Quantum technology is often associated with physicists, advanced mathematics, and highly specialized laboratories. Yet as quantum technologies move toward commercialization, the field is rapidly becoming an industrial transformation poised to reshape cybersecurity, drug discovery, supply chains, telecommunications, and artificial intelligence.
The future quantum economy will depend not only on PhD researchers but also on technicians, photonics specialists, advanced manufacturing professionals, software developers, and cybersecurity workers. In this emerging landscape, community colleges may become some of the most important institutions shaping America’s quantum workforce.
Nowhere is this opportunity more visible than in the Midwest. Anchored by the Chicago Quantum Exchange (CQE), Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, leading universities, and growing industry investment, the Illinois-Wisconsin-Indiana region is rapidly emerging as a major quantum hub. CQE projects the region could generate as many as 191K quantum-related jobs and nearly $80B in economic impact by 2035.
Importantly, most of these positions will not require doctoral degrees. More than 70% of projected quantum jobs are expected to be accessible to individuals without graduate degrees, while nearly one-third may be open to workers with associate degrees or technical training. Current workforce analyses already show that roughly two-thirds of quantum industry positions are available to candidates with a bachelor’s degree or less.
These projections challenge one of the biggest misconceptions surrounding quantum technology: that meaningful participation in the field is limited to physicists and engineers with advanced research credentials.
Recent workforce studies conducted by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder and Rochester Institute of Technology identified 29 distinct workforce roles across the quantum sector, spanning hardware, software, photonics, cryogenics, manufacturing, systems integration, technical operations, and business functions. The report emphasizes that the quantum workforce is not a narrow academic pipeline, but an evolving ecosystem requiring diverse technical competencies and educational pathways.
The implications for community colleges are profound. Quantum systems rely heavily on areas where community colleges already possess deep expertise in workforce preparation. Programs in advanced manufacturing, engineering technology, cybersecurity, electronics, and industrial maintenance already teach many of the foundational skills needed in quantum-related industries.
In many ways, the future quantum workforce resembles the semiconductor and advanced manufacturing ecosystems that transformed regional economies in previous decades. Scientists and researchers remain essential, but large-scale commercialization depends equally on a highly-skilled technical workforce capable of building, maintaining, integrating, and operating sophisticated systems.
Industry leaders increasingly recognize this shift. Workforce discussions in the quantum sector now emphasize the importance of “T-shaped” skills, referring to workers who possess broad technical competencies alongside specialized expertise in quantum technologies. Employers are not necessarily seeking every employee to become a quantum physicist. Instead, they need workers with strong foundations in engineering technology, manufacturing, software development, electronics, photonics, or cybersecurity who also understand how quantum systems operate within interdisciplinary environments.
This workforce model aligns closely with the mission of community colleges, which have historically responded quickly to emerging labor market needs through applied learning, technical education, industry partnerships, and accessible career pathways. Recent workforce studies further challenge the assumption that institutions must create full quantum degree programs to participate meaningfully in workforce development. Employers instead frequently emphasized the value of one- or two-semester courses that build “quantum awareness” among engineering, computer science, and technical students rather than narrowly specialized quantum degrees.
Across the country, institutions are already responding. Front Range Community College in Colorado has expanded its optics and photonics programs to support the emerging quantum workforce, while Central New Mexico Community College launched a Quantum Learning Lab and technician bootcamp to prepare learners for careers in quantum technologies. National partnerships such as Q-12 are also broadening quantum awareness and education beyond traditional graduate pathways.
In Illinois, College of DuPage is working with the Chicago Quantum Exchange to help prepare students for careers in this evolving field. This collaboration reflects a growing recognition that community colleges can become essential partners in developing the technical workforce needed to sustain the Midwest’s quantum ecosystem. Rather than building entirely new departments, institutions can begin by embedding quantum literacy into existing workforce programs while expanding internships, apprenticeships, and industry partnerships.
The economic implications are equally significant. Industry reports increasingly suggest that entry-level technical and software-oriented quantum roles may command salaries ranging from about $80K to $120K annually, depending on specialization and geographic region. These compensation levels reflect the urgency employers face in building a qualified workforce for an industry projected to grow rapidly throughout the coming decade.
For many community college students, particularly first-generation students, working adults, and historically underrepresented populations, these workforce pathways represent more than employment opportunities. They offer access to high-growth, high-wage careers connected to one of the most transformative technologies of the 21st century.
The stakes extend beyond workforce development. If quantum workforce preparation remains concentrated within elite research institutions, the benefits of this technological transformation may bypass large segments of society. Community colleges can help ensure the quantum economy becomes more inclusive, regionally distributed, and economically accessible.
Scientists may design the future of quantum technology, but community college graduates will help build, maintain, and scale it. America’s leadership in the quantum economy may ultimately depend not only on scientific breakthroughs but also on whether community colleges are fully integrated into developing the workforce required to sustain it.
Muddassir Siddiqi is president of the College of DuPage in Chicagoland.