1,000+ Education & Training Jobs in Chicago, IL

Official wage data says educational instruction and library occupations in the metro averaged $33.70 per hour in May 2025, while the older BLS median annual wage for the broader occupation group was $66,140. Newer posting data is directional rather than official wage measurement: Chicago postings center on about $65k to $81k, with a broader 25th-75th band of about $49k to $137k, and Illinois mean offered salary on new openings was about $61,981 in August 2026 per Revelio Public Labor Statistics (n=1,113).

Full August 2026 market report

Advertised pay

Across the 923 openings that disclose pay, the advertised range midpoint runs $44,801 at the 25th percentile, $65,000 at the median and $73,655 at the 75th. These are advertised ranges, not earned pay.

Active openings as of September 25, 2026

Senior roles | Entry level | Remote | Posted this week

Live from the Callings.ai index of over 13 million postings, refreshed hourly and re-checked here nightly. Roles that close are dropped at the next refresh.

Showing 30 of 250+ openings.

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What our analysts see this month

Balanced market | next 3-6 months

Chicago is still a workable Education & Training market, but it is no longer an easy shortage market for generalist applicants. The metro showed more than 2,000 postings across more than 500 companies over the last 90 days, yet Chicago Public Schools entered the 2026-27 school year with about a 2% overall teacher vacancy rate and about 2.1% in special education, down from around 6% in 2024. The wider metro labor market is not especially loose either, with 4.9% unemployment in July 2026, and Illinois Education & Training postings were down 12.8% year over year in August 2026 per Revelio Public Labor Statistics.

Best positioned: Licensed, on-site candidates who can fill specialist, bilingual, early-childhood, adjunct, or administrator-track roles have the best odds right now.

Main caution: Do not assume "teacher shortage" means fast offers; CPS budget reversals and slower statewide posting creation mean employers can still move selectively and on uneven timelines.

From the August 2026 market report

Who is hiring here

Counted across all 1,185 openings in this market. 10 of the employers below are hiring for more than one role right now.

1. Chicago Public Schools: 211 open roles
2. Northwestern University: 26 open roles
3. Archchicago: 24 open roles
4. Penn State: 23 open roles
5. Guidepost Montessori: 20 open roles
6. Ymcachicago: 19 open roles
7. Life Time, Inc.: 18 open roles
8. Depaul International: 16 open roles
9. Cadence Education: 15 open roles
10. Distinctive Schools: 15 open roles

Where the openings are

• Chicago: 537
• Naperville: 51
• Evanston: 28
• Aurora: 24
• University Park: 23
• Downers Grove: 17
• Wheaton: 16
• Des Plaines: 13

Work arrangement

on-site 1,056 (95%), hybrid 46 (4%), remote 12 (1%)

Where the demand is

Real opportunity is spread across a long tail rather than one dominant employer. Over the last 90 days, the metro showed more than 2,000 postings across more than 500 companies, the employer base looked fragmented, and education accounted for about 75% of category postings, with smaller pockets in sports and recreation, healthcare, colleges and universities, and primary and secondary education. K-12 is still the most visible pool, but it is not a blanket shortage market. Chicago Public Schools entered the year with about a 2% overall teacher vacancy rate and about 2.1% in special education, while the Archdiocese of Chicago posted multiple grade-level and specialist openings and charter employers advertised bilingual and special education roles starting at $70,000 for certified teachers. Higher ed and career colleges are also active, but often in more fragmented or part-time form. DePaul posted multiple faculty openings across several departments, Midwestern Career College listed 71 open adjunct and guest lecturer positions, and Northeastern Illinois University posted a Career Instructor/Internship Coordinator role blending teaching with career development and employer outreach. Early childhood should not be ignored either: KinderCare Learning Companies was the most consistently active named employer in the sample with more than 150 postings, and BLS put preschool and daycare administrator pay around $60,520.

• K-12 classroom and specialist teaching (high): Best for licensed applicants who can step into live classrooms quickly, especially when they bring specialist or bilingual fit rather than a general application.
• Postsecondary, adjunct, and career-college instruction (moderate): Active, but the mix appears more fragmented and often more contingent, with faculty, lecturer, and hybrid instruction-plus-outreach roles showing up across institutions.
• Early childhood and childcare education (high): A steady lane for candidates open to on-site work, child-development-heavy roles, and multi-site employers rather than one flagship district.

Where to focus: Pick one lane for the next 30 days—K-12 specialist, higher-ed/adjunct, or early childhood—and tailor every application artifact to that lane instead of sending generic educator resumes.

Roles worth searching next

• Career services coordinator / internship coordinator: A local full-time Career Instructor/Internship Coordinator role combined teaching with career development and employer outreach, making this a natural bridge for educators who like advising and external partnerships.
• Field education or practicum coordinator: DePaul's term faculty openings in counseling, special education, and social work point to nearby demand for people who can supervise placements, align curriculum to practice, and manage field learning.
• Student affairs / employer partnerships coordinator: The same NEIU role shows that some local institutions want educators who can mix instruction with advising, employer relations, and student transition work.

What postings ask for

• Illinois PEL content-area test readiness (table_stakes | immediate): Illinois requires initial Professional Educator License applicants, including reciprocity candidates, to pass the applicable Illinois content tests from January 1, 2026. Who: New graduates, out-of-state teachers, and anyone re-entering K-12 hiring.
• Special education endorsement or demonstrated SPED experience (premium | immediate): CPS entered the year with about 2.1% special education teacher vacancies, and a Chicago charter role listed a $70,000 starting salary for certified special education teachers. Who: Licensed teachers, interventionists, and paraprofessionals moving toward full certification.
• Bilingual instructional support (premium | immediate): A Chicago bilingual instructional support teacher posting listed a starting salary of $70,000 for certified teachers, signaling real employer value for language-support capability. Who: Teachers with Spanish or other high-demand language ability and experience supporting multilingual learners.
• Classroom management (table_stakes | immediate): Classroom management shows up in about 40% of local Education & Training postings, making it one of the clearest baseline screens in the market. Who: Entry-level teachers, substitutes, and career switchers who need to prove practical readiness fast.
• Curriculum implementation, lesson planning, and student assessment (table_stakes | immediate): Curriculum implementation and lesson planning each appear in about 20% of local postings, and student assessment appears in about 10%, so employers are screening for delivery skill, not just subject knowledge. Who: All classroom-facing candidates and trainers who need a stronger evidence-of-practice portfolio.
• CPR and first aid certification (differentiator | near-term): CPR and first aid certification is the most commonly named certification in local postings, showing up in about 10% of the sample. Who: Early-childhood, after-school, recreation, and student-support applicants.

Questions about this market

What do Education & Training roles pay in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

Official wage data says educational instruction and library occupations in the metro averaged $33.70 per hour in May 2025, while the older BLS median annual wage for the broader occupation group was $66,140. Newer posting data is directional rather than official wage measurement: Chicago postings center on about $65k to $81k, with a broader 25th-75th band of about $49k to $137k, and Illinois mean offered salary on new openings was about $61,981 in August 2026 per Revelio Public Labor Statistics (n=1,113). Chicago pay is decent for the field and slightly above the national mean for the broad occupation group, but the local cost-of-living index is 103.6, so the premium is not huge in real terms.

Where is demand for Education & Training roles in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN concentrated?

Real opportunity is spread across a long tail rather than one dominant employer. Over the last 90 days, the metro showed more than 2,000 postings across more than 500 companies, the employer base looked fragmented, and education accounted for about 75% of category postings, with smaller pockets in sports and recreation, healthcare, colleges and universities, and primary and secondary education. K-12 is still the most visible pool, but it is not a blanket shortage market. Chicago Public Schools entered the year with about a 2% overall teacher vacancy rate and about 2.1% in special education, while the Archdiocese of Chicago posted multiple grade-level and specialist openings and charter employers advertised bilingual and special education roles starting at $70,000 for certified teachers. Higher ed and career colleges are also active, but often in more fragmented or part-time form. DePaul posted multiple faculty openings across several departments, Midwestern Career College listed 71 open adjunct and guest lecturer positions, and Northeastern Illinois University posted a Career Instructor/Internship Coordinator role blending teaching with career development and employer outreach. Early childhood should not be ignored either: KinderCare Learning Companies was the most consistently active named employer in the sample with more than 150 postings, and BLS put preschool and daycare administrator pay around $60,520.

Which employers are hiring the most Education & Training talent in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?

Recent postings show the most activity from KinderCare Learning Companies (150 postings). See the full market report for the complete employer landscape.

Can Education & Training roles in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN be done remotely?

Of recent postings, 5% are remote and 5% hybrid, with 95% on-site. Use the Remote filter above to see only remote openings.

How current are these listings?

Openings come from the Callings.ai live index of over 13 million jobs, refreshed hourly. This page searches postings from the last 30 days; run the search yourself to filter by anything else in plain language.

Browse Illinois openings by job title

• General Manager: 86 open roles statewide
• Senior Manager: 61 open roles statewide

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