Welder salary in Illinois
Median $24.67 an hour for 16,260 welders, May 2025, with the union scale by county, the job trend since 1999 and the state's own outlook.
Welder pay in Illinois: the full range
Illinois ranks 34th of 51 states for median welder pay, and 48th once adjusted for cost of living (the cost-of-living-adjusted median is $24.67). 16,260 welders work in the state. The top 10% earn 2.0× what the bottom 10% earn.
| Career stage (approximate) | Hourly | Annual | Where it sits in the distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprentice / entry level | $18.70 – $22.36 | $38,890 – $46,500 | roughly the 10th to 25th percentile |
| Journeyman | $22.36 – $29.58 | $46,500 – $61,520 | the middle half, around the median |
| Master, foreman or specialist | $29.58 – $36.89 | $61,520 – $76,730 | the 75th to 90th percentile and above |
Where does your pay fall?
Welder pay by metro in Illinois
| Metro | 10th | Median $/hr | Cost-of-living adjusted | 90th | Jobs | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria | $22.35 | $28.34 | $31.07 | $38.43 | 1,230 | 15% above |
| Decatur | $22.60 | $27.73 | $31.37 | $31.83 | 200 | 12% above |
| Chicago | $18.81 | $25.31 | $24.43 | $35.79 | 9,320 | 3% above |
| St. Louis | $18.64 | $24.83 | $26.11 | $34.68 | 2,820 | 1% above |
| Rockford | $19.19 | $24.14 | $26.18 | $34.00 | 870 | 2% below |
| Springfield | $16.99 | $23.97 | $25.86 | $34.75 | 100 | 3% below |
| Davenport | $18.88 | $23.38 | $26.24 | $34.59 | 1,240 | 5% below |
| Champaign | $18.87 | $23.37 | $25.21 | $30.14 | 100 | 5% below |
| Cape Girardeau | $18.25 | $23.35 | $27.12 | $28.50 | 170 | 5% below |
| Paducah | $18.89 | $23.35 | $27.12 | $32.01 | 310 | 5% below |
| Kankakee | $17.42 | $22.82 | $23.67 | $34.19 | 230 | 7% below |
| Bloomington | $17.30 | $22.69 | $24.27 | $27.98 | 70 | 8% below |
Cost-of-living adjusted: median divided by the BEA regional price parity for the metro (2024, US = 100).
Welder wages in Illinois over time
Table
| Year | Illinois $/hr | In 2025 $ | US $/hr | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | $12.86 | $24.85 | $12.58 | 18,690 |
| 2000 | $13.42 | $25.09 | $13.13 | 19,050 |
| 2001 | $13.94 | $25.34 | $13.70 | 16,470 |
| 2002 | $14.68 | $26.27 | $14.02 | 14,260 |
| 2003 | $15.13 | $26.47 | $14.25 | 13,630 |
| 2004 | $15.37 | $26.20 | $14.72 | 13,330 |
| 2005 | $15.32 | $25.25 | $14.90 | 13,360 |
| 2006 | $15.09 | $24.10 | $15.10 | 16,110 |
| 2007 | $15.61 | $24.24 | $15.51 | 16,510 |
| 2008 | $16.12 | $24.10 | $16.13 | 16,810 |
| 2009 | $16.32 | $24.49 | $16.71 | 14,710 |
| 2010 | $16.40 | $24.21 | $17.04 | 13,600 |
| 2011 | $17.07 | $24.43 | $17.27 | 13,950 |
| 2012 | $17.41 | $24.41 | $17.45 | 12,560 |
| 2013 | $17.15 | $23.70 | $17.66 | 14,440 |
| 2014 | $17.03 | $23.16 | $17.99 | 14,340 |
| 2015 | $17.33 | $23.54 | $18.34 | 15,530 |
| 2016 | $18.16 | $24.36 | $18.94 | 13,080 |
| 2017 | $18.88 | $24.80 | $19.35 | 12,950 |
| 2018 | $19.28 | $24.72 | $19.89 | 12,530 |
| 2019 | $19.67 | $24.77 | $20.43 | 13,450 |
| 2020 | $20.30 | $25.25 | $21.25 | 14,390 |
| 2021 | $21.44 | $25.47 | $22.60 | 16,450 |
| 2022 | $22.43 | $24.67 | $22.86 | 15,560 |
| 2023 | $22.63 | $23.91 | $23.53 | 17,280 |
| 2024 | $23.91 | $24.54 | $24.52 | 17,340 |
| 2025 | $24.67 | $24.67 | $25.84 | 16,260 |
In today's dollars, the median welder wage in Illinois changed by +4.8% over the last ten years of data and by -0.4% since 2019.
Are there more welder jobs in Illinois?
Since 1999, the number of welders counted in Illinois has changed by -13.0%, against +1.5% for the country as a whole. Since 2019 the state count changed by +20.9%.
Table
| Year | Illinois jobs | Illinois index | US index |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 18,690 | 100 | 100 |
| 2000 | 19,050 | 102 | 101 |
| 2001 | 16,470 | 88 | 93 |
| 2002 | 14,260 | 76 | 88 |
| 2003 | 13,630 | 73 | 86 |
| 2004 | 13,330 | 71 | 84 |
| 2005 | 13,360 | 72 | 87 |
| 2006 | 16,110 | 86 | 92 |
| 2007 | 16,510 | 88 | 94 |
| 2008 | 16,810 | 90 | 96 |
| 2009 | 14,710 | 79 | 87 |
| 2010 | 13,600 | 73 | 77 |
| 2011 | 13,950 | 75 | 77 |
| 2012 | 12,560 | 67 | 80 |
| 2013 | 14,440 | 77 | 86 |
| 2014 | 14,340 | 77 | 90 |
| 2015 | 15,530 | 83 | 94 |
| 2016 | 13,080 | 70 | 93 |
| 2017 | 12,950 | 69 | 92 |
| 2018 | 12,530 | 67 | 95 |
| 2019 | 13,450 | 72 | 100 |
| 2020 | 14,390 | 77 | 97 |
| 2021 | 16,450 | 88 | 97 |
| 2022 | 15,560 | 83 | 100 |
| 2023 | 17,280 | 92 | 103 |
| 2024 | 17,340 | 93 | 103 |
| 2025 | 16,260 | 87 | 102 |
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 welders in Illinois
Illinois's labor market agency projects the number of welders in the state to change by -1.8% between 2024 and 2034, from 18,180 to 17,850, with about 1,710 openings a year. Nationally, BLS projects +2.4% over 2025-35. State counts include the self-employed, so the base is larger than the 16,260 counted by the BLS employer survey.
Source: Illinois labor market information agency via Projections Central, 2024–2034 long-term projections (state projections page).
Is construction work growing in Illinois?
Keep comparing
Welder pay in neighbouring states
Other trades in Illinois
More on Illinois
Questions this page answers
How much do welders make in Illinois?
The median welder in Illinois earned $24.67 an hour ($51,320 a year) in May 2025, 5% below the national median of $25.84. The middle half earn $22.36–$29.58; the top 10% earn more than $36.89.
Where does Illinois rank for welder pay?
Illinois ranks 34th of 51 states for welder pay, with a median of $24.67 an hour, and 48th after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (BEA price parity 100.0, US = 100).
What is the union welder rate in Illinois?
Davis-Bacon determinations do not list a welder classification for most Illinois counties, or the trade is not covered; the BLS wage figures above are the best available measure.
How many welders work in Illinois?
BLS counted 16,260 welders in Illinois in May 2025, 2.7 per 1,000 jobs (location quotient 1.00; 1.0 is the national average concentration).
Is welder work growing in Illinois?
The BLS employer survey count of welders in Illinois went from 15,530 in 2015 to 16,260 in 2025, +4.7%, and +20.9% since 2019. Illinois's labor market agency projects -1.8% growth for welders between 2024 and 2034, from 18,180 to 17,850 jobs.
How many welder openings a year are there in Illinois?
Illinois projects about 1,710 openings a year for welders over 2024–2034, counting both new positions and replacements for people who retire or change occupation. Nationally BLS projects about 40,300 a year.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Illinois and metro areas, SOC 51-4121. 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.