Goldman Sachs, Citadel, Morningstar, and more — salary data, filing volumes, and why Level 3 wages mean better FY2027 lottery odds
Chicago's finance and technology sector is home to some of the highest-paying H-1B sponsors in the country. With the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery giving preferential selection to higher wage levels, Chicago-based employers filing at Level 3 and Level 4 prevailing wages offer significantly better lottery odds than Level 1 or Level 2 positions.
| Company | H-1B Filings | Typical Wage Level |
|---|---|---|
| Citadel / Citadel Securities | 850+ | Level 3–4; quant and engineering roles $200K+ |
| Goldman Sachs (Chicago) | 1,200+ | Level 3–4; technology and trading roles |
| Morningstar | 600+ | Level 2–3; data and software engineering |
| CME Group | 450+ | Level 3–4; quantitative finance and tech |
| Jump Trading | 350+ | Level 4; highest-paying Chicago sponsor |
| Allstate | 400+ | Level 2–3; insurance tech and analytics |
| McDonald's Corporation | 380+ | Level 2–3; tech and corporate strategy |
| Motorola Solutions | 320+ | Level 2–3; engineering and R&D |
The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin MSA has prevailing wages that reflect the city's role as a major financial hub. For SOC code 15-1252 (Software Developers), the Level 3 prevailing wage in Chicago is approximately $140,000–$155,000/year. For SOC 15-2051 (Data Scientists), Level 3 reaches $145,000–$165,000. Quantitative roles at trading firms often file at Level 4, exceeding $200,000.
Under the FY2027 wage-weighted lottery, registrations at Level 3 and Level 4 receive meaningfully higher selection probabilities than Level 1 and Level 2. For H-1B applicants choosing between job offers, a Chicago finance-tech role at Level 3 provides both higher compensation and better lottery odds — a significant advantage over Level 1 consulting positions elsewhere.
Chicago's finance-tech ecosystem includes proprietary trading firms (Citadel, Jump Trading, DRW, Wolverine), investment banks (Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan), fintech companies (Morningstar, Envestnet), and corporate technology teams at Fortune 500 headquarters (McDonald's, Allstate, Boeing, United Airlines). Many of these employers routinely file at Level 3+.
Find employers in Chicago paying Level 3 and Level 4 prevailing wages.
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Search H-1B Sponsors on Wisa →The Level 3 prevailing wage for Software Developers (SOC 15-1252) in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin MSA is approximately $140,000–$155,000/year as of 2026. For Data Scientists (SOC 15-2051), Level 3 is $145,000–$165,000. Quantitative roles may be classified under different SOC codes with even higher Level 3 wages. Check the DOL Foreign Labor Certification Data Center for exact figures.
Yes. Citadel, Citadel Securities, Jump Trading, DRW, Wolverine Trading, and other Chicago proprietary trading firms are active H-1B sponsors. They primarily hire quantitative researchers, software engineers, and data scientists at Level 3 and Level 4 wages. These firms have smaller filing volumes than FAANG but offer some of the highest H-1B salaries in the country.
USCIS has not published the exact weighting formula, but the final rule states that higher wage levels receive 'meaningfully higher' selection rates. Based on modeling by immigration attorneys, Level 3 registrations may have 2-3x the selection rate of Level 1 registrations in FY2027. The exact multiplier depends on the distribution of registrations across wage levels.
The title matters less than the actual prevailing wage level and salary. A 'Software Engineer' role at Citadel paying $180,000 (Level 3-4) gives better lottery odds than a 'Senior Software Engineer' role at a consulting firm paying $85,000 (Level 1). Focus on the wage level classification, not the title. However, ensure the role genuinely matches your qualifications to avoid specialty occupation issues.