Data Engineer Jobs in Chicago

What Does a Data Engineer Do?

Data engineers build and maintain the infrastructure and pipelines that enable organizations to collect, store, and process large volumes of data. They ensure data quality, security, and accessibility for analytics and machine learning teams.

Data Engineer Salary in Chicago

The median salary for a Data Engineer in Chicago is $124,338 per year. The range is $94K - $162K (P10: $72,048, P90: $203,329). (BLS OEWS 2025) Typical US salary range: $95K - $160K. In Europe: €65K - €105K. Cost of living in Chicago is moderate compared to other cities.

Most In-Demand Skills

The Chicago Job Market

Midwest powerhouse with 280K+ finance, tech, and manufacturing jobs. Chicago's growing fintech and SaaS sector is attracting talent seeking lower costs than coastal cities.

Top industries: Finance, Manufacturing, Technology, Professional Services.

Strong public transit network with Metra regional connectivity supporting hybrid work patterns.

Career Path & 2026 Trends

Data engineers progress to senior data engineer or principal engineer roles, with some transitioning to data platform architecture or management. Data engineering is experiencing rapid growth in 2026 as organizations prioritize real-time data and AI/ML infrastructure investments.

Interview Tip

Prepare specific examples of data pipelines you've built, focusing on how you handled scale, reliability, and data quality challenges.

How to Find a Data Engineer Job in Chicago?

jobko.ai aggregates listings from 40+ sources (Indeed, LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and more) and uses AI to analyze each posting against your profile. With 3 current Data Engineer listings in Chicago, you get honest match scores, red flag detection, and personalized CV advice — all for free.