Education & Training Jobs in Chicago, IL

Chicago Public Schools runs more than 600 schools with 24,000-plus teachers, and around it sit charter networks like Noble and KIPP Chicago and 311 Catholic schools. The guides below cover every education and training role in Chicago: who is hiring, what it pays and which Illinois license you need.

Substitute Teacher Jobs Teacher Jobs Teaching Assistant Jobs

Why Education Work Is Different in Chicago

School hiring in Chicago is split several ways. Chicago Public Schools is the anchor, hiring teachers, substitutes, teacher assistants and special education classroom assistants through Teach Chicago and paying on the schedule in the 2024-28 contract the Chicago Teachers Union ratified in April 2025. Beside it runs a charter sector that hires on its own calendar: Noble's 17 schools, KIPP Chicago, Acero's eight schools including Brighton Park, the CICS campuses Distinctive Schools operates from Bucktown and Irving Park to Longwood and Prairie, and LEARN on the West and South Sides. The Archdiocese of Chicago adds 311 Catholic schools serving more than 40,000 students across Cook and Lake counties, and suburban districts such as Evanston/Skokie District 65 compete for the same substitutes and paraprofessionals.

The local demand is concentrated in special education and bilingual classrooms. CPS calls special education students diverse learners, and openings for diverse learners teachers, special education classroom assistants and bilingual support teachers recur across the networks, with Distinctive Schools paying sign-on bonuses of $2,500 and $3,000 for some of them. Pay is set by license as much as by experience: CPS pays a substitute $125, $143 or $193 a day depending on which Illinois license they hold, and a licensed teacher with a bachelor's degree starts at $69,730 in 2026-27.

Top Education Employers in Chicago

These employers are hiring for classroom and school roles on their own careers sites:

  • Chicago Public Schools - the city district, hiring teachers, residents, substitutes, teacher assistants and SECAs.
  • Noble Schools - a 17-school charter network hiring teachers, paraprofessionals and teaching residents.
  • KIPP Chicago - charter network with 2026-27 middle school content and diverse learners teacher openings.
  • Distinctive Schools - operator of six CICS campuses, hiring teachers, paraprofessionals and on-call substitutes.
  • Acero Schools - an eight-school charter network hiring special education and bilingual teachers.
  • LEARN Charter School Network - West Side and South Side campuses hiring diverse learning, ESL-bilingual and math teachers.
  • Archdiocese of Chicago Catholic Schools - 311 schools hiring teachers, substitutes and paraprofessionals.

Education Career Paths in Chicago

  • Classroom teaching - Teacher, Special Education Teacher and ESL Teacher. These roles need a Professional Educator License and carry the highest pay in the group.
  • Classroom support and substitute work - Teaching Assistant, Instructional Aide, Substitute Teacher and Tutor. The fastest way into a Chicago school, often with an associate's degree or 60 college credits.
  • Student services and leadership - School Counselor and School Administrator. Roles that build on classroom experience and an advanced degree.
  • Workplace training - Corporate Trainer. Teaching skills applied to employees rather than students, in Chicago's offices and corporate headquarters.

How to Start an Education Career in Chicago

  • Professional Educator License - issued by the Illinois State Board of Education after an approved preparation program and the Illinois content test for each endorsement; edTPA is waived through September 1, 2029.
  • Substitute Teaching License - ISBE license for bachelor's degree holders, good for up to 90 consecutive days covering one teacher.
  • Short-Term Substitute License - ISBE license for applicants with an associate's degree or 60 semester hours, plus district training; limited to five consecutive days per teacher.
  • Paraprofessional Educator License - ISBE license for assistants, earned with an associate's degree, 60 semester hours, or a high school diploma plus a passing ParaPro or WorkKeys score.
  • CPS Teacher Residency - a paid route with National Louis University that pays $40,000 during the training year and leads to a Professional Educator License.
  • City Colleges of Chicago - Elementary Education AA at Harold Washington, Truman and Daley; Special Education AA at all seven campuses; Early Childhood Education certificates and degrees at six campuses.

The ISBE licenses are legally required for the roles they cover in Illinois public schools, charters included; the residency and the City Colleges programs are routes to those licenses, not requirements in themselves.

Education Salaries in Chicago

  • Entry - about $18 to $22 an hour for teaching assistants, or $125 to $193 a day for CPS substitutes depending on license.
  • Mid - roughly $38,000 to $70,000 a year, from the metro median for teaching assistants to a first-year CPS teacher's salary.
  • Senior - $78,000 to $130,000 or more for experienced teachers, with CPS's top step above $130,000 in 2026-27.

These are estimates from the CTU salary schedule, employers' posted pay and BLS May 2025 data for the Chicago metro. CPS pays on a published union scale, the charter networks set their own ranges (KIPP Chicago has listed $55,000 to $116,000 for teachers and $18 to $31 an hour for paraprofessionals), and Distinctive Schools starts paraprofessionals at $42,029 with a 403(b) match. Suburban districts set their own substitute rates, such as $150 to $200 a day in District 65.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the quickest way to start working in a Chicago school?

Substitute teaching or a teaching assistant role. With an associate's degree or 60 college credits you can qualify for a Short-Term Substitute License or a Paraprofessional Educator License, and CPS recruits for both at its job fairs.

How much do CPS teachers make?

A first-year CPS teacher with a bachelor's degree earns $69,730 in 2026-27 under the CTU contract, and one with a master's earns $74,560. Pay rises with each year of service and each degree lane.

Do Chicago charter schools require a teaching license?

Illinois charter schools are public schools, and their paraprofessionals need a Paraprofessional Educator License. For teachers, check each posting, since the networks also run residency programs that hire candidates while they earn the license.

Which education jobs are most in demand in Chicago?

Special education and bilingual roles. Diverse learners teachers, special education classroom assistants and bilingual support teachers appear across CPS and the charter networks, and some come with sign-on bonuses.

Can I switch careers into teaching in Chicago?

Yes. The CPS Teacher Residency takes career changers with a bachelor's degree into a master's track, or with an associate's degree into a bachelor's track, and pays $40,000 during the training year. You commit to teach in CPS afterward.

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