Illinois — anchored by Chicago — is the #5 H1B state, driven by IT consulting giants, pharmaceutical companies, and world-class research universities. 62,100 LCA approvals annually.
| Employer | City | Industry | Annual Approvals | Avg LCA Wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accenture (Chicago) | Chicago | IT Consulting / Professional Services | 3,200 | $148,000 |
| United Airlines | Chicago | Aviation / Technology | 890 | $132,000 |
| Motorola Solutions | Chicago | Mission-Critical Communications | 760 | $162,000 |
| Zebra Technologies | Lincolnshire | Enterprise Mobile Computing | 680 | $155,000 |
| Hyatt Hotels | Chicago | Hospitality / Technology | 310 | $128,000 |
| CDW Corporation | Lincolnshire | IT Solutions / B2B | 520 | $142,000 |
| Caterpillar | Deerfield | Heavy Machinery / Industrial | 880 | $145,000 |
| AbbVie | North Chicago | Biopharmaceuticals | 1,240 | $178,000 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago | Research University (Cap-Exempt) | 1,100 | $122,000 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston | Research University (Cap-Exempt) | 920 | $118,000 |
Source: DOL LCA Disclosure Data FY2022–FY2025 · Updated May 2026
Financial technology, consulting, and enterprise tech hub. Major Accenture, Deloitte, PwC offices. Growing fintech ecosystem.
IT Consulting, Finance Technology, Data Engineering, Management Consulting
Pharmaceutical corridor: AbbVie HQ, Baxter International, and numerous biotech companies near North Chicago.
Pharmaceutical Research, Biomedical Engineering, Clinical Data Management
Suburban tech corridor with Lucent/Nokia Bell Labs legacy, Nalco (Ecolab), and mid-size enterprise software companies.
Network Engineering, Software Development, Chemical Engineering
Browse H1B-sponsored positions at Illinois's top employers.
Balaji Ingole
SMIEEE · FBCS · FIETE | 16+ years data engineering
Built H1BVisaJobs.com on 10 GB+ of DOL LCA data (FY2022–FY2025). All data from primary government sources. Read full bio →