NextChapter

Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Midwest

Eden Prairie leads the Midwest for director and executive jobs: 31% of its professional openings are director level or above, against 16% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Eden Prairie, MN: 31%
  • #2 Minnetonka, MN: 28%
  • #3 Evanston, IL: 26%
  • 66 cities ranked in the Midwest
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 16% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1Eden Prairie MN31%
  2. 2Minnetonka MN28%
  3. 3Evanston IL26%
  4. 4Mundelein IL26%
  5. 5Aurora IL24%
  6. 6Chicago IL24%
  7. 7Topeka KS24%
  8. 8Northbrook IL21%
  9. 9Indianapolis IN20%
  10. 10Rosemont IL20%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Eden Prairie leads on 31%, and #10 Rosemont is at 20%.
  • 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

    Eden Prairie MN

    31%

    Director and above
    98
    All openings
    318
    Median posted pay
    $136k

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

    Based on 318 openings.

  2. 2

    Minnetonka MN

    28%

    Director and above
    30
    All openings
    107
    Median posted pay
    $135k

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

    Based on 107 openings.

  3. 3

    Evanston IL

    26%

    Director and above
    26
    All openings
    100
    Median posted pay
    $119k

    Hiring most here: Northwestern University, UL Standards & Engagement, Prime Healthcare

    Based on 100 openings.

  4. 4

    Mundelein IL

    26%

    Director and above
    63
    All openings
    247
    Median posted pay
    $136k

    Hiring most here: Coda Search│Staffing

    Based on 247 openings.

  5. 5

    Aurora IL

    24%

    Director and above
    30
    All openings
    125
    Median posted pay
    $100k

    Hiring most here: Entegris, HelloFresh

    Based on 125 openings.

  6. 6

    Chicago IL

    24%

    Director and above
    1,808
    All openings
    7,617
    Median posted pay
    $134k

    Hiring most here: Publicis Groupe, Northern Trust, Confidential

    Based on 7,617 openings.

  7. 7

    Topeka KS

    24%

    Director and above
    26
    All openings
    110
    Median posted pay
    $91k

    Hiring most here: Stormont Vail, Colgate Palmolive

    Based on 110 openings.

  8. 8

    Northbrook IL

    21%

    Director and above
    36
    All openings
    171
    Median posted pay
    $110k

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

    Based on 171 openings.

  9. 9

    Indianapolis IN

    20%

    Director and above
    290
    All openings
    1,418
    Median posted pay
    $120k

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

    Based on 1,418 openings.

  10. 10

    Rosemont IL

    20%

    Director and above
    21
    All openings
    104
    Median posted pay
    $99k

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

    Based on 104 openings.

  11. 11

    Detroit MI

    20%

    Director and above
    148
    All openings
    740
    Median posted pay
    $125k

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

    Based on 740 openings.

  12. 12

    Jefferson City MO

    19%

    Director and above
    20
    All openings
    103
    Median posted pay
    $87k

    Hiring most here: State of Missouri, Lincoln University, Army National Guard Units

    Based on 103 openings.

  13. 13

    Minneapolis MN

    19%

    Director and above
    242
    All openings
    1,285
    Median posted pay
    $127k

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

    Based on 1,285 openings.

  14. 14

    Oak Brook IL

    18%

    Director and above
    25
    All openings
    138
    Median posted pay
    $147k

    Hiring most here: Hub Group, Sotera Health

    Based on 138 openings.

  15. 15

    Naperville IL

    18%

    Director and above
    34
    All openings
    190
    Median posted pay
    $120k

    Hiring most here: KeHE, viaPhoton, Wipfli

    Based on 190 openings.

  16. 16

    Rochester MN

    17%

    Director and above
    32
    All openings
    183
    Median posted pay
    $93k

    Hiring most here: Mayo Clinic, Gilbane, Via

    Based on 183 openings.

  17. 17

    Downers Grove IL

    17%

    Director and above
    24
    All openings
    141
    Median posted pay
    $107k

    Hiring most here: Zachry, Regal Rexnord, Glanbia

    Based on 141 openings.

  18. 18

    Des Moines IA

    17%

    Director and above
    62
    All openings
    365
    Median posted pay
    $125k

    Hiring most here: Principal Financial Group, OpenLoop, Olsson

    Based on 365 openings.

  19. 19

    Milwaukee WI

    17%

    Director and above
    138
    All openings
    825
    Median posted pay
    $114k

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

    Based on 825 openings.

  20. 20

    Fargo ND

    16%

    Director and above
    27
    All openings
    165
    Median posted pay
    $100k

    Hiring most here: American Civil Constructors, Mastec, Danaher

    Based on 165 openings.

  21. 21

    St. Louis MO

    16%

    Director and above
    84
    All openings
    529
    Median posted pay
    $98k

    Hiring most here: Stifel Charitable, BJC HealthCare, Kforce

    Based on 529 openings.

  22. 22

    Springfield MO

    16%

    Director and above
    31
    All openings
    198
    Median posted pay
    Not enough pay data

    Hiring most here: O'Reilly Auto Parts, Coxhealth, Jack Henry & Associates

    Based on 198 openings.

  23. 23

    Madison WI

    15%

    Director and above
    79
    All openings
    515
    Median posted pay
    $94k

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

    Based on 515 openings.

  24. 24

    Carmel IN

    15%

    Director and above
    21
    All openings
    138
    Median posted pay
    $83k

    Hiring most here: Allegion, Belden, CNO Financial Group

    Based on 138 openings.

  25. 25

    Springfield IL

    15%

    Director and above
    41
    All openings
    280
    Median posted pay
    $103k

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

    Based on 280 openings.

Full ranking

All 66 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Eden Prairie MN31%318
2Minnetonka MN28%107
3Evanston IL26%100
4Mundelein IL26%247
5Aurora IL24%125
6Chicago IL24%7,617
7Topeka KS24%110
8Northbrook IL21%171
9Indianapolis IN20%1,418
10Rosemont IL20%104
11Detroit MI20%740
12Jefferson City MO19%103
13Minneapolis MN19%1,285
14Oak Brook IL18%138
15Naperville IL18%190
16Rochester MN17%183
17Downers Grove IL17%141
18Des Moines IA17%365
19Milwaukee WI17%825
20Fargo ND16%165
21St. Louis MO16%529
22Springfield MO16%198
23Madison WI15%515
24Carmel IN15%138
25Springfield IL15%280
26Toledo OH15%179
27Kansas City MO14%892
28St. Paul MN14%193
29Schaumburg IL14%215
30Columbia MO14%130
31Cleveland OH14%897
32Rolling Meadows IL14%281
33Omaha NE13%549
34Green Bay WI13%135
35Lincoln NE13%248
36Wichita KS13%235
37Cincinnati OH13%1,385
38Columbus OH13%1,942
39Bloomington MN13%202
40La Crosse WI13%117
41Troy MI13%248
42Sioux Falls SD13%200
43Dublin OH13%128
44Novi MI12%146
45Rockford IL12%138
46Lisle IL12%116
47Cedar Rapids IA12%350
48Grand Rapids MI12%421
49Ann Arbor MI12%350
50Dayton OH12%427
51Peoria IL12%156
52Lansing MI11%211
53Fort Wayne IN11%274
54Southfield MI11%230
55Kansas City KS11%143
56Akron OH11%306
57Mason OH11%148
58Overland Park KS11%445
59Waukesha WI9%108
60Jeffersonville IN9%114
61Auburn Hills MI9%149
62Evansville IN7%119
63Appleton WI6%150
64New Albany OH5%149
65Lenexa KS5%211
66Oakbrook Terrace IL3%141

How this ranking works

A city's score is the share of its open professional roles at director, senior manager, vice president, head-of or C-suite level, read from the full posting text.

Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted.

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 director and executive jobs in the midwest?
Eden Prairie leads the Midwest for director and executive jobs: 31% of its professional openings are director level or above, against 16% across all cities in our data.
How many cities are ranked?
66 cities have at least 100 openings, so the list has 66 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
A city's score is the share of its open professional roles at director, senior manager, vice president, head-of or C-suite level, read from the full posting text. Only roles verified on the employer's own career site in the last week are counted. 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 cities for director and executive jobs in the Midwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-director-and-executive-jobs-in-the-midwest

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-director-and-executive-jobs-in-the-midwest">Best cities for director and executive jobs in the Midwest (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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