Chicago, IL
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H1BIndex City Grade
i
B
FY 2026
2023
B
2024
B
2025
A+
City Visa Volume i
1,304
Filings in FY 2026
Median City Pay i
$123,480
Typical yearly salary
True Purchasing Power i
$116,498
Adjusted for Cost of Living
Top Local Sponsor i
Ernst & Young U.S. Llp
99 Filings
City Data Overview
An automated review of Chicago's tech ecosystem, salaries, and residency sponsorship.Top Hiring Market: B
Finding a sponsored job in Chicago is very common. The government approved 1,304 applications, achieving an H1B Index Grade of B.
Remote Work Culture
About 60.1% of professionals based in Chicago work entirely remotely for businesses headquartered in different states.
Internal Work Focus
Direct hiring is the standard here. A massive 78.1% of sponsored professionals in Chicago work directly for the company that hired them.
Long-Term Earnings
Your salary grows significantly as you gain more skills. Advancing to a senior position raises your base compensation by 2.2x.
Moderate Experience Base
Local companies usually start permanent residency paperwork early. You only need a short 24 months of prior work history to qualify.
High Layoff Rate
Federal data shows 11.5% of local companies reduced their staff. Also, immigration officials reject 2.5% of work visas here.
Top Companies
The leading companies driving the foreign talent market in Chicago.Ernst & Young U.S. Llp
99 Local Filings
$178,500
The University Of Chicago
40 Local Filings
$77,844
Northwestern University
33 Local Filings
$71,532
University Of Illinois Chicago
26 Local Filings
$95,241
Deloitte Consulting Llp
26 Local Filings
$160,555
Cognizant Technology Solutions Us Corp
22 Local Filings
$107,640
Hiring & Green Card Data
How companies acquire and retain talent.Talent Origin Pipeline
Fresh Hires (70.1%)Transfers/Poached (29.9%)
Green Card (PERM) Conversion i
35.40% of active filings transition to residency.
10-Year Salary Trends
Tracking the 10-year salary growth for tech workers in Chicago.Most Common Job Titles
The most frequently sponsored positions.O*NET Wage Level Distribution
Experience requirements matched against pay tiers.| Experience Level | Total Filings | Median Salary |
|---|---|---|
| Entry Level (Level I) | 232 | $75,000 |
| Qualified (Level II) | 428 | $108,077 |
| Experienced (Level III) | 282 | $134,500 |
| Fully Competent (Level IV) | 308 | $164,800 |
Top Local Industries
The top sectors operating in Chicago.| Economic Sector | Total Filings |
|---|---|
| Professional, Scientific, and Tech Services | 686 |
| Finance & Insurance | 202 |
| Educational Services | 123 |
| Other/Corporate Services | 109 |
| Information & Tech | 59 |
Law Firms & Third-Party Work
Leading legal counsel for visas.Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, Llp
Legal Partner
120
Berry Appleman & Leiden Llp
Legal Partner
111
Ey Law Llp
Legal Partner
103
Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C.
Legal Partner
57
Kempster, Corcoran, Quiceno & Lenz-Calvo, Ltd
Legal Partner
47
Top Third-Party End Clients
Where consultants are deployed.Northern Trust
End-Client Placement
26
Renewal Rehab
End-Client Placement
19
The Northern Trust Company
End-Client Placement
19
Bank Of America
End-Client Placement
18
United Airlines
End-Client Placement
14
Highest Density Zip Codes
The most active areas for talent.Zip Code: 60606
Local Median: $135,100
354
Zip Code: 60661
Local Median: $108,077
132
Zip Code: 60601
Local Median: $136,000
108
Zip Code: 60604
Local Median: $108,077
101
Zip Code: 60607
Local Median: $143,874
89
Historical Visa Volume
10-Year Labor Condition Application history for Chicago.💡 Click on the legend labels below to filter data.
Historical Green Card Data
10-Year Permanent Residency sponsorship volume.💡 Click on the legend labels below to filter data.
Noticing a difference in dates? Salary metrics reflect real-time DOL filings, while approval metrics rely on finalized USCIS historical data. View timelines
Complete Employer List
A detailed ledger of all employers operating in Chicago.| Local Employer | Total Filings | Maximum Salary | Median Salary | Minimum Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernst & Young U.S. Llp | 99 | $313,664 | $178,500 | $78,000 |
| The University Of Chicago | 40 | $461,943 | $77,844 | $50,606 |
| Northwestern University | 33 | $150,689 | $71,532 | $56,484 |
| University Of Illinois Chicago | 26 | $500,000 | $95,241 | $60,000 |
| Deloitte Consulting Llp | 26 | $428,200 | $160,555 | $85,467 |
| Cognizant Technology Solutions Us Corp | 22 | $132,434 | $107,640 | $82,846 |
| Grandison Management, Inc. | 19 | $71,968 | $71,968 | $71,968 |
| Capgemini America Inc | 16 | $167,241 | $132,517 | $108,077 |
| Northwestern Memorial Healthcare | 16 | $223,196 | $86,320 | $63,960 |
| Paypal, Inc. | 15 | $190,000 | $150,000 | $111,500 |
| Amazon Web Services, Inc. | 14 | $218,680 | $174,001 | $108,077 |
| Tata Consultancy Services Limited | 13 | $140,400 | $82,846 | $75,150 |
| Jpmorgan Chase & Co. | 13 | $190,080 | $150,500 | $121,000 |
| Machine Intelligence Llc | 11 | $85,467 | $74,277 | $70,179 |
| Cloud Social Technologies Llc | 11 | $85,467 | $85,467 | $74,277 |
| Capital One Services, Llc | 11 | $306,100 | $162,100 | $85,829 |
| Augmented Reality Technologies Llc | 11 | $85,467 | $85,467 | $70,179 |
| Motorola Solutions, Inc. | 10 | $295,600 | $141,472 | $70,512 |
| Akuna Investment Operations Llc | 10 | $400,000 | $151,658 | $133,900 |
| Pricewaterhousecoopers Advisory Services Llc | 9 | $273,000 | $251,000 | $171,000 |
| Transunion Llc | 9 | $200,000 | $113,235 | $74,277 |
| Hexaware Technologies, Inc. | 9 | $190,000 | $104,728 | $76,835 |
| Health Care Service Corporation | 9 | $202,779 | $124,301 | $104,728 |
| Mcdonald'S Corporation | 9 | $274,560 | $163,000 | $142,210 |
| Wipro Limited | 9 | $117,412 | $108,077 | $86,486 |
| Accenture Llp | 9 | $205,600 | $140,300 | $102,400 |
| Infosys Limited | 8 | $148,200 | $95,243 | $82,846 |
| Adyen N.V. | 8 | $220,024 | $108,077 | $108,077 |
| Elevance Health, Inc. | 8 | $194,488 | $146,543 | $119,243 |
| The Northern Trust Company | 8 | $173,326 | $138,442 | $130,707 |
| Rush University Medical Center | 8 | $147,264 | $95,014 | $60,006 |
| Relativity Oda Llc | 8 | $184,558 | $151,658 | $125,000 |
| V-Soft Consulting Group, Inc | 7 | $131,000 | $109,000 | $99,000 |
| Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children'S Hospital Of Chicago | 7 | $164,736 | $63,960 | $49,553 |
| Compunnel Software Group, Inc | 7 | $156,900 | $113,500 | $109,500 |
| Salesforce, Inc. | 7 | $287,542 | $240,950 | $160,062 |
| Skilltune Technologies Inc | 7 | $114,500 | $76,900 | $60,000 |
| University Of Chicago | 6 | $152,500 | $97,024 | $66,000 |
| U.S. Bank National Association | 6 | $161,000 | $108,077 | $108,077 |
| Akuna Capital, Llc | 6 | $206,000 | $139,050 | $65,354 |
| Ibm Corporation | 6 | $300,000 | $115,159 | $99,840 |
| Google Llc | 6 | $208,000 | $170,500 | $124,000 |
| Boston Consulting Group, Inc. | 6 | $252,900 | $190,000 | $100,450 |
| Deloitte Tax Llp | 6 | $205,500 | $98,674 | $76,544 |
| Chicago Public Schools | 6 | $102,387 | $76,711 | $67,415 |
| Here North America, Llc | 5 | $189,046 | $132,434 | $117,844 |
| Artificial Intelligence Staffing Llc | 5 | $85,467 | $85,467 | $71,427 |
| Caterpillar Inc. | 5 | $218,049 | $130,707 | $108,077 |
| A.T. Kearney, Inc. | 5 | $235,000 | $212,000 | $157,000 |
| Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Services, Llc | 5 | $181,840 | $151,050 | $100,400 |
Complete Salary Matrix by Job Title
Salary breakdown across all job titles in this city.| Local Job Title | Total Filings | Maximum Salary | Median Salary | Minimum Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Software Engineer | 59 | $207,400 | $108,077 | $60,000 |
| Software Developer | 38 | $375,000 | $108,077 | $76,835 |
| Postdoctoral Scholar | 21 | $80,000 | $66,252 | $56,484 |
| Occupational Therapist | 19 | $71,968 | $71,968 | $71,968 |
| Manager | 19 | $235,000 | $171,000 | $102,191 |
| Senior Software Engineer | 13 | $220,024 | $153,317 | $108,077 |
| Research Assistant Professor | 12 | $325,000 | $96,000 | $63,960 |
| Data Engineer | 12 | $200,000 | $110,788 | $85,500 |
| Data Scientist | 11 | $208,000 | $119,558 | $78,042 |
| Consultant | 11 | $225,410 | $130,707 | $85,467 |
| Research Associate | 11 | $117,998 | $72,761 | $56,484 |
| Applications Consultant 3 | 8 | $167,241 | $131,654 | $130,707 |
| Assistant Professor | 8 | $410,000 | $160,000 | $110,000 |
| Manager Jc50 - Computer Systems Engineers/Architects | 8 | $107,640 | $107,640 | $107,640 |
| Computer Programmer | 8 | $170,000 | $76,868 | $61,000 |
| Medical Laboratory Scientist | 8 | $95,658 | $74,256 | $69,680 |
| Director | 7 | $273,000 | $260,000 | $125,000 |
| Sr. Software Engineer | 7 | $259,000 | $130,707 | $85,467 |
| Research Scientist | 7 | $163,280 | $84,048 | $60,006 |
| Data Analyst | 7 | $96,930 | $74,277 | $68,786 |
| Senior Manager | 6 | $251,000 | $173,326 | $118,456 |
| Senior Data Scientist | 6 | $170,000 | $152,500 | $105,102 |
| Specialist Master | 6 | $194,300 | $156,936 | $153,317 |
| Trader | 6 | $300,000 | $149,350 | $133,900 |
| Associate | 6 | $310,000 | $123,500 | $61,152 |
| Architect | 6 | $140,400 | $82,846 | $75,858 |
| Sr. Software Developer | 5 | $130,102 | $85,467 | $85,467 |
| Software Engineer Iii | 5 | $206,000 | $136,464 | $120,000 |
| Senior Product Manager | 5 | $155,000 | $125,000 | $100,000 |
| Senior Manager, Software Engineering | 5 | $306,100 | $204,900 | $162,100 |
| Network Engineer | 5 | $155,000 | $82,846 | $51,334 |
| Lead Software Engineer | 5 | $270,375 | $156,000 | $140,000 |
| Devops Engineer | 5 | $146,000 | $108,077 | $70,000 |
| Financial Analyst | 5 | $156,000 | $93,933 | $70,886 |
| Business Analyst | 5 | $99,000 | $82,846 | $74,277 |
| Senior Data Analyst | 5 | $160,000 | $99,100 | $85,829 |
| Senior Consultant, Strategic Services | 4 | $137,000 | $116,964 | $96,928 |
| Senior Associate | 4 | $182,000 | $142,500 | $125,000 |
| Product Manager | 4 | $208,000 | $127,439 | $100,000 |
| Mgr. Jc50 - Software Quality Assurance Analysts And Testers | 4 | $104,728 | $104,728 | $104,728 |
| Project Manager | 4 | $105,000 | $80,028 | $77,210 |
| Project Engineer | 4 | $115,000 | $93,705 | $76,500 |
| Financial And Investment Analysts - Kbgfjg71292-20 | 4 | $263,000 | $263,000 | $263,000 |
| Data Engineering Analyst | 4 | $196,500 | $180,750 | $165,000 |
| Vice President, Lead Software Engineer | 4 | $166,500 | $158,650 | $150,500 |
| Technology Consultant 2 | 4 | $98,784 | $82,846 | $82,846 |
| Tax Senior | 4 | $110,000 | $83,272 | $76,544 |
| Associate, Software Engineer Iii | 4 | $137,000 | $134,500 | $131,100 |
| Senior Software Developer | 4 | $166,400 | $119,392 | $108,077 |
| Data Scientist (Analytics Engineer) | 4 | $170,747 | $170,726 | $170,726 |
Historical Compensation Averages
Year-over-year salary data comparing historical averages.| Fiscal Year | Maximum | Median | Average | Minimum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $600,000 | $120,000 | $125,339 | $22 |
| 2025 | $800,000 | $110,060 | $117,887 | $16 |
| 2024 | $800,000 | $104,000 | $114,002 | $16 |
| 2023 | $600,000 | $102,690 | $112,467 | $19 |
| 2022 | $450,000 | $100,000 | $108,759 | $15 |
| 2021 | $764,528 | $95,000 | $101,786 | $15 |
| 2020 | $680,000 | $89,981 | $96,317 | $9 |
| 2019 | $365,000 | $84,000 | $89,248 | $15 |
| 2018 | $710,000 | $83,366 | $85,924 | $13 |
| 2017 | $800,000 | $75,000 | $81,853 | $10 |
| 2016 | $450,000 | $72,000 | $78,560 | $11 |
Recent Visa Applications (FY 2026)
Raw, unedited federal disclosures showing individual labor applications filed in this city.City Specific Intelligence (FAQ)
Common questions and insights about Chicago.What company hires the most international workers in Chicago?
Ernst & Young U.S. Llp is the leading sponsor in the area, filing 99 work visa requests recently.
Is the cost of living in Chicago affordable for sponsored workers?
Once you factor in local rent and state taxes, the actual spending value of an average salary in Chicago equates to roughly $116,498.
What is the tax rate on a professional salary in Chicago?
In Chicago, state taxes sit around 4.9%. You should expect an estimated $6,051 to be withheld for state taxes annually.
How much do foreign professionals make in Chicago?
The median base pay in Chicago is $123,480, while specialized roles often push past $159,067.