
Gross Adjusted $85,510 $41.11/hr
Effective Tax Drag 22.49% Combined Jurisdictions
Marginal Top Bracket 22% Federal Statutory
Total Withheld -$19,229 $739.58/check
Category 1 of 6

Wage Benchmarking & After-Tax Paycheck Engine

Dynamic statutory tax calculations based on IRS Publication 15-T and state statutory schedules.

$
2,080 annual statutory base hours $41.11 / hour
0 hrs/wk (+$0/yr)
0 hrs (Standard) 10 hrs OT 20 hrs OT 25 hrs Max
6% (-$5,131/yr)
0% Tax Shield: ~$1,129/yr 15% (IRS limit: $24,500)
Itemized Statutory Withholdings Ledger
Federal Income Tax (IRS)
Progressive 10%–37%
-$8,853
Social Security (FICA OASDI)
Statutory 6.20% (Cap $184,500)
-$5,302
Medicare Hospital Insurance
Statutory 1.45%
-$1,240
Illinois Individual Income Tax
State Marginal Bracket
-$3,834
Net Take-Home Annual Realized
$61,150 ($2,351.94 / check)
Category 2 of 6

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN Building Automation Specialist Wage Distribution

Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) Percentiles & Career Ladders

Your Salary: $85,510
MIDDLE 50% (IQR RANGE) 10th $58.2k 25th $71.8k Median: $85,510 50th (Median) $85.5k 75th $101k 90th $121k You: $85,510
10th (Entry) $58,230 $28.00/hr
25th (Junior) $71,850 $34.54/hr
50th (Median) $85,510 $41.11/hr
75th (Senior) $101,450 $48.77/hr
90th (Lead/Master) $120,900 $58.13/hr
Career Progression & Licensing Milestones for Building Automation Specialist in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
1
BMS Field TechnicianHVAC controls fundamentals, sensor wiring, low-voltage safety
$56,868$27.34/hr · 0-2 Years
2
BAS Programmer / SpecialistBACnet, Modbus protocols, direct digital control (DDC) programming
$80,928$38.91/hr · 2-5 Years
3
Senior Controls EngineerSmart building integration, energy management modeling, commissioning
$104,987$50.47/hr · 5-8 Years
4
Automation Project ManagerCommercial building automation projects, client contract management
$131,234$63.09/hr · 8+ Years
Scaled to the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN medianView National Building Automation Specialist Salary Data
Adjacent Career Pivots & National Pay Differences
Electro-Mechanical and Mechatronics Technologists and Technicians-$4,290/yr
National median: $73,900
Skill overlap: 89%
Electronics Engineers, Except Computer+$52,030/yr
National median: $130,220
Skill overlap: 86%
Mechanical Engineering Technologists and Technicians-$3,680/yr
National median: $74,510
Skill overlap: 85%
Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Commercial and Industrial Equipment-$4,100/yr
National median: $74,090
Skill overlap: 85%
Category 3 of 6

HUD Fair Market Rent & EPI Living Wage Affordability Index

Evaluating housing affordability vs. net take-home pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN under the HUD 30% housing cost guideline.

Rent-to-Take-Home Ratio (HUD 30% Standard)
35% of Net Income
⚠️ Cost-Burdened (Exceeds 30% Rule)
HUD Fair Market Rent (1-Bedroom) $1,780/month Requires minimum annual gross of $71,200
HUD Fair Market Rent (2-Bedroom) $2,011/month Requires minimum annual gross of $80,440
Hourly Living Wage Benchmark (EPI model)
1 Adult Earner: $27.82/hr
Per adult, 2 working adults + 1 child: $24.26/hr
Category 4 of 6

Hourly Wage to Annual & Overtime Matrix

Translating base hourly pay and 1.5× overtime into net take-home pay based on 2,080 annual work hours in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.

Swipe horizontally to inspect full pay schedule
Schedule Total Hours/Wk Gross Annual Est. Taxes Net Take-Home Bi-Weekly Check
Standard (40 hrs)40 hrs$85,510-$19,229$61,150$2,351.94
+5h Overtime/Wk45 hrs$101,543-$24,517$70,933$2,728.21
+10h Overtime/Wk50 hrs$117,576-$29,805$80,716$3,104.47
+15h Overtime/Wk55 hrs$133,609-$35,169$90,423$3,477.82
+20h Overtime/Wk60 hrs$149,643-$40,759$99,905$3,842.50
Category 5 of 6

Interstate MSA Relocation & State Tax Migration Comparator

Calculate required compensation, cost-of-living differences, and annual state/local tax savings between two metropolitan areas.

Equivalent Salary in Austin, TX $83,505 Cost of Living Ratio: 69.6%
Annual State & Local Tax Delta +$8,331/yr Tax savings in Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX
Annual Rent Difference (1BR) -$17,676/yr Based on HUD Fair Market Rents
Net Discretionary Cash Flow Impact

Combining state tax savings and annual rent variance when relocating from San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA to Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX.

+$26,007/year
Category 6 of 6 · Executive Economic Briefing
2026 Fiscal Intelligence

Building Automation Specialist in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: Compensation & Purchasing Power Briefing (2026)

Estimates compiled from BLS OEWS wages, IRS 2026 withholding rules, HUD Fair Market Rents, and Illinois tax codes.

Market Baseline
$85,510/yr
$41.11/hr · SOC 17-3023
Statutory Tax Drag
22.49% Effective
-$19,229 in Total Taxes
HUD 1BR Shelter Ratio
35% Net Pay
⚠️ Exceeds 30% HUD Rule
Monthly Discretionary
+$3,316/mo
Post-$1,780/mo 1BR Rent

Key Economic & Compensation Takeaways

Statutory Withholding Architecture

Frequently Asked Questions

Verified Government Data Sources & Statutory Attribution

Wages sourced from US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS OEWS). Rents calibrated to HUD Fair Market Rents. Tax schedules calibrated to IRS IRC Title 26, IRS Pub 15-T, and state statutory revenue codes.

BLS OEWS May 2025 HUD FY2027 FMR IRS 15-T
Metro Pay Comparison SOC 17-3023
2026 Statutory Thresholds
  • Federal Standard Deduction (Single) $16,100
  • FICA OASDI Wage Base Cap $184,500
  • Pre-Tax 401(k) Elective Deferral $24,500
  • HSA Individual Annual Limit $4,400

Building Automation Specialist in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: Market Snapshot

Building Automation Specialist roles in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN report a median annual wage of $85,510, 9.4% above the national median of $78,190. The 10th to 90th percentile band runs from $58,230 to $120,900, and HUD’s $1,780 monthly one-bedroom fair market rent equals 25.0% of that median gross pay. The single-adult living wage benchmark for the area is $27.82 per hour.

Highest-paying metropolitan areas for Building Automation Specialist

Metropolitan areaMedian annual wageVs this market
Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA$106,250+24.3%
Atlantic City-Hammonton, NJ$103,480+21.0%
Bakersfield-Delano, CA$103,170+20.7%
Lexington Park, MD$102,640+20.0%
Baton Rouge, LA$102,380+19.7%
Albuquerque, NM$102,250+19.6%
Casper, WY$99,840+16.8%
Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA$98,180+14.8%
Lake Charles, LA$97,740+14.3%
Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA$97,680+14.2%

Top-paying occupations benchmarked in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

OccupationMedian annual wageMedian hourly
Chief Executives$344,960$165.85/hr
Computer and Information Systems Managers$173,760$83.54/hr
Financial Manager$168,810$81.16/hr
Natural Sciences Managers$167,040$80.31/hr
Advertising and Promotions Managers$166,390$80.00/hr
Marketing Managers$165,340$79.49/hr
Architectural and Engineering Managers$163,430$78.57/hr
Sales Managers$158,690$76.29/hr
Human Resources Managers$156,770$75.37/hr
Compensation and Benefits Managers$155,340$74.68/hr

Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS May 2025, 241 metropolitan areas publishing this occupation; HUD FY2027 Fair Market Rents; EPI Family Budget Calculator. Taxes use 2026 federal and state rules. Data last updated .

Regional Labor Market & Career Mobility Network

Explore adjacent occupations and neighboring metropolitan wage benchmarks for peer compensation analysis.

Building Automation Specialist Salary in Chicago Metro, IL-IN (2026) Overview

Building Automation Specialist median pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN is $85,510 a year ($41.11/hr). See take-home pay after 2026 taxes, BLS wage. Official 2026 economic data for Building Automation Specialist in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN compiled from Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS surveys, HUD Fair Market Rents, and statutory tax codes.

Quick answers
What is the median salary for a Building Automation Specialist in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

The median annual wage is $85,510 ($41.11 per hour). The middle 80% of earners make between $58,230 and $120,900. Source: BLS OEWS (May 2025).

What is the take-home pay for a Building Automation Specialist in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN after taxes?

On the median wage of $85,510, a single filer with no pre-tax deductions takes home about $64,898 a year ($5,408 a month) after $20,612 in federal, FICA, state and local taxes, an effective rate of 24.1%, using 2026 tax rules.