Software Engineer Jobs in Chicago, IL

Junior (0‑2 yrs) $70k‑$90k, Mid‑level (2‑5 yrs) $90k‑$120k, Senior (5‑10 yrs) $120k‑$160k, Staff/Principal (10+ yrs) $160k‑$200k, with variations for tech hubs like SF ($180k‑$220k) and NYC ($170k‑$210k).

Core languages: Java, Python, Go, Rust, JavaScript/TypeScript. Frontend: React, Vue, Angular. Backend: Node.js, Spring Boot, .NET Core. DevOps: Kubernetes, Docker, Terraform, CI/CD pipelines. Data: Spark, Flink, Snowflake, BigQuery. Certifications: AWS Certified Solutions Architect, Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect, Microsoft Certified: Azure Developer, Certified Kubernetes Administrator, Certified ScrumMaster.

Over 70% of listings support fully remote or hybrid models. Companies like Atlassian, GitLab, and Shopify offer global remote teams, while many startups maintain flexible locations. Remote roles often include a stipend for home office setup and access to virtual collaboration tools.

Typical ladder: Junior → Mid‑level → Senior → Staff Engineer/Principal Engineer → Engineering Manager → Director of Engineering → VP of Engineering. Each step adds responsibility for architectural decisions, mentorship, project ownership, and cross‑functional leadership.

AI/ML model deployment, serverless architectures, edge computing for IoT, container‑native observability, GitOps, and continuous delivery pipelines. Companies are also investing in secure multi‑tenant cloud services and low‑latency data streaming platforms.