Skilled Wages

Construction laborer salary in Illinois

Median $29.18 an hour for 35,940 construction laborers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$29.18/hrMedian hourly wageIllinois, May data
$60,690/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$18.69 – $50.5010th to 90th percentilehourly range
35,940Jobs countedemployer survey

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025; prevailing wage as of 2026-11-13

Construction laborer pay in Illinois: the full range

Wage percentiles, IllinoisMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrIllinois: 10th $18.69 · 25th $22.14 · median $29.18 · 75th $45.79 · 90th $50.50Illinois$29.18$18.69$50.50United States: 10th $16.87 · 25th $18.57 · median $22.66 · 75th $28.72 · 90th $37.54United States$22.66
Hourly wage percentiles for construction laborers: Illinois vs United States, May 2025.

Illinois ranks 4th of 51 states for median construction laborer pay, and 4th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $29.18). 35,940 construction laborers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.7× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$18.69 – $22.14$38,880 – $46,040roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$22.14 – $45.79$46,040 – $95,240the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$45.79 – $50.50$95,240 – $105,040the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Construction laborer pay by metro in Illinois

Ranked median wages$0$10$20$30$40/hrSt. Louis: $31.01St. Louis$31.01Peoria: $30.27Peoria$30.27Springfield: $29.52Springfield$29.52Decatur: $29.46Decatur$29.46Chicago: $29.27Chicago$29.27Bloomington: $29.16Bloomington$29.16Champaign: $28.59Champaign$28.59Rockford: $28.07Rockford$28.07Cape Girardeau: $27.95Cape Girardeau$27.95Kankakee: $26.36Kankakee$26.36Davenport: $26.14Davenport$26.14Paducah: $22.53Paducah$22.53
Median hourly wage for construction laborers by metro area in Illinois, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
St. Louis$19.28$31.01$32.61$46.298,6706% above
Peoria$18.81$30.27$33.19$46.991,0204% above
Springfield$18.15$29.52$31.84$46.705101% above
Decatur$22.50$29.46$33.33$46.909401% above
Chicago$18.80$29.27$28.25$50.7226,690about the same as
Bloomington$17.48$29.16$31.19$45.09380about the same as
Champaign$18.26$28.59$30.84$47.035702% below
Rockford$18.73$28.07$30.44$46.808304% below
Cape Girardeau$17.68$27.95$32.46$37.062204% below
Kankakee$16.64$26.36$27.34$46.3220010% below
Davenport$18.29$26.14$29.34$37.951,32010% below
Paducah$16.40$22.53$26.17$27.4059023% below

Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).

Construction laborer wages in Illinois over time

Illinois, 1999-2025IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$0$10$20$30$40200020052010201520202025$29.18Illinois$22.66United States
Median hourly wage for construction laborers, Illinois vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIllinois $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$20.76$40.12$10.8528,310
2000$19.39$36.25$11.1533,200
2001$19.09$34.70$11.5734,520
2002$19.47$34.84$11.9035,960
2003$18.52$32.40$11.8638,560
2004$21.27$36.25$12.1030,410
2005$21.67$35.72$12.2231,220
2006$21.73$34.70$12.6639,280
2007$18.79$29.18$13.1347,220
2008$18.13$27.11$13.7151,190
2009$19.27$28.92$14.0145,020
2010$16.86$24.89$14.0844,180
2011$16.52$23.64$14.3042,680
2012$15.71$22.03$14.4242,030
2013$21.17$29.26$14.6432,020
2014$23.76$32.31$14.9532,440
2015$23.93$32.50$15.3432,560
2016$26.68$35.79$16.0731,260
2017$25.79$33.87$16.6031,270
2018$27.26$34.95$17.2133,270
2019$27.34$34.43$17.7234,010
2020$26.76$33.29$18.2231,910
2021$28.15$33.45$18.1628,090
2022$29.87$32.86$19.5927,680
2023$29.50$31.17$21.7829,930
2024$31.20$32.02$22.4731,960
2025$29.18$29.18$22.6635,940

In today's dollars, the median construction laborer wage in Illinois changed by -10.2% over the last ten years of data and by -15.2% since 2019.

Are there more construction laborer jobs in Illinois?

+5.7%Jobs since 201934,010 then, 35,940 in 2025
+10.4%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
5.9Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.8× the US share, 38th of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of construction laborers counted in Illinois has changed by +27.0%, against +43.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +5.7%.

Construction laborers in Illinois vs United States, 1999 = 100IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages75100125150175200200020052010201520202025144United States127Illinois
Jobs counted by the BLS employer survey, Illinois vs United States, indexed to 1999 = 100. Shaded bands mark survey method changes.
Table
YearIllinois jobsIllinois indexUS index
199928,310100100
200033,200117108
200134,520122108
200235,960127109
200338,560136110
200430,410107112
200531,220110122
200639,280139133
200747,220167138
200851,190181134
200945,020159112
201044,180156102
201142,680151102
201242,030148107
201332,020113108
201432,440115112
201532,560115116
201631,260110120
201731,270110126
201833,270118131
201934,010120134
202031,910113127
202128,09099127
202227,68098133
202329,930106134
202431,960113138
202535,940127144

Job counts are BLS OEWS survey estimates built from three years of samples, so moves of a few percent from one year to the next are within the survey's margin. Self-employed tradespeople are not counted. Areas with fewer than 3,000 jobs or a large sampling error are shown as a single figure rather than a trend.

Outlook for construction laborers in Illinois

+7.9%Projected growth in Illinois2024–2034, state agency
3,200Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
35,660Jobs in 202438,480 projected for 2034
+7.3%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Illinois's labor market agency projects the number of construction laborers in the state to change by +7.9% between 2024 and 2034, from 35,660 to 38,480, with about 3,200 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +7.3% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed and use a different base year, so they do not match the 35,940 counted by the BLS employer survey.

Source: Illinois labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).

Union scale and prevailing wage for construction laborers in Illinois

On federally funded construction in Illinois, contractors must pay construction laborers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 94 of the 102 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $63.04 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical $7.25). 8 of the 102 counties still use a survey rate dated 1993 or earlier (for example Boone County at $7.25). The market median for the state is $29.18.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ILAdams: $62.18 (union)Alexander: $63.04 (union)Bond: $62.18 (union)Boone: $7.25 (survey)Brown: $62.18 (union)Bureau: $62.18 (union)Calhoun: $62.18 (union)Carroll: $62.18 (union)Cass: $62.18 (union)Champaign: $63.04 (union)Christian: $63.04 (union)Clark: $63.04 (union)Clay: $63.04 (union)Clinton: $62.18 (union)Coles: $63.04 (union)Cook: $92.11 (union)Crawford: $63.04 (union)Cumberland: $63.04 (union)DeKalb: $7.25 (survey)De Witt: $63.04 (union)Douglas: $63.04 (union)DuPage: $92.11 (union)Edgar: $63.04 (union)Edwards: $63.04 (union)Effingham: $63.04 (union)Fayette: $63.04 (union)Ford: $63.04 (union)Franklin: $63.04 (union)Fulton: $62.18 (union)Gallatin: $63.04 (union)Greene: $62.18 (union)Grundy: $92.11 (union)Hamilton: $63.04 (union)Hancock: $62.18 (union)Hardin: $63.04 (union)Henderson: $62.18 (union)Henry: $7.25 (survey)Iroquois: $63.04 (union)Jackson: $63.04 (union)Jasper: $63.04 (union)Jefferson: $63.04 (union)Jersey: $62.18 (union)Jo Daviess: $62.18 (union)Johnson: $63.04 (union)Kane: $92.11 (union)Kankakee: $76.84 (union)Kendall: $92.11 (union)Knox: $62.18 (union)Lake: $92.11 (union)LaSalle: $62.18 (union)Lawrence: $63.04 (union)Lee: $62.18 (union)Livingston: $62.18 (union)Logan: $62.18 (union)McDonough: $62.18 (union)McHenry: $92.11 (union)McLean: $7.25 (survey)Macon: $61.43 (union)Macoupin: $62.18 (union)Madison: $64.73 (union)Marion: $63.04 (union)Marshall: $62.18 (union)Mason: $62.18 (union)Massac: $63.04 (union)Menard: $62.18 (union)Mercer: $62.18 (union)Monroe: $62.18 (union)Montgomery: $62.18 (union)Morgan: $62.18 (union)Moultrie: $63.04 (union)Ogle: $7.25 (survey)Peoria: $67.28 (union)Perry: $63.04 (union)Piatt: $63.04 (union)Pike: $62.18 (union)Pope: $63.04 (union)Pulaski: $63.04 (union)Putnam: $62.18 (union)Randolph: $62.18 (union)Richland: $63.04 (union)Rock Island: $7.25 (survey)St. Clair: $64.73 (union)Saline: $63.04 (union)Sangamon: $62.16 (union)Schuyler: $62.18 (union)Scott: $62.18 (union)Shelby: $63.04 (union)Stark: $62.18 (union)Stephenson: $62.18 (union)Tazewell: $67.28 (union)Union: $63.04 (union)Vermilion: $63.04 (union)Wabash: $63.04 (union)Warren: $62.18 (union)Washington: $62.18 (union)Wayne: $63.04 (union)White: $63.04 (union)Whiteside: $62.18 (union)Will: $92.11 (union)Williamson: $63.04 (union)Winnebago: $7.25 (survey)Woodford: $7.25 (survey)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$62.18$63.04survey rate
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for construction laborers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)Prevailing (survey)$0$25$50$75$100/hrCook (Chicago): market median $29.27, prevailing (union) $92.11, gap +$62.84Cook (Chicago)+$62.84Kankakee (Kankakee): market median $26.36, prevailing (union) $76.84, gap +$50.48Kankakee (Kankakee)+$50.48Massac (Paducah): market median $22.53, prevailing (union) $63.04, gap +$40.51Massac (Paducah)+$40.51Peoria (Peoria): market median $30.27, prevailing (union) $67.28, gap +$37.01Peoria (Peoria)+$37.01Mercer (Davenport): market median $26.14, prevailing (union) $62.18, gap +$36.04Mercer (Davenport)+$36.04Alexander (Cape Girardeau): market median $27.95, prevailing (union) $63.04, gap +$35.09Alexander (Cape Girardeau)+$35.09Champaign (Champaign): market median $28.59, prevailing (union) $63.04, gap +$34.45Champaign (Champaign)+$34.45Madison (St. Louis): market median $31.01, prevailing (union) $64.73, gap +$33.72Madison (St. Louis)+$33.72Menard (Springfield): market median $29.52, prevailing (union) $62.18, gap +$32.66Menard (Springfield)+$32.66Macon (Decatur): market median $29.46, prevailing (union) $61.43, gap +$31.97Macon (Decatur)+$31.97Boone (Rockford): market median $28.07, prevailing (survey) $7.25, gap −$20.82Boone (Rockford)−$20.82McLean (Bloomington): market median $29.16, prevailing (survey) $7.25, gap −$21.91McLean (Bloomington)−$21.91
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for construction laborers, metro counties in Illinois.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CookUnion LABO0002-006 2026-06-01$53.00$39.11$92.11IL20260009
DuPageUnion LABO0149-001 2026-06-01$53.00$39.11$92.11IL20260008
GrundyUnion LABO0149-001 2026-06-01$53.00$39.11$92.11IL20260008
KaneUnion LABO0149-001 2026-06-01$53.00$39.11$92.11IL20260008
KendallUnion LABO0149-001 2026-06-01$53.00$39.11$92.11IL20260008
LakeUnion LABO0149-001 2026-06-01$53.00$39.11$92.11IL20260008
McHenryUnion LABO0149-001 2026-06-01$53.00$39.11$92.11IL20260008
WillUnion LABO0149-001 2026-06-01$53.00$39.11$92.11IL20260008
KankakeeUnion LABO0751-003 2023-06-01$43.25$33.59$76.84IL20260006
PeoriaUnion LABO0165-001 2025-05-01$34.00$33.28$67.28IL20260003
TazewellUnion LABO0165-001 2025-05-01$34.00$33.28$67.28IL20260003
MadisonUnion LABO0044-001 2024-08-01$32.35$32.38$64.73IL20260007
St. ClairUnion LABO0044-001 2024-08-01$32.35$32.38$64.73IL20260007
AlexanderUnion LABO0773-003 2025-04-01$35.15$27.89$63.04IL20260002
ChampaignUnion LABO0773-003 2025-04-01$35.15$27.89$63.04IL20260002

Building construction type, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. 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?

268.8kConstruction jobsIllinois, 2026-09
+6.5%Change over 12 monthsseasonally unadjusted
Construction employment, 1990-2026150k200k250k300k350k19901995200020052010201520202025269kSep 2026
Construction employment in Illinois (thousands), construction supersector, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted. Grey bands are recessions.

Contractor pay by county

Average pay at specialty trade contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just construction laborers), from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages. Across the 91 counties that report both years, specialty trade contractor employment (all trades) went from 136,127 in 2015 to 152,071 in 2025, +11.7%.

CountyEstablishmentsEmployeesAverage annual payAvg weekly wage
DuPage County1,89022,002$102,132$1,964
Cook County6,08049,027$97,576$1,876
Stephenson County68982$96,066$1,847
Will County1,22810,689$94,755$1,822
Saline County32371$91,633$1,762
Kane County1,1169,205$89,994$1,731
LaSalle County145950$89,622$1,723
Winnebago County3753,472$89,234$1,716
Lake County1,2438,568$86,971$1,673
Grundy County98759$85,203$1,639
Henry County70870$84,653$1,628
Hancock County12178$83,461$1,605

Keep comparing

Construction laborer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Illinois

More on Illinois

Questions this page answers

How much do construction laborers make in Illinois?

The median construction laborer in Illinois earned $29.18 an hour ($60,690 a year) in May 2025, 29% above the national median of $22.66. The middle half earn $22.14–$45.79; the top 10% earn more than $50.50.

Where does Illinois rank for construction laborer pay?

Illinois ranks 4th of 51 states for construction laborer pay, with a median of $29.18 an hour, and 4th after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (BEA price parity 100.0, US = 100).

What is the union construction laborer rate in Illinois?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for construction laborers in 94 counties, with a typical package of $63.04 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many construction laborers work in Illinois?

BLS counted 35,940 construction laborers in Illinois in May 2025, 5.9 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.84; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is construction laborer work growing in Illinois?

The BLS employer survey count of construction laborers in Illinois went from 32,560 in 2015 to 35,940 in 2025, +10.4%, and +5.7% since 2019. Illinois's labor market agency projects +7.9% growth for construction laborers between 2024 and 2034, from 35,660 to 38,480 jobs.

How many construction laborer openings a year are there in Illinois?

Illinois projects about 3,200 openings a year for construction laborers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 120,000 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Illinois and metro areas, SOC 47-2061. Job counts are survey estimates and exclude the self-employed.
  • BLS Current Employment Statistics, state construction employment through 2026-09.
  • BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages.
  • BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024 (cost-of-living adjustment).
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations, current revisions as of 2026-11-13. Not the official determination.
  • BLS Employment Projections, national, 2025-35.
  • State projection: Illinois labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034, fetched 2026-10-05.