How much do construction laborers make in Illinois in 2026?

The median construction laborer in Illinois earns $60,690 a year, which works out to about $29.18 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That's a solid middle-of-the-road number, but the spread across the pay scale is wide enough that where you land matters a great deal.

At the 25th percentile, laborers bring in $46,040 annually, or roughly $22.13 an hour. These are typically workers who are newer to the trade, working for smaller contractors, or logging fewer hours over the course of a year due to seasonal layoffs. At the 75th percentile, earnings jump to $95,240 per year — about $45.79 an hour. That's more than double the entry-level figure, and it reflects what experienced, in-demand laborers can command on large commercial, infrastructure, or heavy civil projects.

The gap between the 25th and 75th percentile — nearly $49,200 a year — tells you something important: this trade rewards experience, specialization, and the ability to get on the right jobs. A laborer who stays on residential framing crews their whole career is going to see a very different ceiling than one who moves into pipeline work, concrete forming, demolition, or operating ground-support equipment on major highway projects.

Illinois has a heavy construction market anchored by the Chicago metro area. Projects tied to road and bridge work, utility infrastructure, transit expansion, and large-scale commercial development keep demand steady, especially from spring through late fall. Chicago, the collar counties, and the Quad Cities corridor tend to generate the most hours and the highest pay. Laborers in downstate markets — Springfield, Decatur, Carbondale — can still earn well, but the volume of work and the concentration of large contractors is lower, which shows up in the numbers.

Seasonality is real in Illinois. Construction slows significantly in winter, and a laborer's total annual earnings depend heavily on how many weeks they actually work. A worker earning $29.18 an hour who only logs 1,600 hours instead of 2,080 takes home closer to $46,700 — near the 25th percentile — even though their rate looks median. Getting on with contractors who have year-round work, whether interior work, utility projects, or heated-slab pours, protects your annual total.

Specialization is one of the fastest ways to push past median pay. Laborers certified in hazardous waste removal (HAZWOPER), traffic control, confined space entry, or concrete cutting bring extra value to contractors and can negotiate higher base rates. The same goes for laborers who become competent in operating skid steers, compactors, or light equipment — it keeps you on the clock when there's nothing to carry and puts you in a different conversation when the foreman is deciding who gets overtime.

Overtime is a meaningful income lever in this trade. A laborer at the median rate of $29.18 an hour earns $43.77 for every hour over 40 under federal overtime rules. Working just five hours of overtime per week for 30 weeks adds over $6,500 to annual earnings. On a busy infrastructure project or a tight-deadline commercial job, those hours are often available.

Some workers in Illinois may be covered by a collective bargaining agreement — check with your local for current rates.

The BLS OEWS figures used here are wage-only. They don't include the value of employer-paid benefits like health insurance, pension contributions, or paid time off. For laborers on larger projects or with established contractors, those benefits can represent a significant portion of total compensation that the hourly rate doesn't show.

All figures on this page come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release.