We connect people, places & communities

Careers at CTA

Chicago Transit Authority employees keep nearly 1.6 million people in Chicago and 35 suburbs moving every weekday. This would not be possible without our skilled and dedicated workforce. Learn what qualities make a great CTA employee and find a career opportunity that matches your professional skill set and interests.

Our culture

At CTA, we believe that the best way to accomplish our mission is to cultivate a diverse workforce that values being courteous, innovative, motivated, professional, reliable, and results-oriented. We are committed to giving our employees the support, training and clear standards and priorities to succeed in their positions.

Learn more about our culture here at CTA.

We keep the city moving

Our employees are part of six major lines of business: Maintenance, Infrastructure, Administration, Operations, Law, and Technology.

Learn more about what our various departments do.

Employee benefits

We offer competitive benefits that protect our employees and their families. Our total compensation package includes medical and dental insurance, a defined contribution pension plan, deferred compensation plans (401k and 457), paid holidays and vacation, long-term disability, an Employee Assistance Program, and free personal access to CTA and Pace transit systems, among other great benefits. More info is available on our HR Benefits Page.

Ready to come aboard?

Explore our featured positions or select “all postings” for a complete list of career opportunities. New applicants or former employees should complete new applicant registration prior to applying. (Current employees should sign in with their employee credentials on the internal careers website.)

The CTA complies with all federal and state laws forbidding discrimination and will attempt to provide a reasonable accommodation to otherwise qualified individuals to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job. CTA will make reasonable accommodations for the known disabilities of otherwise qualified applicants for employment as well as its employees, unless undue hardship would result. If you require an accommodation in the application or hiring process, please contact arc@transitchicago.com prior to the submission of your application or upon notification of your actual test date. CTA will work with you to determine if an accommodation can be provided.

Frequently asked questions

Find questions and answers regarding job postings and application status on our Frequently Asked Questions page.

See postings & apply

Start Your Application
New Candidates/Former Employees	Current CTA Employees

More info on how to apply

It's just a few easy steps to apply:

1. Chose "New Candidates/Former Employees" or "Current CTA Employees" above, as appropriate, to begin.
2. Browse positions and choose one you're interested in. Click Apply Online to begin your application.
3. Create an account as a new user (or log in if you already have one).
4. Follow prompts to fill in the necessary information. Note: When offered the option, we encourage you to upload your resume (if you don't have one, you'll also be able to enter all information manually).

Tip: Once you're finished with your application, you can also choose to get e-mail when a similar new position is posted in the future.

For technical support, call 1-888-YOUR-CTA (1-888-968-7282) and choose option 4 for Human Resources or e-mail ctarecruitmentissues@transitchicago.com. See FAQ for more.

 

Note: Current employees that do not use the Internal Career Website to submit an employment application will forfeit the opportunity to be considered based on seniority for positions where seniority is reviewed.

Hiring initiatives

Part Time Bus Operators

Interested in driving a bus for CTA? You can begin your career as a Part-Time Bus Operator.

We value our veterans

CTA is committed to hiring qualified veterans. We value the leadership, intuition, technical skills, and dedication these men and women demonstrated while serving and can bring to our organization.

Second Chance Program

The Second Chance Program offers candidates with barriers to employment an opportunity with our Bus or Railcar Servicers groups. This valuable work experience may better position candidates for a meaningful full-time career. The Second Chance program is offered in partnership with the City of Chicago, the Department of Family and Support Services and social service agencies. To learn more about eligibility requirements and find contact information for social service agency partners, visit our Second Chance Program page.

Internship program

Our paid internship program is open to exceptional undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of academic backgrounds. Find opportunities that fit your field of study, including logistics, transit operations, engineering, technology management, planning and scheduling, human resources, and purchasing. Visit our Internship Program page for more information.

Legal internship program

Our paid legal internship program grants current law students the opportunity to practice law under the supervision and mentorship of a CTA attorney. Our legal interns have taken depositions, represented the agency in arbitrations, presented motions in court, researched and drafted legal memoranda, and reviewed contracts. visit our Legal Internship Program page for more information.

High School Cooperative (Co-Op) training program 

Our paid Co-Op training program provides valuable work experience for bright and enthusiastic Chicago-area juniors and seniors through the following partnering agencies: Amandla Charter School, Glenwood Academy and Urban Alliance. Co-Op participants support department administration and are placed on special project teams. Visit our High School Co-Op Program page for more information.