NextChapter

Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Great Lakes

New Albany leads the Great Lakes for mid-career professionals: 74% of its professional openings are mid-level, senior or manager roles, against 50% across all cities in our data.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 New Albany, OH: 74%
  • #2 Novi, MI: 67%
  • #3 Lisle, IL: 66%
  • 50 cities ranked in the Great Lakes
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: 50% across all cities in our data.

  1. 1New Albany OH74%
  2. 2Novi MI67%
  3. 3Lisle IL66%
  4. 4Southfield MI63%
  5. 5Jeffersonville IN61%
  6. 6Ann Arbor MI61%
  7. 7Rolling Meadows IL61%
  8. 8Oakbrook Terrace IL60%
  9. 9Waukesha WI59%
  10. 10Rosemont IL58%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: New Albany leads on 74%, and #10 Rosemont is at 58%.
  • Ann Arbor is the largest market in the top ten, with 350 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

    New Albany OH

    74%

    Mid-career openings
    111
    All openings
    149
    Median posted pay
    $119k

    Hiring most here: Bechtel Energy, American Electric Power, Amazon

    Based on 149 openings.

  2. 2

    Novi MI

    67%

    Mid-career openings
    98
    All openings
    146
    Median posted pay
    $122k

    Hiring most here: Scout Motors, Gentherm, Daifuku Co., Ltd./ADR

    Based on 146 openings.

  3. 3

    Lisle IL

    66%

    Mid-career openings
    76
    All openings
    116
    Median posted pay
    $113k

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

    Based on 116 openings.

  4. 4

    Southfield MI

    63%

    Mid-career openings
    144
    All openings
    230
    Median posted pay
    $130k

    Hiring most here: Lucid Motors, Sun Communities, Lear

    Based on 230 openings.

  5. 5

    Jeffersonville IN

    61%

    Mid-career openings
    70
    All openings
    114
    Median posted pay
    $88k

    Hiring most here: Canadian Solar

    Based on 114 openings.

  6. 6

    Ann Arbor MI

    61%

    Mid-career openings
    214
    All openings
    350
    Median posted pay
    $151k

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

    Based on 350 openings.

  7. 7

    Rolling Meadows IL

    61%

    Mid-career openings
    171
    All openings
    281
    Median posted pay
    $93k

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

    Based on 281 openings.

  8. 8

    Oakbrook Terrace IL

    60%

    Mid-career openings
    84
    All openings
    141
    Median posted pay
    $94k

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

    Based on 141 openings.

  9. 9

    Waukesha WI

    59%

    Mid-career openings
    64
    All openings
    108
    Median posted pay
    Not enough pay data

    Hiring most here: GE HealthCare Technologies, Eaton, GE HealthCare

    Based on 108 openings.

  10. 10

    Rosemont IL

    58%

    Mid-career openings
    60
    All openings
    104
    Median posted pay
    $99k

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

    Based on 104 openings.

  11. 11

    Downers Grove IL

    57%

    Mid-career openings
    81
    All openings
    141
    Median posted pay
    $107k

    Hiring most here: Zachry, Regal Rexnord, Glanbia

    Based on 141 openings.

  12. 12

    Carmel IN

    57%

    Mid-career openings
    78
    All openings
    138
    Median posted pay
    $83k

    Hiring most here: Allegion, Belden, CNO Financial Group

    Based on 138 openings.

  13. 13

    Evansville IN

    56%

    Mid-career openings
    67
    All openings
    119
    Median posted pay
    Not enough pay data

    Hiring most here: Deaconess Homecare, Old National Bank, Deaconess Womens Hospital Of Southern Indiana

    Based on 119 openings.

  14. 14

    Rochester MN

    54%

    Mid-career openings
    99
    All openings
    183
    Median posted pay
    $93k

    Hiring most here: Mayo Clinic, Gilbane, Via

    Based on 183 openings.

  15. 15

    Mason OH

    54%

    Mid-career openings
    80
    All openings
    148
    Median posted pay
    Not enough pay data

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

    Based on 148 openings.

  16. 16

    Dayton OH

    53%

    Mid-career openings
    228
    All openings
    427
    Median posted pay
    $119k

    Hiring most here: University of Dayton, Modern Technology Solutions, Odyssey Systems Consulting

    Based on 427 openings.

  17. 17

    Minneapolis MN

    52%

    Mid-career openings
    670
    All openings
    1,285
    Median posted pay
    $127k

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

    Based on 1,285 openings.

  18. 18

    Bloomington MN

    51%

    Mid-career openings
    104
    All openings
    202
    Median posted pay
    $113k

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

    Based on 202 openings.

  19. 19

    Fort Wayne IN

    51%

    Mid-career openings
    141
    All openings
    274
    Median posted pay
    $92k

    Hiring most here: BAE Systems, RTX, L3HARRIS Technologies

    Based on 274 openings.

  20. 20

    Minnetonka MN

    51%

    Mid-career openings
    55
    All openings
    107
    Median posted pay
    $135k

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

    Based on 107 openings.

  21. 21

    Grand Rapids MI

    51%

    Mid-career openings
    215
    All openings
    421
    Median posted pay
    $93k

    Hiring most here: Corewell Health, Acrisure, BDO USA

    Based on 421 openings.

  22. 22

    Appleton WI

    51%

    Mid-career openings
    76
    All openings
    150
    Median posted pay
    $99k

    Hiring most here: Illinois Tool Works, Ducommun, Oshkosh

    Based on 150 openings.

  23. 23

    Milwaukee WI

    50%

    Mid-career openings
    416
    All openings
    825
    Median posted pay
    $114k

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

    Based on 825 openings.

  24. 24

    Chicago IL

    50%

    Mid-career openings
    3,833
    All openings
    7,617
    Median posted pay
    $134k

    Hiring most here: Publicis Groupe, Northern Trust, Confidential

    Based on 7,617 openings.

  25. 25

    Cleveland OH

    49%

    Mid-career openings
    444
    All openings
    897
    Median posted pay
    $95k

    Hiring most here: Flexjet, KeyBank, Sherwin Williams

    Based on 897 openings.

Full ranking

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

RankCityScoreSample
1New Albany OH74%149
2Novi MI67%146
3Lisle IL66%116
4Southfield MI63%230
5Jeffersonville IN61%114
6Ann Arbor MI61%350
7Rolling Meadows IL61%281
8Oakbrook Terrace IL60%141
9Waukesha WI59%108
10Rosemont IL58%104
11Downers Grove IL57%141
12Carmel IN57%138
13Evansville IN56%119
14Rochester MN54%183
15Mason OH54%148
16Dayton OH53%427
17Minneapolis MN52%1,285
18Bloomington MN51%202
19Fort Wayne IN51%274
20Minnetonka MN51%107
21Grand Rapids MI51%421
22Appleton WI51%150
23Milwaukee WI50%825
24Chicago IL50%7,617
25Cleveland OH49%897
26Troy MI49%248
27Akron OH49%306
28Peoria IL49%156
29Columbus OH49%1,942
30Oak Brook IL49%138
31Indianapolis IN47%1,418
32St. Paul MN47%193
33Rockford IL47%138
34Detroit MI47%740
35Madison WI46%515
36Cincinnati OH46%1,385
37Northbrook IL46%171
38Eden Prairie MN46%318
39Toledo OH46%179
40Schaumburg IL46%215
41Auburn Hills MI45%149
42Aurora IL44%125
43Evanston IL44%100
44Springfield IL43%280
45Dublin OH42%128
46Naperville IL41%190
47Lansing MI40%211
48Green Bay WI39%135
49La Crosse WI37%117
50Mundelein IL35%247

How this ranking works

A city's score is the share of its open professional roles at mid-level, senior individual-contributor or manager level, 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 mid-career professionals in the great lakes?
New Albany leads the Great Lakes for mid-career professionals: 74% of its professional openings are mid-level, senior or manager roles, against 50% 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 at mid-level, senior individual-contributor or manager level, 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

Cite this ranking

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

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

Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.

The job market, once a week

One email every Tuesday with the week's most useful read on the job market and the search, plus occasional news from NextChapter. No account needed. Unsubscribe any time.