As of August 01, 2026, the average annual salary for Automotive Designer in Chicago, IL is $74,820, equivalent to $36 per hour, $1,439 weekly, or $6,235 monthly. These figures, sourced from Salary.com’s real-time job posting scans, highlight competitive earning potential for Automotive Designer in cities like San Jose, Santa Clara, and San Francisco.

Annually Salaries for Automotive Designer in Chicago, IL vary widely, spanning from $61,297 to $88,364. Most professionals fall between the 25th percentile ($67,741) and 75th percentile ($81,910), while top earners (90th percentile) make $88,364 per year. This $14,169 pay gap underscores opportunities for salary growth through certifications, specialized skills like Collaboration or Product Development, or targeting high-paying regions like District of Columbia or California.

Location and experience significantly influence earnings. For example, Chicago Automotive Designer often earn 1.4% higher than national averages. However, Chicago currently ranks 249 statewide for Automotive Designer job salary. Professionals are advised to focus on high-growth sectors like to offset market challenges.

Based on HR-reported data: a national average with a geographic differential
Automotive Designer Salaries by Percentile
Percentile Salary Location Last Updated
10th Percentile Automotive Designer Salary $61,297 Chicago, IL August 01, 2026
25th Percentile Automotive Designer Salary $67,741 Chicago, IL August 01, 2026
50th Percentile Automotive Designer Salary $74,820 Chicago, IL August 01, 2026
75th Percentile Automotive Designer Salary $81,910 Chicago, IL August 01, 2026
90th Percentile Automotive Designer Salary $88,364 Chicago, IL August 01, 2026
25% $67,741 10% $61,297 90% $88,364 75% $81,910 $74,820 50%(Median) Didn’t find job title? Click
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What is an Automotive Designer ?

Automotive design is the process of developing the appearance, and to some extent the ergonomics, of motor vehicles, including automobiles, motorcycles, trucks, buses, coaches, and vans. The functional design and development of a modern motor vehicle is typically done by a large team from many different disciplines included within automotive engineering, however, design roles are not associated with requirements for Professional or Chartered-Engineer qualifications. Automotive design in this context is primarily concerned with developing the visual appearance or aesthetics of the vehicle, th...

Source: Wikipedia (as of 04/18/2019). Read more from Wikipedia

See user submitted job responsibilities for Automotive Designer.

Job Openings for Automotive Designer in Chicago, IL

Career Path for this job

  1. This Job:

    Automotive Designer

    0 - 2 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

  2. Up a level:

    Industrial Designer II

    2 - 4 years experience
    Bachelor's Degree

Understand the total compensation opportunity for an Automotive Designer, base salary plus other pay elements

Average Base Salary

Core compensation

 
 
 
67741
81910
74820

Average Total Cash Compensation

Includes base and annual incentives

 
 
 
75517
89735
81939
These charts show the average base salary (core compensation), as well as the average total cash compensation for the job of Automotive Designer in Chicago, IL. The base salary for Automotive Designer ranges from $67,741 to $81,910 with the average base salary of $74,820. The total cash compensation, which includes base, and annual incentives, can vary anywhere from $75,517 to $89,735 with the average total cash compensation of $81,939.

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67741
81910

 

About Chicago, Illinois    Chicago (/ʃɪˈkɑːɡoʊ/ (listen), locally also /-ˈkɔː-/), officially the City of Chicago, is the most populous city in Illinois, as well as the third mos....More

Chicago, Illinois  area prices were up 0.8% from a year ago

Automotive Designer Salary in popular cities: AuroraRockfordJoliet

Skills associated with Automotive Designer: Design

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