Development Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Development Engineer jobs in Illinois are actively hiring, with strong demand concentrated in advanced manufacturing, defense systems, automotive engineering, and industrial automation, covering positions from entry-level associates through senior principal engineers. Chicago, Peoria, and Rockford anchor most of the hiring, with major employers like Caterpillar, Abbott Laboratories, and Boeing maintaining deep engineering operations across the state. The most in-demand specialties include product development, process engineering, and mechanical systems design. Find a role that fits below and apply directly.
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At Expedia Group, we help travelers explore the world, one journey at a time. As a global travel company powered by passionate people, trusted partnerships, and leading technology, we connect travelers, partners, and advertisers through our consumer brands, B2B network, and travel advertising business.
Here, you'll do meaningful work that helps millions of people discover, book, and experience travel with more ease, confidence, and joy. Our five Behaviors-Traveler First, Think Big, Operate with Excellence, Ownership Mindset, and Succeed Together-help foster a supportive environment where people can grow their careers and have the flexibility, benefits, and support to do their best work. Join us and build for travelers everywhere.
Introduction to Team:
Our Expedia Product & Technology division builds innovative products, services, and tools to deliver high-quality experiences for travelers, partners, and our employees. A unified, singular technology platform powered by data and machine learning provides secure, differentiated, and personalized experiences for the traveler and our partners that drive loyalty and customer satisfaction.
This Software Development Engineer II role is part of the Content Team team which sits within our Technology division. The Content Team acquires, curates, enriches, and distributes content from suppliers, travelers, third-party sources, and Expedia Group to provide contextual, relevant, and trustworthy information throughout the travel journey. In this role, you will develop and manage products and services that support Expedia Group’s content ecosystem and improve the quality, relevance, and personalization of content for travelers and partners.
In this role, you will:
- Design, build, and evolve reliable, scalable backend services and applications, including system design (LLD), API design, and data modeling for clearly scoped product capabilities.
- Deliver backend features across the full software development lifecycle by implementing designs, writing high-quality code, creating and executing tests, and contributing to deployment, monitoring, and ongoing operational support.
- Collaborate with engineers, product managers, and technical partners to understand requirements, break down work, and implement backend solutions that integrate with multiple services and domains.
- Improve code quality, reliability, and performance by following and contributing to best practices in testing, observability, security, and operational excellence for the services you support.
- Participate in code reviews, design discussions, and knowledge sharing, steadily expanding your technical scope and impact while supporting a culture of learning and continuous improvement. Safely integrate and operate AI/ML-enabled solutions that improve outcomes, with familiarity with AI-driven systems, tools, or workflows and applying AI/ML concepts to real world products.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science or a related technical field; or equivalent related professional experience.
- 2+ years of relevant professional software development experience delivering production backend services or applications.
- Proficiency in at least one modern programming language commonly used at Expedia Group and solid understanding of algorithms, data structures, object-oriented or functional design, system design (LLD), API design, and data modeling.
- Experience working with service-oriented or microservice architectures, including consuming and implementing APIs, working with data models, and contributing to the reliability, scalability, and security of services. Exposure to operating backend services in production environments, such as contributing to monitoring, on-call support, or improving systems based on operational data and feedback.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience contributing to the design and evolution of distributed backend systems and data models that handle significant traffic or data volume, including working with clear, well-versioned API contracts.
- Demonstrated ability to take ownership of well-defined backend components or features, make sound implementation tradeoffs, and align solutions with established architectural and domain standards.
- Experience improving operational excellence through enhanced observability, automation of repetitive tasks, and improvements to service performance, resilience, or cost efficiency.
- Hands-on experience using AI-driven tools, platforms, or workflows in the software development lifecycle, and safely integrating AI/ML-enabled components into production backend services under guidance from more experienced engineers.
- Experience applying metrics, experimentation, or analytics to inform backend design decisions and improve product or system outcomes.
Starting pay for this role will vary based on multiple factors, including location, available budget, and an individual’s knowledge, skills, and experience. Pay ranges may be modified in the future.
Benefits and perks
Expedia Group offers benefits and perks designed to support employees and their families, including medical, dental, and vision coverage, paid time off, an Employee Assistance Program, wellness and travel reimbursement, travel discounts, and International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) membership. Learn more about life at Expedia Group at https://careers.expediagroup.com/life .
Accommodation requests
Expedia Group is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruiting experience. If you need an accommodation or adjustment due to a disability during the application or recruiting process, please submit a request at https://expedia.service-now.com/askeg?id=job_accommodation .
About Expedia Group
Expedia Group includes three flagship consumer brands - Expedia, Hotels.com, and Vrbo - along with a leading B2B travel business and travel advertising offerings. Across our brands and business, we help travelers explore the world with confidence and ease.
Important notice
Employment opportunities and job offers at Expedia Group will always come from Expedia Group's Talent Acquisition and hiring teams. Never share sensitive personal information unless you are confident of the recipient. Expedia Group does not extend job offers via email or messaging tools to individuals with whom we have not made prior contact. Our email domain is @expediagroup.com. The official place to find and apply for roles is https://careers.expediagroup.com/jobs/ .
Equal Opportunity
Expedia is committed to creating an inclusive work environment with a diverse workforce. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. This employer participates in E-Verify. The employer will provide the Social Security Administration (SSA) and, if necessary, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with information from each new employee's I-9 to confirm work authorization.See All 61 Development Engineer Jobs in Illinois
Find roles in Illinois that match your experience and apply in just a few clicks.
Find Development Engineer JobsDevelopment Engineer Jobs by City in Illinois
Where Illinois roles are concentrated, by current openings.
Development Engineer Job Market in Illinois
A snapshot from current Illinois openings, updated as new roles post.
Who's Hiring



Top Industries Hiring
- Consulting & Professional Services
- Insurance
- Manufacturing
- Fashion & Apparel
- Chemicals & Materials
What Illinois Employers Look For
The qualifications that appear most often in development engineer jobs across Illinois.
- Bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, or industrial engineering from an ABET-accredited program
- Experience with CAD software such as SolidWorks, AutoCAD, or CATIA for product design and documentation
- Proficiency in design verification, prototype testing, and iterative product development processes
- Familiarity with GD&T standards, engineering drawings, and manufacturing tolerances
- Knowledge of ISO or IATF quality management systems relevant to Illinois manufacturing sectors
- Strong cross-functional collaboration skills for working with production, quality, and supply chain teams
Development Engineer Jobs in Illinois: Frequently Asked Questions
How do you become a development engineer in Illinois?
Most development engineer roles in Illinois require a bachelor's degree in mechanical, electrical, industrial, or a closely related engineering discipline from an ABET-accredited program. Illinois does not require a state license for most private-sector development engineering roles, but engineers who sign off on public projects may pursue Professional Engineer licensure through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Building a portfolio of design or development projects strengthens candidacy considerably.
How much do development engineers make in Illinois?
Development engineers in Illinois earn a median of about $121,560 a year, based on May 2025 Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data, ranging from around $79,120 for the lowest 10% to over $176,110 for the top 10%. Pay rises with experience, specialty, and employer.
Which companies hire development engineers in Illinois?
Employers hiring development engineers in Illinois right now include Molex, Amphenol, and Shure, based on current listings on Migrate Mate as of September 2026. Illinois's concentration of manufacturing headquarters, defense contractors, and medtech companies means demand for development engineers is distributed across both the Chicago metro and downstate industrial corridors.
Which Illinois cities have the most development engineer jobs?
Chicago, Schaumburg, and Lisle have the most development engineer openings in Illinois. Chicago drives volume through its dense concentration of corporate headquarters, aerospace suppliers, and medical device firms, while Peoria reflects Caterpillar's large engineering workforce and Rockford supports a robust industrial machinery and aerospace component manufacturing base.
Are there remote development engineer jobs in Illinois?
Yes, but they're less common than in purely desk-based fields, since development engineering typically involves hands-on prototyping, lab work, or factory collaboration. About 78% of development engineer openings tied to Illinois are remote or hybrid as of September 2026, with remote arrangements most often found in software-integrated product development or systems engineering roles that don't require physical lab access.
How can I get hired as a development engineer in Illinois with little or no experience?
The most realistic entry path is through a co-op, internship, or new-graduate program at one of Illinois's large manufacturing or engineering employers. Caterpillar in Peoria, Abbott in Lake County, and Boeing in the Chicago suburbs all run structured new-grad engineering programs. Candidates with no direct experience can also move laterally from quality technician, manufacturing engineer, or test engineering roles. Completing the Fundamentals of Engineering exam and building a hands-on project portfolio give applicants a measurable edge over candidates with academic credentials alone.
Where can I find and apply to development engineer jobs in Illinois?
You can find and apply to development engineer jobs in Illinois on Migrate Mate, which lists current Illinois openings. Find roles that fit your background and apply directly to the ones that match.
See All 61 Development Engineer Jobs in Illinois
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