Plumbers in the Chicago area earn a median of $103,380 a year, 68% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #2 of 387 metros for plumber pay nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays less in Kankakee.
It's one of 8 Illinois metros with published pay for this trade; see plumbers across Illinois.
What this means Our calculation
Pay for plumbers here is in the top 20% of U.S. metros, and also in the top 20% once local prices are factored in. For the wider job market, unemployment is higher than in most metros (4.7%) and the population is shrinking (-0.0% since 2020). On your own, you'd join about 4,931 one-person plumbing & HVAC contracting businesses averaging $78,461 in revenue, and you'd need to bill roughly $113/hour to match the median salary (at our default assumptions).
Chicago scorecard for plumbers Our calculation
Grades compare Chicago with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($61,430).
Pay over time
The median pay for plumbers in the Chicago area went from $96,910 in 2020 to $103,380 in 2025, up 6.7%. Prices rose 25% over the same period, so after inflation that's -14.9% — a real pay cut.
BLS OEWS, May 2020–May 2025; inflation: CPI-U (May to May). Year-to-year changes can include survey noise.
Compared with nearby metros
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Enter a rate to see where it falls among plumbers in Chicago.
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What the pay is really worth in Chicago Our calculation
Prices in Chicago run 4% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $99,792 would in a typical place, ranking #9 of 383 on real pay.
Real pay or rent burden?
Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
Want the full picture? Build a monthly budget for Chicago from this pay, local rent and prices.
What plumbers do
Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems. Includes sprinkler fitters.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Shut off steam, water, or other gases or liquids from pipe sections, using valve keys or wrenches.
- Install underground storm, sanitary, or water piping systems, extending piping as needed to connect fixtures and plumbing.
- Assemble pipe sections, tubing, or fittings, using couplings, clamps, screws, bolts, cement, plastic solvent, caulking, or soldering, brazing, or welding equipment.
- Locate and mark the position of pipe installations, connections, passage holes, or fixtures in structures, using measuring instruments such as rulers or levels.
- Cut, thread, or hammer pipes to specifications, using tools such as saws, cutting torches, pipe threaders, or pipe benders.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, plumber jobs are projected to grow 6.8% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 42,000 openings a year. About 8% are self-employed.
What the work is like Government data
How often plumbers deal with each condition, from surveys of workers in the job.
Getting started usually takes medium preparation (vocational training or an apprenticeship, often 1–2+ years).
O*NET 31.0 Work Context and Job Zones (U.S. Department of Labor), national.
Getting started: registered apprenticeship Government data
Most plumbers train through a paid apprenticeship: you work and earn under experienced pros while taking classes, and pay usually rises as you progress. 727,586 people were active registered apprentices nationwide in FY2026, up 87% since FY2016, and construction is the largest field with 290,043 of them (40%), according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Search apprenticeship openings near Chicago ↗Find training programs & sponsors ↗
Official U.S. Department of Labor tools at Apprenticeship.gov. Counts: DOL Apprentices by State dashboard, FY2026 (all occupations).
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 plumbers.
Official Illinois licensing site ↗
Requirements for plumbers vary by state and sometimes by city; always confirm with the official agency.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, plumbers have 144 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.7× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying IL metros for plumbers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ChicagoILLINOIS · IL | $103,380 | $99,792 | 12,750 |
| ChampaignILLINOIS · IL | $95,530 | $103,048 | 390 |
| SpringfieldILLINOIS · IL | $94,370 | $101,752 | 220 |
| RockfordILLINOIS · IL | $94,230 | $102,253 | 440 |
| PeoriaILLINOIS · IL | $85,090 | $93,269 | 560 |
| KankakeeILLINOIS · IL | $81,620 | $84,673 | 110 |
| BloomingtonILLINOIS · IL | $77,700 | $83,069 | 180 |
| DecaturILLINOIS · IL | $76,750 | $86,800 | 180 |
See every metro in Illinois.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Chicago area's unemployment rate was 4.7% in 2025 (all workers, not just plumbers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 6.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Chicago area is 31 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 24% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 62% drive alone, 9% take transit and 15% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
Population
The Chicago area's population shrank 0.0% from 2020 to 2025 (9,435,971 → 9,434,123), ranking #298 of 387 metros for growth (typical metro +2.5%). More people moved out than in (net -82,274).
Census Bureau population estimates, July 1 of each year, 2020–2025.
Homes in Chicago
The Chicago area has about 3,924,020 homes. 61% were built before 1980 (typical metro 45%), so its housing is older than most; 7% were built in 2010 or later. Older homes often need more repair, replacement and upgrade work. 66% of households own their home, and the median home value is $339,700.
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table DP04).
New construction
New-home permits in Chicago are down 15% from 2021 to 2025 (18,511 → 15,778).
In 2025 the Chicago area approved permits for 15,778 new homes (9,497 single-family), or 1.7 per 1,000 residents, ranking #318 of 393 metros, a slower building market than most.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 4,931 one-person businesses (no employees) in plumbing & HVAC contracting, averaging $78,461 a year in revenue before expenses. See how Chicago compares among the best cities to start a plumber business.
They compete with 3,042 plumbing & HVAC contracting companies that have employees (about 30,761 workers in total). 64% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Working outdoors in Chicago Government data
In an average year, Chicago has 21 days at 90°F or hotter (fewer than most metros; typical metro 33), 108 nights below freezing (typical 90) and 76 days with a tenth of an inch of rain or more, and 39 inches of snow. Summer afternoons average 83°F and winter nights 23°F. That matters for plumbers: heat and freezes shape the working season and the hours.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 averages, Chicago Midway Airport 3Sw, IL station. Compare cities on outdoor work weather.
Where to train near Chicago Government data
2 schools in or near Chicago offer plumbing programs below the bachelor's level. Many people in this trade learn through an apprenticeship instead; a program can shorten it or get you hired as a helper.
| School | Credential | Yearly cost | Recent grads | First-year pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College Chicago, IL · Public | Certificate | $14,434 | 34 | $68,478 |
| Triton College River Grove, IL · Public | Certificate | $11,897 | 1 | — |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (data updated October 2026). Cost is the school's average yearly cost of attendance before financial aid; earnings are the median for graduates one year after finishing, shown only where the school has enough graduates to publish. “—” means not published.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the break-even rate to match a $103,380 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for (including the employer half of Social Security and Medicare, 7.65%), then adds your profit margin. Change any number.
Break-even rate
With your profit margin
How this calculator works. Weighing a contractor job against a W-2 one? Try the 1099 vs. W-2 comparison. Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get plumber pricing & estimate templates →Compare Chicago with another city →
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ToolBest cities for plumbersRank every metro on pay, buying power, rent and jobs.Is a job offer here any good?
ToolCheck an offer in ChicagoSee where it falls among local plumbers, after the commute.Could you afford to live here?
ToolChicago budgetMonthly take-home, HUD rent and local prices on this pay.About this data
Local to the Chicago metro: pay (BLS, May 2025) and pay over time (2020–2025, CPI-adjusted), prices (BEA, 2024), rent (HUD, FY2027), new construction, housing, population and commuting (Census), unemployment (BLS) and business counts (Census, by industry). National: job outlook and training (BLS projections), injury rates (BLS) and duties (O*NET). Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions; grades rank Chicago against every other metro for plumbers. Every source, year and formula is on our data page.