Illinois β anchored by Chicago β 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 FY2022βFY2025 Β· 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 Β· FBCS Β· FIETE | 16+ years data engineering
Built H1BVisaJobs.com on 10 GB+ of DOL LCA data (FY2022βFY2025). All data from primary government sources. Read full bio β