The United States of America remains one of the most attractive countries in the world to relocate for job opportunities. If you’re considering moving to the USA, Chicago, The “Windy City” is a popular place for expats. Over 80,000 European expats currently reside here and around 8,000 of those are British.
Chicago sits on the southwest shore of Lake Michigan and is known for towering skyscrapers, world-class sporting grounds, deep dish pizza, jazz and many museums and attractions. Without a doubt, Chicago is one of the greatest cities the United States has to offer. It is a multicultural, busy city, without the expense of living in places like LA or New York.

Job Market in Chicago

Large corporations such as McDonalds and US Food Holdings are just some of the top Fortune 500 companies based in Chicago. In fact, there are 36 Fortune 500 companies in and around the Chicago area.
Since the recession in 2010, the job market has seen rapid growth, particularly in Downtown, adding an eye-popping 133,715 jobs since 2010. Expats considering working in Chicago shouldn’t have too much difficulty in finding employment. As one of the major crossroads of the nation’s global trade, it is one of the busiest trading points worldwide.
Other major industries in Chicago include manufacturing, transport engineering, publishing, finance, and food processing; the city is also still considered as “candy capital,” once producing a third of the nation’s candy.
The healthcare and pharmaceutical industry is huge, with the largest pharmacy and lifestyle company Walgreens Boots Alliance based in Deerfield. They have over 400,000 employees worldwide, 3,200 of which are in Chicago. The corporation has 25 companies around the U.S and Europe including Walgreens, Duane Reed, Boots and Alliance Healthcare.
In a huge skyscraper based in the west side of Chicago you will find the corporate offices for Boeing. The office is only home to around 500 employees and offers huge opportunities for potential candidates. You’ll also find airline holding company United Continental Holdings, or United Airlines, based in the Willis Tower, home to around 2,500 employees. They offer positions from data analysts or IT network engineers to customer service managers and much more.
The financial sector is huge in Chicago, with both Deloitte and JPMorgan Chase having offices in the city. Corporate finance salaries range between $60K – $120K+. Banks which are headquartered in Chicago include Northern Trust, First Midwest Bank, Wintrust Financial, and BMO Harris Bank. In 2017 Chicago was ranked 7th for having the most competitive financial centre in the world.
If you’re looking for the best companies to work for in Chicago, research undertaken by Fortune & Great Place to Work, ranked Salesforce in number 1 position. Salesforce offer CRM solutions to businesses and have a big presence in Chicago. They are one of the fastest growing enterprise software companies and offer a number of offices across the world and US, including Chicago.
The top 3 largest employers in Chicago are the U.S Government, Chicago Public Schools and the City of Chicago. The average annual salary in Chicago is slightly higher at $54,160 than the US average at $50,620.
Chicago has endless job opportunities and is a vibrant and multicultural city for expats. If you need help moving to Chicago, our expert moving service can take the stress out of relocating. Contact us for any questions on relocating.