NextChapter

Best all-round cities for AI careers in the Midwest

Chicago is the best all-round city for AI careers in the Midwest, with a score of 93 / 100.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Chicago, IL: 93 / 100
  • #2 Eden Prairie, MN: 92 / 100
  • #3 Ann Arbor, MI: 87 / 100
  • 20 cities ranked in the Midwest
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1Chicago IL93 / 100
  2. 2Eden Prairie MN92 / 100
  3. 3Ann Arbor MI87 / 100
  4. 4Detroit MI75 / 100
  5. 5Minneapolis MN69 / 100
  6. 6Des Moines IA66 / 100
  7. 7Columbus OH63 / 100
  8. 8Indianapolis IN63 / 100
  9. 9Omaha NE47 / 100
  10. 10Milwaukee WI42 / 100

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: Chicago (93 / 100) is well clear of Milwaukee at #10 (42 / 100).
  • Ann Arbor reaches #3 on a sample of 362 openings, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
  • Chicago is the largest market in the top ten, with 8,033 openings behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

Why this ranking matters

What it shows

Careers that use AI cluster in a few places. This list weighs the share and number of openings that ask for AI skills and the pay they offer, to show where AI work is concentrated.

How to use it

If you are building AI skills, the top cities show where the employers and the roles are. The gap between your city and the top is a guide to what to add to your résumé.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Chicago IL

    93 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    13%
    AI-skill openings
    1,071
    Median posted pay
    $140k

    Hiring most here: Publicis Groupe, Confidential, Mars

    Based on 8,033 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chicago

  2. 2

    Eden Prairie MN

    92 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    23%
    AI-skill openings
    84
    Median posted pay
    $139k

    Hiring most here: Unitedhealth Group, LHC Group, Illinois Tool Works

    Based on 363 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Eden Prairie

  3. 3

    Ann Arbor MI

    87 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    18%
    AI-skill openings
    65
    Median posted pay
    $153k

    Hiring most here: May Mobility, Torc Robotics, Thomson Reuters

    Based on 362 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Ann Arbor

  4. 4

    Detroit MI

    75 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    10%
    AI-skill openings
    78
    Median posted pay
    $126k

    Hiring most here: Wayne State University, Henry Ford Health System, Accident Fund

    Based on 786 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Detroit

  5. 5

    Minneapolis MN

    69 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    84
    Median posted pay
    $130k

    Hiring most here: Mortenson, Ameriprise Certificate, U.S. Bank

    Based on 1,313 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Minneapolis

  6. 6

    Des Moines IA

    66 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    8%
    AI-skill openings
    30
    Median posted pay
    $129k

    Hiring most here: Principal Financial Group, OpenLoop, Olsson

    Based on 394 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Des Moines

  7. 7

    Columbus OH

    63 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    7%
    AI-skill openings
    134
    Median posted pay
    $115k

    Hiring most here: State of Ohio, Nationwide, American Electric Power

    Based on 2,024 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Columbus

  8. 8

    Indianapolis IN

    63 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    5%
    AI-skill openings
    82
    Median posted pay
    $124k

    Hiring most here: Eli Lilly and Company, State of Indiana, Masco

    Based on 1,496 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Indianapolis

  9. 9

    Omaha NE

    47 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    7%
    AI-skill openings
    38
    Median posted pay
    $110k

    Hiring most here: Conagra Brands, Valmont, First National Bank of Omaha

    Based on 577 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Omaha

  10. 10

    Milwaukee WI

    42 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    5%
    AI-skill openings
    49
    Median posted pay
    $115k

    Hiring most here: Michels, Rockwell Automation, Molson Coors Beverage

    Based on 909 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Milwaukee

  11. 11

    Schaumburg IL

    41 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    10%
    AI-skill openings
    23
    Median posted pay
    $110k

    Hiring most here: Motorola Solutions, Fictiv, Zurich

    Based on 242 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Schaumburg

  12. 12

    Cincinnati OH

    40 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    5%
    AI-skill openings
    66
    Median posted pay
    $110k

    Hiring most here: Medpace Holdings, Procter & Gamble, Western & Southern Financial Group

    Based on 1,451 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cincinnati

  13. 13

    Kansas City MO

    37 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    4%
    AI-skill openings
    33
    Median posted pay
    $116k

    Hiring most here: JE Dunn Construction, Catalent Pharma Solutions, Commerce Bank

    Based on 916 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Kansas City

  14. 14

    Mundelein IL

    36 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    3%
    AI-skill openings
    8
    Median posted pay
    $134k

    Hiring most here: Coda Search│Staffing

    Based on 255 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mundelein

  15. 15

    Cleveland OH

    36 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    57
    Median posted pay
    $100k

    Hiring most here: Flexjet, Sherwin Williams, KeyBank

    Based on 917 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cleveland

  16. 16

    St. Paul MN

    29 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    4%
    AI-skill openings
    10
    Median posted pay
    $121k

    Hiring most here: George Konik Associates, Thomson Reuters, Mortenson

    Based on 232 openings.

    Jobs and employers in St. Paul

  17. 17

    Dayton OH

    26 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    3%
    AI-skill openings
    12
    Median posted pay
    $121k

    Hiring most here: University of Dayton, Modern Technology Solutions, Odyssey Systems Consulting

    Based on 446 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Dayton

  18. 18

    St. Louis MO

    22 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    5%
    AI-skill openings
    27
    Median posted pay
    $104k

    Hiring most here: Stifel Charitable, BJC HealthCare, Kforce

    Based on 596 openings.

    Jobs and employers in St. Louis

  19. 19

    Springfield IL

    21 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    2%
    AI-skill openings
    7
    Median posted pay
    $125k

    Hiring most here: State of Illinois, Army National Guard Units, Hshs Medical Group

    Based on 323 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Springfield

  20. 20

    Madison WI

    14 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    3%
    AI-skill openings
    16
    Median posted pay
    $106k

    Hiring most here: Universities of Wisconsin [UW_Madison], Creative Financial Staffing, Catalent Pharma Solutions

    Based on 526 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Madison

Full ranking

All 20 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Chicago IL93 / 1008,033
2Eden Prairie MN92 / 100363
3Ann Arbor MI87 / 100362
4Detroit MI75 / 100786
5Minneapolis MN69 / 1001,313
6Des Moines IA66 / 100394
7Columbus OH63 / 1002,024
8Indianapolis IN63 / 1001,496
9Omaha NE47 / 100577
10Milwaukee WI42 / 100909
11Schaumburg IL41 / 100242
12Cincinnati OH40 / 1001,451
13Kansas City MO37 / 100916
14Mundelein IL36 / 100255
15Cleveland OH36 / 100917
16St. Paul MN29 / 100232
17Dayton OH26 / 100446
18St. Louis MO22 / 100596
19Springfield IL21 / 100323
20Madison WI14 / 100526

How this ranking works

A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): ai-skill share of openings 35%, ai-skill openings 30%, median posted pay 20%, pay after cost of living 15%.

A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most.

Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked.

A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.

Sample bar: cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: open professional roles and posted pay; Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities 2024. Data as of November 2026.

Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.

Questions

Which city ranks first: best all-round cities for ai careers in the midwest?
Chicago is the best all-round city for AI careers in the Midwest, with a score of 93 / 100.
How many cities are ranked?
20 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 20 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the weighted average of its percentile rank on each measure among the ranked cities (100 is first, 0 is last): ai-skill share of openings 35%, ai-skill openings 30%, median posted pay 20%, pay after cost of living 15%. A score of 100 would mean first on every measure and 50 is the middle of the pack. The measures and weights are fixed in advance and shown here; they are a judgment about what matters to this reader, so use the single-measure rankings when one thing matters most. Only cities with enough openings and pay data are ranked. A city where one employer posts more than 50% of its openings is not ranked, so a single company cannot decide a city's score.
How often is it updated?
Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.

More rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best all-round cities for AI careers in the Midwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-ai-careers-in-the-midwest

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-ai-careers-in-the-midwest">Best all-round cities for AI careers in the Midwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

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