Top Internships in Chicago 2026

Which companies offer internships in Chicago?

Chicago has a wider mix of large employers than most cities its size, so the answer depends a lot on what field you want. In healthcare and consumer goods, look at Abbott, AbbVie, Walgreens, McDonald's, Kraft Heinz, and Mondelez. In finance and trading, Northern Trust, Discover, Citadel, Jump Trading, CME Group, and Cboe. In transportation and manufacturing, United Airlines, Motorola Solutions, and W.W. Grainger. Allstate and Zurich North America hire for insurance. Google and Salesforce both run large engineering offices in the city, and the big consulting and accounting firms take sizable Chicago intern classes every year. Use these as a starting point for research. Programs change year to year, so check each company's careers page for what is actually open.

Which industries hire the most interns in Chicago?

Chicago is not a one-industry city, which is the main way it differs from San Francisco or New York. Finance and trading is the largest sector, concentrated downtown. Healthcare and pharmaceuticals come next, anchored by several big employers in the suburbs north of the city. After that come consulting, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and consumer packaged goods. Chicago is one of the country's main rail and air hubs, which is why so much logistics hiring happens here. Technology internships exist inside all of these industries rather than in a separate tech sector. If you are not sure what field you want yet, that breadth is useful, because changing direction is easier here than in a city built around one industry.

When do Chicago internships open for summer and fall?

It depends on the industry more than the city. Trading firms, investment banks, and consulting firms recruit first, often opening summer applications twelve to eighteen months ahead and filling most seats by the previous fall. Large corporate programs at healthcare, consumer, and manufacturing companies usually open in the fall for the following summer, and most technology roles follow that same timeline. Fall internships work differently. They are typically posted in the spring and summer of the same year, and they draw far fewer applicants because most students are focused on summer. If you are aiming at finance or consulting, you need to start about a year earlier than feels reasonable.

Are internships in Chicago paid?

Most internships at established Chicago employers are paid. In finance, trading, consulting, and technology the rates are close to what you would earn on either coast, and the trading firms pay at the top of the national range. Corporate programs at healthcare, consumer, and manufacturing companies pay solid hourly rates. Unpaid internships still turn up at nonprofits, media, arts organizations, and some political work, and those are worth looking at carefully before you accept. Some larger programs add a housing stipend for students moving to the city for the summer. Because Chicago costs less to live in than New York or the Bay Area, the same hourly rate goes further here.

Are Chicago internships in person, hybrid, or remote?

Most are in person or hybrid, and it splits along industry lines. Trading firms, banks, manufacturers, healthcare companies, and consulting firms nearly always want interns on site. Part of that is the work itself, and part is that these programs are built around learning from the people around you. Technology and marketing roles are more often hybrid, usually two or three days in the office. Fully remote internships are rare at Chicago employers. Assume you will need to be in the city unless the posting says otherwise, and start looking at summer housing early. Sublets from students who leave town for the summer are the usual option, and they go quickly in spring.

What does it cost to live in Chicago during an internship?

Less than New York or San Francisco, and almost all of the difference is rent. A summer sublet in a neighborhood within a reasonable commute of downtown generally costs well below what the same apartment would in either coastal city. Several universities in Chicago rent out summer housing and often accept interns who are not their own students. The city has an extensive train and bus system that reaches most of the areas where interns live and work, so you almost certainly do not need a car, and downtown parking is expensive enough that owning one can work against you. Budget for rent, transit, and food.

How competitive are Chicago internships compared to the coasts?

It varies by sector far more than by city. Chicago's trading firms are among the most selective employers anywhere, and the top consulting and banking offices are close behind. Outside those, corporate internships at healthcare, consumer, manufacturing, and insurance companies are noticeably easier to get than roles of similar quality in New York or the Bay Area, mostly because fewer students think to look here. That gap is worth using. A candidate who would be one of several thousand applicants for a coastal technology internship can find themselves in a pool of a few dozen for a comparable Chicago corporate role.

Do I need to go to a Midwest school to get an internship in Chicago?

No, though students at nearby schools do have an easier path into some programs. Employers here recruit heavily at Illinois, Northwestern, Chicago, Purdue, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Notre Dame, and students there get more career fair access and more scheduled interviews. That is an access advantage rather than a verdict on your school. Everyone else still gets hired, especially in technology, finance, and any role filled through an open application instead of a campus visit. If your school has no Chicago pipeline, the practical move is to apply directly and early rather than waiting for a recruiter to come to your campus, and to treat the online posting as your main route in.

Can international students intern in Chicago?

Generally yes, on the same terms as anywhere else in the United States. F-1 students usually use CPT, which is work authorization your university grants rather than the employer. It requires the internship to relate to your major, and the company's role is mostly confirming the offer details. Chicago's large employers handle this routinely. Two things to watch for in this market: defense and aerospace suppliers in the region often require US citizenship because of export control rules, and some trading firms have their own restrictions. Both are usually stated in the posting. Talk to your international student office before you accept anything. This is general information, not immigration advice.