Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Chicago

Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN: 27 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Every trade in Chicago, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrElevator mechanic: $70.47 (cost-of-living adjusted $68.02)Elevator mechanic$70.47Lineman: $59.34 (cost-of-living adjusted $57.28)Lineman$59.34Construction manager: $56.39 (cost-of-living adjusted $54.43)Construction manager$56.39Construction supervisor: $53.49 (cost-of-living adjusted $51.63)Construction supervisor$53.49Boilermaker: $52.71 (cost-of-living adjusted $50.88)Boilermaker$52.71Plumber: $49.70 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.97)Plumber$49.70Heavy equipment operator: $49.57 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.85)Heavy equipment operator$49.57Electrician: $49.21 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.50)Electrician$49.21Ironworker: $49.21 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.50)Ironworker$49.21Plasterer: $46.27 (cost-of-living adjusted $44.66)Plasterer$46.27Sheet metal worker: $45.82 (cost-of-living adjusted $44.23)Sheet metal worker$45.82Brickmason: $43.26 (cost-of-living adjusted $41.76)Brickmason$43.26Roofer: $39.47 (cost-of-living adjusted $38.10)Roofer$39.47Cement mason: $38.95 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.60)Cement mason$38.95Carpenter: $38.68 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.34)Carpenter$38.68HVAC technician: $37.48 (cost-of-living adjusted $36.18)HVAC technician$37.48Millwright: $35.93 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.68)Millwright$35.93Tile setter: $35.90 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.65)Tile setter$35.90Drywall installer: $33.23 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.08)Drywall installer$33.23Diesel mechanic: $31.58 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.48)Diesel mechanic$31.58Painter: $29.68 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.65)Painter$29.68Glazier: $29.58 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.55)Glazier$29.58Construction laborer: $29.27 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.25)Construction laborer$29.27Machinist: $28.62 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.63)Machinist$28.62Insulation worker: $28.29 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.31)Insulation worker$28.29Crane operator: $26.87 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.94)Crane operator$26.87Welder: $25.31 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.43)Welder$25.31
Median hourly wage by trade, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 103.6).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Elevator mechanic$33.04$70.47$81.72$146,58085010% above33% above
2Lineman$35.01$59.34$63.35$123,4301,83014% above29% above
3Construction manager$26.68$56.39$85.64$117,28013,8507% above2% above
4Construction supervisor$31.95$53.49$65.02$111,26013,4205% above39% above
5Boilermaker$38.18$52.71$56.57$109,6409010% above43% above
6Plumber$25.94$49.70$61.15$103,38012,7503% above62% above
7Heavy equipment operator$27.92$49.57$59.69$103,1007,9305% above72% above
8Electrician$23.99$49.21$59.65$102,35017,7203% above62% above
9Ironworker$31.07$49.21$59.87$102,3502,120about the same as63% above
10Plasterer$33.14$46.27$50.90$96,2401903% above67% above
11Sheet metal worker$20.30$45.82$58.81$95,3102,43010% above54% above
12Brickmason$22.58$43.26$52.82$89,9802,140about the same as45% above
13Roofer$23.45$39.47$51.34$82,0903,9005% above48% above
14Cement mason$24.39$38.95$52.35$81,0203,8904% above42% above
15Carpenter$19.82$38.68$56.95$80,44014,2202% above33% above
16HVAC technician$22.82$37.48$56.70$77,9607,2101% above28% above
17Millwright$23.19$35.93$55.09$74,7301,49012% above14% above
18Tile setter$23.05$35.90$54.84$74,67055011% above34% above
19Drywall installer$22.76$33.23$53.24$69,1205409% above17% above
20Diesel mechanic$22.03$31.58$47.44$65,6808,6602% above6% above
21Painter$21.42$29.68$52.80$61,7405,4801% above25% above
22Glazier$22.02$29.58$49.22$61,5301,2601% below8% above
23Construction laborer$18.80$29.27$50.72$60,89026,690about the same as29% above
24Machinist$18.60$28.62$37.98$59,52011,2702% above1% above
25Insulation worker$20.70$28.29$45.76$58,85060011% above20% above
26Crane operator$19.37$26.87$51.81$55,8901,88010% below18% below
27Welder$18.81$25.31$35.79$52,6509,3203% above2% below

Statewide figures for every trade are on the highest-paying trades in Illinois page; county union scale is on the Illinois prevailing wage page.

Union scale in the Chicago area

The highest Davis-Bacon Building-construction package among the counties in the Chicago metro, next to the metro market median from BLS.

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$49.21$51.87$51.77$103.64Union9 of 13
Plumber$49.70$60.50$39.02$99.52Union9 of 13
Carpenter$38.68$52.01$38.85$90.86Union9 of 13
Construction laborer$29.27$53.00$39.11$92.11Union9 of 13
Heavy equipment operator$49.57$68.80$53.05$121.85Union9 of 13
Ironworker$49.21$62.46$46.58$109.04Union9 of 13
Sheet metal worker$45.82$56.35$38.65$95.00Union9 of 13
Painter$29.68$53.05$33.91$86.96Union9 of 13

Not the official determination. County-level lookup on the Illinois prevailing wage page.

Construction jobs in Chicago

195.6kConstruction jobs2026-09
+1.5%Change over 12 months
+7.2%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 2004-2026100k150k200k250k20052010201520202025196kSep 2026
Construction employment, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Chicago?

In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, elevator mechanics had the highest median wage at $70.47 an hour in May 2025, with 850 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Chicago than the rest of Illinois?

In Chicago, 22 of 27 trades pay above the Illinois state median and 2 pay below it; the biggest premium is for elevator mechanics at $70.47.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.