NextChapter

Best cities for mid-career professionals in the Midwest

New Albany leads the Midwest 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%
  • 66 cities ranked in the Midwest
  • 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. 9Des Moines IA59%
  10. 10Waukesha WI59%

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: New Albany leads on 74%, and #10 Waukesha is at 59%.
  • Des Moines is the largest market in the top ten, with 365 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

    Des Moines IA

    59%

    Mid-career openings
    217
    All openings
    365
    Median posted pay
    $125k

    Hiring most here: Principal Financial Group, OpenLoop, Olsson

    Based on 365 openings.

  10. 10

    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.

  11. 11

    Lenexa KS

    59%

    Mid-career openings
    125
    All openings
    211
    Median posted pay
    Not enough pay data

    Hiring most here: Kiewit Infrastructure South, Kiewit, Kiewit Corporation (Peter Kiewit Sons')

    Based on 211 openings.

  12. 12

    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.

  13. 13

    Overland Park KS

    58%

    Mid-career openings
    256
    All openings
    445
    Median posted pay
    $103k

    Hiring most here: Black & Veatch, Steadily, QTS Data Centers

    Based on 445 openings.

  14. 14

    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.

  15. 15

    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.

  16. 16

    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.

  17. 17

    Columbia MO

    56%

    Mid-career openings
    73
    All openings
    130
    Median posted pay
    $93k

    Hiring most here: EquipmentShare, EquipmentShare.com

    Based on 130 openings.

  18. 18

    Omaha NE

    55%

    Mid-career openings
    300
    All openings
    549
    Median posted pay
    $105k

    Hiring most here: Conagra Brands, Valmont, Zachry

    Based on 549 openings.

  19. 19

    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.

  20. 20

    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.

  21. 21

    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.

  22. 22

    Fargo ND

    53%

    Mid-career openings
    88
    All openings
    165
    Median posted pay
    $100k

    Hiring most here: American Civil Constructors, Mastec, Danaher

    Based on 165 openings.

  23. 23

    Wichita KS

    53%

    Mid-career openings
    125
    All openings
    235
    Median posted pay
    $109k

    Hiring most here: Spirit AeroSystems, Sedgwick County, Shield AI

    Based on 235 openings.

  24. 24

    Cedar Rapids IA

    52%

    Mid-career openings
    183
    All openings
    350
    Median posted pay
    $99k

    Hiring most here: RTX, Transamerica, BAE Systems

    Based on 350 openings.

  25. 25

    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.

Full ranking

All 66 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
9Des Moines IA59%365
10Waukesha WI59%108
11Lenexa KS59%211
12Rosemont IL58%104
13Overland Park KS58%445
14Downers Grove IL57%141
15Carmel IN57%138
16Evansville IN56%119
17Columbia MO56%130
18Omaha NE55%549
19Rochester MN54%183
20Mason OH54%148
21Dayton OH53%427
22Fargo ND53%165
23Wichita KS53%235
24Cedar Rapids IA52%350
25Minneapolis MN52%1,285
26Kansas City MO52%892
27Bloomington MN51%202
28Fort Wayne IN51%274
29Minnetonka MN51%107
30Grand Rapids MI51%421
31Kansas City KS51%143
32Appleton WI51%150
33Milwaukee WI50%825
34Chicago IL50%7,617
35Cleveland OH49%897
36Troy MI49%248
37Akron OH49%306
38Peoria IL49%156
39Columbus OH49%1,942
40Oak Brook IL49%138
41Topeka KS48%110
42Indianapolis IN47%1,418
43St. Paul MN47%193
44Rockford IL47%138
45Detroit MI47%740
46Madison WI46%515
47Cincinnati OH46%1,385
48Northbrook IL46%171
49Eden Prairie MN46%318
50Toledo OH46%179
51Schaumburg IL46%215
52St. Louis MO45%529
53Auburn Hills MI45%149
54Sioux Falls SD45%200
55Aurora IL44%125
56Evanston IL44%100
57Springfield IL43%280
58Dublin OH42%128
59Springfield MO42%198
60Naperville IL41%190
61Jefferson City MO41%103
62Lansing MI40%211
63Green Bay WI39%135
64Lincoln NE38%248
65La Crosse WI37%117
66Mundelein 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 midwest?
New Albany leads the Midwest 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?
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 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 Midwest,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-mid-career-jobs-in-the-midwest

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

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