Best cities for AI-skill jobs in the Great Lakes

What stands out

• The lead is wide: Minnetonka (24%) is well clear of Rochester at #10 (10%).
• Minnetonka reaches #1 on a sample of 107 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 7,617 openings behind its figure.
• Cities with fewer than 100 openings are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

The top 25

1. 1

   Minnetonka MN

   24%

   AI-skill openings

   26

   All openings

   107

   Median posted pay

   $135k

   Hiring most here: Unitedhealth Group, LHC Group, Legrand North America

   Based on 107 openings.

2. 2

   Eden Prairie MN

   21%

   AI-skill openings

   67

   All openings

   318

   Median posted pay

   $136k

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

   Based on 318 openings.

3. 3

   Ann Arbor MI

   18%

   AI-skill openings

   64

   All openings

   350

   Median posted pay

   $151k

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

   Based on 350 openings.

4. 4

   Carmel IN

   17%

   AI-skill openings

   23

   All openings

   138

   Median posted pay

   $83k

   Hiring most here: Allegion, Belden, CNO Financial Group

   Based on 138 openings.

5. 5

   Chicago IL

   14%

   AI-skill openings

   1,052

   All openings

   7,617

   Median posted pay

   $134k

   Hiring most here: Publicis Groupe, Northern Trust, Confidential

   Based on 7,617 openings.

6. 6

   Rolling Meadows IL

   13%

   AI-skill openings

   37

   All openings

   281

   Median posted pay

   $93k

   Hiring most here: Arthur J. Gallagher, Gallagher Bassett, Gallagher

   Based on 281 openings.

7. 7

   Lisle IL

   13%

   AI-skill openings

   15

   All openings

   116

   Median posted pay

   $113k

   Hiring most here: International Institute For Sustainable Development, Navistar, Brindley Engineering

   Based on 116 openings.

8. 8

   Oakbrook Terrace IL

   11%

   AI-skill openings

   15

   All openings

   141

   Median posted pay

   $94k

   Hiring most here: Baltimore Gas and Electric, Pepco Holdings, Exelon

   Based on 141 openings.

9. 9

   Detroit MI

   11%

   AI-skill openings

   78

   All openings

   740

   Median posted pay

   $125k

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

   Based on 740 openings.

10. 10

    Rochester MN

    10%

    AI-skill openings

    19

    All openings

    183

    Median posted pay

    $93k

    Hiring most here: Mayo Clinic, Gilbane, Via

    Based on 183 openings.

11. 11

    Dublin OH

    10%

    AI-skill openings

    13

    All openings

    128

    Median posted pay

    $90k

    Hiring most here: Oclc, Univar Solutions, Quantum Health

    Based on 128 openings.

12. 12

    Schaumburg IL

    9%

    AI-skill openings

    19

    All openings

    215

    Median posted pay

    $98k

    Hiring most here: Motorola Solutions, Fictiv, Zurich

    Based on 215 openings.

13. 13

    Northbrook IL

    8%

    AI-skill openings

    13

    All openings

    171

    Median posted pay

    $110k

    Hiring most here: UL Solutions, Astellas (ADP), Medline Industries

    Based on 171 openings.

14. 14

    Minneapolis MN

    7%

    AI-skill openings

    94

    All openings

    1,285

    Median posted pay

    $127k

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

    Based on 1,285 openings.

15. 15

    Bloomington MN

    7%

    AI-skill openings

    14

    All openings

    202

    Median posted pay

    $113k

    Hiring most here: HealthPartners, General Dynamics Mission Systems, Geronimo Power

    Based on 202 openings.

16. 16

    Columbus OH

    7%

    AI-skill openings

    128

    All openings

    1,942

    Median posted pay

    $111k

    Hiring most here: Nationwide Children's Hospital, State of Ohio, Nationwide

    Based on 1,942 openings.

17. 17

    Southfield MI

    6%

    AI-skill openings

    14

    All openings

    230

    Median posted pay

    $130k

    Hiring most here: Lucid Motors, Sun Communities, Lear

    Based on 230 openings.

18. 18

    Mason OH

    6%

    AI-skill openings

    9

    All openings

    148

    Median posted pay

    Not enough pay data

    Hiring most here: Cintas, L3HARRIS Technologies, Procter & Gamble

    Based on 148 openings.

19. 19

    Indianapolis IN

    6%

    AI-skill openings

    84

    All openings

    1,418

    Median posted pay

    $120k

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

    Based on 1,418 openings.

20. 20

    Milwaukee WI

    5%

    AI-skill openings

    45

    All openings

    825

    Median posted pay

    $114k

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

    Based on 825 openings.

21. 21

    Cleveland OH

    5%

    AI-skill openings

    48

    All openings

    897

    Median posted pay

    $95k

    Hiring most here: Flexjet, KeyBank, Sherwin Williams

    Based on 897 openings.

22. 22

    Troy MI

    5%

    AI-skill openings

    12

    All openings

    248

    Median posted pay

    $110k

    Hiring most here: Aptiv, Publicis Groupe, Flagstar Bank, National Association

    Based on 248 openings.

23. 23

    Rosemont IL

    5%

    AI-skill openings

    5

    All openings

    104

    Median posted pay

    $99k

    Hiring most here: Reyes Holdings, US Foods, Regal Rexnord

    Based on 104 openings.

24. 24

    Cincinnati OH

    5%

    AI-skill openings

    66

    All openings

    1,385

    Median posted pay

    $102k

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

    Based on 1,385 openings.

25. 25

    La Crosse WI

    4%

    AI-skill openings

    5

    All openings

    117

    Median posted pay

    $95k

    Hiring most here: Trane U.s., Gundersen Health, Kwik Trip

    Based on 117 openings.

Full ranking

All 50 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

How this ranking works

Questions

Which city ranks first: best cities for ai-skill jobs in the great lakes?

Minnetonka leads the Great Lakes for AI skills: 24% of its professional openings ask for them, against 8% across all cities in our data.

How many cities are ranked?

50 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 50 entries.

How is the ranking calculated?

A city's score is the share of its open professional roles whose posting names at least one AI skill or tool, found by our AI-skill tagger on the posting text. The tagger looks for named skills (for example prompt engineering, machine learning, or a named AI tool), not the words "AI-powered" in a company blurb. 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

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• Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Great Lakes
• Fastest-growing job markets in the Great Lakes
• Best cities for software and engineering jobs in the Great Lakes
• Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Great Lakes
• Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Great Lakes
• Best cities for AI-skill jobs
• All rankings

Cite this ranking

NextChapter, “Best cities for AI-skill jobs in the Great Lakes,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-ai-jobs-in-the-great-lakes

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-ai-jobs-in-the-great-lakes">Best cities for AI-skill jobs in the Great Lakes (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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