High paying tech and IT jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Every tech and IT occupation below is ranked by its median annual wage in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. Read the percentile range, not just the median: the gap between the 10th and 90th inside a single tech and IT job is usually wider than the gap between two different ones, so where you land in a field matters more than which field you pick.

Cost of living: prices in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN run 3.6% above the national average (2024), so a Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN salary is worth about 0.97× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order.

Local wage estimates are suppressed more often than state ones — BLS withholds any figure too few local employers report — so an occupation missing here simply has no published local estimate.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find tech jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

OccupationMedian, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN · Employed

1Computer and Information Systems Managers$173,760
Bachelor's degree
$112,980 – $280,06024,950
2Computer Network Architects$143,800
Bachelor's degree
$95,930 – $205,3405,400
3Software Developers$134,380
Bachelor's degree
$83,820 – $203,41040,370
4Information Security Analysts$125,310
Bachelor's degree
$79,460 – $174,4503,480
5Actuaries$113,730
Bachelor's degree
$79,640 – $209,2601,560
6Database Administrators$109,680
Bachelor's degree
$60,150 – $164,0501,870
7Data Scientists$107,640
Bachelor's degree
$70,740 – $168,8807,940
8Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers$105,580
Bachelor's degree
$67,010 – $152,9005,010
9Computer Systems Analysts$103,490
Bachelor's degree
$61,860 – $151,49014,660
10Network and Computer Systems Administrators$103,170
Bachelor's degree
$68,990 – $162,2906,950
11Computer Occupations, All Other$101,660
Bachelor's degree
$57,690 – $170,0907,800
12Web Developers$96,870
Bachelor's degree
$72,790 – $134,3302,790
13Web and Digital Interface Designers$87,920
Bachelor's degree
$59,450 – $162,0501,470
14Operations Research Analysts$86,500
Bachelor's degree
$62,470 – $148,6003,680
15Computer Network Support Specialists$73,340
Associate's degree
$49,670 – $109,8804,740
16Computer User Support Specialists$60,730
Some college, no degree
$42,200 – $98,59019,680

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianChicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Computer and Information Systems ManagersBachelor's degree	$173,760	$112,980 – $280,060	24,950
2	Computer Network ArchitectsBachelor's degree	$143,800	$95,930 – $205,340	5,400
3	Software DevelopersBachelor's degree	$134,380	$83,820 – $203,410	40,370
4	Information Security AnalystsBachelor's degree	$125,310	$79,460 – $174,450	3,480
5	ActuariesBachelor's degree	$113,730	$79,640 – $209,260	1,560
6	Database AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$109,680	$60,150 – $164,050	1,870
7	Data ScientistsBachelor's degree	$107,640	$70,740 – $168,880	7,940
8	Software Quality Assurance Analysts and TestersBachelor's degree	$105,580	$67,010 – $152,900	5,010
9	Computer Systems AnalystsBachelor's degree	$103,490	$61,860 – $151,490	14,660
10	Network and Computer Systems AdministratorsBachelor's degree	$103,170	$68,990 – $162,290	6,950
11	Computer Occupations, All OtherBachelor's degree	$101,660	$57,690 – $170,090	7,800
12	Web DevelopersBachelor's degree	$96,870	$72,790 – $134,330	2,790
13	Web and Digital Interface DesignersBachelor's degree	$87,920	$59,450 – $162,050	1,470
14	Operations Research AnalystsBachelor's degree	$86,500	$62,470 – $148,600	3,680
15	Computer Network Support SpecialistsAssociate's degree	$73,340	$49,670 – $109,880	4,740
16	Computer User Support SpecialistsSome college, no degree	$60,730	$42,200 – $98,590	19,680

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Other metro areas in IL

By field in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN to rank honestly.

High paying tech and IT jobs in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

More for Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Other metro areas in IL

By field in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Without a degree

High paying tech and IT jobs in each state