Job opportunities vary greatly by location. As the tables below clearly show, individual cities and towns offer employment opportunities which differ from those you'll find in other places. Some places feature jobs in technology, some in manufacturing, others in education, etc. Whether choosing a career path or seeking a new job, it pays to consider which careers are favored in the area in which you live or to which are willing to move.
Select the city you want or just browse down this page to see the analysis for each city:
NOTE: A Career Popularity level of 1.0 indicates the national average; a popularity rating of 3.5, for example, indicates that the career is 3.5 times as prevalent locally than it is nationally.
Bloomington, Illinois Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Bloomington and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Library technicians | $23,650 | 230 | 5.5 | | Personal care and service workers, all other | $20,510 | 120 | 5.3 | | Cooks, short order | $16,620 | 320 | 3.8 | | Bill and account collectors | $22,710 | 710 | 3.2 | | All other information and record clerks | $22,300 | 470 | 3.1 | | Automotive body and related repairers | $36,430 | 240 | 3.1 | | Coaches and scouts | $39,390 | 180 | 2.8 | | Computer and information systems managers | $95,700 | 390 | 2.7 | | Instructional coordinators | $46,300 | 140 | 2.7 | | Managers, all other | $68,150 | 450 | 2.7 | | (Click for the full list of Bloomington careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Champaign, Illinois Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Champaign and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Library technicians | $17,900 | 360 | 7 | | Food preparation and serving related workers, all other | $16,910 | 170 | 6.4 | | Chefs and head cooks | $26,110 | 290 | 4.2 | | Librarians | $0 | 320 | 3.8 | | Social workers, all other | $29,860 | 110 | 3.5 | | Structural iron and steel workers | $51,810 | 100 | 3.1 | | Cooks, fast food | $15,930 | 1,100 | 3 | | Library assistants, clerical | $24,210 | 150 | 3 | | Financial specialists, all other | $51,970 | 200 | 2.9 | | Bartenders | $17,190 | 840 | 2.9 | | (Click for the full list of Champaign careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Chicago, Illinois Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Chicago and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers | $32,740 | 510 | 23.8 | | Terrazzo workers and finishers | $44,940 | 500 | 19.3 | | Timing device assemblers, adjusters, and calibrators | $30,060 | 200 | 18.4 | | Barbers | $26,770 | 760 | 16.9 | | Library science teachers, postsecondary | $59,500 | 460 | 13.1 | | Mine cutting and channeling machine operators | $30,880 | 100 | 11.9 | | Flight attendants | $44,700 | 10,520 | 11.6 | | Therapists, all other | $43,770 | 1,220 | 9.4 | | Rail car repairers | $37,650 | 780 | 8.2 | | Communications equipment operators, all other | $35,920 | 250 | 7.9 | | (Click for the full list of Chicago careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Danville, Illinois Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Danville and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Employment, recruitment, and placement specialists | $46,260 | 460 | 15.7 | | Machine feeders and offbearers | $35,900 | 100 | 6.3 | | Recreation workers | $18,220 | 170 | 4.4 | | Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders | $25,440 | 230 | 4.1 | | Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, technical and scientific products | $47,370 | 230 | 4 | | Counter and rental clerks | $15,720 | 260 | 3.6 | | Cooks, fast food | $15,290 | 300 | 3.3 | | Bartenders | $14,700 | 220 | 3 | | Production, planning, and expediting clerks | $44,760 | 130 | 3 | | Industrial truck and tractor operators | $39,110 | 270 | 2.9 | | (Click for the full list of Danville careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Decatur, Illinois Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Decatur and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Tax examiners, collectors, and revenue agents | $61,660 | 450 | 21.2 | | Food preparation and serving related workers, all other | $18,410 | 180 | 14 | | Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $28,430 | 110 | 13 | | Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders | $26,540 | 1,330 | 12.4 | | Construction and building inspectors | $51,560 | 110 | 4.2 | | Sheet metal workers | $46,530 | 200 | 4.1 | | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | $60,550 | 510 | 4 | | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | $27,480 | 320 | 3.5 | | Dishwashers | $14,430 | 500 | 3.4 | | Industrial truck and tractor operators | $30,010 | 580 | 3.3 | | (Click for the full list of Decatur careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Kankakee, Illinois Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Kankakee and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Community and social service specialists, all other | $49,170 | 240 | 9.1 | | Mental health and substance abuse social workers | $29,760 | 200 | 6.4 | | Mental health counselors | $25,830 | 120 | 5.5 | | Special education teachers, secondary school | $49,730 | 150 | 5.5 | | Cooks, short order | $17,490 | 260 | 5.3 | | Special education teachers, preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school | $50,570 | 250 | 5 | | Special education teachers, middle school | $51,050 | 100 | 4.9 | | Medical and clinical laboratory technicians | $40,650 | 180 | 4.6 | | Child, family, and school social workers | $47,240 | 290 | 4.4 | | Education administrators, elementary and secondary school | $81,430 | 200 | 3.9 | | (Click for the full list of Kankakee careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Peoria, Illinois Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Peoria and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Metal workers and plastic workers, all other | $46,730 | 890 | 34 | | Farm equipment mechanics | $34,150 | 350 | 24.1 | | Plant and system operators, all other | $47,110 | 190 | 21.8 | | Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $38,560 | 360 | 9.9 | | Food preparation and serving related workers, all other | $16,010 | 530 | 9.6 | | Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $43,550 | 430 | 6.4 | | Mechanical engineers | $66,830 | 1,660 | 6 | | Structural metal fabricators and fitters | $34,760 | 550 | 5.6 | | Chemical plant and system operators | $51,520 | 200 | 4.9 | | Production, planning, and expediting clerks | $43,540 | 1,510 | 4.2 | | (Click for the full list of Peoria careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Rockford, Illinois Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Rockford and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $30,160 | 850 | 14.5 | | Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $34,720 | 250 | 12.3 | | Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners | $34,400 | 120 | 11.4 | | Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $29,420 | 310 | 9.9 | | Numerical tool and process control programmers | $41,790 | 130 | 9.5 | | Tool and die makers | $43,530 | 750 | 7.9 | | Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $39,660 | 150 | 6.9 | | Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders | $28,070 | 170 | 6.8 | | Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic | $30,320 | 410 | 6.5 | | Millwrights | $44,420 | 210 | 6.4 | | (Click for the full list of Rockford careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
Springfield, Illinois Employment and Careers
Ten careers significantly more common in Springfield and surrounding towns than in most metro areas nationwide. | Job Title | Mean Local Salary | Local Jobs | Popularity*
vs. Avg. |
|---|
| Building cleaning workers, all other | $40,590 | 150 | 64.3 | | Forensic science technicians | $54,680 | 240 | 46.6 | | Transportation inspectors | $54,370 | 140 | 14 | | Probation officers and correctional treatment specialists | $51,810 | 570 | 14 | | Residential advisors | $0 | 330 | 11.2 | | Recreation workers | $39,070 | 1,360 | 7.1 | | Food preparation and serving related workers, all other | $18,620 | 230 | 6.9 | | Healthcare practitioners and technical workers, all other | $33,830 | 160 | 5.4 | | Office and administrative support workers, all other | $26,480 | 1,080 | 5.2 | | Human resources, training, and labor relations specialists, all other | $53,550 | 500 | 3.6 | | (Click for the full list of Springfield careers, including educational requirements, salaries, more) |
* A Career Popularity level of 1.0 indicates the national average; a popularity rating of 3.5, for example, indicates that the career is 3.5 times as prevalent locally than it is nationally.
Analysis (above) provided by CityTownInfo.com, based on data from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the US Census.
|
-- indicates a site we particularly liked when we reviewed it, an award
based on merit, not money. 
-- added to Job-Hunt
within the last 30 days.