Chiller Technician Salary: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
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The median annual wage for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN was $77,960 in May 2025 (BLS). The middle half of workers in this occupation and area earned between $61,050 and $96,790. This is the broader occupation used for Chiller Technician, not a separately surveyed rate for that title or credential.
Broader occupation Our title "Chiller Technician" is reported by BLS as SOC 49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers. BLS groups Chiller Technician within Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately.
For Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021), the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN annual median is $16,950 above the national median of $61,010 (27.8%).
Annual wages: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021)
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, annual wages: 10% earned less than $47,460, half earned less than the median of $77,960, 90% earned less than $117,940 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $47,460 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $61,050 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $77,960 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $96,790 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $117,940 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $79,340 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Hourly wages: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021)
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021), Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, hourly wages: 10% earned less than $22.82, half earned less than the median of $37.48, 90% earned less than $56.70 (BLS, May 2025).
| Measure | Hourly wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $22.82 per hour | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $29.35 per hour | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $37.48 per hour | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $46.53 per hour | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $56.70 per hour | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $38.14 per hour | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
National comparison
| Measure | Annual wage | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $40,050 | 10% of workers in this occupation and area earned less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $48,360 | 25% earned less than this. |
| Median (50th) | $61,010 | Half earned less, half earned more. |
| 75th percentile | $77,060 | 75% earned less than this. |
| 90th percentile | $95,210 | 90% earned less than this. |
| Mean | $64,780 | Arithmetic average of reported wages. |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. SOC 49-9021 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN.
What BLS wages measure. OEWS estimates describe straight-time gross wages, not just base salary and not total compensation. They include commissions and production bonuses. They exclude overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. Discuss travel, per diem, tool and truck allowances separately. Percentiles describe the occupation's wage distribution, not seniority, plant size, job complexity or credentials. Licensing, union agreements and prevailing-wage obligations depend on the work and assignment; these figures do not establish a premium for them.
Official BLS wage definitions | Source dates and methodology
BLS definitions, verbatim
wages
Base rate; cost-of-living allowances; guaranteed pay; hazardous-duty pay; incentive pay, including commissions and production bonuses; and tips are included. Excluded are overtime pay, severance pay, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses, employer cost for supplementary benefits, and tuition reimbursements.
hours
Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours; for occupations where hourly wages are not published, annual wages were taken directly from the reported survey data.
Which related roles have a different BLS occupation?
A supervisory occupation is not an experience percentile for the craft. Compare the actual responsibilities and the published SOC.
HVAC Foreman (47-1011)Sheet Metal Foreman (47-1011)HVAC Superintendent (11-9021)What do these published wages mean for an offer?
Skilled Trades Headhunters reads the May 2025 figures for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) as an offer reference, not a quote for a particular candidate. For Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician), the published median for SOC 49-9021, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, is $77,960 per year. The middle half of the Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) wage distribution runs from $61,050 to $96,790, a width of $35,740 per year; that spread shows how much published pay varies within the occupation and area, without assigning experience levels.
Against the United States estimate, the Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) median is $16,950 above the national median of $61,010. For Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021), Kankakee, IL reports $62,570 per year, $15,390 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN; For Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021), Niles, MI reports $58,130 per year, $19,830 below Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The neighbors used for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) are the nearest metro representative points with a released median, using Census geography, not a commuting or cost-of-living adjustment.
The highest published medians among the selected national industry rows for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers, read alongside Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician), are Computer Systems Design and Related Services at $115,910 per year (NAICS 541500); Scheduled Air Transportation at $114,080 per year (NAICS 481100); Air Transportation at $113,960 per year (NAICS 481000). Those Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) industry comparisons are national cross-sections, not local industry estimates; BLS does not give us a metro-by-industry wage cut here, and overlapping industry groups should not be added together.
The Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) median was $74,400 per year in May 2024, compared with $77,960 in May 2025, a published difference of $3,560. That Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) comparison is between separate BLS releases, not the raise paid to the same workers or a projection of next year's offer. Read the $74,400 and $77,960 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) estimates with both dates visible, because the employers and workers represented by the survey can change.
Before using $77,960 per year from Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) to calibrate an offer, separate on-call duties, overtime, travel reimbursement, tool replacement and any truck allowance separately; prevailing wage and union requirements must be checked against the actual assignment. The Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) BLS comparison measures straight-time gross wages, including commissions and production bonuses, but excludes overtime, shift differentials, nonproduction bonuses and benefits. A candidate's take-home pay and the employer's total cost for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) can therefore differ from the median without either number being an error.
The mapping for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) is broader: BLS groups Chiller Technician within Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers; it does not publish this niche title or credential level separately. When calibrating a Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) opening, the work checks include OEM chiller training; screw/centrifugal overhauls; ask for evidence of that scope instead of using a percentile as a substitute for qualification. A broader occupation can combine jobs that a Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) buyer would screen separately, which is why the badge and SOC remain beside the figures.
Questions about this occupation and area
What does the middle-half band tell a Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) buyer?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) has a published middle-half band of $61,050 to $96,790, a width of $35,740 per year, with median $77,960. An offer inside that Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) band is not automatically competitive for every scope; match the required work and the separate pay terms first.
Which areas should I compare before hiring Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician)?
Kankakee, IL and Niles, MI are the nearest published metro reference points used for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician). Comparing those Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers tables with the $77,960 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) median does not measure commuting costs or predict what a particular applicant will accept.
Are the industry figures local to Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician)?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) uses national industry rows for SOC 49-9021, not local sector-specific wages. Computer Systems Design and Related Services leads the selected sortable rows at $115,910 per year, but that national industry figure is not a quoted offer for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician).
What changed between the releases for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician)?
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) moved from $74,400 in May 2024 to $77,960 in May 2025. These Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (reference for Chiller Technician) published medians do not describe an individual raise or establish a future wage trend.
What changed since May 2024
SOC 49-9021. Published annual median: $74,400 (May 2024) and $77,960 (May 2025). These are two BLS releases, not a projection.