Business
Kankakee County, IL Jobs Oct. 18: A $31.51-an-Hour Opening Leads the List
KANKAKEE, Ill. — Kankakee County job seekers can compare openings offering hourly wages above $27, state positions with benefits and seasonal retail work in a new review of local employer listings che
By Marcus Hale · 2026-10-18T12:53:30.133Z
KANKAKEE, Ill. — Kankakee County job seekers can compare openings offering hourly wages above $27, state positions with benefits and seasonal retail work in a new review of local employer listings checked Sunday, Oct. 18.
Nucor’s Bourbonnais operation lists a project coordinator position paying $31.51 an hour, plus annual bonuses. The job involves coordinating customer projects, deliveries and records. Its production operator posting lists annual earnings potential of $60,000 plus, a figure applicants should distinguish from guaranteed base pay.
ALDI lists a full time store manager trainee opening in Bourbonnais starting at $27.25 an hour. The position estimates 45 hours weekly and calls for prior retail and management experience. Training can involve travel to multiple stores.
In Kankakee, the Illinois Department of Human Services is accepting applications for public aid eligibility assistants through Oct. 22. The advertised range is $4,144 to $5,429 monthly, plus bilingual pay. Applicants need Spanish skills and qualifying clerical experience or equivalent training.
The Manteno Veterans’ Home also lists activity program aide positions starting at $3,849 monthly, with applications due Oct. 28. The work supports residents’ recreational and social activities and requires relevant experience.
For applicants seeking part time work, Walgreens lists a Kankakee customer service opening at $15 to $19 an hour. Dick’s Sporting Goods advertises a local operations position at $15 to $22 hourly. Cracker Barrel’s seasonal retail posting says previous retail experience is unnecessary; numerical pay is not disclosed.
Common jobs and local pay
Retail appeared in four of the 15 distinct postings reviewed, covering store leadership, stocking, customer service and seasonal sales. This limited sample helps identify local options to investigate; it cannot establish which occupations have the most unfilled positions across the entire county.
Federal wage data offers context for the area’s established occupations. In May 2025, office and administrative support represented 10.6% of Kankakee area employment, averaging $22.30 hourly, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Production represented 9.3%, averaging $23.76.
Food preparation and serving jobs averaged $16.69 hourly, while transportation and material moving jobs averaged $20.52. Healthcare practitioners and technical workers accounted for 11.3% of employment, with average hourly pay of $41.88.
Those figures describe existing workers across occupational groups. They measure a different period and population from the wages advertised in this week’s openings.