Cutting-Edge Technology Jobs in Chicago, IL

Entry‑level AI/ML engineers earn $90k–$120k, mid‑level $120k–$160k, senior $160k–$210k, and principal/lead roles $210k–$280k. Quantum developers follow a similar scale but start at $110k–$140k, mid at $140k–$190k, and senior at $190k–$250k, often with a 10%–15% equity component.

Core languages: Python, C++, Rust, and Q# for quantum. Frameworks: TensorFlow, PyTorch, JAX, and Qiskit. Cloud expertise: AWS SageMaker, Azure AI, and GCP Vertex. Certifications: TensorFlow Developer, AWS Certified Machine Learning – Specialty, IBM Quantum Developer, and Certified Blockchain Developer (CBDE). Hands‑on projects on Kaggle, Hackathon participation, and published research elevate a candidate’s profile.

Yes. Over 70% of listed roles offer full‑remote or hybrid options. Companies provide cloud‑based development environments, virtual lab access for quantum simulators, and remote‑first collaboration tools (e.g., GitHub Codespaces, JupyterHub, and Discord/Slack). Support for home‑office budgets and flexible schedules is standard.

Technical tracks: Junior → Mid → Senior → Principal → Staff Engineer. Managerial tracks: Team Lead → Engineering Manager → Director of Engineering → VP of Technology. Lateral moves to product, data science, or research labs are common. Clear performance metrics, mentorship programs, and promotion criteria are published on job listings.

Quantum advantage is moving from simulation to real‑world problem solving, demanding expertise in error correction and hardware‑software co‑design. Edge AI is expanding into autonomous drones and IoT, requiring low‑power inference and on‑device learning. AI democratization tools (AutoML, LLM fine‑tuning) lower barriers but increase demand for model governance. 5G and edge computing convergence fuels new network‑edge AI services.