Skilled Wages

Plasterer salary in Illinois

Median $45.09 an hour for 270 plasterers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$45.09/hrMedian hourly wageIllinois, May data
$93,790/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$31.20 – $50.8310th to 90th percentilehourly range
270Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plasterer pay in Illinois: the full range

Wage percentiles, IllinoisMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$10$20$30$40$50$60/hrIllinois: 10th $31.20 · 25th $36.68 · median $45.09 · 75th $50.80 · 90th $50.83Illinois$45.09$31.20$50.83United States: 10th $19.02 · 25th $23.06 · median $27.72 · 75th $34.28 · 90th $46.50United States$27.72
Hourly wage percentiles for plasterers: Illinois vs United States, May 2025.

Illinois ranks 4th of 28 states for median plasterer pay, and 4th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $45.09). 270 plasterers work in the state. The top 10% earn 1.6× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$31.20 – $36.68$64,890 – $76,290roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$36.68 – $50.80$76,290 – $105,660the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$50.80 – $50.83$105,660 – $105,720the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plasterer pay by metro in Illinois

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrChicago: $46.27Chicago$46.27St. Louis: $38.58St. Louis$38.58
Median hourly wage for plasterers by metro area in Illinois, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Chicago$33.14$46.27$44.66$50.901903% above
St. Louis$27.78$38.58$40.57$57.3327014% below

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

Plasterer wages in Illinois over time

Illinois, 1999-2025IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50200020052010201520202025$45.09Illinois$27.72United States
Median hourly wage for plasterers, Illinois vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIllinois $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$22.59$43.65$14.483,050
2000$24.70$46.18$16.001,330
2001$26.41$48.01$15.791,390
2002$27.17$48.62$15.911,250
2003$26.52$46.40$15.90970
2004$25.24$43.02$15.60990
2005$24.82$40.91$16.08880
2006$26.16$41.78$16.68810
2007$27.39$42.53$17.52870
2008$27.80$41.57$18.01400
2009$25.16$37.76$18.16320
2010$28.32$41.81$17.89270
2011$25.75$36.85$17.71360
2012$25.26$35.42$17.85330
2013$23.74$32.81$17.64310
2014$40.11$54.55$18.05250
2015$40.03$54.37$17.94—
2016$41.44$55.59$18.70260
2017$35.29$46.35$19.59200
2018$37.93$48.63$20.93230
2019$35.48$44.68$21.85500
2020$35.41$44.05$22.61580
2021$36.50$43.37$23.24550
2022$38.56$42.42$23.91810
2023$40.58$42.88$25.31510
2024$39.92$40.97$26.93320
2025$45.09$45.09$27.72270

In today's dollars, the median plasterer wage in Illinois changed by -17.1% over the last ten years of data and by +0.9% since 2019.

Are there more plasterer jobs in Illinois?

0.0Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.4× the US share, 19th of 26 states

BLS counted 270 plasterers in Illinois in May 2025, an estimate with a relative standard error of 39%. With fewer than 3,000 jobs or a wide margin of error, year-to-year changes are within the survey's noise and are not shown as a trend.

Outlook for plasterers in Illinois

+4.1%Projected growth in Illinois2024–2034, state agency
20Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
320Jobs in 2024330 projected for 2034
+2.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Illinois's labor market agency projects the number of plasterers in the state to change by +4.1% between 2024 and 2034, from 320 to 330, with about 20 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 270 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 plasterers in Illinois

On federally funded construction in Illinois, contractors must pay plasterers at least the Davis-Bacon rate for the county. 101 of the 101 counties with a Building rate use a union contract rate (typical package $62.05 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $45.09.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ILAdams: $62.05 (union)Alexander: $62.72 (union)Bond: $62.05 (union)Boone: $62.05 (union)Brown: $62.05 (union)Bureau: $62.05 (union)Calhoun: $62.05 (union)Carroll: $62.05 (union)Cass: $62.05 (union)Champaign: $62.72 (union)Christian: $62.72 (union)Clark: $62.72 (union)Clay: $62.72 (union)Clinton: $62.05 (union)Coles: $62.72 (union)Cook: $68.90 (union)Crawford: $62.72 (union)Cumberland: $62.72 (union)DeKalb: $62.05 (union)De Witt: $62.72 (union)Douglas: $62.72 (union)DuPage: $91.82 (union)Edgar: $62.72 (union)Edwards: $62.72 (union)Effingham: $62.72 (union)Fayette: $62.72 (union)Ford: $62.72 (union)Franklin: $62.72 (union)Fulton: $62.05 (union)Gallatin: $62.72 (union)Greene: $62.05 (union)Grundy: $91.82 (union)Hamilton: $62.72 (union)Hancock: $62.05 (union)Hardin: $62.72 (union)Henderson: $62.05 (union)Henry: $62.05 (union)Iroquois: $62.72 (union)Jackson: $62.72 (union)Jasper: $62.72 (union)Jefferson: $62.72 (union)Jersey: $62.05 (union)Jo Daviess: $62.05 (union)Johnson: $62.72 (union)Kane: $91.82 (union)Kankakee: n/aKendall: $91.82 (union)Knox: $62.05 (union)Lake: $91.82 (union)LaSalle: $62.05 (union)Lawrence: $62.72 (union)Lee: $62.05 (union)Livingston: $62.05 (union)Logan: $62.05 (union)McDonough: $62.05 (union)McHenry: $91.82 (union)McLean: $62.05 (union)Macon: $57.01 (union)Macoupin: $62.05 (union)Madison: $62.05 (union)Marion: $62.72 (union)Marshall: $62.05 (union)Mason: $62.05 (union)Massac: $62.72 (union)Menard: $62.05 (union)Mercer: $62.05 (union)Monroe: $62.05 (union)Montgomery: $62.05 (union)Morgan: $62.05 (union)Moultrie: $62.72 (union)Ogle: $62.05 (union)Peoria: $61.07 (union)Perry: $62.72 (union)Piatt: $62.72 (union)Pike: $62.05 (union)Pope: $62.72 (union)Pulaski: $62.72 (union)Putnam: $62.05 (union)Randolph: $62.05 (union)Richland: $62.72 (union)Rock Island: $62.05 (union)St. Clair: $62.05 (union)Saline: $62.72 (union)Sangamon: $47.62 (union)Schuyler: $62.05 (union)Scott: $62.05 (union)Shelby: $62.72 (union)Stark: $62.05 (union)Stephenson: $62.05 (union)Tazewell: $61.07 (union)Union: $62.72 (union)Vermilion: $62.72 (union)Wabash: $62.72 (union)Warren: $62.05 (union)Washington: $62.05 (union)Wayne: $62.72 (union)White: $62.72 (union)Whiteside: $62.05 (union)Will: $91.82 (union)Williamson: $62.72 (union)Winnebago: $62.05 (union)Woodford: $62.05 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$62.05$62.72n/a
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for plasterers by county, Building construction. Hatched counties use a survey rate rather than a union contract.
Market median vs prevailing wage by countyMarket medianPrevailing (union)$20$40$60$80$100/hrDuPage (Chicago): market median $46.27, prevailing (union) $91.82, gap +$45.55DuPage (Chicago)+$45.55Bond (St. Louis): market median $38.58, prevailing (union) $62.05, gap +$23.47Bond (St. Louis)+$23.47Alexander (Illinois): market median $45.09, prevailing (union) $62.72, gap +$17.63Alexander (Illinois)+$17.63
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plasterers, metro counties in Illinois.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
DuPageUnion PLAS0011-014 2023-06-01$49.65$42.17$91.82IL20260008
GrundyUnion PLAS0011-014 2023-06-01$49.65$42.17$91.82IL20260008
KaneUnion PLAS0011-014 2023-06-01$49.65$42.17$91.82IL20260008
KendallUnion PLAS0011-014 2023-06-01$49.65$42.17$91.82IL20260008
LakeUnion PLAS0011-014 2023-06-01$49.65$42.17$91.82IL20260008
McHenryUnion PLAS0011-014 2023-06-01$49.65$42.17$91.82IL20260008
WillUnion PLAS0011-014 2023-06-01$49.65$42.17$91.82IL20260008
CookUnion PLAS0005-002 2015-07-01$42.25$26.65$68.90IL20260009
AlexanderUnion PLAS0018-001 2023-05-01$35.41$27.31$62.72IL20260002
ChampaignUnion PLAS0018-001 2023-05-01$35.41$27.31$62.72IL20260002
ChristianUnion PLAS0018-001 2023-05-01$35.41$27.31$62.72IL20260002
ClarkUnion PLAS0018-001 2023-05-01$35.41$27.31$62.72IL20260002
ClayUnion PLAS0018-001 2023-05-01$35.41$27.31$62.72IL20260002
ColesUnion PLAS0018-001 2023-05-01$35.41$27.31$62.72IL20260002
CrawfordUnion PLAS0018-001 2023-05-01$35.41$27.31$62.72IL20260002

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.

Keep comparing

Plasterer pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Illinois

More on Illinois

Questions this page answers

How much do plasterers make in Illinois?

The median plasterer in Illinois earned $45.09 an hour ($93,790 a year) in May 2025, 63% above the national median of $27.72. The middle half earn $36.68–$50.80; the top 10% earn more than $50.83.

Where does Illinois rank for plasterer pay?

Illinois ranks 4th of 28 states for plasterer pay, with a median of $45.09 an hour, and 4th after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (BEA price parity 100.0, US = 100).

What is the union plasterer rate in Illinois?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plasterers in 101 counties, with a typical package of $62.05 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plasterers work in Illinois?

BLS counted 270 plasterers in Illinois in May 2025, 0.0 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.36; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is plasterer work growing in Illinois?

Illinois's labor market agency projects +4.1% growth for plasterers between 2024 and 2034, from 320 to 330 jobs.

How many plasterer openings a year are there in Illinois?

Illinois projects about 20 openings a year for plasterers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 1,500 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Illinois and metro areas, SOC 47-2161. 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.