The most populated cities in Illinois are Chicago, Aurora and Rockford, with Chicago having the highest employment at 3,582,770 workers, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) report on 2011 employment. The report estimates that there are 5,574,180 workers in the state. Although most workers are unskilled retail salespersons, cashiers and office clerks, workers with some postsecondary education, such as certifications or associate degrees, have better paying jobs. For example, cashiers average $20,470 per year, but supervisors average $40,350 annually. Students can get certificates and degrees through the extensive Illinois educational system of technical schools, community colleges and universities.

Career Opportunities in Illinois

Illinois has many of the nation's top employers, including Archer Daniels Midland (ADM) headquartered in Decatur, Walgreens in Deerfield and Boeing in Chicago. Some companies, such as ADM, offer internships, scholarships and other incentives for employees to continue their education. Many companies collaborate with the Illinois educational system to ensure that graduates have important job-related skills. The following list shares employment numbers and mean annual wage information from the BLS report on various occupations requiring only two-year associate degrees:

• Agricultural and food science technicians $43,240
• Aircraft mechanics and service technicians $55,250 
• Chemical technicians $40,680 
• Electrical and electronics engineering technicians $54,150 
• Food service managers $46,790 
• Medical laboratory technicians $39,760 
• Medical records and health information technicians $35,410 
• Police and sheriff's patrol officers $65,750

The Chicago-Joliet-Naperville, IL metropolitan area has the highest employment of United States metropolitan areas for chemical technicians, second for cashiers and third for retail salespersons. Often, cashiers and salespeople return to school to get degrees to improve their work status. For example, furnishing store employees may increase their wages by getting an associate degree in interior design, which averages $54,730 annually. Illinois placed fifth in the nation for employment of interior designers in 2011. New technology has created a few new employment opportunities, such as wind technician positions that require a technical associate degree.