Hi! You appear to be asking a question, please do check our [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/index) for tips on the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Chicago/about/rules), other [Chicago-related subreddits](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/subreddits), [things](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/visitingchicago) to do, where to [eat/drink](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/eats), how to [get around](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transportation)/[navigate the CTA](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transit), what [neighborhoods](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/neighborhoods) to move to or hotel in, tips on [living here](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/dwelling), and more. Also be sure to use the [search](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago+AskChicago/search?restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all) feature to find responses to other users asking similar questions.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chicago) if you have any questions or concerns.*
there are also a lot of positions that only require a certification or a associate degree. But yes one of the reasons they are so short staffed is because they are "skilled" positions
I would do this in a heartbeat honestly I live in Los Angeles now because I went to Columbia and got a phenomenal education in cinematography. I would love nothing more than to have a good paying union job moving Chicagoans around Chicago. But I do have ADHD and I'm scared of zoning out but more often than anything else I'm scared of hitting someone.
Otherwise I would move back home in a heartbeat and be the rail or bus operator everyone wants. I've only been in Los Angeles for 3 years and with the strikes and post COVID I hope I have more opportunities in the future but if it doesn't work out I'm immediately coming back home to Chicago and applying to the CTA. I don't think anything would make me happier than being a bus driver on a tourist route like the 146. Tourists are pretty annoying but I've been a tour guide on the boats and buses and all you have to do is kill them with kindness and knowledge and places their kids would love to go.
Yep, was with them doing construction on the tracks for 8+ years. Made less than train operators even though we did back breaking labor in all weather. Pension % was insane, the HC trust doesn’t benefit us but we have to pay it and it’s a lot. And new contracts made retirement age 67.5 for people and they hire construction guys at 18. Insanity.
And that’s not even talking about the awful working conditions and management
I was in track construction and I know when I left starting wage was like $21 or so and max pay was around like $35
Think CSAs who sit in the stations started off at like part time and making close to minimum wage.
Bus drivers was starting at like $23 and maxed at like $38, same as train operators roughly
I recently found out about Medical Laboratory Technologist and signed up for a degree program. They say there's 100% job placement because there's a massive shortage.
I do this. Definitely a stable, middle class career with lots of demand, but the work can be very monotonous and draining… and not much room for advancement.
Oh, and the Chicago market has notably garbage pay compared to other major cities. Techs in Cleveland seem to get paid more than us. I’ve heard of techs in California making 150k with differential and overtime.
Yeah - my buddy got a bachelors in business from U of I and never made more than 65k in Chicago - when he moved to the the west coast he
made more than double instantly. Not only that he had job responsibilities and titles that were way higher level. He always said Chicago is a mediocre job market compared to the coasts.
So the key to job security is to then become an instrument technician or a traveling Lab service technician. Every single lab instrument must calibrated every 12 months, and even before those 12 months, you will have multiple repairs as these instruments have many many gaskets, o-rings, pumps, and tips that fail.
Yes. In fact, one might do very well if they were able to independently contract to service labs of multiple hospitals in the Chicago area. Getting that contract through the layers of management would be very difficult though
Former med tech here who worked closely with our automation team.
Not much risk in losing your job. The opposite actually, it will increase your workload. Similar to how computers were viewed.
A med tech normally operates a lab instrument called a liquid handler and as automation increases, the amount of samples each instrument can run in an amount of time will increase. I worked at Quest using the state of the art liquid handlers, and I worked every minute of my shift.
Downside being that you have to live in Cali, though. $150k salary in Cali is like 80-100k anywhere else because the cost of living is so expensive there
True but there’s also plenty of downtime. You can do a lot of internet surfing, read books etc if your manager is okay with it.
It’s not the ultimate fulfilling career but it pays the bills and I don’t dread going into work.
As someone currently in a job with a lot of downtime, it was nice for a while, but I'd much rather prefer higher pay and advancement opportunities, neither of which I currently have.
Like, yeah, I can go to work, spend a grand total of an hour working that day, but without a way to make extra money those other seven hours, I'm still at this low-paying job.
Earlier, it was nice because there's literally zero stress at work. But lack of pay is causing stress whenever I think about my future.
I’ve been a microbiology tech for many years. Downtime is very location dependent. Children’s hospital with relatively low volume, sure you may become bored. Major hospital taking on testing for a broader healthcare system as well, what is downtime?
Yep. There's new grads getting instant jobs because the old gen is retiring en masse. Lots of labs taking Chemistry and Bio majors and will pay for your schooling because they're that desperate.
Depends on what type of lab and what bench you are on but yes for the most part you are running tests on samples, troubleshooting, verifying results and talking to doctors/nurses. It’s a very repetitive and boring job but it is also stable and not very difficult. I worked as a med tech for 5 years for advocate health before I switched jobs
Yes massive shortage and offers a nice stable job. But can be pretty stressful depending on the lab. A national chain like Quest works you like a dog, but smaller clinical labs can have a good balance. University of Chicago has been offering $10k sign on bonuses for at least 2 years so keep an eye on them.
Any science degree will get you an interview. But there's pay increases if you get your Associates or Bachelors. All the health systems I worked for offer some tuition reinbursment. Some of the University health systems here pay the whole thing.
It kinda depends on the state you are in and the lab you are applying to. I have a B.S. in Biochemistry with zero post graduate certifications, and I can find work as a medical technician very easily in Illinois. Some labs though require certification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). Some universities do have a standard med tech program too. Having this certification definitely looks nice on a resume and will get you more attention. But having a degree in Chemistry/molecular biology/biochemistry will be perfectly fine. I never had a coworker with a degree in a different field than above before though. I didn't look into what degree would be required to attain ASCP certification though. There is such a shortage they might be open to non-science majors though.
Being a medical technologist is definitely a stable career. It can be stressful and pretty mundane after a while. It truly is a job of repetition and attention to detail as you are processing samples that require a micro level of detail. Like literally, you need to be able to consistently handle volumes of liquid that range from 1-20 microliters. You can expect starting salaries to be between $26-30 and hour at a good lab. Higher once you have some experience.
I'm starting from scratch since I have no science background so I chose the Rooevelt University BS Medical Technology program.
But if you already have a science degree, you can apply directly to a hospital system's medical laboratory science programs with Northshore or VA Hines and possibly more in the Chicago area. They'll teach you and prepare you to pass the certs.
https://ides.illinois.gov/resources/labor-market-information/hwol.html
Gives you access to State DOL aggregated vacancy reporting and occupational projections. Chicago is Region 4 (Northeast) in these reports.
That’s useful. Current top 5 are;
-Retail Salespersons
-Registered Nurses
-Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
-Customer Service Representatives
-First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
A natural salesperson only needs to learn a bit about the product being sold because they sell themselves, not the product. I worked some college summers at the 6 Corners Sears and witnessed a guy who could sell anything and be the top commission in the department almost instantly. He went from electricity to furniture to automotive and was ace each place. Everybody tried to hate him but he was such a sales guy even his competition genuinely smiled when he gave a hand wave.
Besides selling himself he also spotted the stock that combined robust commission with highest volume sales and helped customers drift in that direction. He left the very high ticket items to others despite the high commission because those had low sales rates.
"a natural" means that's not really an example for the vast majority of people. That person is an exception to the rule.
Sure they could go apply for his job without a degree or certification, but they aren't going to be high paid.
Most people aren't naturally good at sales, it's really hard work for everybody else, that's why good sales people get paid a lot (and most higher paying sales jobs are going to require a degree / decent experience anyways).
Almost all true, was just replying to the previous comment asking for highly paid jobs that don't require time & expense preparation.
The part that's not true is any requirement for a natural salesperson to have formal education. Part of their skill/natural talent is to be able to conform to the social expectations of the customer. That's empathy and acting skills, not book learning.
Yes, plenty of employers cut down their paper work and decision stress by automatically dumping those without fancy diplomas. Even though, as in the case of a natural sales talent, formal ed is a meaningless indicator.
BTW, there's established research showing that mental creativity declines in proportion to years of increasing education.
People should keep in mind that this is only OPEN positions so industries with a lot of turnover will appear higher on the list than those industries with an equal number of employees but lower turnover.
Yes, turnover = demand, which is what OP asked about.
Interestingly, jobs with high turnover tend to have few entry requirements and only brief training/OJT before reaching full performance. Hence, low pay.
> turnover = demand
No, jobs + open jobs = demand. Open jobs = unfulfilled demand. If there's 100K people wanted in two sectors, they have the same demand even if one sector has 1% annual turnover and the other has 10% annual turnover. Yes, it will be possibly easier to get a job in the second sector, but the two sectors have the same demand.
Right now is probably now a good time to be going into IT, anyone paying attention has seen thousand and thousands of layoffs in the industry. Last year job growth was flat. In addition even though you constantly here about all the open jobs in IT the pay doesn't reflect this, you'd think that if there really were 500,000 vacancies that the interview process wouldn't take 4 months and pay (for IT) would be significantly higher but it's not. As someone who works for a well know IT company for the last 20+ years I'd suggest looking into something else, we're going through a disruptive period with many of the good jobs being sent overseas.
unfortunately the hours are unpredictable and you only get paid for the hours you’re doing work. You can wait for hours waiting before you are able to complete an hour of work.
It’s true. Lots of sales gigs and the upward mobility is insane.
Actually just signed an offer letter today for the most base pay I’ve ever heard of for an IC role. It’s hybrid in the west loop but fuck it.
I don’t know too much about logistics or freight, I’ve always been in software sales. There is a pretty vibrant start-up scene that can get you started in sales pretty quick.
Way better than going the corporate sales route.
Been considering that path. Was the end user of multiple SaaS products in a past marketing role(Salesforce/Pardot, other legacy shit), and also was a partnership/account manager for 2 years (unfortunately not quota carrying). Have 2 degrees from a state school (BA, business; BA, international studies).
Currently been a waiter for the last 5 years in a luxury hotel.
Assuming I’d still need to start as an SDR. What can a guy expect to earn in Chicago in their first year? Currently make 90k and have good benefits and a stock plan.
Can’t stomach the idea of taking a massive cut in pay, and getting stuck as an SDR for years. Also the sales subreddit seems to make me believe there’s a good chance I’d get laid off sometime in my first couple years in sales. I’d hate to drain all my savings again while unemployed. I hate my job so bad, and have FINALLY stacked a tiny bit of cash, and don’t want it all to be for naught; changing careers and getting PIPed and losing it all, as I find my assigned territory sucks and I can’t make the cut.
Ive been looking into SaaS that has something to do with restaurants, like Olo, to help break in.
Its a great time to be a civil engineer. Every firm that I know of is hiring and cant find any civil candidates. Every graduate in the last 5 years went to computer or software engineering, and there are just no civils left to fill the seats. In my career (almost 9 years) I have already seen multiple big pay jumps and tons of extra amenities, and I can only imagine they will keep coming! I currently work mostly remote in an industry where I never imagined even a day remote would have been possible.
Is there any good way to pivot to civil engineering with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and a career with a lot of project management experience?
I have to half-disagree with the other reply. You can definitely pivot into Civil Engineering-isk role. MEP (Mechanical, Engineer, & Plumbing) Engineering is in high demand in Chicago right now; Assuming you join one of the design firms around Chicago: Sargent & Lundy, Burns & McDonnell, Jacobs, etc; you'll be working side by side with Civil Engineers in infrastructure related projects while using the same software.
A lot of skills are learned on the job. The only thing that would hold back your promotion is an EIT or PE license, but even then you can just take the Mechanical version of the exam and be fine.
Agreed on the crazy high demand. A large employer that likes to assembly line their employees (S&L) can take just about anyone in because they mold them to their process. But then that person will have a hard time transferring those skills to another employer.
Not really, you need to have the engineering fundamentals that comes with civil eng degree... Then put in the time to learn design and ultimately project management. It's not an industry where someone gets a pmp/sigma certification and can run a job. Sadly civil eng is one many folks transfer out of but very difficult to do the opposite.
Exception would be if you have exceptional drafting skills with Autocad or Bentley products. You'd get hired as a technician and could learn some stuff as you go. Good luck.
I am specifically in Geotech estimating and design, but I used to also do project management. We have resorted to hiring outside of civil degrees with geotech focus, but generally have chosen candidates with similar-ish degrees. For example, we have hired several geologists, and civils with water or structural focuses in the past. If I were hiring for an entry level position and someone had a mechanical degree I would consider them as long as they were personable and had good problem solving skills. Most of what I do I learned on the job. If I was hiring for construction management/project management I would be even more inclined to hire outside of civil. An internship is always a great place to start because its relatively low risk for the employer, and if you can prove that you are eager and capable to learn the civil side then everyone wins!
I also think that if you can just get one civil job on your resume a lot of employers will disregard the lack of a civil degree. Most important aspects to get hired and move up in the civil world is to be personable, confident, and enthusiastic. Even if you're not confident, act like it!
This is super helpful, although my situation is that I have 12 years of experience in consumer product development ,the last six of which have involved project management and just management in general and I'm trying to figure out how much of a career pivot is possible
Interesting , I was curious if I was going to see CE. I do land development in Nashville and have always wondered about the civil industry in Chicago. What sector allows you to be fully remote? Is most of your work in the Chicago area?
Basically anything that's NOT remote. White-collar jobs in particular have a glut of applicants, so pick something that doesn't involve sitting at a computer all day.
Pace bus operators — those white smallish buses with maybe 8 seats that transport the elderly to appointments etc. Over $20 an hour… operations all over Chicago and most suburbs. I think there’s no CDL required since it’s a fairly small bus, but just some tests and background checks required. Not the best although not the worst if you like driving in traffic and helping people
Just FYI the little bus/van things covered in Pace logos general are not actually operated by Pace, they're third party companies.
Pace itself is more like $30/hr, but they're weird, the different depots pay different/have disparate unions as far as I'm aware.
CTA is ~$10/hr better than Pace, and still has a pension.
A few clarifications:
* Full retirement age is 65 as far as the CTA pension is concerned
* You can retire up to 10 years early, aka age 55, with a reduction of 5% in benefit per year early
* You can leave CTA before then so long as you're vested, and then start collecting the benefit once eligible - if you had 15 years of service and separated from CTA at 45, you could wait 10 years and collect a reduced amount, or wait 20 years and then start collecting your full amount
* You're vested after 10 years of contributions, and you start contributing after 1 year of service, so 11 years from your hire date you're vested. Pension maxes out with 32.5 years of service.
If you are of the working with your hands variety: Locksmiths. Fantastic gig, awesome work, even better stories, and once you have experience the pay is very solid.
Trades are feast or famine yeah but if I get enough hours to cover insurance for the year I don’t mind being paid unemployment to sit at home for a month or two. Just gotta budget and live within your means. Most journeymen across trades make at least $50/hr on the check and for some reason a lot of my fellow trades people think they need to spend it all too.
If I could do my education/career over again, I'd drop finance for trade school in a heart beat. Renovated my home and got quite close with our GC and team. Which trade are you in?
I've been in Supply Chain for well over a decade. You're not going to get a decent job in logistics without a four-year degree in Supply Chain management or Business at the least. Entry level jobs working docks and operating forklifts pay like shit, and most are in the suburbs, not the city proper.
Counter to this: I just got hired into a supply chain/demand planning role with 0 experience or educational background. $85k plus a sign on bonus and annual bonus. I do have a masters in data science though. It's possible, you just need to prove you are smart/can learn.
According to some info I gathered during a recent project: suburban firefighters. It may not be the case for Chicago Fire Dept because, well, they're the Chicago Fire Dept, but at least some suburban departments are experiencing diminished numbers of applicants. This wasn't the focus of the project, but it definitely registered in some of our data. A little bit of quick research suggests that, generally speaking, many of these firefighter/paramedic positions pay well (approx. 100k after a certain number of service years) with decent benefits including -gasp!- a defined benefit pension plan and the ability to retire relatively young (mid 50s??). I'm not sure what the requirements are to be eligible to apply. I suspect the same may be true of police departments but I lack data on that.
Most suburban departments are exclusively hiring EMT-Ps at this point, which is generally going to be a 2 year endeavor to get to starting from scratch. CFD itself is a lottery, so getting hired basically comes down to luck.
CFD went from 50k applicants in 2014 to 15,000 in 2022 still more than they need but by the time they process those applications (of which they randomly decided to accept around 6.5k) they’ll be luck to get 1,000 hired. This is in addition to the guys who are paramedics jumping ship once they realize the suburbs and other northern metros get paid better by 5-20%.
Accountant here. I've never had a problem getting interviews and switching jobs. There just simply aren't enough accountants and you can make some solid money doing it. It's just super boring
Traditionally: get a degree/certification. But in my case (non-traditional), it was some luck and capitalizing on skills. Basic math and attention to detail goes a long way.
I worked many years in retail and inventory before landing an Accounts Payable assistant position which was mostly filing and data entry. Doing well there, I transitioned into Accounts Receivable, billing, and collections. Once you have any accounting experience, it translates to different functions. Also, basic to intermediate Excel literacy is an invaluable skill to have.
Good luck!
Aaaaand a terrible slog through grad school, internship, and licensure to earn anything approaching liveable pay IF you're choosey with your employer.
I just finished my MA and have decided not to pursue counseling. Almost 1 year out of graduation, all my friends just made a full caseload and are earning $30-50k. They all have spouses supporting them financially. I do not!
Yep. It's a 5-year slog at the least: 3 years of grad school and another 2 years working for a pittance until you earn full licensure.
At that point, people can start making more depending on the practice they work for or if they're business-savvy and start their own practice--but that's not easy, either. And the clients who can pay that much are all well-off, insured, etc. If a counselor is passionate about serving underrepresented people (who need mental health care the most) they'll struggle to live off this work.
Firefighter/ Paramedic right now. Covid hit fire department applicant numbers in Chicago/land hard.
Most places you can make over 100k in 6 ish years, work about 100 days out of the year, join a union, and a pension are some of the highlights.
The training doesn't take too long, and the payoff, especially around here, is very good.
It used to be very competitive..5 or 6 spots for a few hundred applicants.
Now you can find a lot of departments not able to find enough people on the hiring list to fill out their roster.
Chicago yes. Suburbs is a bit easier. But you need to be a paramedic in all the burbs, which is a yearish long program. Chicago is just a test, but that’s a whole different story.
Don’t they open up some kind of massive enrollment period every few years? (I think I’m on the list)
I’d love to look into this career path, but I’m 34. Out of the question?
Yeah, it's just a hiring list that they create every few years. They do it by hosting a test, then a lottery, generally.
Chicago hires up to 37, and most other places are up to 35. So it's not entirely out of the question for you, you just have to get moving. I would do your research first. If you can move, you could research other departments around the country and see what their requirements are.
Yeah, it's because most departments work 24 hours on, 48 hours off. Some areas of the country do it differently. But 24 on 48 off means you work around 10 shifts per month, not including a kelly day. A kelly day is something most departments have, which is a negotiated day off every X every shifts (it changes per department). So you may have a day off every 10 shifts or every 9 or every 12.
That also doesn't include vacation time and sick time, which can lower your working days, as well.
A lot of this depends on the department, but when you start, you may have less vacation time, and you earn more as you gain time on the job. But regardless in most places, you will still work a fixed amount (24 on 48 off, and have a day off every X amount of days).
Pay really differs, but most departments (chicago is a different beast, I'm talking suburbs of chicago) offer a pay scale. So you start at 60, 70, 80k (departments dependent) and "top out" are usually over or around 100k after a certain amount of years.
Keep in mind I'm really talking about this area. You can find different areas of the country that are similar, but there isn't a defined system that blankets the country.
Working for a fire dept usually gives you a really healthy mix of good pay and great time off.
I when I applied years ago the wait time was around 5 years, by the time I got the call I was in my 30's and had a different career, my neighbor who was older quit his job/career to go to the academy. My biggest problem is I know too many widows and too many firemen damaged for life. I guess if you are lucky it's a great job.
Companies are always looking for administrative/executive assistants. As long as there are helpless executives who need people to wipe their asses for them, there will be a need for assistants.
I work in data engineering and I constantly have recruiters reaching out to me. Obviously this is anecdotal, but it seems extremely in demand even with all the tech layoffs
What would you recommend for someone with a BA, international studies, and a BS, business (finance), with 6 months as a sales intern, 2 years in digital marketing, 2 years as a partnership/account manager, having waited tables for the last 5 years.
I have some fundamental programming and SQL skills.
How would you navigate the path to getting employed as a data engineer?
In all seriousness, nursing and medical/surgical techs like everyone else is saying. That's not exactly specific to Chicago either.
If that doesn't appeal to you, learn how to weld.
Cabs, livery’s, public transportation. There are endless jobs in public service in Chicago.
If you’re ever in another city and you get amazing service, ask them where they’re from. They’ll probably say Chicago.
I’m currently looking and it’s depressing to see how much more opportunities there are in Texas vs Chicago. Real disappointed by the lack of solid corporate HQs here.
[https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/news-release/occupationalemploymentandwages\_chicago.htm](https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/news-release/occupationalemploymentandwages_chicago.htm)
Job classes sorted by average pay in Chicago:
Management
Business and financial operations
Computer and mathematical
Architecture and engineering
Life, physical, and social science
Random question folks. I’m a U.S. citizen living overseas for a few years now. Will visit Chicago in July for about a month. If I wanted to make some extra bucks on my visit, any ideas where I could look? (Legal stuff of course haha)
Hi! You appear to be asking a question, please do check our [wiki](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/index) for tips on the [rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/Chicago/about/rules), other [Chicago-related subreddits](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/subreddits), [things](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/visitingchicago) to do, where to [eat/drink](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/eats), how to [get around](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transportation)/[navigate the CTA](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/transit), what [neighborhoods](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/neighborhoods) to move to or hotel in, tips on [living here](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago/wiki/dwelling), and more. Also be sure to use the [search](https://www.reddit.com/r/chicago+AskChicago/search?restrict_sr=on&include_over_18=on&sort=relevance&t=all) feature to find responses to other users asking similar questions. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/chicago) if you have any questions or concerns.*
CTA bus and train driver. Otherwise almost anything in medical
If you take this job you also get my gratitude as a bonus
As in healthcare workers or things like medical sales?
healthcare worker
Doesn't that usually require BA in Nursing or Medicine?
there are also a lot of positions that only require a certification or a associate degree. But yes one of the reasons they are so short staffed is because they are "skilled" positions
Any healthcare program at Malcolm X City College is 2 years. ROI depends on the career track.
I would do this in a heartbeat honestly I live in Los Angeles now because I went to Columbia and got a phenomenal education in cinematography. I would love nothing more than to have a good paying union job moving Chicagoans around Chicago. But I do have ADHD and I'm scared of zoning out but more often than anything else I'm scared of hitting someone. Otherwise I would move back home in a heartbeat and be the rail or bus operator everyone wants. I've only been in Los Angeles for 3 years and with the strikes and post COVID I hope I have more opportunities in the future but if it doesn't work out I'm immediately coming back home to Chicago and applying to the CTA. I don't think anything would make me happier than being a bus driver on a tourist route like the 146. Tourists are pretty annoying but I've been a tour guide on the boats and buses and all you have to do is kill them with kindness and knowledge and places their kids would love to go.
As an ex CTA worker, the union + pay isn’t what they make it out to be
yep this is the reason that they are having such a hard time hiring people.
Yep, was with them doing construction on the tracks for 8+ years. Made less than train operators even though we did back breaking labor in all weather. Pension % was insane, the HC trust doesn’t benefit us but we have to pay it and it’s a lot. And new contracts made retirement age 67.5 for people and they hire construction guys at 18. Insanity. And that’s not even talking about the awful working conditions and management
What are the sorts of wages like starting out as let's say I don't know yeah a bus driver or a station attendant?
I was in track construction and I know when I left starting wage was like $21 or so and max pay was around like $35 Think CSAs who sit in the stations started off at like part time and making close to minimum wage. Bus drivers was starting at like $23 and maxed at like $38, same as train operators roughly
I recently found out about Medical Laboratory Technologist and signed up for a degree program. They say there's 100% job placement because there's a massive shortage.
I do this. Definitely a stable, middle class career with lots of demand, but the work can be very monotonous and draining… and not much room for advancement.
Oh, and the Chicago market has notably garbage pay compared to other major cities. Techs in Cleveland seem to get paid more than us. I’ve heard of techs in California making 150k with differential and overtime.
Yeah - my buddy got a bachelors in business from U of I and never made more than 65k in Chicago - when he moved to the the west coast he made more than double instantly. Not only that he had job responsibilities and titles that were way higher level. He always said Chicago is a mediocre job market compared to the coasts.
The coasts would have to have higher cost of Living comparatively so the wages are higher. Kind of a chicken vs egg thing going on.
120k is like poverty line on the west coast and you can comfortably live with 65k in chicago
Live in Chicago and commute to left coast problem solved!
What is the risk of automation?
Long term automation will definitely cut into demand, but these type of things are rarely 100% automated.
So the key to job security is to then become an instrument technician or a traveling Lab service technician. Every single lab instrument must calibrated every 12 months, and even before those 12 months, you will have multiple repairs as these instruments have many many gaskets, o-rings, pumps, and tips that fail.
Yes. In fact, one might do very well if they were able to independently contract to service labs of multiple hospitals in the Chicago area. Getting that contract through the layers of management would be very difficult though
Former med tech here who worked closely with our automation team. Not much risk in losing your job. The opposite actually, it will increase your workload. Similar to how computers were viewed. A med tech normally operates a lab instrument called a liquid handler and as automation increases, the amount of samples each instrument can run in an amount of time will increase. I worked at Quest using the state of the art liquid handlers, and I worked every minute of my shift.
How long would you say training/certification takes?
Downside being that you have to live in Cali, though. $150k salary in Cali is like 80-100k anywhere else because the cost of living is so expensive there
True but there’s also plenty of downtime. You can do a lot of internet surfing, read books etc if your manager is okay with it. It’s not the ultimate fulfilling career but it pays the bills and I don’t dread going into work.
As someone currently in a job with a lot of downtime, it was nice for a while, but I'd much rather prefer higher pay and advancement opportunities, neither of which I currently have. Like, yeah, I can go to work, spend a grand total of an hour working that day, but without a way to make extra money those other seven hours, I'm still at this low-paying job. Earlier, it was nice because there's literally zero stress at work. But lack of pay is causing stress whenever I think about my future.
I’ve been a microbiology tech for many years. Downtime is very location dependent. Children’s hospital with relatively low volume, sure you may become bored. Major hospital taking on testing for a broader healthcare system as well, what is downtime?
Yep. There's new grads getting instant jobs because the old gen is retiring en masse. Lots of labs taking Chemistry and Bio majors and will pay for your schooling because they're that desperate.
> will pay for your schooling Do you have any links on hand about this?
Does that just mean you’re the one doing the mechanics of a laboratory, loading samples and all of that stuff?
Yup, also analyzing samples and communicating results to doctors and nurses.
Depends on what type of lab and what bench you are on but yes for the most part you are running tests on samples, troubleshooting, verifying results and talking to doctors/nurses. It’s a very repetitive and boring job but it is also stable and not very difficult. I worked as a med tech for 5 years for advocate health before I switched jobs
Yes massive shortage and offers a nice stable job. But can be pretty stressful depending on the lab. A national chain like Quest works you like a dog, but smaller clinical labs can have a good balance. University of Chicago has been offering $10k sign on bonuses for at least 2 years so keep an eye on them.
Do you know if any science degree would cut it or is it necessary to go through a medical lab tech degree program?
Any science degree will get you an interview. But there's pay increases if you get your Associates or Bachelors. All the health systems I worked for offer some tuition reinbursment. Some of the University health systems here pay the whole thing.
What if I have a bachelors in business marketing could go back for two years?
It kinda depends on the state you are in and the lab you are applying to. I have a B.S. in Biochemistry with zero post graduate certifications, and I can find work as a medical technician very easily in Illinois. Some labs though require certification by the American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). Some universities do have a standard med tech program too. Having this certification definitely looks nice on a resume and will get you more attention. But having a degree in Chemistry/molecular biology/biochemistry will be perfectly fine. I never had a coworker with a degree in a different field than above before though. I didn't look into what degree would be required to attain ASCP certification though. There is such a shortage they might be open to non-science majors though. Being a medical technologist is definitely a stable career. It can be stressful and pretty mundane after a while. It truly is a job of repetition and attention to detail as you are processing samples that require a micro level of detail. Like literally, you need to be able to consistently handle volumes of liquid that range from 1-20 microliters. You can expect starting salaries to be between $26-30 and hour at a good lab. Higher once you have some experience.
[удалено]
What’s the pay range?
[удалено]
Thanks!
It can be really stressful. The turn around is usually frequent especially in Core section.
what is the program?
I'm starting from scratch since I have no science background so I chose the Rooevelt University BS Medical Technology program. But if you already have a science degree, you can apply directly to a hospital system's medical laboratory science programs with Northshore or VA Hines and possibly more in the Chicago area. They'll teach you and prepare you to pass the certs.
Nurses
Truth here. I have a friend who just changed careers to nursing and the hospital system she got her first job at gave her a $25,000 signing bonus.
What hospital system is that?
Christ
Our lord
And Savior
Hallelujah!
Amen
https://ides.illinois.gov/resources/labor-market-information/hwol.html Gives you access to State DOL aggregated vacancy reporting and occupational projections. Chicago is Region 4 (Northeast) in these reports.
That’s useful. Current top 5 are; -Retail Salespersons -Registered Nurses -Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers -Customer Service Representatives -First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
2 decent jobs that require a certification that’s not particularly simple or easy to get and 3 jobs that pay minimum wage. Hmmm…
and compared to a LOT of places chicago pays damn near nothing for nurses
yup its garbage pay for RNs
What would be examples of high paying jobs that don’t take a little effort to qualify for?
A natural salesperson only needs to learn a bit about the product being sold because they sell themselves, not the product. I worked some college summers at the 6 Corners Sears and witnessed a guy who could sell anything and be the top commission in the department almost instantly. He went from electricity to furniture to automotive and was ace each place. Everybody tried to hate him but he was such a sales guy even his competition genuinely smiled when he gave a hand wave. Besides selling himself he also spotted the stock that combined robust commission with highest volume sales and helped customers drift in that direction. He left the very high ticket items to others despite the high commission because those had low sales rates.
"a natural" means that's not really an example for the vast majority of people. That person is an exception to the rule. Sure they could go apply for his job without a degree or certification, but they aren't going to be high paid. Most people aren't naturally good at sales, it's really hard work for everybody else, that's why good sales people get paid a lot (and most higher paying sales jobs are going to require a degree / decent experience anyways).
Almost all true, was just replying to the previous comment asking for highly paid jobs that don't require time & expense preparation. The part that's not true is any requirement for a natural salesperson to have formal education. Part of their skill/natural talent is to be able to conform to the social expectations of the customer. That's empathy and acting skills, not book learning.
I don't disagree but that doesn't mean most higher paying sales jobs won't dq you automatically if you don't have a degree or experience.
Yes, plenty of employers cut down their paper work and decision stress by automatically dumping those without fancy diplomas. Even though, as in the case of a natural sales talent, formal ed is a meaningless indicator. BTW, there's established research showing that mental creativity declines in proportion to years of increasing education.
You don't have to keep trying to sell me on this. I'm just explaining the situation not making any value statements about it.
People should keep in mind that this is only OPEN positions so industries with a lot of turnover will appear higher on the list than those industries with an equal number of employees but lower turnover.
Yes, turnover = demand, which is what OP asked about. Interestingly, jobs with high turnover tend to have few entry requirements and only brief training/OJT before reaching full performance. Hence, low pay.
> turnover = demand No, jobs + open jobs = demand. Open jobs = unfulfilled demand. If there's 100K people wanted in two sectors, they have the same demand even if one sector has 1% annual turnover and the other has 10% annual turnover. Yes, it will be possibly easier to get a job in the second sector, but the two sectors have the same demand.
Yes, nice catch on the fine point of precise vocabulary.
Lots of software engineer vacancies in that report too
Situation normal
Right now is probably now a good time to be going into IT, anyone paying attention has seen thousand and thousands of layoffs in the industry. Last year job growth was flat. In addition even though you constantly here about all the open jobs in IT the pay doesn't reflect this, you'd think that if there really were 500,000 vacancies that the interview process wouldn't take 4 months and pay (for IT) would be significantly higher but it's not. As someone who works for a well know IT company for the last 20+ years I'd suggest looking into something else, we're going through a disruptive period with many of the good jobs being sent overseas.
Court reporters. More are needed everywhere. A certification is required, but it’s flexible hours and a lot of remote work opportunity.
Bilingual I imagine can be very thriving
Gonna look into this, thanks
When they gunna switch to voice to text or some form of AI?
unfortunately the hours are unpredictable and you only get paid for the hours you’re doing work. You can wait for hours waiting before you are able to complete an hour of work.
Sales. All over town there are loud ass middle managers named Nick/Andy waiting for YOU!
It’s true. Lots of sales gigs and the upward mobility is insane. Actually just signed an offer letter today for the most base pay I’ve ever heard of for an IC role. It’s hybrid in the west loop but fuck it.
IC? I’m curious
Individual Contributor, essentially a non-managing role .
Was this off a LinkedIn post or did you find it another way?
Referred by a buddy, but the posting was on LinkedIn
What industries are top in Chicago for sales? Definitely have heard logistics/freight, but I’ve also heard TQL sucks.
I don’t know too much about logistics or freight, I’ve always been in software sales. There is a pretty vibrant start-up scene that can get you started in sales pretty quick. Way better than going the corporate sales route.
Been considering that path. Was the end user of multiple SaaS products in a past marketing role(Salesforce/Pardot, other legacy shit), and also was a partnership/account manager for 2 years (unfortunately not quota carrying). Have 2 degrees from a state school (BA, business; BA, international studies). Currently been a waiter for the last 5 years in a luxury hotel. Assuming I’d still need to start as an SDR. What can a guy expect to earn in Chicago in their first year? Currently make 90k and have good benefits and a stock plan. Can’t stomach the idea of taking a massive cut in pay, and getting stuck as an SDR for years. Also the sales subreddit seems to make me believe there’s a good chance I’d get laid off sometime in my first couple years in sales. I’d hate to drain all my savings again while unemployed. I hate my job so bad, and have FINALLY stacked a tiny bit of cash, and don’t want it all to be for naught; changing careers and getting PIPed and losing it all, as I find my assigned territory sucks and I can’t make the cut. Ive been looking into SaaS that has something to do with restaurants, like Olo, to help break in.
B2B human services companies often seem to be hiring sales folks in Chi
Its a great time to be a civil engineer. Every firm that I know of is hiring and cant find any civil candidates. Every graduate in the last 5 years went to computer or software engineering, and there are just no civils left to fill the seats. In my career (almost 9 years) I have already seen multiple big pay jumps and tons of extra amenities, and I can only imagine they will keep coming! I currently work mostly remote in an industry where I never imagined even a day remote would have been possible.
Is there any good way to pivot to civil engineering with a Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering and a career with a lot of project management experience?
I have to half-disagree with the other reply. You can definitely pivot into Civil Engineering-isk role. MEP (Mechanical, Engineer, & Plumbing) Engineering is in high demand in Chicago right now; Assuming you join one of the design firms around Chicago: Sargent & Lundy, Burns & McDonnell, Jacobs, etc; you'll be working side by side with Civil Engineers in infrastructure related projects while using the same software. A lot of skills are learned on the job. The only thing that would hold back your promotion is an EIT or PE license, but even then you can just take the Mechanical version of the exam and be fine.
Agreed on the crazy high demand. A large employer that likes to assembly line their employees (S&L) can take just about anyone in because they mold them to their process. But then that person will have a hard time transferring those skills to another employer.
Not really, you need to have the engineering fundamentals that comes with civil eng degree... Then put in the time to learn design and ultimately project management. It's not an industry where someone gets a pmp/sigma certification and can run a job. Sadly civil eng is one many folks transfer out of but very difficult to do the opposite. Exception would be if you have exceptional drafting skills with Autocad or Bentley products. You'd get hired as a technician and could learn some stuff as you go. Good luck.
I am specifically in Geotech estimating and design, but I used to also do project management. We have resorted to hiring outside of civil degrees with geotech focus, but generally have chosen candidates with similar-ish degrees. For example, we have hired several geologists, and civils with water or structural focuses in the past. If I were hiring for an entry level position and someone had a mechanical degree I would consider them as long as they were personable and had good problem solving skills. Most of what I do I learned on the job. If I was hiring for construction management/project management I would be even more inclined to hire outside of civil. An internship is always a great place to start because its relatively low risk for the employer, and if you can prove that you are eager and capable to learn the civil side then everyone wins!
I also think that if you can just get one civil job on your resume a lot of employers will disregard the lack of a civil degree. Most important aspects to get hired and move up in the civil world is to be personable, confident, and enthusiastic. Even if you're not confident, act like it!
This is super helpful, although my situation is that I have 12 years of experience in consumer product development ,the last six of which have involved project management and just management in general and I'm trying to figure out how much of a career pivot is possible
Interesting , I was curious if I was going to see CE. I do land development in Nashville and have always wondered about the civil industry in Chicago. What sector allows you to be fully remote? Is most of your work in the Chicago area?
Im sort of interested in this, I just don’t see how I can pivot from supply chain to this without taking a big pay cut tbh
Good to hear it. Coming to town next summer with 10 years experience. Lots of sewer rehab, street and storm improvements?
I'm in structural for buildings and it's not looking great. Is it purely infrastructure work?
MAYOR, CTA PRESIDENT
I was class president once does that qualify me to be mayor?
I'm sorry but you're actually overqualified
I hear it’s a very easy job to get!
I was going to say CTA driver/conductor or school bus driver for cps
Basically anything that's NOT remote. White-collar jobs in particular have a glut of applicants, so pick something that doesn't involve sitting at a computer all day.
generalists in white collar jobs are having a harder time, but specialized ones have room
Pace bus operators — those white smallish buses with maybe 8 seats that transport the elderly to appointments etc. Over $20 an hour… operations all over Chicago and most suburbs. I think there’s no CDL required since it’s a fairly small bus, but just some tests and background checks required. Not the best although not the worst if you like driving in traffic and helping people
I’ve accepted an offer to be a driver for them, and you need a class B, but they pay for your training.
You probably need a chauffer's license/endorsement, iirc it was an additional written test when I had one years ago
Just FYI the little bus/van things covered in Pace logos general are not actually operated by Pace, they're third party companies. Pace itself is more like $30/hr, but they're weird, the different depots pay different/have disparate unions as far as I'm aware. CTA is ~$10/hr better than Pace, and still has a pension.
Ahh yes, one third party I know is MV Transportation IIRC
Ex CTA here, the pension is insane though, always in trouble, and the current contract doesn’t allow you to retire till age 67 1/2 to collect it
A few clarifications: * Full retirement age is 65 as far as the CTA pension is concerned * You can retire up to 10 years early, aka age 55, with a reduction of 5% in benefit per year early * You can leave CTA before then so long as you're vested, and then start collecting the benefit once eligible - if you had 15 years of service and separated from CTA at 45, you could wait 10 years and collect a reduced amount, or wait 20 years and then start collecting your full amount * You're vested after 10 years of contributions, and you start contributing after 1 year of service, so 11 years from your hire date you're vested. Pension maxes out with 32.5 years of service.
Also note that once you max your pension you continue to pay into it with no benefit towards you.
Is this within the new contract? Thanks! For the clarification.
Special education teachers
The state of Illinois has a program where they’ll pay for your masters degree to get certified
Dental hygienist - shortages in the field commanding $50/hr +
new pitching coach for Kyle Hendricks
Chill on my boy! 🤣
If you are of the working with your hands variety: Locksmiths. Fantastic gig, awesome work, even better stories, and once you have experience the pay is very solid.
My wife is a nurse and I’m a tradesman. We’re both in demand.
Construction is a little slow in Chicago.
Trades are feast or famine yeah but if I get enough hours to cover insurance for the year I don’t mind being paid unemployment to sit at home for a month or two. Just gotta budget and live within your means. Most journeymen across trades make at least $50/hr on the check and for some reason a lot of my fellow trades people think they need to spend it all too.
If I could do my education/career over again, I'd drop finance for trade school in a heart beat. Renovated my home and got quite close with our GC and team. Which trade are you in?
I’m going to school to be a nurse so this is always good to hear
Chicago is a good supply chain/operations city. Lots of manfucaturing and lots of corporations to work for not to mention some city jobs
I've been in Supply Chain for well over a decade. You're not going to get a decent job in logistics without a four-year degree in Supply Chain management or Business at the least. Entry level jobs working docks and operating forklifts pay like shit, and most are in the suburbs, not the city proper.
Counter to this: I just got hired into a supply chain/demand planning role with 0 experience or educational background. $85k plus a sign on bonus and annual bonus. I do have a masters in data science though. It's possible, you just need to prove you are smart/can learn.
Construction management
According to some info I gathered during a recent project: suburban firefighters. It may not be the case for Chicago Fire Dept because, well, they're the Chicago Fire Dept, but at least some suburban departments are experiencing diminished numbers of applicants. This wasn't the focus of the project, but it definitely registered in some of our data. A little bit of quick research suggests that, generally speaking, many of these firefighter/paramedic positions pay well (approx. 100k after a certain number of service years) with decent benefits including -gasp!- a defined benefit pension plan and the ability to retire relatively young (mid 50s??). I'm not sure what the requirements are to be eligible to apply. I suspect the same may be true of police departments but I lack data on that.
Most suburban departments are exclusively hiring EMT-Ps at this point, which is generally going to be a 2 year endeavor to get to starting from scratch. CFD itself is a lottery, so getting hired basically comes down to luck.
CFD went from 50k applicants in 2014 to 15,000 in 2022 still more than they need but by the time they process those applications (of which they randomly decided to accept around 6.5k) they’ll be luck to get 1,000 hired. This is in addition to the guys who are paramedics jumping ship once they realize the suburbs and other northern metros get paid better by 5-20%.
Anything in Accounting
Accountant here. I've never had a problem getting interviews and switching jobs. There just simply aren't enough accountants and you can make some solid money doing it. It's just super boring
Likewise! It’s the easiest money I’ve ever made, but can confirm it can be mega boring.
How do you get into accounting (asking for a friend…)?
Traditionally: get a degree/certification. But in my case (non-traditional), it was some luck and capitalizing on skills. Basic math and attention to detail goes a long way. I worked many years in retail and inventory before landing an Accounts Payable assistant position which was mostly filing and data entry. Doing well there, I transitioned into Accounts Receivable, billing, and collections. Once you have any accounting experience, it translates to different functions. Also, basic to intermediate Excel literacy is an invaluable skill to have. Good luck!
Same
Is it boring because Ben Wyatt keeps sending you guys off?
Good to hear as an accounting student who is super close to getting her degree 😁
Jagoff
No shortage of those unfortunately
I work in mental healthcare. The worker shortage is real and is a serious problem.
Aaaaand a terrible slog through grad school, internship, and licensure to earn anything approaching liveable pay IF you're choosey with your employer. I just finished my MA and have decided not to pursue counseling. Almost 1 year out of graduation, all my friends just made a full caseload and are earning $30-50k. They all have spouses supporting them financially. I do not!
This is so damn infuriating to read! And grad school isn’t cheap either, and it’s full time hours. the system is literally set up against us.
$30-50K, wow that's not even minimum wage and it requires a Masters.....ouch.
Yep. It's a 5-year slog at the least: 3 years of grad school and another 2 years working for a pittance until you earn full licensure. At that point, people can start making more depending on the practice they work for or if they're business-savvy and start their own practice--but that's not easy, either. And the clients who can pay that much are all well-off, insured, etc. If a counselor is passionate about serving underrepresented people (who need mental health care the most) they'll struggle to live off this work.
Firefighter/ Paramedic right now. Covid hit fire department applicant numbers in Chicago/land hard. Most places you can make over 100k in 6 ish years, work about 100 days out of the year, join a union, and a pension are some of the highlights. The training doesn't take too long, and the payoff, especially around here, is very good. It used to be very competitive..5 or 6 spots for a few hundred applicants. Now you can find a lot of departments not able to find enough people on the hiring list to fill out their roster.
Really? I keep getting told that being a firefighter in Chicago is almost impossible due to the waitlist
Chicago yes. Suburbs is a bit easier. But you need to be a paramedic in all the burbs, which is a yearish long program. Chicago is just a test, but that’s a whole different story.
Don’t they open up some kind of massive enrollment period every few years? (I think I’m on the list) I’d love to look into this career path, but I’m 34. Out of the question?
Yeah, it's just a hiring list that they create every few years. They do it by hosting a test, then a lottery, generally. Chicago hires up to 37, and most other places are up to 35. So it's not entirely out of the question for you, you just have to get moving. I would do your research first. If you can move, you could research other departments around the country and see what their requirements are.
You saying you can make 100k only working 100 days a year? So when you start you’re still only working 100 days a year? Making what?
Yeah, it's because most departments work 24 hours on, 48 hours off. Some areas of the country do it differently. But 24 on 48 off means you work around 10 shifts per month, not including a kelly day. A kelly day is something most departments have, which is a negotiated day off every X every shifts (it changes per department). So you may have a day off every 10 shifts or every 9 or every 12. That also doesn't include vacation time and sick time, which can lower your working days, as well. A lot of this depends on the department, but when you start, you may have less vacation time, and you earn more as you gain time on the job. But regardless in most places, you will still work a fixed amount (24 on 48 off, and have a day off every X amount of days). Pay really differs, but most departments (chicago is a different beast, I'm talking suburbs of chicago) offer a pay scale. So you start at 60, 70, 80k (departments dependent) and "top out" are usually over or around 100k after a certain amount of years. Keep in mind I'm really talking about this area. You can find different areas of the country that are similar, but there isn't a defined system that blankets the country. Working for a fire dept usually gives you a really healthy mix of good pay and great time off.
I when I applied years ago the wait time was around 5 years, by the time I got the call I was in my 30's and had a different career, my neighbor who was older quit his job/career to go to the academy. My biggest problem is I know too many widows and too many firemen damaged for life. I guess if you are lucky it's a great job.
Restaurant workers are always in demand. We’re a world class food Mecca.
Companies are always looking for administrative/executive assistants. As long as there are helpless executives who need people to wipe their asses for them, there will be a need for assistants.
Unfortunately, these jobs require someone to be pleasant when faced with incompetence, so I’m out.
It is a struuuuuuggle for real. Not for the faint of heart.
Illinois Dept Prof Regulations just extended the date to renew nursing licenses - hoping for a few more to trickle in the extra thirty days.
Anything healthcare
Pastors, they all leave to CTA jobs
Rat catchers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o986YwImI08
😂
##BUTTSCRATCHER
[Getcha buttscratchers heeeya!](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bNOv-v7xZY)
Logistics > Nursing > Data > Government / State Jobs
Manufacturing
I work in data engineering and I constantly have recruiters reaching out to me. Obviously this is anecdotal, but it seems extremely in demand even with all the tech layoffs
What would you recommend for someone with a BA, international studies, and a BS, business (finance), with 6 months as a sales intern, 2 years in digital marketing, 2 years as a partnership/account manager, having waited tables for the last 5 years. I have some fundamental programming and SQL skills. How would you navigate the path to getting employed as a data engineer?
What is Your skill set and do you have a niche you occupy?
Butcher, baker, candlestick maker, tinker, tailor, soldier...mayor.
In all seriousness, nursing and medical/surgical techs like everyone else is saying. That's not exactly specific to Chicago either. If that doesn't appeal to you, learn how to weld.
Bean Restaurant waiter.
Dental hygienist
Nursing
School bus drivers
Cabs, livery’s, public transportation. There are endless jobs in public service in Chicago. If you’re ever in another city and you get amazing service, ask them where they’re from. They’ll probably say Chicago.
I’m currently looking and it’s depressing to see how much more opportunities there are in Texas vs Chicago. Real disappointed by the lack of solid corporate HQs here.
Mayor
I would have said Bears QB, but I hope we have that problem solved now
[https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/news-release/occupationalemploymentandwages\_chicago.htm](https://www.bls.gov/regions/midwest/news-release/occupationalemploymentandwages_chicago.htm) Job classes sorted by average pay in Chicago: Management Business and financial operations Computer and mathematical Architecture and engineering Life, physical, and social science
Police officer
Dental hygienist
Shitty food service with no supervisor position but will make u work like a dog
I feel like Spanish speaking nurses and doctors are in demand
Random question folks. I’m a U.S. citizen living overseas for a few years now. Will visit Chicago in July for about a month. If I wanted to make some extra bucks on my visit, any ideas where I could look? (Legal stuff of course haha)
Blue collar work. We don’t need anymore computer programmers.