How much does a AI / ML Engineer make in Illinois?

BLS puts the average AI / ML Engineer pay in Illinois at $142,950 a year (BLS, May 2025). On that pay in Illinois, after federal taxes, FICA, and Illinois state taxes, your estimated take-home pay is approximately $102,041 annually ($8,503/month).

What is the take-home pay for a AI / ML Engineer in Illinois?

On a $142,950 salary in Illinois, your take-home pay is approximately $102,041/year or $8,503/month. Federal tax: $23,042. State tax: $6,931. FICA: $10,936.

Is $142,950 a good AI / ML Engineer salary?

$142,950 is the BLS average AI / ML Engineer pay in Illinois, 7% below the US average of $153,930 (BLS, May 2025). The middle 50% in Illinois earn between $104,340 and $170,390. Illinois economy: Major finance, healthcare, and logistics hub in the Midwest.

How do Illinois taxes affect AI / ML Engineer salaries?

Illinois levies state income tax on top of federal taxes. Your estimated state tax on $142,950 is $6,931. Your total effective tax rate is approximately 28.6%.

What are the career growth prospects for AI / ML Engineers?

In Illinois, the top 10% earn over $243,360 and the bottom 10% under $49,190 (BLS, May 2025). BLS projects 23% growth through 2032 for computer/info-research scientists (which AI/ML engineers fall under) — among the fastest-growing tech roles. Frontier-lab demand uniquely strong — OpenAI / Anthropic / xAI / Mistral / DeepMind hiring senior MLEs at premium pay plus equity. Related roles include: Machine Learning Engineer, AI Research Scientist, Applied Scientist, Deep Learning Engineer, NLP Engineer, Computer Vision Engineer, MLE, AI Engineer, Quant ML Engineer.

How can a AI / ML Engineer in Illinois reduce their tax bill?

Maximize your 401(k) contribution ($24,500 in 2026) to reduce taxable income. An HSA ($4,400 single / $8,750 family) adds further pre-tax savings. These strategies can save thousands annually — use our calculator to see your exact savings.

Tech

AI / ML Engineer Salary in Illinois (2026)

Average AI / ML Engineer pay in Illinois

$142,950/year

≈ $69/hour before tax

Middle 50% earn $104,340–$170,390

US average: $153,930

Source: BLS, May 2025 · Computer and Information Research Scientists

After tax (single filer)

$102,041/year

$8,503/month · effective tax rate 28.62%

Federal $23,042
State $6,931
FICA $10,936
Take-home

Pay by role in Illinois

Principal ML Engineer / Senior Quant Researcher$385,000–$1,250,000+ TC
Staff ML Engineer (Quant Trading)$285,000–$565,000+ TC
Senior ML Engineer (Healthcare AI)$185,000–$295,000
Senior ML Engineer (Federal Research)$155,000–$245,000
Senior ML Engineer (Commercial / SaaS)$165,000–$255,000
Senior MLOps Engineer$145,000–$225,000

See all 10 roles with notes

See the full tax breakdown

Category	Amount
Annual Take-Home Pay	$102,041
Monthly Take-Home Pay	$8,503
Biweekly Take-Home Pay	$3,925
Hourly Take-Home Pay based on 2,080 hrs/year	$49/hr
Federal Tax	$23,042
State Tax	$6,931
FICA Taxes	$10,936
Effective Tax Rate total taxes ÷ gross salary	28.62%

Estimates only — not tax advice. · Full disclaimer →

Not all AI / ML Engineers earn the same — not even close

Illinois has emerged as a substantial AI/ML engineering hub anchored by the Chicago quantitative trading cluster (Citadel + Citadel Securities, DRW Trading, Jump Trading, Optiver, Wolverine Trading — all operating substantial AI/ML research for algorithmic trading), Tempus AI Chicago (founded 2015 by Eric Lefkofsky, ~3K employees, healthcare AI), Argonne National Laboratory (DOE-funded, ~3.5K employees, substantial AI/ML for scientific computing), University of Chicago + Northwestern + UIUC + IIT academic AI research, plus the Chicago FinTech AI scene (Coinbase Chicago, Snowflake Chicago).

Principal ML Engineer / Senior Quant Researcher

$385,000–$1,250,000+ TC

Citadel + Citadel Securities senior · DRW + Jump Trading senior quant · top-tier quant TC

Staff ML Engineer (Quant Trading)

$285,000–$565,000+ TC

Mid-frequency + HFT firm senior · Optiver Chicago · Wolverine Trading · carry-component bonus

Senior ML Engineer (Healthcare AI)

$185,000–$295,000

Tempus AI · NorthShore University Health · Rush University Medical · clinical data + genomics AI

Senior ML Engineer (Federal Research)

$155,000–$245,000

Argonne National Laboratory · Fermilab · DOE-funded scientific ML · cleared work premium

Senior ML Engineer (Commercial / SaaS)

$165,000–$255,000

Tempus AI + Coinbase Chicago + Snowflake Chicago · senior IC at relocated tech firms

Senior MLOps Engineer

$145,000–$225,000

Production ML deployment · Citadel infrastructure · Tempus clinical pipelines · senior platform IC

ML Engineer (Mid-Level, 3-6 yrs)

$125,000–$190,000

Most common mid-career band · UChicago + Northwestern + UIUC + IIT pipeline · cross-industry

Junior ML Engineer (0-3 yrs)

$98,000–$155,000

Post-UChicago + Northwestern + UIUC + IIT MS/PhD · trading firms recruit aggressively at entry

Senior Quant Researcher (HFT)

$345,000–$995,000+ TC

Citadel + DRW + Jump senior quant researcher · PhD-required · carry-component bonus + RSU

Senior Research Scientist (Argonne / Fermilab)

$165,000–$285,000

DOE-funded scientific ML research · Argonne ALCF supercomputing AI · senior IC

Worth knowing: Citadel + Citadel Securities is the structural depth feature most national AI/ML-career surveys understate for IL. Citadel (multi-strategy hedge fund, ~$70B AUM, ~2K Chicago employees + global) + Citadel Securities (market-maker handling ~25% of US equities volume, ~1.5K Chicago employees + global) together operate one of the country's most sophisticated quantitative ML research organizations — sub-millisecond latency execution, market-making models, derivatives pricing models, and signals research drive top-tier quant compensation. Senior Citadel quant researchers + ML engineers routinely clear $385K-$1.25M+ TC with substantial carry-component bonus structures. The broader Chicago HFT cluster (DRW Trading, Jump Trading, Optiver, IMC, Akuna Capital, Wolverine Trading, TradeBot) creates one of the country's largest concentrations of senior quant ML talent. Tempus AI Chicago (founded 2015, ~3K employees, the largest healthcare AI company by employee count post-2024 IPO) operates substantial clinical-data + genomics + cancer-specific ML. Argonne National Laboratory (DOE-funded, ~3.5K employees, operates the Aurora supercomputer — one of the country's most powerful systems) drives scientific ML research. IL's 4.95% flat tax plus NO Chicago city earnings tax (distinctive vs NYC/SF/Philadelphia) creates substantially favorable senior quant tax structure — a $500K Citadel quant pays $24.75K IL state tax vs $40K+ in NY at equivalent comp.

Sources & Methodology

Salary figures are market estimates for AI / ML Engineers in Illinois and vary by employer, specialty, seniority, and metro. Take-home math assumes a single filer with no dependents, the standard deduction, and Illinois 2026 state rates. Local taxes, insurance premiums, and pre-tax contributions will move your number — run the calculator for your own situation.

Run your own numbers