Side-by-side distribution
Denver
$125,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 70%
- Live roles
- 2,843
Illinois
$105,000
median · per year, annualized USD
- Disclosing
- 57.7%
- Live roles
- 3,154
Highest-paying jobs
Education Market Leader I
S&T Market Leader I
HVAC Comfort Advisor
Executive Operations & Advancement Associate at Hillel of Colorado
Transaction Advisory Services (TAS) – Private Equity Principal
Senior Account Executive, Startups (Denver)
Principal/Partner - Forensic Accounting & Litigation Support
Relief Registered Veterinary Technician - Cherry Creek
Outpatient Psychiatrist
Daytime Neuroradiologist Partner-Track - 85% Remote
Highest-paying jobs
Sales Leader, Quality Engineering Services
Co-Founder & CEO - AI Retail Planning Autopilot
Electronics Engineering Technician
Strategic Account Executive - Chicago (Remote)
Director / VP Sales
Psychiatrist (MD / DO)
Preschool Teacher / Lead Teacher
Dentist
Employment Law Attorney
Psych Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP, Psych APRN)
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Esri
|
$135,200 | 138 |
Crusoe
|
$159,185 | 60 |
Fivetran
|
$203,643 | 48 |
DoorDash USA
|
$132,300 | 48 |
Xometry
|
$109,000 | 47 |
Gusto, Inc.
|
$146,750 | 42 |
| TA True Anomaly | $170,000 | 39 |
Datadog
|
$123,000 | 36 |
Top companies hiring
| Company | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
Gotion, Inc.
|
$100,000 | 88 |
Okta
|
$214,000 | 70 |
The Symicor Group
|
$102,500 | 48 |
Real Chemistry
|
$123,750 | 40 |
NoGigiddy
|
$43,680 | 36 |
Optiver
|
$200,000 | 34 |
Tricoci University
|
$44,720 | 34 |
Metropolis
|
$115,000 | 29 |
Highest-paying roles in Denver
| Role | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| Data Scientist | $187,500 | 6 |
| UX Designer | $171,000 | 11 |
| DevOps | $166,700 | 65 |
| Software Engineer | $157,500 | 336 |
| Recruiter | $155,500 | 261 |
| Product Manager | $145,000 | 338 |
| Customer Success | $137,500 | 683 |
| Sales | $136,084 | 785 |
| Marketing Manager | $135,000 | 235 |
| Project Manager | $126,900 | 232 |
Highest-paying roles in Illinois
| Role | Median | Roles |
|---|---|---|
| UX Designer | $167,250 | 4 |
| DevOps | $161,750 | 46 |
| Software Engineer | $154,780 | 122 |
| Sales | $133,500 | 549 |
| Customer Success | $131,500 | 375 |
| Data Scientist | $131,250 | 6 |
| Product Manager | $127,750 | 282 |
| Marketing Manager | $121,500 | 197 |
| Project Manager | $115,000 | 186 |
| Recruiter | $110,250 | 225 |
Denver vs Illinois: which pays more?
The median for Denver is $125,000 per year (typically $80,000–$175,000), versus $105,000 for Illinois ($67,500–$160,219). That puts Denver about 19% ahead at the median.
Both figures are computed live from active listings on JobsRadar and normalized to annualized USD, so Denver 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.