NextChapter

Best all-round cities for mid-career professionals in the Midwest

Chicago is the best all-round city for mid-career professionals in the Midwest, with a score of 80 / 100.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Chicago, IL: 80 / 100
  • #2 Des Moines, IA: 78 / 100
  • #3 Ann Arbor, MI: 72 / 100
  • 20 cities ranked in the Midwest
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1Chicago IL80 / 100
  2. 2Des Moines IA78 / 100
  3. 3Ann Arbor MI72 / 100
  4. 4Minneapolis MN70 / 100
  5. 5Indianapolis IN67 / 100
  6. 6Kansas City MO60 / 100
  7. 7Milwaukee WI57 / 100
  8. 8Detroit MI55 / 100
  9. 9Omaha NE55 / 100
  10. 10Dayton OH54 / 100

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Chicago leads on 80 / 100, and #10 Dayton is at 54 / 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

Mid-career professionals look for depth of experienced roles, pay that holds up after the cost of living and room to move up. This list weighs those together, with published weights.

How to use it

Use it to shortlist places for a move or a search, then check the employers hiring in your function. The weights are a judgment, so use the single-measure lists when one factor decides it.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Chicago IL

    80 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    50%
    Pay after cost of living
    $135k
    Mid-career openings
    4,056

    Hiring most here: Publicis Groupe, Confidential, Mars

    Based on 8,033 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chicago

  2. 2

    Des Moines IA

    78 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    59%
    Pay after cost of living
    $147k
    Mid-career openings
    233

    Hiring most here: Principal Financial Group, OpenLoop, Olsson

    Based on 394 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Des Moines

  3. 3

    Ann Arbor MI

    72 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    60%
    Pay after cost of living
    $159k
    Mid-career openings
    219

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

    Based on 362 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Ann Arbor

  4. 4

    Minneapolis MN

    70 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    54%
    Pay after cost of living
    $124k
    Mid-career openings
    708

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

    Based on 1,313 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Minneapolis

  5. 5

    Indianapolis IN

    67 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    49%
    Pay after cost of living
    $132k
    Mid-career openings
    728

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

    Based on 1,496 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Indianapolis

  6. 6

    Kansas City MO

    60 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    51%
    Pay after cost of living
    $125k
    Mid-career openings
    469

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

    Based on 916 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Kansas City

  7. 7

    Milwaukee WI

    57 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    51%
    Pay after cost of living
    $122k
    Mid-career openings
    468

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

    Based on 909 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Milwaukee

  8. 8

    Detroit MI

    55 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    48%
    Pay after cost of living
    $126k
    Mid-career openings
    378

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

    Based on 786 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Detroit

  9. 9

    Omaha NE

    55 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    55%
    Pay after cost of living
    $122k
    Mid-career openings
    318

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

    Based on 577 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Omaha

  10. 10

    Dayton OH

    54 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    54%
    Pay after cost of living
    $131k
    Mid-career openings
    240

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

    Based on 446 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Dayton

  11. 11

    Eden Prairie MN

    52 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    47%
    Pay after cost of living
    $141k
    Mid-career openings
    171

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

    Based on 363 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Eden Prairie

  12. 12

    St. Paul MN

    47 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    55%
    Pay after cost of living
    $123k
    Mid-career openings
    128

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

    Based on 232 openings.

    Jobs and employers in St. Paul

  13. 13

    Columbus OH

    46 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    50%
    Pay after cost of living
    $120k
    Mid-career openings
    1,010

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

    Based on 2,024 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Columbus

  14. 14

    Mundelein IL

    37 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    37%
    Pay after cost of living
    $134k
    Mid-career openings
    94

    Hiring most here: Coda Search│Staffing

    Based on 255 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mundelein

  15. 15

    Cleveland OH

    36 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    50%
    Pay after cost of living
    $108k
    Mid-career openings
    458

    Hiring most here: Flexjet, Sherwin Williams, KeyBank

    Based on 917 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cleveland

  16. 16

    Cincinnati OH

    33 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    47%
    Pay after cost of living
    $115k
    Mid-career openings
    685

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

    Based on 1,451 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cincinnati

  17. 17

    St. Louis MO

    30 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    48%
    Pay after cost of living
    $109k
    Mid-career openings
    286

    Hiring most here: Stifel Charitable, BJC HealthCare, Kforce

    Based on 596 openings.

    Jobs and employers in St. Louis

  18. 18

    Springfield IL

    28 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    46%
    Pay after cost of living
    $125k
    Mid-career openings
    148

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

    Based on 323 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Springfield

  19. 19

    Madison WI

    26 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    46%
    Pay after cost of living
    $112k
    Mid-career openings
    242

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

    Based on 526 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Madison

  20. 20

    Schaumburg IL

    20 / 100

    Mid-career share of openings
    48%
    Pay after cost of living
    $110k
    Mid-career openings
    115

    Hiring most here: Motorola Solutions, Fictiv, Zurich

    Based on 242 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Schaumburg

Full ranking

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

RankCityScoreSample
1Chicago IL80 / 1008,033
2Des Moines IA78 / 100394
3Ann Arbor MI72 / 100362
4Minneapolis MN70 / 1001,313
5Indianapolis IN67 / 1001,496
6Kansas City MO60 / 100916
7Milwaukee WI57 / 100909
8Detroit MI55 / 100786
9Omaha NE55 / 100577
10Dayton OH54 / 100446
11Eden Prairie MN52 / 100363
12St. Paul MN47 / 100232
13Columbus OH46 / 1002,024
14Mundelein IL37 / 100255
15Cleveland OH36 / 100917
16Cincinnati OH33 / 1001,451
17St. Louis MO30 / 100596
18Springfield IL28 / 100323
19Madison WI26 / 100526
20Schaumburg IL20 / 100242

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): mid-career share of openings 35%, pay after cost of living 30%, mid-career openings 20%, director-and-above share 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 mid-career professionals in the midwest?
Chicago is the best all-round city for mid-career professionals in the Midwest, with a score of 80 / 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): mid-career share of openings 35%, pay after cost of living 30%, mid-career openings 20%, director-and-above share 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 mid-career professionals in the Midwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-all-round-cities-for-mid-career-professionals-in-the-midwest

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

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