Side-by-side distribution
Colorado
$117,520
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 69.1%
- Live roles
- 2,375
Illinois
$105,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 57.9%
- Live roles
- 3,162
Highest-paying jobs
Executive Operations & Advancement Associate at Hillel of Colorado
Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) – Private Equity Principal
Psychiatrist (MD / DO)
Principal/Partner - Forensic Accounting & Litigation Support
Anesthesiologist
Staff Physical Design Engineer
Physical Design Engineer
Staff Technical Program Manager, Physical Design
Full-Chip Physical Design Verification Engineer
Psychiatrist Medical Director
Highest-paying jobs
Sales Leader, Quality Engineering Services
Co-Founder & CEO - AI Retail Planning Autopilot
Director / VP Sales
Strategic Account Executive - Chicago (Remote)
Electronics Engineering Technician
Psychiatrist (MD / DO)
Preschool Teacher / Lead Teacher
Dentist
Psych Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP, Psych APRN)
Employment Law Attorney
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
|
Serenity Mental Health Centers
|
$73,840 | 99 |
NoGigiddy
|
$42,640 | 88 |
Anduril Industries
|
$167,000 | 65 |
Amazing Care Home Health Services
|
$50,960 | 55 |
Datadog
|
$141,000 | 38 |
Fivetran
|
$180,317 | 33 |
Woven Care
|
$75,452 | 30 |
Experience Senior Living
|
$42,640 | 29 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Gotion, Inc.
|
$101,250 | 88 |
Okta
|
$214,000 | 71 |
The Symicor Group
|
$100,000 | 49 |
|
NoGigiddy
|
$43,680 | 36 |
Tricoci University
|
$44,720 | 35 |
Optiver
|
$200,000 | 34 |
Real Chemistry
|
$127,500 | 34 |
Metropolis
|
$112,500 | 30 |
Highest-paying roles in Colorado
| Role | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | $191,500 | 12 |
| Recruiter | $159,404 | 76 |
| Software Engineer | $150,750 | 279 |
| UX Designer | $145,000 | 3 |
| DevOps | $145,000 | 55 |
| Product Manager | $140,000 | 221 |
| Customer Success | $139,250 | 330 |
| Project Manager | $120,000 | 161 |
| Sales | $115,080 | 425 |
| Marketing Manager | $115,000 | 139 |
Highest-paying roles in Illinois
| Role | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| UX Designer | $167,250 | 4 |
| DevOps | $160,500 | 50 |
| Software Engineer | $153,000 | 125 |
| Sales | $130,650 | 559 |
| Customer Success | $128,000 | 379 |
| Data Scientist | $126,500 | 7 |
| Product Manager | $125,500 | 290 |
| Marketing Manager | $117,500 | 199 |
| Project Manager | $116,165 | 182 |
| Recruiter | $111,375 | 222 |
Colorado vs Illinois: which pays more?
The median for Colorado is $117,520 per year (typically $74,505–$165,000), versus $105,000 for Illinois ($67,500–$160,000). That puts Colorado about 12% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Colorado and Illinois are compared on equal terms regardless of the currency each role was originally posted in. Only roles that publish a salary range feed the medians; numbers refresh every few hours as new roles post and older ones close, so this comparison reflects the market right now rather than a fixed survey. Use it as a directional benchmark when weighing one path against the other.