Accountant Jobs in Chicago, IL
Accountants in the Chicago metro earn a median of about $82,360 a year, and the work runs from audit firms on Wacker Drive to insurer, airline and hospital finance teams downtown and on the Near West Side. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to get licensed.
Current accountant Openings in Chicago, IL
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Accountant Work in Chicago
Audit and tax firms fill the Loop and the Wacker Drive corridor, corporate headquarters run their controllership and tax groups downtown, and the big hospital systems in the Illinois Medical District keep their own general accounting staff. Insurers are a steady source of work too: Health Care Service Corporation, the parent of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, posts tax and fixed asset accountant roles in Chicago with pay ranges published under the Illinois pay transparency law.
That law matters to job seekers. Since January 2025, Illinois employers with 15 or more workers must list a pay scale and benefits in every posting, so most Chicago accounting ads now tell you the range before you apply. Hybrid schedules are common, usually three days a week in the office, and suburban roles in Rosemont, Franklin Park and Wheaton often pay a little less than the Loop in exchange for an easier drive on the Kennedy or the Eisenhower.
Top Chicago Employers Hiring Accountants
These employers have posted accountant roles in Chicago on their own careers sites:
- Health Care Service Corporation - the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois parent hires income tax, fixed asset and general accountants in Chicago on a hybrid schedule.
- RSM US - the audit, tax and consulting firm hires assurance associates for its office at 30 S. Wacker Drive.
- Crowe - the accounting firm recruits entry-level audit staff classes for its Chicago office.
- Rush University Medical Center - the Near West Side health system hires staff and cash accountants for its general accounting team.
- United Airlines - the airline's Chicago headquarters hires accounting analysts and revenue accounting staff on hybrid schedules.
- Robert Half - the staffing firm places permanent and contract staff accountants across the city and suburbs such as Rosemont and Franklin Park.
Accountant Salaries in Chicago
- Entry level: about $59,500 to $72,000 a year for new graduates and staff accountants.
- Experienced: roughly $72,000 to $103,000 a year for senior accountants and audit seniors.
- Senior: $103,000 to $134,000 or more for managers, tax specialists and licensed CPAs.
These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Chicago metro and ranges in local postings. Recent examples include $70,400 to $84,000 for an entry-level assurance associate at RSM and $70,000 to $90,000 for permanent staff accountant roles placed by Robert Half in the city. A CPA license, public accounting experience, specialized tax or audit work and a downtown employer all push pay higher.
How to Become an Accountant in Chicago
Most accountant roles require a bachelor's degree in accounting or finance. The UIC College of Business Administration offers a BS in Accounting built around the Illinois CPA exam course requirements, plus a Master of Science in Accounting, and DePaul's Driehaus College of Business in the Loop runs a combined bachelor's and master's in accountancy that can be finished in about five years. City Colleges of Chicago offers an Accounting associate degree at Harold Washington, Truman, Olive-Harvey, Daley and Wright, a common start for bookkeeping and junior accounting jobs. You do not need a license to work as an accountant, but to become a CPA in Illinois you pass the exam administered by the Illinois Board of Examiners and are licensed by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Today that takes 150 credit hours and one year of experience; starting January 1, 2027, a bachelor's degree with an accounting concentration plus two years of experience will also qualify.
What the Job Involves
Accountants record and review financial transactions, reconcile accounts, post journal entries and close the books each month and quarter. They prepare financial statements, support internal and external audits, and in tax roles prepare federal and state returns and track changes in the tax code. Much of the day is spent in Excel and an ERP system such as Oracle or SAP, checking that the numbers tie out and explaining variances to managers.
Skills Employers Look For
- Strong knowledge of GAAP and month-end close
- Advanced Excel, including lookups and pivot tables
- Experience with an ERP such as Oracle, SAP or NetSuite
- Account reconciliation and journal entry preparation
- Progress toward a CPA license
- Clear writing for audit support and variance explanations
Career Path and Advancement
A common Chicago path starts in audit or tax at a public accounting firm in the Loop, moves to senior and then manager after two to four years, and then jumps to a corporate finance team at an insurer, airline, bank or hospital system. Corporate accountants move up to senior accountant, accounting manager, assistant controller and controller. Earning the CPA is the single biggest step up.
Related Careers in Chicago
If accounting interests you, these related Chicago roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a CPA license to work as an accountant in Chicago?
No. Many staff and corporate accountant jobs only require a bachelor's degree. A CPA license is required to sign audit opinions and is expected for promotion at most public accounting firms, and it usually raises pay at corporate employers too.
How much do accountants make in Chicago?
The median for accountants and auditors in the Chicago metro is about $82,360 a year. Entry-level roles generally start between $59,500 and $72,000, and experienced senior accountants and managers often earn more than $100,000.
What are the Illinois CPA requirements?
You pass the four CPA exam sections and an ethics exam, then apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. The current route requires 150 credit hours and one year of experience. From January 1, 2027, a bachelor's degree with an accounting concentration plus two years of experience, or a master's plus one year, will also qualify.
Are accounting jobs in Chicago hybrid?
Many are. Chicago employers such as Health Care Service Corporation and United Airlines post accountant roles as hybrid, typically three days a week in the office.
Where can I study accounting in Chicago?
UIC and DePaul both offer bachelor's and master's routes designed for the CPA exam. City Colleges of Chicago offers an Accounting associate degree at five campuses, including Harold Washington in the Loop and Truman in Uptown.
Ready to apply? Browse all Accountant jobs in Chicago, IL on LocalJobPage and apply today.