Skip to main content

Finance Careers in Chicago, United States

Financial Analyst in Chicago: Salary & Job Market Guide

Chicago is the commercial heart of the American Midwest, with deep markets in finance, trading, logistics, consulting, and an underrated tech scene.

Estimated mid-level salary: $85,000 - $115,000

Estimates shown in Canadian dollar equivalents for comparison across cities. Local offers in Chicago are typically made in USD.

The Chicago Job Market for Financial Analysts

  • Global centre for derivatives and commodities trading (CME Group)
  • Major consulting and professional services hub
  • North America's largest rail and logistics interchange
  • More affordable than coastal metros with big-market salaries

Top hiring industries in Chicago: Finance & Trading, Logistics, Consulting, Manufacturing, Tech. For a financial analyst, that means tailoring your resume to the sectors doing the most local hiring, and using the exact skill keywords those employers screen for.

Build Your Financial Analyst Resume

Create an ATS-optimized Financial Analyst resume in minutes with 200+ templates and AI writing help. Free to start.

Start Building Free

About the Financial Analyst Role

Financial analysts evaluate business performance, build forecasts, and support investment and budgeting decisions. The role is a classic launchpad into corporate finance, FP&A leadership, and investment careers.

Skills Chicago employers look for

  • Excel and financial modelling
  • Forecasting and budgeting
  • Variance analysis
  • PowerPoint and executive communication
  • SQL or Power BI
  • Accounting fundamentals
  • Business partnering

For the full career path, salary bands by seniority, and complete FAQs, see the main Financial Analyst career guide.

Scan a Financial Analyst Job Posting

Paste a Financial Analyst job description and see your match score, missing keywords, and ATS compatibility instantly.

Scan a Job Free

Financial Analyst in Chicago: FAQs

How much does a Financial Analyst make in Chicago?
A mid-level Financial Analyst in Chicago typically earns between $85,000 and $115,000 per year (shown in Canadian dollar equivalents for comparison; local offers are usually made in USD). Senior professionals and leads earn meaningfully more, and pay varies with company size and specialization.
What is the job market like for a Financial Analyst in Chicago?
Chicago is the commercial heart of the American Midwest, with deep markets in finance, trading, logistics, consulting, and an underrated tech scene. Key strengths of the local market include: global centre for derivatives and commodities trading (cme group); major consulting and professional services hub. The strongest hiring sectors are Finance & Trading, Logistics, Consulting.
Is the CFA worth it for a corporate financial analyst?
Only if you are aiming at investment management or equity research. For corporate FP&A tracks, a CPA designation or an MBA typically moves the needle more, and practical modelling skill matters most of all. The CFA is a 300-plus hour commitment per level, so match it to your actual target path.
What Excel skills do financial analyst interviews test?
Three-statement modelling, lookups and dynamic formulas (XLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, SUMIFS), pivot tables, and clean formatting under time pressure. Many firms give timed case studies. Increasingly, Power Query and basic Power BI separate strong candidates, and SQL is becoming a stated preference.

Financial Analyst Jobs in Other Cities

TorontoVancouverCalgaryMontrealOttawaEdmontonWinnipegHalifaxVictoriaWaterlooNew YorkSan Francisco

Related Careers in Chicago

FP&A Manager

Finance

$72,000 - $98,000

Investment Analyst

Finance

$68,000 - $92,000

Accountant

Finance

$68,000 - $92,000

Launch Your Financial Analyst Career

Join CareerGraph free and get every tool a Financial Analyst needs: resume builder, job scanner, AI interviews, and tracking.

Create Free Account
AI Assistant