Marketing Jobs in Chicago, IL
Marketing is a well-paid field in Chicago: the metro median for marketing specialists is about $80,400 and marketing managers sit near $165,000. The work spans banks, insurers, agencies and trading firms downtown. Here are the current openings, followed by who is hiring and how to break in.
Current marketing Openings in Chicago, IL
Listings marked External are sponsored openings provided by the Jobs2Careers network.
Marketing Work in Chicago
Chicago's marketing jobs follow its economy. The Loop's banks and insurers run large in-house teams: Health Care Service Corporation, the parent of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois, hires communications consultants, and Northern Trust staffs its own creative studio. Engineering and construction firms hire marketers to win projects, Chicago trading and fintech companies such as Topstep hire for lifecycle email and paid media, and B2B agencies like Walker Sands hire PR specialists and copywriters for technology clients.
That mix means a Chicago marketer can build a career without ever working at an ad agency, though the agency scene in the Loop and River North is still there. Most roles are hybrid with two or three days downtown, reached by the L from the North and West Sides or by Metra from the suburbs, and Illinois law requires most employers to post a pay range, so you can compare offers before you apply.
Top Chicago Employers Hiring Marketing Professionals
These employers have posted marketing, communications or creative roles in Chicago on their own careers sites:
- Health Care Service Corporation - the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois parent hires communications consultants in Chicago at $63,300 to $114,300.
- Northern Trust - the LaSalle Street bank hires senior creative designers for its in-house marketing team.
- Topstep - the futures trading platform hires a CRM and lifecycle marketing coordinator and a senior paid media manager in Chicago.
- Walker Sands - the B2B technology marketing and PR agency lists media relations, PR and copywriting roles in Chicago.
- Thornton Tomasetti - the engineering firm hires marketing coordinators for its Midwest offices to run proposals.
- Levy - the Chicago-based sports and entertainment hospitality company hires designers for its sales and marketing team.
Marketing Salaries in Chicago
- Entry level: about $50,000 to $62,000 a year for coordinators and junior specialists.
- Experienced: roughly $62,000 to $106,000 for marketing specialists, communications consultants and senior coordinators.
- Senior: $127,000 to $213,000 for marketing managers, with the metro median near $165,000.
These are estimates from federal wage data for the Chicago metro (May 2025) checked against ranges Chicago employers post. Pay moves with specialty (paid media, lifecycle and product marketing pay more than general coordination), with employer type, since large banks, insurers and tech firms pay above small agencies, and with whether bonus is part of the package.
How to Become a Marketer in Chicago
Illinois does not license marketers, so employers look at degrees, portfolios and results. Most postings ask for a bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, journalism or business. DePaul University's Driehaus College of Business in the Loop offers a marketing degree, Columbia College Chicago in the South Loop trains designers and communicators, and City Colleges of Chicago offers a Digital Marketing and Analytics Foundations certificate at Harold Washington College. Google Analytics, Google Ads and HubSpot certifications are free or low cost and show up often in Chicago postings.
What the Job Involves
Marketing work turns business goals into campaigns. Depending on the role, that means writing copy and press materials, building email journeys, managing paid search and social budgets, designing ads and decks, running events, coordinating proposals, and reporting on leads, sales and engagement so the next campaign does better than the last.
Skills Employers Look For
- Strong writing and editing
- Campaign planning and project management
- HubSpot, Salesforce or another marketing automation platform
- Google Analytics and campaign reporting
- Paid search and paid social management
- Adobe Creative Cloud or Canva for quick creative
Career Path and Advancement
A typical Chicago marketing career starts as a coordinator or assistant account executive, moves to specialist or senior specialist within three to five years, and reaches manager after that. From manager the ladder runs to director and vice president of marketing at the banks, insurers, consultancies and trading firms that keep their headquarters in the Loop, with paid media, lifecycle and product marketing as the specialties that move fastest.
Related Careers in Chicago
If marketing interests you, these related Chicago roles are close matches:
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do marketing jobs pay in Chicago?
Federal wage data puts the Chicago median for marketing specialists at about $80,400 a year and for marketing managers at about $165,000. Entry-level coordinators usually start around $50,000 to $62,000. These figures are estimates and vary by employer and specialty.
Do you need a license to work in marketing in Illinois?
No. Illinois has no license for marketing, communications or public relations work. Employers rely on degrees, portfolios and optional certifications such as Google Analytics or HubSpot.
Which Chicago employers hire the most marketers?
Beyond agencies, the big in-house teams are at banks, insurers, consumer brands and professional services firms downtown. Current Chicago postings include Health Care Service Corporation, Northern Trust, Topstep, Walker Sands and Thornton Tomasetti.
Are Chicago marketing jobs remote or in the office?
Most are hybrid. Chicago postings commonly ask for two or three days a week in the office, with some agency and proposal roles fully in-office and a smaller number fully remote.
How do I get an entry-level marketing job in Chicago?
Start with coordinator, assistant account executive or internship roles, and bring writing samples and a short portfolio of campaigns, even from school or volunteer work. Free Google and HubSpot certifications help, and a certificate from Harold Washington College or a DePaul degree gives you a local network.
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