Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
1 / 50#50. Surveying and mapping technicians
- Median annual wage: $58,110
- Median hourly wage: $27.94
- Total employment: 890 people (0.2 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Highest-paying computer and engineering jobs in Chicago
What do we mean when we talk about computer and engineering jobs? Well, that depends. These positions encompass various roles dedicated to new technology development and maintenance. Take software developers, who create and oversee computer programs, versus mechanical engineers, who design and build physical products, tools, and systems. However different these careers may be, though, they do have a few things in common: bachelor's degree requirements, a focus on analytical thinking, and the allure of a steady paycheck, particularly for recent college graduates.
First, the bad news—ongoing technological advancements have massively impacted these industries. As the use of artificial intelligence has exploded in the technology sector, finding an entry-level job has become increasingly difficult. LinkedIn Chief Economic Opportunity Officer Aneesh Raman noted in a May 2025 op-ed for The New York Times that artificial intelligence is decimating the "bottom rung of the career ladder" in technology, while a May 2025 report from SignalFire found that the hiring of new grads at the nation's 15 largest tech companies has dropped by more than 50% since 2019.
Yet, while the situation may seem dire, it's not all doom and gloom for computer and engineering jobs. Although these positions may be more selective than they once were, many pay far more than the country's 2024 median wages of $49,500. Those in computer and information technology occupations can expect to make a median salary of $105,990 as of 2024, while engineers earn median wages of more than $97,000.
Employment in these fields is also expected to grow at a healthy rate. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts an average of 356,700 new computer job openings yearly through 2033, and 195,000 new engineering job openings in the same period. Furthermore, growing interest in sustainable infrastructure and construction techniques could lead to exciting opportunities for engineers.
Though it's difficult to predict the exact future of computer and engineering jobs, those interested in these fields can at least consider one important aspect: salary. Stacker used BLS data to find the highest-paying computer and engineering jobs Chicago. Jobs are ranked by their median annual pay as of May 2024, so any jobs without annual compensation figures available were excluded from this analysis.
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2 / 50#49. Computer user support specialists
- Median annual wage: $59,570
- Median hourly wage: $28.64
- Total employment: 18,330 people (4.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Xmentoys // Shutterstock
3 / 50#48. Calibration technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $61,240
- Median hourly wage: $29.44
- Total employment: Not available
Freedomz // Shutterstock
4 / 50#47. Drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $65,620
- Median hourly wage: $31.55
- Total employment: 110 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Oil and Gas Photographer // Shutterstock
5 / 50#46. Mechanical engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $68,430
- Median hourly wage: $32.90
- Total employment: 610 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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6 / 50#45. Electrical and electronics drafters
- Median annual wage: $68,800
- Median hourly wage: $33.08
- Total employment: 160 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
7 / 50#44. Computer network support specialists
- Median annual wage: $69,200
- Median hourly wage: $33.27
- Total employment: 5,730 people (1.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Toa55 // Shutterstock
8 / 50#43. Landscape architects
- Median annual wage: $71,530
- Median hourly wage: $34.39
- Total employment: 620 people (0.14 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BELL KA PANG // Shutterstock
9 / 50#42. Industrial engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $74,330
- Median hourly wage: $35.73
- Total employment: 1,660 people (0.37 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gearstd // Shutterstock
10 / 50#41. Mechanical drafters
- Median annual wage: $74,590
- Median hourly wage: $35.86
- Total employment: 550 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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11 / 50#40. Civil engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $76,590
- Median hourly wage: $36.82
- Total employment: 1,840 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
12 / 50#39. Electro-mechanical and mechatronics technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $77,080
- Median hourly wage: $37.06
- Total employment: 240 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Freedy // Shutterstock
13 / 50#38. Surveyors
- Median annual wage: $77,820
- Median hourly wage: $37.42
- Total employment: 1,080 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Erickson Stock // Shutterstock
14 / 50#37. Mathematical science occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $78,910
- Median hourly wage: $37.94
- Total employment: 1,530 people (0.34 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
anyaivanova // Shutterstock
15 / 50#36. Electrical and electronic engineering technologists and technicians
- Median annual wage: $79,030
- Median hourly wage: $38.00
- Total employment: 1,430 people (0.32 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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16 / 50#35. Architects, except landscape and naval
- Median annual wage: $79,240
- Median hourly wage: $38.10
- Total employment: 4,920 people (1.1 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BGStock72 // Shutterstock
17 / 50#34. Engineering technologists and technicians, except drafters, all other
- Median annual wage: $79,490
- Median hourly wage: $38.22
- Total employment: 540 people (0.12 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PIYAWAT WONGOPASS // Shutterstock
18 / 50#33. Computer programmers
- Median annual wage: $90,470
- Median hourly wage: $43.50
- Total employment: Not available
Francesco Scatena // Shutterstock
19 / 50#32. Cartographers and photogrammetrists
- Median annual wage: $93,330
- Median hourly wage: $44.87
- Total employment: 50 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Rawpixel.com //Shutterstock
20 / 50#31. Web and digital interface designers
- Median annual wage: $95,060
- Median hourly wage: $45.70
- Total employment: 1,600 people (0.36 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Tonhom1009 // Shutterstock
21 / 50#30. Bioengineers and biomedical engineers
- Median annual wage: $96,320
- Median hourly wage: $46.31
- Total employment: 290 people (0.07 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Halfpoint // Shutterstock
22 / 50#29. Materials engineers
- Median annual wage: $97,760
- Median hourly wage: $47.00
- Total employment: 180 people (0.04 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Arjuna Kodisinghe // Shutterstock
23 / 50#28. Network and computer systems administrators
- Median annual wage: $98,790
- Median hourly wage: $47.50
- Total employment: 7,370 people (1.65 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
24 / 50#27. Computer systems analysts
- Median annual wage: $99,510
- Median hourly wage: $47.84
- Total employment: 15,940 people (3.56 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
PR Image Factory // Shutterstock
25 / 50#26. Operations research analysts
- Median annual wage: $99,890
- Median hourly wage: $48.02
- Total employment: 3,560 people (0.8 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wutzkohphoto // Shutterstock
26 / 50#25. Civil engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,280
- Median hourly wage: $48.21
- Total employment: 8,870 people (1.98 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
27 / 50#24. Mechanical engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,390
- Median hourly wage: $48.26
- Total employment: 6,050 people (1.35 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
28 / 50#23. Web developers
- Median annual wage: $100,730
- Median hourly wage: $48.43
- Total employment: 1,960 people (0.44 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
29 / 50#22. Industrial engineers
- Median annual wage: $100,940
- Median hourly wage: $48.53
- Total employment: 10,640 people (2.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
N.Z.Photography // Shutterstock
30 / 50#21. Computer occupations, all other
- Median annual wage: $102,080
- Median hourly wage: $49.08
- Total employment: 8,390 people (1.88 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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31 / 50#20. Software quality assurance analysts and testers
- Median annual wage: $102,360
- Median hourly wage: $49.21
- Total employment: 5,410 people (1.21 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
DC Studio // Shutterstock
32 / 50#19. Database administrators
- Median annual wage: $103,700
- Median hourly wage: $49.86
- Total employment: 1,830 people (0.41 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
kittirat roekburi // Shutterstock
33 / 50#18. Environmental engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,550
- Median hourly wage: $51.71
- Total employment: 1,050 people (0.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
SeventyFour // Shutterstock
34 / 50#17. Computer hardware engineers
- Median annual wage: $107,720
- Median hourly wage: $51.79
- Total employment: 1,150 people (0.26 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
35 / 50#16. Electrical engineers
- Median annual wage: $109,010
- Median hourly wage: $52.41
- Total employment: 4,340 people (0.97 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Chaay_Tee // Shutterstock
36 / 50#15. Data scientists
- Median annual wage: $112,640
- Median hourly wage: $54.15
- Total employment: 5,840 people (1.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Monkey Business Images // Shutterstock
37 / 50#14. Health and safety engineers, except mining safety engineers and inspectors
- Median annual wage: $114,850
- Median hourly wage: $55.22
- Total employment: 120 people (0.03 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
BalanceFormCreative // Shutterstock
38 / 50#13. Information security analysts
- Median annual wage: $116,520
- Median hourly wage: $56.02
- Total employment: 3,460 people (0.77 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
39 / 50#12. Engineers, all other
- Median annual wage: $117,980
- Median hourly wage: $56.72
- Total employment: 1,710 people (0.38 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
40 / 50#11. Electronics engineers, except computer
- Median annual wage: $118,230
- Median hourly wage: $56.84
- Total employment: 740 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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Pheelings media // Shutterstock
41 / 50#10. Statisticians
- Median annual wage: $119,200
- Median hourly wage: $57.31
- Total employment: 370 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
eldar nurkovic // Shutterstock
42 / 50#9. Chemical engineers
- Median annual wage: $119,490
- Median hourly wage: $57.45
- Total employment: 360 people (0.08 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
aappp // Shutterstock
43 / 50#8. Aerospace engineers
- Median annual wage: $125,520
- Median hourly wage: $60.35
- Total employment: 200 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
dokurose // Shutterstock
44 / 50#7. Actuaries
- Median annual wage: $126,040
- Median hourly wage: $60.60
- Total employment: 1,390 people (0.31 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Kenishirotie //Shutterstock
45 / 50#6. Mathematicians
- Median annual wage: $127,290
- Median hourly wage: $61.20
- Total employment: 60 people (0.01 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
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wee dezign // Shutterstock
46 / 50#5. Software developers
- Median annual wage: $130,030
- Median hourly wage: $62.51
- Total employment: 41,320 people (9.24 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Dmitry Lobanov // Shutterstock
47 / 50#4. Nuclear engineers
- Median annual wage: $130,160
- Median hourly wage: $62.58
- Total employment: 750 people (0.17 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
MinskDesign // Shutterstock
48 / 50#3. Database architects
- Median annual wage: $134,900
- Median hourly wage: $64.86
- Total employment: 1,260 people (0.28 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
49 / 50#2. Computer and information research scientists
- Median annual wage: $135,120
- Median hourly wage: $64.96
- Total employment: 230 people (0.05 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
Gorodenkoff // Shutterstock
50 / 50#1. Computer network architects
- Median annual wage: $140,760
- Median hourly wage: $67.67
- Total employment: 4,880 people (1.09 of every 1,000 jobs in the area)
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 364 metros.
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