Estimated — not yet source-verified.Estimated - not yet source-verified. This cost range is a general knowledge estimate we have not yet confirmed against current regional pricing data. Treat it as a rough guide only and get local contractor quotes.
Contractor costs in Illinois
Regional labor cost ranges for common DIY projects in Illinois. These are estimates for planning purposes - always get multiple quotes from licensed local contractors.
Construction labor wages in Illinois
Official BLS data · OEWS 2024The actual pay range for 19 building trades in Illinois — 10th percentile, median, and 90th percentile hourly wages straight from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the verified labor-cost floor behind the project estimates below, not a national average.
| Trade | 10th %ile | Median /hr | 90th %ile | Employed in IL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction supervisors | $27.23 | $48.25 | $63.25 | 19,690 |
| Carpenters | $19.75 | $36.73 | $57.12 | 24,930 |
| Cement masons & concrete finishers | $20.64 | $37.23 | $51.27 | 5,980 |
| Drywall & ceiling-tile installers | $17.84 | $33.56 | $53.20 | 750 |
| Tapers | $38.00 | $52.65 | $54.52 | 380 |
| Tile & stone setters | $20.92 | $25.69 | $39.82 | 910 |
| Floor layers (non-carpet) | $24.32 | $33.29 | $54.35 | 900 |
| Carpet installers | $14.15 | $20.77 | $37.61 | 710 |
| Painters | $18.05 | $29.99 | $52.51 | 6,700 |
| Glaziers | $22.87 | $28.84 | $52.52 | 2,180 |
| Insulation workers | $18.03 | $23.96 | $52.58 | 1,060 |
| Plasterers & stucco masons | $29.97 | $39.92 | $50.58 | 320 |
| Brickmasons & blockmasons | $23.79 | $41.51 | $52.20 | 2,850 |
| Roofers | $21.80 | $32.18 | $49.84 | 6,070 |
| Electricians | $23.45 | $46.33 | $57.75 | 22,880 |
| Plumbers & pipefitters | $23.02 | $46.25 | $59.28 | 18,730 |
| HVAC technicians | $21.40 | $34.44 | $53.16 | 8,510 |
| Equipment operators | $24.44 | $46.62 | $57.79 | 11,690 |
| Construction laborers | $18.65 | $31.20 | $50.35 | 31,960 |
How building-trade pay has moved since 2019
Median hourly wage by year for Illinois's headline trades — a 6-year OEWS series (2019–2024) that deepens with each annual BLS release.
$33.22 in 2019 → $36.73 in 2024
$39.17 in 2019 → $46.33 in 2024
$43.85 in 2019 → $46.25 in 2024
$27.34 in 2019 → $31.20 in 2024
State-specific BLS wage signals
These comparisons are calculated from the same official OEWS 2024 rows above, so they vary by Illinois's actual trade mix instead of repeating a national average. These are worker wages, not contractor billing rates - a contractor's quote adds overhead, insurance, equipment, and margin.
Highest median wage in state
Tapers
$52.65/hr
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Largest reported construction trade
Construction laborers
31,960 employed
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Biggest premium vs trade median
Tapers
+$21.43/hr vs $31.21
Median across states with this BLS trade row, OEWS 2024
Fastest median-wage growth
Drywall & ceiling-tile installers
+ 61% since 2019
Source: BLS OEWS 2019-2024
Pending wage detail pages for review
These generated detail pages are noindex and excluded from sitemap until the YMYL data audit approves them.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS 2019–2024. These are worker wages, not contractor billing rates — a contractor's quote adds overhead, insurance, equipment, and margin (commonly 1.5–3× the base wage).
Find a contractor in Illinois
When a project is beyond DIY scale, get quotes from licensed local contractors. Always verify contractor license status with Illinois's contractor licensing board.