Illinois job market
Jobs in Chicago, IL
Chicago is the economic center of the Midwest, with a diverse mix of finance, trading and insurance, manufacturing, food processing, consulting, healthcare and transportation. The city's position as a rail, air and trucking hub makes logistics and distribution a major employer, and O'Hare International Airport supports a large aviation workforce. Many large corporations have headquarters or major offices downtown and in the suburbs, and the region has strong universities and hospital systems. Living costs are lower than on either coast for a city of its size. Illinois requires employers with 15 or more employees to include pay scale and benefits information in job postings.
Updated
Latest job openings in Chicago, IL
Major industries in the Chicago area
Long-standing employers by sector. Hiring in each changes over time.
- Finance, trading and insurance
- Manufacturing
- Transportation and logistics
- Healthcare
- Professional services and consulting
- Food production
- Higher education
- Technology
Job search tips for Chicago
- Include suburbs such as Schaumburg, Naperville, Oak Brook and Deerfield, where many corporate offices are.
- Illinois job postings from larger employers should list a pay scale and benefits description.
- Check commute time at the hour you would actually travel before applying to on-site roles.
- Confirm whether a 'remote' role must be based in this state; many are limited to certain states.
For local pay by occupation, see the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics metro tables. Free in-person help is available at American Job Centers, which you can find through CareerOneStop.
Browse Chicago jobs by career field
- Healthcare jobs
- Software Engineering jobs
- Data & Analytics jobs
- AI & Machine Learning jobs
- Cybersecurity jobs
- DevOps & Cloud jobs
- Product & Design jobs
- Sales & Marketing jobs
- Finance & Accounting jobs
- Human Resources jobs
- Operations & Logistics jobs
- Customer Support jobs
- Education jobs
- Legal jobs
- Skilled Trades jobs
Watch out for job scams
Real employers never charge you to apply. Walk away if you see any of these:
- You are asked to pay for training, equipment, a background check or an application fee.
- They send a check and ask you to buy equipment from their vendor or send part of it back.
- The 'job' is receiving money into your account, or packages at home, and forwarding them.
- You get an offer without a real phone or video interview, often after a chat-only exchange.
Jobs in Chicago: frequently asked questions
How do I find jobs in Chicago, IL?
Use the live Chicago listings on this page, then check the Illinois state job bank (CareerOneStop's job bank finder links to every state's), USAJOBS for federal roles, and the careers pages of large local employers. Set up alerts so new postings reach you within a day or two.
Where can I find salary data for Chicago?
The BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program publishes pay by occupation for metro areas, including the Chicago area. CareerOneStop's salary finder presents the same data by job title. Compare it with the pay range in the posting.
Other US job markets
Job search guides
Plain-English guides for job seekers in the US.
- Spot job scamsLearn the warning signs of fake job offers in the US: fake check and equipment scams, pay-to-train schemes, reshipping and task scams, and how to report them to the FTC and IC3.
- US resume guideA practical guide to the American resume: one or two pages, no photo, the sections recruiters expect, how applicant tracking systems read it, and how to tailor it to each job.
- Interview preparationPrepare for phone, video and in-person interviews in the US: research the employer, answer common and behavioral questions with the STAR method, ask good questions and follow up.
- Salary negotiationHow to research fair pay in the US, answer salary expectation questions, compare total compensation and negotiate a job offer politely, with sample wording.
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- Job Offer Comparison ToolCompare job offers side by side, including pay and benefits.
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