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 89 / 100.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

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Key facts

  • #1 Chicago, IL: 89 / 100
  • #2 Eden Prairie, MN: 87 / 100
  • #3 Ann Arbor, MI: 86 / 100
  • 17 cities ranked in the Midwest
  • Data as of November 2026
  1. 1Chicago IL89 / 100
  2. 2Eden Prairie MN87 / 100
  3. 3Ann Arbor MI86 / 100
  4. 4Detroit MI75 / 100
  5. 5Minneapolis MN74 / 100
  6. 6Indianapolis IN66 / 100
  7. 7Columbus OH64 / 100
  8. 8Milwaukee WI47 / 100
  9. 9Omaha NE45 / 100
  10. 10Schaumburg IL42 / 100

What stands out

  • The lead is wide: Chicago (89 / 100) is well clear of Schaumburg at #10 (42 / 100).
  • Schaumburg reaches #10 on a sample of 218 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 7,607 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

    89 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    14%
    AI-skill openings
    1,035
    Median posted pay
    $135k

    Hiring most here: Publicis Groupe, Northern Trust, Confidential

    Based on 7,607 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Chicago

  2. 2

    Eden Prairie MN

    87 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    21%
    AI-skill openings
    67
    Median posted pay
    $135k

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

    Based on 321 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Eden Prairie

  3. 3

    Ann Arbor MI

    86 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    18%
    AI-skill openings
    64
    Median posted pay
    $151k

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

    Based on 350 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Ann Arbor

  4. 4

    Detroit MI

    75 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    10%
    AI-skill openings
    72
    Median posted pay
    $125k

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

    Based on 734 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Detroit

  5. 5

    Minneapolis MN

    74 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    7%
    AI-skill openings
    92
    Median posted pay
    $127k

    Hiring most here: Mortenson, Target ALS Foundation, Ameriprise Certificate

    Based on 1,276 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Minneapolis

  6. 6

    Indianapolis IN

    66 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    84
    Median posted pay
    $120k

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

    Based on 1,422 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Indianapolis

  7. 7

    Columbus OH

    64 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    7%
    AI-skill openings
    127
    Median posted pay
    $110k

    Hiring most here: State of Ohio, Nationwide, Ohio State University-Newark Campus

    Based on 1,892 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Columbus

  8. 8

    Milwaukee WI

    47 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    5%
    AI-skill openings
    45
    Median posted pay
    $114k

    Hiring most here: Michels, Rockwell Automation, Johnson Controls International

    Based on 827 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Milwaukee

  9. 9

    Omaha NE

    45 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    6%
    AI-skill openings
    33
    Median posted pay
    $104k

    Hiring most here: Conagra Brands, Valmont, Zachry

    Based on 545 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Omaha

  10. 10

    Schaumburg IL

    42 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    9%
    AI-skill openings
    19
    Median posted pay
    $104k

    Hiring most here: Motorola Solutions, Fictiv, Zurich

    Based on 218 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Schaumburg

  11. 11

    Cincinnati OH

    36 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    5%
    AI-skill openings
    64
    Median posted pay
    $102k

    Hiring most here: Medpace Holdings, Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, Procter & Gamble

    Based on 1,379 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cincinnati

  12. 12

    Mundelein IL

    36 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    3%
    AI-skill openings
    7
    Median posted pay
    $136k

    Hiring most here: Coda Search│Staffing

    Based on 247 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Mundelein

  13. 13

    Kansas City MO

    33 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    4%
    AI-skill openings
    31
    Median posted pay
    $113k

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

    Based on 879 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Kansas City

  14. 14

    Cleveland OH

    29 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    5%
    AI-skill openings
    47
    Median posted pay
    $95k

    Hiring most here: Flexjet, Sherwin Williams, KeyBank

    Based on 891 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Cleveland

  15. 15

    St. Paul MN

    21 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    4%
    AI-skill openings
    8
    Median posted pay
    $103k

    Hiring most here: George Konik Associates, Mortenson, Old National Bank

    Based on 194 openings.

    Jobs and employers in St. Paul

  16. 16

    St. Louis MO

    14 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    4%
    AI-skill openings
    19
    Median posted pay
    $97k

    Hiring most here: Stifel Charitable, BJC HealthCare, Kforce

    Based on 537 openings.

    Jobs and employers in St. Louis

  17. 17

    Springfield IL

    6 / 100

    AI-skill share of openings
    1%
    AI-skill openings
    2
    Median posted pay
    $103k

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

    Based on 283 openings.

    Jobs and employers in Springfield

Full ranking

All 17 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Chicago IL89 / 1007,607
2Eden Prairie MN87 / 100321
3Ann Arbor MI86 / 100350
4Detroit MI75 / 100734
5Minneapolis MN74 / 1001,276
6Indianapolis IN66 / 1001,422
7Columbus OH64 / 1001,892
8Milwaukee WI47 / 100827
9Omaha NE45 / 100545
10Schaumburg IL42 / 100218
11Cincinnati OH36 / 1001,379
12Mundelein IL36 / 100247
13Kansas City MO33 / 100879
14Cleveland OH29 / 100891
15St. Paul MN21 / 100194
16St. Louis MO14 / 100537
17Springfield IL6 / 100283

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 89 / 100.
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 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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