Job training programs in Illinois
632 programs in 9 trades, with results and funding that can make them free
167 schools offer these programs, and every one is approved for workforce funding. Compare the trades below, then open one to see each program with its price and how past students did.
Compare job training in Illinois: cost, pay and results
| Training | Programs | Most cost | Earned a year, estimated | Working 6 months later | Finished |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Welding classes | 128 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| CDL training | 94 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| CNA classes | 93 | Not reported | about $28,400 | 80% | Not reported |
| HVAC training | 73 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Medical assistant training | 65 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| EMT classes | 50 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Phlebotomy training | 49 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Medical billing and coding training | 40 | Not reported | about $32,900 | 73% | Not reported |
| LPN programs | 40 | Not reported | about $44,500 | 83% | Not reported |
Each figure is the middle program of that trade. Yearly earnings are the reported quarter times four, an estimate. Source: US Department of Labor, program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025). Only programs approved for workforce funding are counted; other schools in Illinois may offer more. How these figures are made
Job training in Chicago, Ottawa and other Illinois areas
Programs with classes in each area, all trades together. An area gets a page once one trade there has 10 programs or more.
Where the Illinois job training numbers come from
Which Illinois programs are counted?
Programs Illinois approved for public workforce funding (the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act). They come from the US Department of Labor's file for program year 2024 (July 2024 to June 2025), covering programs approved as of June 30, 2025. Schools that never applied for approval are missing, so this is a part of what Illinois offers.
What the figures for each trade mean
Each figure is the middle program among those that report it: half did better, half did worse. Prices are what most programs cost if you pay yourself (the middle half). Earnings are for the second quarter after students left, times four. Where too few programs report a figure, the table says "Not reported".
How reliable are the Illinois figures?
The US Department of Labor's own results site lists Illinois among the states with "known data quality concerns".4 We leave out the share who finished for Illinois: only a few programs report it, and those at a typical 11%. We leave out prices for Illinois: the state files a code in place of each price, so no price can be shown.