Skilled Wages

Plumber salary in Illinois

Median $48.05 an hour for 16,750 plumbers, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.

$48.05/hrMedian hourly wageIllinois, May data
$99,950/yrMedian annual payfull-time equivalent
$24.16 – $60.7910th to 90th percentilehourly range
16,750Jobs countedemployer survey

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

Plumber pay in Illinois: the full range

Wage percentiles, IllinoisMarket wage, 10th-90th pctU.S. reference$0$20$40$60$80/hrIllinois: 10th $24.16 · 25th $34.65 · median $48.05 · 75th $57.72 · 90th $60.79Illinois$48.05$24.16$60.79United States: 10th $21.22 · 25th $24.13 · median $30.67 · 75th $40.92 · 90th $52.13United States$30.67
Hourly wage percentiles for plumbers: Illinois vs United States, May 2025.

Illinois ranks 2nd of 51 states for median plumber pay, and 1st once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $48.05). 16,750 plumbers work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.5× what the bottom 10% earn.

Career stage (approximate)HourlyAnnualWhere it sits in the distribution
Apprentice / entry level$24.16 – $34.65$50,250 – $72,070roughly the 10th to 25th percentile
Journeyman$34.65 – $57.72$72,070 – $120,050the middle half, around the median
Master, foreman or specialist$57.72 – $60.79$120,050 – $126,430the 75th to 90th percentile and above

Where does your pay fall?



Plumber pay by metro in Illinois

Ranked median wages$0$20$40$60/hrChicago: $49.70Chicago$49.70Champaign: $45.93Champaign$45.93Springfield: $45.37Springfield$45.37Rockford: $45.31Rockford$45.31Peoria: $40.91Peoria$40.91Paducah: $39.48Paducah$39.48Kankakee: $39.24Kankakee$39.24Bloomington: $37.36Bloomington$37.36St. Louis: $37.02St. Louis$37.02Decatur: $36.90Decatur$36.90Davenport: $36.69Davenport$36.69Cape Girardeau: $31.34Cape Girardeau$31.34
Median hourly wage for plumbers by metro area in Illinois, May 2025.
Metro10thMedian $/hrCost-of-living adjusted90thJobsvs state
Chicago$25.94$49.70$47.97$61.1512,7503% above
Champaign$24.37$45.93$49.55$54.263904% below
Springfield$23.27$45.37$48.94$58.292206% below
Rockford$24.48$45.31$49.14$57.764406% below
Peoria$22.98$40.91$44.86$56.4056015% below
Paducah$22.28$39.48$45.85$45.8638018% below
Kankakee$18.52$39.24$40.71$57.8311018% below
Bloomington$22.69$37.36$39.96$49.3918022% below
St. Louis$22.61$37.02$38.93$58.294,06023% below
Decatur$23.90$36.90$41.74$55.9918023% below
Davenport$22.39$36.69$41.18$48.5268024% below
Cape Girardeau$19.28$31.34$36.40$50.0312035% below

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

Plumber wages in Illinois over time

Illinois, 1999-2025IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages$10$20$30$40$50$60200020052010201520202025$48.05Illinois$30.67United States
Median hourly wage for plumbers, Illinois vs United States, 1999–2025, nominal dollars.
Table
YearIllinois $/hrIn 2025 $US $/hrJobs
1999$27.10$52.37$17.4117,910
2000$27.74$51.86$18.1921,200
2001$27.97$50.85$18.6119,070
2002$29.51$52.81$19.3120,000
2003$30.31$53.03$19.6919,170
2004$30.46$51.91$19.8517,530
2005$30.64$50.51$20.2718,500
2006$32.07$51.21$20.5618,850
2007$33.33$51.75$21.2019,530
2008$35.82$53.56$21.9419,040
2009$33.93$50.92$22.2719,410
2010$33.08$48.84$22.4317,200
2011$32.58$46.63$22.9617,090
2012$33.32$46.72$23.6213,160
2013$33.48$46.27$24.1314,010
2014$36.07$49.05$24.3616,040
2015$36.56$49.66$24.3416,620
2016$38.53$51.68$24.7415,860
2017$39.60$52.01$25.2816,470
2018$40.57$52.01$25.9216,300
2019$43.85$55.22$26.5217,570
2020$44.74$55.65$27.0816,520
2021$45.71$54.31$28.7915,790
2022$47.29$52.02$28.8914,320
2023$45.43$48.00$29.5916,940
2024$46.25$47.47$30.2718,730
2025$48.05$48.05$30.6716,750

In today's dollars, the median plumber wage in Illinois changed by -3.2% over the last ten years of data and by -13.0% since 2019.

Are there more plumber jobs in Illinois?

-4.7%Jobs since 201917,570 then, 16,750 in 2025
+0.8%Jobs over 10 years2015 to 2025, employer survey
2.8Jobs per 1,000 in the stateconcentration 0.9× the US share, 41st of 51 states

Since 1999, the number of plumbers counted in Illinois has changed by -6.5%, against +12.7% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by -4.7%.

Plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters in Illinois vs United States, 1999 = 100IllinoisUnited StatesSOC 2010SOC 2018 / Method changeExact wages6080100120140200020052010201520202025113United States94Illinois
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
199917,910100100
200021,200118106
200119,070106106
200220,000112106
200319,170107105
200417,53098103
200518,500103102
200618,850105106
200719,530109105
200819,040106106
200919,41010897
201017,2009687
201117,0909584
201213,1607482
201314,0107885
201416,0409090
201516,6209395
201615,86089100
201716,47092104
201816,30091106
201917,57098107
202016,52092101
202115,79088101
202214,32080104
202316,94095106
202418,730105110
202516,75094113

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 plumbers in Illinois

+5.2%Projected growth in Illinois2024–2034, state agency
1,730Openings per yeargrowth plus replacements
19,580Jobs in 202420,610 projected for 2034
+6.8%US projected growth2025-35, BLS, for comparison

Illinois's labor market agency projects the number of plumbers in the state to change by +5.2% between 2024 and 2034, from 19,580 to 20,610, with about 1,730 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +6.8% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 16,750 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 plumbers in Illinois

On federally funded construction in Illinois, contractors must pay plumbers 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 $73.68 an hour including fringe); the rest use a survey rate (typical —). The market median for the state is $48.05.

Union contract rateSurvey rate
Union / prevailing package, $/hr, ILAdams: $66.54 (union)Alexander: $93.67 (union)Bond: $66.54 (union)Boone: $66.54 (union)Brown: $66.54 (union)Bureau: $66.54 (union)Calhoun: $66.54 (union)Carroll: $66.54 (union)Cass: $66.54 (union)Champaign: $93.67 (union)Christian: $93.67 (union)Clark: $93.67 (union)Clay: $93.67 (union)Clinton: $66.54 (union)Coles: $93.67 (union)Cook: $99.52 (union)Crawford: $93.67 (union)Cumberland: $93.67 (union)DeKalb: $66.54 (union)De Witt: $93.67 (union)Douglas: $93.67 (union)DuPage: $99.52 (union)Edgar: $93.67 (union)Edwards: $93.67 (union)Effingham: $93.67 (union)Fayette: $93.67 (union)Ford: $93.67 (union)Franklin: $93.67 (union)Fulton: $66.54 (union)Gallatin: $93.67 (union)Greene: $66.54 (union)Grundy: $99.52 (union)Hamilton: $93.67 (union)Hancock: $66.54 (union)Hardin: $93.67 (union)Henderson: $66.54 (union)Henry: $66.54 (union)Iroquois: $93.67 (union)Jackson: $93.67 (union)Jasper: $93.67 (union)Jefferson: $93.67 (union)Jersey: $66.54 (union)Jo Daviess: $66.54 (union)Johnson: $93.67 (union)Kane: $99.52 (union)Kankakee: $93.67 (union)Kendall: $99.52 (union)Knox: $66.54 (union)Lake: $99.52 (union)LaSalle: $66.54 (union)Lawrence: $93.67 (union)Lee: $66.54 (union)Livingston: $66.54 (union)Logan: $66.54 (union)McDonough: $66.54 (union)McHenry: $99.52 (union)McLean: $66.54 (union)Macon: $63.59 (union)Macoupin: $66.54 (union)Madison: $65.00 (union)Marion: $93.67 (union)Marshall: $66.54 (union)Mason: $66.54 (union)Massac: $93.67 (union)Menard: $66.54 (union)Mercer: $66.54 (union)Monroe: $66.54 (union)Montgomery: $66.54 (union)Morgan: $66.54 (union)Moultrie: $93.67 (union)Ogle: $66.54 (union)Peoria: $73.68 (union)Perry: $93.67 (union)Piatt: $93.67 (union)Pike: $66.54 (union)Pope: $93.67 (union)Pulaski: $93.67 (union)Putnam: $66.54 (union)Randolph: $66.54 (union)Richland: $93.67 (union)Rock Island: $66.54 (union)St. Clair: $65.00 (union)Saline: $93.67 (union)Sangamon: $69.60 (union)Schuyler: $66.54 (union)Scott: $66.54 (union)Shelby: $93.67 (union)Stark: $66.54 (union)Stephenson: $66.54 (union)Tazewell: $73.68 (union)Union: $93.67 (union)Vermilion: $93.67 (union)Wabash: $93.67 (union)Warren: $66.54 (union)Washington: $66.54 (union)Wayne: $93.67 (union)White: $93.67 (union)Whiteside: $66.54 (union)Will: $99.52 (union)Williamson: $93.67 (union)Winnebago: $66.54 (union)Woodford: $66.54 (union)Union / prevailing package, $/hr$66.54$93.67
Davis-Bacon base + fringe for plumbers 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$120/hrAlexander (Cape Girardeau): market median $31.34, prevailing (union) $93.67, gap +$62.33Alexander (Cape Girardeau)+$62.33Kankakee (Kankakee): market median $39.24, prevailing (union) $93.67, gap +$54.43Kankakee (Kankakee)+$54.43Massac (Paducah): market median $39.48, prevailing (union) $93.67, gap +$54.19Massac (Paducah)+$54.19Cook (Chicago): market median $49.70, prevailing (union) $99.52, gap +$49.82Cook (Chicago)+$49.82Champaign (Champaign): market median $45.93, prevailing (union) $93.67, gap +$47.74Champaign (Champaign)+$47.74Peoria (Peoria): market median $40.91, prevailing (union) $73.68, gap +$32.77Peoria (Peoria)+$32.77Henry (Davenport): market median $36.69, prevailing (union) $66.54, gap +$29.85Henry (Davenport)+$29.85Bond (St. Louis): market median $37.02, prevailing (union) $66.54, gap +$29.52Bond (St. Louis)+$29.52McLean (Bloomington): market median $37.36, prevailing (union) $66.54, gap +$29.18McLean (Bloomington)+$29.18Macon (Decatur): market median $36.90, prevailing (union) $63.59, gap +$26.69Macon (Decatur)+$26.69Sangamon (Springfield): market median $45.37, prevailing (union) $69.60, gap +$24.23Sangamon (Springfield)+$24.23Boone (Rockford): market median $45.31, prevailing (union) $66.54, gap +$21.23Boone (Rockford)+$21.23
Market median (BLS metro wage) vs the Davis-Bacon package (base + fringe) for plumbers, metro counties in Illinois.
CountyRate sourceBaseFringeTotalDetermination
CookUnion PLUM0130-001 2025-06-01$60.50$39.02$99.52IL20260009
DuPageUnion PLUM0130-002 2025-06-01$60.50$39.02$99.52IL20260008
GrundyUnion PLUM0130-002 2025-06-01$60.50$39.02$99.52IL20260008
KaneUnion PLUM0130-002 2025-06-01$60.50$39.02$99.52IL20260008
KendallUnion PLUM0130-002 2025-06-01$60.50$39.02$99.52IL20260008
LakeUnion PLUM0130-002 2025-06-01$60.50$39.02$99.52IL20260008
McHenryUnion PLUM0130-002 2025-06-01$60.50$39.02$99.52IL20260008
WillUnion PLUM0130-002 2025-06-01$60.50$39.02$99.52IL20260008
AlexanderUnion PLUM0130-003 2025-06-01$55.40$38.27$93.67IL20260002
ChampaignUnion PLUM0130-003 2025-06-01$55.40$38.27$93.67IL20260002
ChristianUnion PLUM0130-003 2025-06-01$55.40$38.27$93.67IL20260002
ClarkUnion PLUM0130-003 2025-06-01$55.40$38.27$93.67IL20260002
ClayUnion PLUM0130-003 2025-06-01$55.40$38.27$93.67IL20260002
ColesUnion PLUM0130-003 2025-06-01$55.40$38.27$93.67IL20260002
CrawfordUnion PLUM0130-003 2025-06-01$55.40$38.27$93.67IL20260002

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 plumbing, heating and air-conditioning contractors establishments by county (all employees, not just plumbers), 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 County3865,922$104,818$2,016
Stephenson County18369$102,060$1,963
Winnebago County811,104$98,085$1,886
Boone County14107$97,154$1,868
Cook County1,33413,727$96,991$1,865
Peoria County571,185$95,803$1,842
Kane County2041,800$95,236$1,831
Lake County2562,242$93,138$1,791
Grundy County23316$90,795$1,746
McHenry County1621,456$89,729$1,726
Will County2642,010$88,263$1,697
St. Clair County62636$88,253$1,697

Keep comparing

Plumber pay in neighbouring states

Other trades in Illinois

More on Illinois

Questions this page answers

How much do plumbers make in Illinois?

The median plumber in Illinois earned $48.05 an hour ($99,950 a year) in May 2025, 57% above the national median of $30.67. The middle half earn $34.65–$57.72; the top 10% earn more than $60.79.

Where does Illinois rank for plumber pay?

Illinois ranks 2nd of 51 states for plumber pay, with a median of $48.05 an hour, and 1st after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (BEA price parity 100.0, US = 100).

What is the union plumber rate in Illinois?

Davis-Bacon determinations list a union contract rate for plumbers in 102 counties, with a typical package of $73.68 an hour including fringe benefits; see the county table above.

How many plumbers work in Illinois?

BLS counted 16,750 plumbers in Illinois in May 2025, 2.8 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 0.92; 1.0 is the national average concentration).

Is plumber work growing in Illinois?

The BLS employer survey count of plumbers in Illinois went from 16,620 in 2015 to 16,750 in 2025, +0.8%, and -4.7% since 2019. Illinois's labor market agency projects +5.2% growth for plumbers between 2024 and 2034, from 19,580 to 20,610 jobs.

How many plumber openings a year are there in Illinois?

Illinois projects about 1,730 openings a year for plumbers over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 42,000 a year.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Illinois and metro areas, SOC 47-2152. 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.