Best cities for junior jobs in Illinois
Key facts
- #1 Rockford, IL: 39%
- #2 Peoria, IL: 38%
- #3 Springfield, IL: 37%
- 17 cities ranked in Illinois
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: 26% across all cities in our data.
- 1Rockford IL39%
- 2Peoria IL38%
- 3Springfield IL37%
- 4Naperville IL37%
- 5Schaumburg IL36%
- 6Mundelein IL35%
- 7Evanston IL31%
- 8Oak Brook IL30%
- 9Aurora IL29%
- 10Northbrook IL28%
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Rockford leads on 39%, and #10 Northbrook is at 28%.
- Springfield is the largest market in the top ten, with 323 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
Entry-level hiring is concentrated in some metro areas and thin in others. The share of openings pitched at entry or early-career level shows where a first or second job is easiest to find.
How to use it
If you are early in your career, start your search in the places near the top and read their employer lists. Places lower down can still have entry roles, but they make up a smaller part of what is open.
The top 25
- 1
Rockford IL
39%
- Entry-level openings
- 57
- All openings
- 145
- Openings with pay posted
- 20%
Hiring most here: RTX, Woodward, Top Echelon Network (recruiter member boards)
Based on 145 openings.
- 2
Peoria IL
38%
- Entry-level openings
- 63
- All openings
- 167
- Openings with pay posted
- 23%
Hiring most here: Osf Healthcare System, Caterpillar, Nexstar Media Group
Based on 167 openings.
- 3
Springfield IL
37%
- Entry-level openings
- 121
- All openings
- 323
- Openings with pay posted
- 32%
Hiring most here: State of Illinois, Army National Guard Units, Hshs Medical Group
Based on 323 openings.
- 4
Naperville IL
37%
- Entry-level openings
- 72
- All openings
- 196
- Openings with pay posted
- 24%
Hiring most here: KeHE, viaPhoton, Wipfli
Based on 196 openings.
- 5
Schaumburg IL
36%
- Entry-level openings
- 87
- All openings
- 242
- Openings with pay posted
- 30%
Hiring most here: Motorola Solutions, Fictiv, Zurich
Based on 242 openings.
- 6
Mundelein IL
35%
- Entry-level openings
- 88
- All openings
- 255
- Openings with pay posted
- 31%
Hiring most here: Coda Search│Staffing
Based on 255 openings.
- 7
Evanston IL
31%
- Entry-level openings
- 34
- All openings
- 109
- Openings with pay posted
- 24%
Hiring most here: Northwestern University, UL Standards & Engagement, Prime Healthcare
Based on 109 openings.
- 8
Oak Brook IL
30%
- Entry-level openings
- 45
- All openings
- 148
- Openings with pay posted
- 20%
Hiring most here: Hub Group, Sotera Health
Based on 148 openings.
- 9
Aurora IL
29%
- Entry-level openings
- 39
- All openings
- 133
- Openings with pay posted
- 18%
Hiring most here: Entegris, HelloFresh
Based on 133 openings.
- 10
Northbrook IL
28%
- Entry-level openings
- 54
- All openings
- 192
- Openings with pay posted
- 16%
Hiring most here: UL Solutions, Astellas (ADP), Medline Industries
Based on 192 openings.
- 11
Downers Grove IL
23%
- Entry-level openings
- 34
- All openings
- 147
- Openings with pay posted
- 15%
Hiring most here: Zachry, Regal Rexnord, Glanbia
Based on 147 openings.
- 12
Chicago IL
22%
- Entry-level openings
- 1,759
- All openings
- 8,033
- Openings with pay posted
- 27%
Hiring most here: Publicis Groupe, Confidential, Mars
Based on 8,033 openings.
- 13
Oakbrook Terrace IL
22%
- Entry-level openings
- 33
- All openings
- 153
- Openings with pay posted
- 7%
Hiring most here: Baltimore Gas and Electric, Pepco Holdings, Exelon
Based on 153 openings.
- 14
Rosemont IL
20%
- Entry-level openings
- 20
- All openings
- 102
- Openings with pay posted
- 9%
Hiring most here: Reyes Holdings, Regal Rexnord, US Foods
Based on 102 openings.
- 15
Lisle IL
19%
- Entry-level openings
- 25
- All openings
- 131
- Openings with pay posted
- 14%
Hiring most here: Navistar, International Institute For Sustainable Development, International Motors
Based on 131 openings.
- 16
Rolling Meadows IL
19%
- Entry-level openings
- 54
- All openings
- 283
- Openings with pay posted
- 3%
Hiring most here: Arthur J. Gallagher, Gallagher Bassett, Gallagher
Based on 283 openings.
- 17
Lake Forest IL
16%
- Entry-level openings
- 18
- All openings
- 111
- Openings with pay posted
- 16%
Hiring most here: W.W. Grainger, Reynolds Consumer Products, Novolex
Based on 111 openings.
Full ranking
All 17 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
| Rank | City | Score | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockford IL | 39% | 145 |
| 2 | Peoria IL | 38% | 167 |
| 3 | Springfield IL | 37% | 323 |
| 4 | Naperville IL | 37% | 196 |
| 5 | Schaumburg IL | 36% | 242 |
| 6 | Mundelein IL | 35% | 255 |
| 7 | Evanston IL | 31% | 109 |
| 8 | Oak Brook IL | 30% | 148 |
| 9 | Aurora IL | 29% | 133 |
| 10 | Northbrook IL | 28% | 192 |
| 11 | Downers Grove IL | 23% | 147 |
| 12 | Chicago IL | 22% | 8,033 |
| 13 | Oakbrook Terrace IL | 22% | 153 |
| 14 | Rosemont IL | 20% | 102 |
| 15 | Lisle IL | 19% | 131 |
| 16 | Rolling Meadows IL | 19% | 283 |
| 17 | Lake Forest IL | 16% | 111 |
How this ranking works
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles tagged entry-level or early-career, read from the full posting text.
Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. Internships are left out.
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 on employer career sites, verified in the last week. 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 cities for junior jobs in illinois?
- Rockford leads Illinois for junior jobs: 39% of its professional openings are entry-level or early-career, against 26% across all cities in our data.
- How many cities are ranked?
- 17 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 17 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- A city's score is the share of its open professional roles tagged entry-level or early-career, read from the full posting text. Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. Internships are left out. 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
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Illinois
- Best college towns for entry-level and junior jobs
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Northeast
- Best college towns for junior jobs in New England
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Mid-Atlantic
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Southeast
- Best college towns for junior jobs in the Southwest
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Best cities for junior jobs in Illinois,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-junior-jobs-in-illinois
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-junior-jobs-in-illinois">Best cities for junior jobs in Illinois (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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