Top Insurance Companies Headquartered in Chicago

Chicago is home to dozens of major insurance companies serving customers across the U.S. and globally. As a major business and financial hub, Chicago offers an ideal location for insurance companies to access talent, capital, and infrastructure.

In this article, we’ll highlight some of the top insurance companies headquartered in the Windy City along with key details on their history, specialties, workforce, and more.

Major Chicago-Based Insurance Companies

Allstate

• Headquarters: Northbrook, IL (Chicago metro area)
• Founded: 1931
• Employees: Over 50,000
• Specialties: Auto, home, life, business insurance

Allstate is one of the largest publicly traded U.S. insurance companies known for auto and home insurance. They operate across the country with a large workforce based in the Chicago suburbs.

CNA Insurance

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Founded: 1897
• Employees: Over 7,000
• Specialties: Commercial property/casualty, professional liability

CNA offers commercial P&C coverage plus specialized products for healthcare, financial institutions, lawyers, accountants, and other professionals. They are one of the top 10 U.S. commercial insurers.

Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC)

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Founded: 1936
• Employees: Over 23,000
• Specialties: Health insurance

As the parent of Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliates in 5 states, HCSC is the largest customer-owned health insurer in the U.S. covering over 16 million members.

Kemper

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Founded: 1990
• Employees: Over 6,000
• Specialties: Auto, home, life, health insurance

Formed by a merger of two insurers, Kemper today provides insurance products for individuals and businesses sold through independent agents and brokers.

Zurich North America

• Headquarters: Schaumburg, IL (Chicago metro area)
• Founded: 1872
• Employees: Over 9,000
• Specialties: Property/casualty, life, disability insurance

The North American arm of Zurich Insurance Group, Zurich NA is a leading commercial property/casualty and life insurer serving U.S. and Canadian customers.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

• Headquarters: Rolling Meadows, IL (Chicago metro area)
• Founded: 1927
• Employees: Over 39,000
• Specialties: Insurance brokerage, risk management

Gallagher is one of the world’s largest insurance brokerage and consulting firms providing brokerage, risk management, and HR solutions globally.

Hub International

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Founded: 1998
• Employees: Over 14,000
• Specialties: Insurance brokerage, employee benefits

Formed by a merger of 11 brokers, Hub is now among the top global insurance brokers offering property/casualty, life/health, reinsurance, and private client insurance.

Aon

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Founded: 1982
• Employees: Over 50,000
• Specialties: Insurance brokerage, risk management, reinsurance

Aon is a leading global professional services firm providing advice and solutions related to risk management, retirement, and health. It’s one of the world’s largest insurance brokers.

Conning

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Founded: 1912
• Employees: Over 900
• Specialties: Investment management and analytics for insurers

Conning provides asset management, risk management, and investment consulting services to insurance industry clients across the globe.

Mesirow

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Founded: 1937
• Employees: Over 1,000
• Specialties: Insurance brokerage, investment management

Mesirow delivers insurance brokerage, benefits consulting, investment management, and financial services primarily to institutional clients.

Alliant Insurance Services

• Headquarters: Chicago, IL
• Founded: 1925
• Employees: Over 5,000
• Specialties: Commercial P&C insurance brokerage

Alliant is one of the largest U.S. insurance brokers focused on property/casualty and employee benefits programs for businesses, organizations, individuals, and government entities.

Top Chicago Insurance Employers

The major insurers and brokers based in Chicago provide thousands of high-paying jobs in fields like:

• Underwriting
• Actuarial science
• Risk management
• Claims management
• Sales/brokerage
• Information technology
• Finance/investments
• Marketing
• Customer service

According to Glassdoor, some of the largest insurance employers headquartered in the Chicago metro area include:

• Allstate: 8,200+ employees
• Zurich Insurance: 2,600+ employees
• CNA Insurance: 2,500+ employees
• Aon: 2,500+ employees
• Arthur J. Gallagher: 2,100+ employees
• Health Care Service Corp: 2,000+ employees

These large insurers offer competitive salaries along with robust benefits like health/dental insurance, 401(k) plans, tuition reimbursement, and more. Chicago insurance professionals earn average salaries of:

• Insurance Agent: $59,000
• Actuary: $112,000
• Underwriter: $72,000
• Claims Adjuster: $48,000
• Risk Management Analyst: $83,000

Beyond the major corporate headquarters, Chicago also hosts field/regional offices for many national insurers like Progressive, Liberty Mutual, AAA, and others looking to tap local talent.

Why Chicago Attracts Insurance Companies

There are many factors that make Chicago an ideal location for major insurance companies, including:

Transportation hub: Chicago’s airports and rail infrastructure allow convenient business travel and distribution.

Financial center: The presence of major banks, investment firms, etc. supports insurance operations.

Tech talent: Chicago’s deep talent pool includes thousands of skilled IT workers insurance firms need.

Major business hub: The cluster of corporate HQs allows insurance access to clients and partners.

Quality of life: Chicago offers amenities and culture that help attract workers.

Central location: Chicago provides a central geographic location to serve U.S. customers.

Chicago will continue to be a top base for insurance companies thanks to its strategic location, robust business climate, and large professional workforce. The insurance industry will provide stable, high-paying career opportunities for Chicago workers into the future.