What skilled trades pay in Illinois, where the jobs are and how work is changing, from 37 public government sources. The best-paying trade here is elevator installer at a $133,690 median. For every trade and metro, start from the Illinois pay page.
How Illinois compares
40 of the 41 trades we track in Illinois pay more than in a typical U.S. metro. The biggest premiums are for rebar worker (+86%), heavy equipment operator (+64%) and plumber (+63%), and the biggest gaps for welder (-2%) and auto mechanic (+1%). Prices in Illinois's metros run about 7% below the U.S. average, and a typical 1-bedroom rents for $978 a month (U.S. metros: $1,097).
Best-paying trades in Illinois
Statewide median pay, BLS May 2025. The lowest-paying trade we track here is landscaper at $43,790.
Every trade in Illinois
| Trade | Median pay | vs. U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator Installer | $133,690 | +24% | 1,080 |
| Electrical Lineworker | $108,120 | +12% | 3,090 |
| Construction Supervisor | $105,750 | +37% | 19,340 |
| Ironworker | $101,850 | +59% | 2,740 |
| Plumber | $99,950 | +63% | 16,750 |
| Electrician | $99,560 | +59% | 23,120 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $97,740 | +64% | 12,290 |
| Plasterer | $93,790 | +59% | 270 |
| Brickmason | $89,980 | +43% | 2,490 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $86,630 | +41% | 3,260 |
| Rigger | $81,860 | +35% | 120 |
| Carpenter | $79,000 | +41% | 19,570 |
| Building Inspector | $78,340 | +16% | 2,560 |
| Concrete Finisher | $78,170 | +37% | 5,890 |
| Roofer | $77,900 | +55% | 5,300 |
| HVAC Technician | $77,410 | +30% | 9,740 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $76,200 | +19% | 12,100 |
| Paving Equipment Operator | $73,060 | +46% | 950 |
| Telecom Line Installer | $70,700 | +7% | 2,460 |
| Flooring Installer | $69,880 | +25% | 1,330 |
| Tile Setter | $67,160 | +33% | 730 |
| Telecom Equipment Installer | $64,630 | +4% | 5,760 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $64,340 | +7% | 11,320 |
| Drywall Installer | $63,180 | +17% | 740 |
| Glazier | $61,840 | +12% | 1,410 |
| Hazmat Removal Worker | $61,330 | +27% | 1,980 |
| Painter | $61,260 | +29% | 6,820 |
| Construction Laborer | $60,690 | +30% | 35,940 |
| Machinist | $58,520 | +3% | 16,520 |
| Appliance Repair Technician | $56,860 | +13% | 1,730 |
| Maintenance Technician | $56,720 | +17% | 66,600 |
| Septic & Sewer Technician | $53,190 | +4% | 1,210 |
| Insulation Installer | $53,000 | +10% | 780 |
| Auto Body Repairer | $52,020 | +1% | 5,750 |
| Welder | $51,320 | -2% | 16,260 |
| Fence Installer | $50,710 | +5% | 690 |
| Auto Mechanic | $49,170 | +1% | 29,510 |
| Pest Control Technician | $46,450 | +4% | 2,470 |
| Landscaper | $43,790 | +17% | 34,780 |
Statewide medians and jobs, BLS OEWS May 2025. “vs. U.S.” compares with the typical U.S. metro median for the trade.
Where the jobs are
- Maintenance Technician: 66,600 jobs
- Construction Laborer: 35,940 jobs
- Landscaper: 34,780 jobs
- Auto Mechanic: 29,510 jobs
- Electrician: 23,120 jobs
Illinois metros, best pay first
Ranked by how each metro's trade pay compares with all U.S. metros, averaged across trades.
Construction hiring
Change in private construction jobs from a year earlier, 2026 Q1, metros with at least 5,000 construction workers (BLS QCEW).
Unions
13.1% of Illinois workers belong to a union (14.0% are covered by a union contract), compared with about 10% nationally (all jobs, 2025).
Apprenticeships
Registered apprentices in Illinois who finished or left a program in FY2020–2024 completed most often in telecom equipment installer (89%), electrician (87%) and telecom line installer (84%).
Wages and safety
Unpaid wages recovered
Since 2018, the U.S. Labor Department has concluded 370 wage cases against construction employers in Illinois, recovering $4,484,876 in back wages for 1,848 workers.offer check and keep your own record of hours.
DOL Wage and Hour Division enforcement data, cases concluded 2018–2026. Counts only; employers aren't named here.
Safety inspections
In 2025, federal OSHA opened 1,186 inspections of construction worksites in the state. About 19% were set off by a complaint, a referral or an accident (9 after an accident or fatality); the rest were planned spot checks.
OSHA inspection data via the U.S. Department of Labor, construction (NAICS 23), inspections opened in 2025. Counts only.
Storm and disaster rebuild work
Since 2016, the Illinois metros with the most federal major disasters are Chicago (6), Decatur (1) and Rockford (1) (FEMA).
Veterans
Veterans: train on the job with the GI Bill
In Illinois, 881 employers and programs are approved for GI Bill on-the-job training and apprenticeships, across all fields. Veterans in an approved trade apprenticeship can get a monthly housing allowance on top of apprentice pay. Search approved employers with the VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, GI Bill Comparison Tool data, October 2026.
Common questions
What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Illinois?
Elevator Installer pays the most of the trades we track, with a $133,690 statewide median (BLS, May 2025), followed by electrical lineworker and construction supervisor.
Which trade has the most jobs in Illinois?
maintenance technicians, with about 66,600 jobs statewide, followed by construction laborers and landscapers.
Which Illinois city pays the trades best?
Chicago, compared with other U.S. metros across the trades we track, followed by Champaign.
Is construction hiring growing in Illinois?
In 2026 Q1, private construction jobs were up 2.1% from a year earlier in Chicago, the fastest-changing large market in the state, and up 0.1% in Peoria.
Part of the State of Trade Pay 2026 report. Cite as “PayByTrade, State of Trade Pay in Illinois 2026, payby.trade/report/il/.”