Software Engineering Talent: Supply vs Demand in Illinois.
3.55% of US computer science grads come from Illinois each year. Discover where most of them come from, and their job prospects. Identify emerging talent hubs, in-demand skills, and salary progression patterns.
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Where are Illinois computer science grads coming from?
Top cities producing the most CS grads
Chicago, Champaign and Evanston produced the highest number of CS grads. This represents 64.07% of the total CS grads from Illinois.
Uncover other talent hubs with this interactive map.
Curious how this data compares to another state?
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Top institutions producing the most CS grads
Illinois produces 4,846 of CS grads each year.
We've identified the top institutions supplying the highest number of future software engineers. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign came out on top, with 988 CS grads. This represents 20.39% of total grads in Illinois.
Whether you're an employer recruiting rising tech talent or a student planning your academic career, these are definitely the schools to watch.
In-demand skills & job market outlook for Illinois.
Top Illinois cities with the highest number of job opportunities
Explore the Illinois cities with the highest number of software engineering jobs.
59.44% of all job postings in Illinois come from Chicago.
Most in-demand technical skills
Learning in-demand programming languages and technologies is essential for staying ahead of the curve in a competitive job market.
Here are the most sought-after skills in Illinois. Java was most in-demand, mentioned in 26.5% of the software engineering job postings we analyzed.
Average salary and job availability by education level
We analyzed 46,307 job postings in Illinois.
Here's an overview of how many jobs are available at each education level, and the mean salary.
Salaries by seniority in Illinois
Earning potential is an essential factor to consider when laying the groundwork for a career in software engineering.
This chart shows the median salaries for software engineers at different stages of their career.
While an entry-level software engineer in Illinois can expect to earn $104,000, that figure jumps to $150,020 for senior tech talent, representing a 44.2% increase.
Additional info about Illinois's talent landscape.
- Financial Technology Powerhouse: As a major global financial center, Chicago is at the forefront of fintech innovation. In this city, software engineers have the chance to dive into exciting projects like developing high-frequency trading algorithms for the city’s prominent exchanges, creating blockchain solutions for secure transactions, and building sophisticated risk management systems for top financial institutions.
- Transportation Tech Hub: Illinois' central location and Chicago's role as a major transportation hub create demand for advancements in logistics technology, providing interesting opportunities in route optimization software, smart traffic management systems, and upgraded public transit solutions.
- Healthcare IT Corridor: With an extensive healthcare sector, Illinois, especially Chicago, offers significant opportunities for software engineers to drive technological progress in advanced electronic health records systems, cutting-edge telemedicine platforms, and AI-powered diagnostic tools that enhance patient care and streamline medical processes.
- Advanced Manufacturing Software: Illinois' robust manufacturing base is embracing Industry 4.0, a move that spurs new innovative opportunities to develop IoT systems for smart factories, predictive maintenance software, and supply chain management tools.
- Agricultural Innovation: Beyond its urban center, Illinois has a significant agricultural sector where engineers can work on precision farming applications, crop yield prediction models, and farm management systems tailored to the Midwest's unique needs.
Compare Illinois with another state.
Where are the most promising opportunities? Find out how different hubs compare in terms of job availability, cost of living, and earning potential.
*Calculated based on US average of 100. Numbers higher than 100 relate to a higher cost of living.
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