Finance & Accounting Jobs in Chicago, IL

Chicago's Loop is still a banking capital: Northern Trust is headquartered on LaSalle Street, BMO runs its U.S. headquarters from the West Loop, and JPMorganChase employs more than 14,000 people in the area. The guides below cover every finance and accounting role in Chicago, who is hiring and what it pays.

Accountant Jobs Bank Teller Jobs Finance and Banking Jobs

Why Finance & Accounting Work Is Different in Chicago

Much of the city's finance work sits within a few blocks of the Loop. Northern Trust has more than 7,000 people in Chicago at 50 S. LaSalle, 81 W. Madison and 333 S. Wabash, BMO Tower at 320 S. Canal in the West Loop holds more than 3,000 BMO employees, and Chase Tower anchors JPMorganChase's local operation. Audit and tax firms such as RSM, whose Chicago office sits at 30 S. Wacker Drive, and Crowe recruit entry-level audit classes here. Corporate finance and accounting teams at Health Care Service Corporation, United Airlines and the Rush health system on the Near West Side add a second, steadier market for accountants and analysts outside public accounting.

The neighborhood side of the hub is branch banking. Wintrust, which is based in Rosemont, has posted teller openings in Ravenswood, North Lawndale, Sauganash, Rogers Park and Uptown, while Chase, Huntington, PNC and Fifth Third hire tellers and bankers from the Loop to New City and the Far South Side. Spanish-speaking bankers are in steady demand. Two local rules shape every search: the Chicago minimum wage of $17.05 an hour sets the floor for entry roles in the city, and the Illinois pay transparency law means employers with 15 or more workers must post a pay range, so most Chicago finance ads show what the job pays before you apply.

Top Finance & Accounting Employers in Chicago

These employers have posted finance, banking and accounting roles in Chicago:

  • Northern Trust - the LaSalle Street wealth and asset servicing bank, headquartered in Chicago since 1889, hires analysts including new graduates.
  • BMO - the bank runs its U.S. headquarters from BMO Tower in the West Loop.
  • JPMorganChase - Chase hires associate bankers at branches across the city and employs more than 14,000 people in the area.
  • Wintrust - the Rosemont-based bank hires tellers at Chicago branches and contact center staff in Rosemont.
  • Health Care Service Corporation - the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois parent hires accountants and financial analysts in Chicago.
  • RSM US - the audit, tax and consulting firm hires assurance associates for its Wacker Drive office.
  • Crowe - the accounting firm recruits audit staff for its Chicago office.

Finance & Accounting Career Paths in Chicago

  • Branch banking - Bank Teller. The most open door in the hub, with no degree required and neighborhood branches across the city.
  • Accounting - Accountant. The degree track that leads through public accounting or corporate finance toward the CPA, controller and finance director roles.
  • Industry overview - Finance and Banking. A map of the whole local market, from LaSalle Street headquarters jobs to neighborhood branches.

How to Start a Finance & Accounting Career in Chicago

  • High school diploma or GED plus cash handling experience - the usual bar for teller and associate banker roles; Wintrust asks for about six months of cash handling or customer service.
  • City Colleges of Chicago Banking Basic Certificate - offered at Harold Washington College in the Loop.
  • City Colleges of Chicago Accounting associate degree - offered at Harold Washington, Truman, Olive-Harvey, Daley and Wright, with shorter accounting certificates at four of those campuses.
  • UIC College of Business Administration - BS in Accounting built around the Illinois CPA exam course requirements, plus a Master of Science in Accounting.
  • DePaul Driehaus College of Business - accountancy major in the Loop, with a combined bachelor's and master's that can be finished in about five years.
  • Illinois CPA license - exam administered by the Illinois Board of Examiners, license issued by the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation; from January 1, 2027, a bachelor's with an accounting concentration plus two years of experience will also qualify.

Only the CPA license is set by law, and only for work that requires a CPA such as signing audit opinions; Illinois does not license bank tellers, and degrees and certificates are employer preference.

Finance & Accounting Salaries in Chicago

  • Entry - about $17.50 to $22 an hour for tellers and branch associates, with Wintrust posting $19 to $21 for a part-time teller.
  • Mid - roughly $59,500 to $103,000 a year for accountants, loan officers and junior analysts; the metro median for accountants is about $82,360.
  • Senior - $130,000 to $170,000 or more for senior financial analysts, with finance managers at a metro median near $168,800.

These are estimates based on federal wage data for the Chicago metro and ranges in local postings. Downtown headquarters and audit firms pay more than neighborhood branches and suburban offices, and hybrid schedules of about three office days a week are common in corporate accounting. Banks such as Wintrust add annual bonus eligibility for tellers, and a CPA license lifts pay at almost every level.

Frequently Asked Questions

What finance jobs in Chicago do not need a degree?

Bank teller and associate banker jobs usually need only a high school diploma or GED plus some cash handling or customer service experience. Wintrust, Chase, Huntington and PNC have all posted these roles at Chicago branches.

How much do finance and accounting jobs pay in Chicago?

Tellers in the Chicago metro earn a median of about $21.41 an hour, accountants about $82,360 a year and financial analysts about $101,750. Finance managers earn a median near $168,800.

Which big banks have headquarters in Chicago?

Northern Trust is headquartered at 50 S. LaSalle Street, and BMO runs its U.S. headquarters from BMO Tower at 320 S. Canal Street. JPMorganChase uses Chase Tower as its Chicago headquarters, and Wintrust is based in nearby Rosemont.

How do I become a CPA in Illinois?

You pass the four exam sections and an ethics exam through the Illinois Board of Examiners, meet the education and experience rules, and apply to the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Today that means 150 credit hours and one year of experience, with new bachelor's and master's pathways starting January 1, 2027.

Where can I study accounting or banking in Chicago?

City Colleges of Chicago offers a Banking Basic Certificate at Harold Washington College and Accounting degrees at five campuses. UIC and DePaul both offer accounting degrees designed for the CPA exam.

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