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Ironworkers in Illinois: what they earn
Structural Iron and Steel Workers in Illinois earned a median $101,850 a year in May 2025, $48.97 an hour. 2,740 people held the job, 0.4 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 62% above the national figure of $62,780, and Illinois ranks 4 of 50 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Illinois
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $31.17 | $64,830 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $39.30 | $81,750 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $48.97 | $101,850 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $58.00 | $120,640 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $59.83 | $124,450 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $47.44 | $98,680 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Pay by metro area in Illinois
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN employs the most ironworkers of the 6 metro areas based in Illinois that BLS publishes, 2,120, at a median $102,350 a year.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 2,120 | $102,350 | $64,620 | $124,530 |
| Rockford, IL | 190 | $100,290 | $60,200 | $114,730 |
| Peoria, IL | 90 | $80,060 | $63,470 | $98,320 |
| Decatur, IL | 40 | $64,830 | $64,830 | $99,540 |
| Springfield, IL | 40 | $81,750 | $51,390 | $83,090 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | 30 | $82,480 | $79,670 | $106,790 |
Metropolitan statistical areas as BLS publishes them in the same May 2025 estimates. A metro that crosses a state line is listed only under its primary state, so part of a neighboring state's metro can sit outside this table. Areas outside any metro are not shown. Listed under another state but reaching into Illinois: St. Louis, MO-IL and Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL.
Illinois against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | $120,840 | 2,050 |
| 2 | New Jersey | $113,220 | 1,060 |
| 3 | Washington | $107,660 | 850 |
| 4 | Illinois | $101,850 | 2,740 |
| 5 | Hawaii | $99,860 | 290 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | $98,320 | 360 |
| 7 | Oregon | $96,050 | 570 |
The complete ranking is on the Ironworkers page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $101,850 | $62,780 |
| Median hourly | $48.97 | $30.18 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $64,830 | $44,580 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $124,450 | $108,260 |
| Employed | 2,740 | 68,380 |
Apprenticeships in Illinois
U.S. Department of Labor records list 368 registered apprentices active in Illinois in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to structural iron and steel workers (SOC 47-2221). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023, the latest year the file holds in full, 175 apprentices started, at a median $25.22 an hour across the 175 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $42.15 an hour at completion (103 completers with an exit wage DOL counts).
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · What those wages come to at your hours a week → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Wages are DOL's own hourly figures in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in Illinois
Electricians ($99,560) · Plumbers and pipefitters ($99,950) · HVAC technicians ($77,410) · Welders ($51,320) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($60,320) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($108,120) · Elevator installers ($133,690) · Sheet metal workers ($86,630) · Carpenters ($79,000) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($89,980) · Auto service technicians ($49,170) · Diesel mechanics ($64,340) · Heavy equipment operators ($97,740) · Machinists ($58,520)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Illinois.
No state licensing records are sourced here for ironworkers. The steps into the trade are on the Ironworkers page. Numbers on this page are the May 2025 BLS estimates, apart from the apprenticeship figures, which are DOL's; see how the numbers are built.