NextChapter

Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Great Lakes

Ann Arbor leads the Great Lakes for pay after the cost of living: its median posted salary buys what $157k buys at average US prices.November 2026 edition. Updated monthly, from open jobs we verified on employer career sites.

Key facts

  • #1 Ann Arbor, MI: $157k
  • #2 Eden Prairie, MN: $138k
  • #3 Mundelein, IL: $136k
  • 14 cities ranked in the Great Lakes
  • Data as of November 2026

For comparison: $123k across the typical city in our data.

  1. 1Ann Arbor MI$157k
  2. 2Eden Prairie MN$138k
  3. 3Mundelein IL$136k
  4. 4Chicago IL$129k
  5. 5Indianapolis IN$129k
  6. 6Detroit MI$125k
  7. 7Minneapolis MN$121k
  8. 8Milwaukee WI$121k
  9. 9Columbus OH$116k
  10. 10Cincinnati OH$107k

What stands out

  • The top ten is tightly packed: Ann Arbor leads on $157k, and #10 Cincinnati is at $107k.
  • Eden Prairie reaches #2 on a sample of 63 openings with pay posted, 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 1,701 openings with pay posted behind its figure.
  • Cities with fewer than 100 openings with pay posted are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.

The top 25

  1. 1

    Ann Arbor MI

    $157k

    Median posted pay
    $151k
    State prices vs US average
    −4%
    Openings with pay posted
    130

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

    Based on 130 openings with pay posted.

  2. 2

    Eden Prairie MN

    $138k

    Median posted pay
    $136k
    State prices vs US average
    −1%
    Openings with pay posted
    63

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

    Based on 63 openings with pay posted.

  3. 3

    Mundelein IL

    $136k

    Median posted pay
    $136k
    State prices vs US average
    +0%
    Openings with pay posted
    78

    Hiring most here: Coda Search│Staffing

    Based on 78 openings with pay posted.

  4. 4

    Chicago IL

    $129k

    Median posted pay
    $134k
    Local prices vs US average
    +4%
    Openings with pay posted
    1,701

    Hiring most here: Publicis Groupe, Northern Trust, Confidential

    Based on 1,701 openings with pay posted.

  5. 5

    Indianapolis IN

    $129k

    Median posted pay
    $120k
    State prices vs US average
    −7%
    Openings with pay posted
    129

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

    Based on 129 openings with pay posted.

  6. 6

    Detroit MI

    $125k

    Median posted pay
    $125k
    Local prices vs US average
    +0%
    Openings with pay posted
    66

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

    Based on 66 openings with pay posted.

  7. 7

    Minneapolis MN

    $121k

    Median posted pay
    $127k
    Local prices vs US average
    +5%
    Openings with pay posted
    236

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

    Based on 236 openings with pay posted.

  8. 8

    Milwaukee WI

    $121k

    Median posted pay
    $114k
    State prices vs US average
    −6%
    Openings with pay posted
    72

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

    Based on 72 openings with pay posted.

  9. 9

    Columbus OH

    $116k

    Median posted pay
    $111k
    Local prices vs US average
    −5%
    Openings with pay posted
    261

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

    Based on 261 openings with pay posted.

  10. 10

    Cincinnati OH

    $107k

    Median posted pay
    $102k
    Local prices vs US average
    −5%
    Openings with pay posted
    120

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

    Based on 120 openings with pay posted.

  11. 11

    St. Paul MN

    $104k

    Median posted pay
    $103k
    State prices vs US average
    −1%
    Openings with pay posted
    57

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

    Based on 57 openings with pay posted.

  12. 12

    Springfield IL

    $103k

    Median posted pay
    $103k
    State prices vs US average
    +0%
    Openings with pay posted
    76

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

    Based on 76 openings with pay posted.

  13. 13

    Cleveland OH

    $102k

    Median posted pay
    $95k
    State prices vs US average
    −7%
    Openings with pay posted
    150

    Hiring most here: Flexjet, KeyBank, Sherwin Williams

    Based on 150 openings with pay posted.

  14. 14

    Schaumburg IL

    $98k

    Median posted pay
    $98k
    State prices vs US average
    +0%
    Openings with pay posted
    55

    Hiring most here: Motorola Solutions, Fictiv, Zurich

    Based on 55 openings with pay posted.

Full ranking

All 14 cities that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.

RankCityScoreSample
1Ann Arbor MI$157k130
2Eden Prairie MN$138k63
3Mundelein IL$136k78
4Chicago IL$129k1,701
5Indianapolis IN$129k129
6Detroit MI$125k66
7Minneapolis MN$121k236
8Milwaukee WI$121k72
9Columbus OH$116k261
10Cincinnati OH$107k120
11St. Paul MN$104k57
12Springfield IL$103k76
13Cleveland OH$102k150
14Schaumburg IL$98k55

How this ranking works

The score is a city's median posted annual salary (the midpoint of each posted range) divided by its local price level, with the United States at 100.

Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the city's metro area, or its state where no metro figure exists. Only cities with at least 50 listings that post a salary 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 with pay posted are not ranked.

Sources: NextChapter job data: posted annual salary ranges; Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities 2024 (metro areas and states). 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 pay after cost of living in the great lakes?
Ann Arbor leads the Great Lakes for pay after the cost of living: its median posted salary buys what $157k buys at average US prices.
How many cities are ranked?
14 cities have at least 100 openings with pay posted, so the list has 14 entries.
How is the ranking calculated?
The score is a city's median posted annual salary (the midpoint of each posted range) divided by its local price level, with the United States at 100. Price levels are the Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities for the city's metro area, or its state where no metro figure exists. Only cities with at least 50 listings that post a salary 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 cities for pay after cost of living in the Great Lakes,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-pay-vs-cost-of-living-in-the-great-lakes

Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/best-cities-for-pay-vs-cost-of-living-in-the-great-lakes">Best cities for pay after cost of living in the Great Lakes (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>

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