Take the STEM Compass assessmentSee the STEM Farm tracks
Careers the Chicago, IL economy leans on
Ranked by how many counties in this zone carry the economy types each family hires into, then by growth. The fit is yours; the demand is local.
Data Scientist+34%Information Security Analyst+29%Computer Network Architect+12%Statistician+8%Biochemist & Biophysicist+7%Chemist & Materials Scientist+6%Physicist+4%Astronomer+4%Actuary+22%Operations Research Analyst+21%Computer & Information Research Scientist+20%Software Developer+15%Computer Systems Analyst+9%Mathematician+8%Web Developer+7%Mathematics Professor+7%Database Administrator+4%Database Architect+4%Computer Programmer-6%Industrial Engineer+11%Mechanical Engineer+9%Electrical Engineer+7%Aerospace Engineer+6%Marine Engineer & Naval Architect+6%Civil Engineer+5%Environmental Engineer+4%Chemical Engineer+3%Physician Assistant+20%Epidemiologist+16%Medical Scientist+9%Biomedical Engineer+6%Registered Nurse+5%Microbiologist+5%Physician & Surgeon+4%Clinical Laboratory Technologist+4%Agricultural & Food Scientist+6%Geoscientist+5%Environmental Scientist+4%Zoologist & Wildlife Biologist+2%Atmospheric Scientist & Meteorologist+1%
Counties in this labor market
Cook County, ILDeKalb County, ILDuPage County, ILGrundy County, ILKane County, ILKendall County, ILKenosha County, WILake County, ILMcHenry County, ILRacine County, WIWill County, IL
Metros around Chicago, IL
Minneapolis, MN13 countiesSt. Louis, MO12 countiesMilwaukee, WI7 countiesMadison, WI8 countiesDavenport, IA–IL7 countiesPeoria, IL8 countiesRockford, IL7 countiesGreen Bay, WI6 countiesDuluth, MN–WI5 countiesEvansville, IN10 countiesAppleton, WI8 countiesChampaign, IL6 counties
This labor market, by search
STEM career quiz — Chicago, ILSTEM career test — Chicago, ILSTEM personality test — Chicago, ILSTEM career assessment — Chicago, ILWhich STEM career is right for me — Chicago, ILWhat STEM career should i choose — Chicago, ILSTEM career finder — Chicago, ILSTEM aptitude test — Chicago, ILSTEM career path — Chicago, ILSTEM careers list — Chicago, ILSTEM jobs — Chicago, ILSTEM fields — Chicago, ILCareers in science — Chicago, ILCareers in technology — Chicago, ILCareers in engineering — Chicago, ILCareers in math — Chicago, ILSTEM majors — Chicago, ILSTEM degrees — Chicago, ILSTEM careers without a degree — Chicago, ILSTEM careers for women — Chicago, ILSTEM careers for Latinas — Chicago, ILWomen in STEM — Chicago, ILSTEM for girls — Chicago, ILSTEM careers for high school students — Chicago, ILSTEM career exploration — Chicago, ILSTEM career for my personality — Chicago, ILBest STEM careers — Chicago, ILSTEM careers in demand — Chicago, ILSTEM career change — Chicago, ILSTEM careers for veterans — Chicago, ILSTEM careers for introverts — Chicago, ILSTEM careers for extroverts — Chicago, ILSTEM careers for creative people — Chicago, ILSTEM careers that help people — Chicago, ILSTEM careers for the environment — Chicago, ILHow to find your purpose in STEM — Chicago, ILSTEM mission vision values — Chicago, ILSTEM career for students — Chicago, ILSTEM career counseling — Chicago, ILSTEM career guidance — Chicago, ILSTEM career options — Chicago, ILSTEM career match — Chicago, ILSTEM career interest survey — Chicago, ILScience career quiz — Chicago, ILEngineering career quiz — Chicago, ILTechnology career quiz — Chicago, ILHealthcare career quiz — Chicago, ILCoding career quiz — Chicago, ILData science career quiz — Chicago, ILCybersecurity career quiz — Chicago, ILNursing career quiz — Chicago, ILSTEM career for kids — Chicago, ILSTEM careers parents should know — Chicago, ILSTEM education — Chicago, ILSTEM programs — Chicago, ILSTEM jobs near me — Chicago, ILSTEM careers near me — Chicago, ILSTEM internships — Chicago, ILSTEM scholarships — Chicago, ILFree STEM career test — Chicago, ILSTEM career test for adults — Chicago, ILSTEM career test for teens — Chicago, IL
Questions people ask
Which STEM careers are in demand in Chicago, IL?
Data Scientist, Information Security Analyst, Computer Network Architect, Statistician and Biochemist & Biophysicist lead on local economy fit here; Data Scientist (+34%), Information Security Analyst (+29%) and Actuary (+22%) lead on national growth.
What is a commuting zone?
A Census labor market built from where people actually commute to work. It is the right geography for training and hiring: the job you train for is usually inside your zone, even when it is not inside your county.
Sources. Career traits, education paths and value lines are the STEM Compass assessment library. Employment growth is U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections 2024–2034. County economic types are USDA Economic Research Service County Typology Codes (2025); labor markets are Census commuting zones (2020). Salary is not shown anywhere in this campaign on purpose: the assessment measures fit and what the work is worth to the world.