Average Salaries ($K)
Chicago 2020-2024
Data Salary review
Chicago
2020 - 2024
- -13% Average Cost Of Living Rise
- #6/23 Cheapest City To Live
- 13% Average Salary Rise
- #18/23 Salary Growth - All Roles
- #19/23 Salary Growth For Heads Of Data
- #21/23 Salary Growth For Data Engineers
- #9/23 Salary Growth For Data Analysts
- #12/23 Salary Growth For Data Scientists
Overview
Chicago provides opportunities for data professionals across industries such as finance, healthcare, logistics, retail, and tech startups. The city is home to major employers like CME Group, Abbott, and McDonald’s, along with an emerging fintech and healthcare sector. While Chicago offers a wide range of opportunities, wage growth in data roles has been somewhat stagnant. Despite high demand, salaries for data professionals have not seen the same upward trajectory as in coastal tech hubs like San Francisco or New York. The city’s diverse mix of companies, from large corporations to smaller startups, means that data maturity varies across the board, while some industries like finance and healthcare are more advanced in data adoption, smaller businesses may lag behind. We saw more job postings mentioning legacy systems here than elsewhere.
The economic environment in Illinois poses additional challenges, with high taxes and financial instability affecting businesses across the state. This creates a climate where companies are more reluctant to make large investments in data infrastructure and innovation. This could impact the long-term growth potential for data professionals in the region. If you are looking for rapid wage growth or exposure to the bleeding edge of data technology, you might find better prospects in other major tech hubs. In Chicago, expect to climb the ladder at a slower pace and with fewer opportunities for high-paying roles in advanced tech unless you are in a select few sectors like fintech.
Heads Of Data
Advancing to a senior data role in Chicago is highly competitive, requiring a strong mix of technical expertise and business acumen. Employers in the city typically seek candidates with 8-10 years of experience, expecting them to have started in hands-on roles before transitioning into leadership positions. Senior professionals need to demonstrate their ability to not only build and optimise data infrastructure but also drive strategic business decisions with data-driven insights.
Chicago’s data landscape is still evolving, and companies here are often slower to invest in cutting-edge data initiatives compared to major tech hubs. Many organisations are working with legacy systems or are still in the early stages of integrating data into their decision-making processes. As a result, salaries for data professionals have seen modest growth, ranking #19/23 in our review. While Chicago offers a diverse range of industries and a strong business infrastructure, professionals seeking rapid salary growth or opportunities to work with the latest AI and machine learning technologies may find more dynamic markets elsewhere.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Data Engineers
Data engineer roles in Chicago have experienced notable volatility in salaries over the past five years, reflecting broader trends in the U.S. job market. While the city has a steady demand for data engineers, especially from sectors like finance, manufacturing, and logistics, salary fluctuations have been significant. In 2021, there was a notable dip in salaries for beginner level data engineers of -17.64% which could be attributed to market uncertainty and the aftermath of the pandemic, we then see a total reversal the next year as average salaries rose 57.14% and then back down again in 2023 by -31.81%. This was surely a rollercoaster where it is very likely you would be compensated dramatically different wages if you missed the boat in 2022. America is definitely the most volatile country in our study where the market and the average wages rise and fall much more dramatically than elsewhere.
Chicago ranks #21/23 for overall wage growth comparing 2020 to 2024 across our 23 tech hubs, reflecting a relatively slower increase compared to other U.S. markets. This indicates that while demand is steady, Chicago is not offering the same level of salary growth as cities with more mature or fast-growing tech ecosystems, like San Francisco or New York. In conclusion, the volatility in Chicago’s data engineer salaries highlights the unpredictable nature of the local job market, with employers needing to carefully navigate wage fluctuations and talent competition.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Data Analysts
Data analyst roles in Chicago offer strong opportunities, especially within industries like finance, manufacturing, logistics, and healthcare, with companies such as McDonald’s, Caterpillar, and Walgreens frequently hiring. However, the work tends to focus heavily on traditional reporting, dashboarding, and business intelligence, with fewer opportunities for advanced analytics or strategic roles compared to tech-heavy hubs like San Francisco or Austin. As a result, while the demand for data analysts is steady, the market lacks the cutting-edge projects that you might find in larger, more tech-driven cities.
In terms of salary growth, Chicago’s market is relatively stagnant in recent times. Whilst comparing 2020 to 2024 we do see a 51.31% rise, if we just look at the trends since 2022, we only see 8.49% at a time of higher inflation. While the job market remains solid, Chicago’s salaries are not as competitive as those in larger tech hubs, making it a more conservative choice for those seeking rapid growth or high-level, innovative analytics roles. If you need more advanced talent or cutting-edge projects, you might have to look elsewhere.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Data Scientists
The reality for data scientists in Chicago is that while the job market is steady, it is far from exciting or cutting-edge. Major industries like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing are hiring, but the roles often involve more traditional data tasks such as predictive modelling and basic machine learning, not the innovative or groundbreaking work you would find in places like Silicon Valley or New York. For those looking to push the boundaries of AI, deep learning, or advanced analytics, Chicago’s market just does not offer the same level of opportunity.
Salary-wise, it is also not the most competitive. While you can earn a decent wage, Chicago’s data science salaries lag behind cities with more mature or tech-heavy ecosystems. The growth in wages is slower than in other major U.S. tech hubs, with data scientists in Chicago seeing steady but unspectacular increases. This is not uncommon of trends we see for data scientists across the world. Whilst we do see a positive recovery from 2021 to 2023 with a rise of 23.33% for expert-level positions, this then declined last year by -5.4% and is overall a 0% change from 2020 which still enables it to rank #12/23 in our review highlighting the negative salary trend for data scientists.
Average Salaries ($K) By Experience
Hiring Data Roles For Chicago Companies
Chicago has a solid data talent pool, driven by key industries like finance, healthcare, and manufacturing. However, while the city offers a decent supply of general data professionals, roles requiring specialised skills, such as data architects, and experts in advanced machine learning, are harder to fill. The local skill set is more focused on traditional analytics, business intelligence, and operational data, meaning employers often struggle to find professionals with experience in cutting-edge areas like real-time data analytics or AI-driven insights. Hiring costs are competitive compared to major tech hubs, but they may be higher for niche skill sets, and retention can be a challenge as top professionals are often attracted by larger companies or tech startups.
When facing difficulty filling these specialised roles or needing to scale quickly, employers in Chicago should consider partnering with a data agency like 173tech. Agencies can be particularly effective for roles that are scarce locally, especially if building or migrating to new data infrastructure, modelling core data sources or growth metrics. By leveraging an agency, companies can tap into a more experienced talent pool and manage their data needs more efficiently, all while minimising the cost and risk associated with lengthy recruitment processes.
173tech Direct Comparison
- Head Of Data (5+ yrs) $305k
- Data Engineer (5+ yrs) $135k
- Data Engineer (0-3 yrs) $80k
- Data Analyst (3-5 yrs) $88k
- $608k per yr + Tax + Pension + Holidays
- Candice (15+ yrs) Ruben (8+ yrs) Oliver (10+ yrs)
- Adrian (15+ yrs)
- Oscar (2+ yrs)
- Emeric (3+ yrs) Mai (4+ yrs) Noel (2+ yrs) Amy (2+ yrs)
- $240k
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