Skilled Wages

Carpenter salary in Illinois

Median $37.98 an hour for 19,570 carpenters, May 2025, with the union scale by county and the trend since 1999.

$37.98/hrMedian hourly wageIllinois, May data
$79,000/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$19.18 – $56.5710th to 90th percentilehourly range
19,570Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-09-28

Carpenter pay in Illinois: the full range

Wage percentiles, IllinoisMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60/hrIllinois: 10th $19.18 · 25th $27.00 · median $37.98 · 75th $51.42 · 90th $56.57Illinois$37.98$19.18$56.57United States: 10th $19.43 · 25th $23.32 · median $29.12 · 75th $36.94 · 90th $48.03United States$29.12
Hourly wage percentiles for carpenters: Illinois vs United States, May 2025.

Illinois ranks 2nd of 51 states for median carpenter pay, and 1st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $37.98). 19,570 carpenters work in the state.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry$19.18 – $27.00$39,890 – $56,160roughly the 10th–25th percentile
Journeyman$27.00 – $51.42$56,160 – $106,950the middle half, around the median
Master / foreman / specialist$51.42 – $56.57$106,950 – $117,660the 75th–90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Carpenter pay by metro in Illinois

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrKankakee: $45.81Kankakee$45.81Decatur: $41.93Decatur$41.93Chicago: $38.68Chicago$38.68Springfield: $37.01Springfield$37.01Bloomington: $36.28Bloomington$36.28Peoria: $36.19Peoria$36.19Rockford: $34.99Rockford$34.99St. Louis: $34.13St. Louis$34.13Champaign: $32.20Champaign$32.20Cape Girardeau: $30.64Cape Girardeau$30.64Davenport: $29.06Davenport$29.06Paducah: $24.86Paducah$24.86
Median hourly wage for carpenters by metro area in Illinois, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hr90thJobsvs state
Kankakee$22.95$45.81$47.5412021% above
Decatur$24.06$41.93$56.9518010% above
Chicago$19.82$38.68$56.9514,2202% above
Springfield$20.99$37.01$47.092903% below
Bloomington$22.62$36.28$49.631704% below
Peoria$20.40$36.19$50.697805% below
Rockford$22.34$34.99$50.178108% below
St. Louis$21.64$34.13$47.867,21010% below
Champaign$20.66$32.20$48.1031015% below
Cape Girardeau$20.75$30.64$43.7418019% below
Davenport$19.00$29.06$44.0167023% below
Paducah$17.47$24.86$35.2531035% below

Carpenter wages in Illinois over time

Illinois, 1999-2025IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$37.98Illinois$29.12United States
Median hourly wage for carpenters, Illinois vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIllinois $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$21.97$42.46$15.3535,750
2000$23.64$44.20$15.6941,340
2001$22.39$40.70$16.0939,570
2002$21.39$38.28$16.4445,640
2003$21.45$37.53$16.4740,670
2004$22.55$38.43$16.7841,500
2005$24.55$40.47$17.1139,270
2006$25.20$40.24$17.5742,660
2007$27.78$43.13$18.1142,510
2008$28.66$42.86$18.7239,670
2009$28.05$42.09$18.9834,240
2010$25.12$37.09$19.0028,930
2011$23.31$33.36$19.2427,550
2012$24.72$34.66$19.2023,620
2013$24.76$34.22$19.4722,040
2014$26.73$36.35$19.6322,940
2015$26.54$36.05$20.2423,620
2016$29.23$39.21$20.9624,720
2017$29.88$39.24$21.7125,200
2018$33.40$42.82$22.4026,970
2019$33.22$41.83$23.2426,550
2020$35.19$43.77$23.8126,300
2021$30.17$35.85$23.2022,840
2022$32.10$35.31$24.7123,470
2023$32.89$34.75$27.0923,990
2024$36.73$37.70$28.5124,930
2025$37.98$37.98$29.1219,570

In today's dollars, the median carpenter wage in Illinois changed by +5.4% over the last ten years of data.

Union scale and prevailing wage for carpenters in Illinois

On federally funded construction in Illinois, contractors must pay carpenters at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 102 of the 102 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $76.45 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $37.98.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ILAdams: $76.45 (union)Alexander: $82.92 (union)Bond: $76.45 (union)Boone: $76.45 (union)Brown: $76.45 (union)Bureau: $76.45 (union)Calhoun: $76.45 (union)Carroll: $76.45 (union)Cass: $76.45 (union)Champaign: $82.92 (union)Christian: $82.92 (union)Clark: $82.92 (union)Clay: $82.92 (union)Clinton: $76.45 (union)Coles: $82.92 (union)Cook: $90.86 (union)Crawford: $82.92 (union)Cumberland: $82.92 (union)DeKalb: $76.45 (union)De Witt: $82.92 (union)Douglas: $82.92 (union)DuPage: $80.92 (union)Edgar: $82.92 (union)Edwards: $82.92 (union)Effingham: $82.92 (union)Fayette: $82.92 (union)Ford: $82.92 (union)Franklin: $82.92 (union)Fulton: $76.45 (union)Gallatin: $82.92 (union)Greene: $76.45 (union)Grundy: $80.92 (union)Hamilton: $82.92 (union)Hancock: $76.45 (union)Hardin: $82.92 (union)Henderson: $76.45 (union)Henry: $76.45 (union)Iroquois: $82.92 (union)Jackson: $82.92 (union)Jasper: $82.92 (union)Jefferson: $82.92 (union)Jersey: $76.45 (union)Jo Daviess: $76.45 (union)Johnson: $82.92 (union)Kane: $80.92 (union)Kankakee: $85.42 (union)Kendall: $80.92 (union)Knox: $76.45 (union)Lake: $80.92 (union)LaSalle: $76.45 (union)Lawrence: $82.92 (union)Lee: $76.45 (union)Livingston: $76.45 (union)Logan: $76.45 (union)McDonough: $76.45 (union)McHenry: $80.92 (union)McLean: $76.45 (union)Macon: $61.96 (union)Macoupin: $76.45 (union)Madison: $60.26 (union)Marion: $82.92 (union)Marshall: $76.45 (union)Mason: $76.45 (union)Massac: $82.92 (union)Menard: $76.45 (union)Mercer: $76.45 (union)Monroe: $76.45 (union)Montgomery: $76.45 (union)Morgan: $76.45 (union)Moultrie: $82.92 (union)Ogle: $76.45 (union)Peoria: $62.68 (union)Perry: $82.92 (union)Piatt: $82.92 (union)Pike: $76.45 (union)Pope: $82.92 (union)Pulaski: $82.92 (union)Putnam: $76.45 (union)Randolph: $76.45 (union)Richland: $82.92 (union)Rock Island: $76.45 (union)St. Clair: $60.26 (union)Saline: $82.92 (union)Sangamon: $57.38 (union)Schuyler: $76.45 (union)Scott: $76.45 (union)Shelby: $82.92 (union)Stark: $76.45 (union)Stephenson: $76.45 (union)Tazewell: $62.68 (union)Union: $82.92 (union)Vermilion: $82.92 (union)Wabash: $82.92 (union)Warren: $76.45 (union)Washington: $76.45 (union)Wayne: $82.92 (union)White: $82.92 (union)Whiteside: $76.45 (union)Will: $80.92 (union)Williamson: $82.92 (union)Winnebago: $76.45 (union)Woodford: $76.45 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$76.45$82.92
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for carpenters by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$0$20$40$60$80$100/hrMassac (Paducah): market median $24.86, prevailing (union) $82.92, gap +$58.06Massac (Paducah)+$58.06Alexander (Cape Girardeau): market median $30.64, prevailing (union) $82.92, gap +$52.28Alexander (Cape Girardeau)+$52.28Cook (Chicago): market median $38.68, prevailing (union) $90.86, gap +$52.18Cook (Chicago)+$52.18Champaign (Champaign): market median $32.20, prevailing (union) $82.92, gap +$50.72Champaign (Champaign)+$50.72Henry (Davenport): market median $29.06, prevailing (union) $76.45, gap +$47.39Henry (Davenport)+$47.39Bond (St. Louis): market median $34.13, prevailing (union) $76.45, gap +$42.32Bond (St. Louis)+$42.32Boone (Rockford): market median $34.99, prevailing (union) $76.45, gap +$41.46Boone (Rockford)+$41.46Marshall (Peoria): market median $36.19, prevailing (union) $76.45, gap +$40.26Marshall (Peoria)+$40.26McLean (Bloomington): market median $36.28, prevailing (union) $76.45, gap +$40.17McLean (Bloomington)+$40.17Kankakee (Kankakee): market median $45.81, prevailing (union) $85.42, gap +$39.61Kankakee (Kankakee)+$39.61Menard (Springfield): market median $37.01, prevailing (union) $76.45, gap +$39.44Menard (Springfield)+$39.44Macon (Decatur): market median $41.93, prevailing (union) $61.96, gap +$20.03Macon (Decatur)+$20.03
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for carpenters, metro counties in Illinois.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CookUnion CARP0555-001 2022-06-01$52.01$38.85$90.86IL20260009
KankakeeUnion CARP0555-016 2023-06-01$44.46$40.96$85.42IL20260006
AlexanderUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
ChampaignUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
ChristianUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
ClarkUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
ClayUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
ColesUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
CrawfordUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
CumberlandUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
De WittUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
DouglasUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
EdgarUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
EdwardsUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002
EffinghamUnion CARP0555-014 2022-06-01$42.96$39.96$82.92IL20260002

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Residential, Heavy and Highway rates differ; look them up on the Illinois prevailing wage page. This is not the official wage determination.

Is construction work growing in Illinois?

271.6kConstruction jobsIllinois, 2026-08
+6.6%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025272kAug 2026
Construction employment in Illinois (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Keep comparing

Carpenter pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Illinois

Questions this page answers

How much do carpenters make in Illinois?

The median carpenter in Illinois earned $37.98 an hour ($79,000 a year) in May 2025, 30% above the national median of $29.12. The middle half earn $27.00–$51.42; the top 10% earn more than $56.57.

Where does Illinois rank for carpenter pay?

Illinois ranks 2nd of 51 states for carpenter pay, with a median of $37.98 an hour, and 1st after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (BEA price parity 100.0, US = 100).

What is the union carpenter rate in Illinois?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for carpenters in 102 counties, with a typical package of $76.45 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many carpenters work in Illinois?

BLS counted 19,570 carpenters in Illinois in May 2025, 3.2 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.74; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Illinois and metro areas, SOC 47-2031.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-08.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-09-28. Not the official determination.