Statewide pay Government data
Plasterers in Illinois earn a statewide median of $93,790 a year, 59% above the typical U.S. metro, ranking #4 of 28 states. About 270 people work in the trade statewide.
Statewide pay range
States ranked near Illinois
See all states on the plasterers nationwide.
Pay by city Government data
BLS publishes plasterer pay for 1 Illinois metro: Chicago.
| Metro | Median pay | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChicagoILLINOIS · IL | $96,240 | $92,900 | 190 |
Pay: BLS OEWS, May 2025 (metro-level). Real pay: BEA price parities, 2024. How we calculate
The job (national)
Apply interior or exterior plaster, cement, stucco, or similar materials. May also set ornamental plaster.
Nationally, jobs are projected to grow 2.8% from 2025 to 2035, with about 1,500 openings a year. Typical training: long-term on-the-job training.
Nationally, plasterers have 157 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.8× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
What the work is like Government data
How often plasterers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes some preparation (high school plus months of training).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Registered apprenticeships Government data
Of plasterer apprentices in Illinois who finished or left a registered program in fiscal years 2020–2024, 36% completed (U.S.: 34%), about 7 graduates a year. The typical program runs 6,000 hours, about 3 years of full-time work.
U.S. Department of Labor, RAPIDS apprentice records (Completion Rate Analysis), FY2020–2024 exits.
Licensing in Illinois Official source
The main state licensing office in Illinois is the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Most trades (including general contractors and electricians) are licensed locally; plumbers are licensed by the state health department. It can point you to the right license for plasterers.
Official Illinois licensing site ↗
Requirements for plasterers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
Union membership
In 2025, 13.1% of wage and salary workers in Illinois were union members, above the U.S. rate of about 10% (#12 of 51 states and D.C.), and 14.0% were covered by a union contract. These figures cover all jobs in the state, not only plasterers.
BLS Union Members, 2025 (Current Population Survey), table 5.
Cities in Illinois
All trades in Illinois.