How much do hazardous materials removal workers make in Illinois in 2026?

Hazardous materials removal workers in Illinois earn a median wage of $61,330 per year, which works out to roughly $29.49 per hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That puts Illinois hazmat workers in a trade with real earning power, backed by strict federal licensing requirements that limit who can legally do the work.

The pay spread across experience levels is significant. Workers at the 25th percentile — typically newer to the trade or working in lower-demand markets — earn around $49,530 per year ($23.81/hr). Hit the 75th percentile and you're at $75,880 annually ($36.48/hr). That's a $26,350 gap between the lower and upper quartiles, which tells you there's meaningful room to grow your pay as you build certifications and years on the job.

What makes hazmat removal different from most skilled trades is the regulatory floor. Federal law requires workers handling asbestos, lead, mold, or radiological materials to hold specific EPA and OSHA certifications before touching a job site. In Illinois, the EPA enforces asbestos abatement licensing under the Illinois Asbestos Abatement Act, and workers typically need both an initial training course and annual refresher certifications to stay current. That credentialing process is a direct driver of pay — workers who hold multiple certifications (asbestos, lead, mold, and confined space entry, for example) are consistently more valuable to contractors than those holding only one.

Geography inside Illinois matters. The Chicago metro area and its surrounding collar counties generate the highest concentration of hazmat work in the state, driven by the ongoing renovation and demolition of older commercial and industrial buildings. Much of the city's building stock predates modern material standards, meaning asbestos and lead abatement demand stays relatively steady regardless of broader construction cycles. Downstate markets — Peoria, Springfield, Rockford — do have hazmat work, particularly at industrial facilities and older government buildings, but the volume and the pay rates tend to run lower than the metro.

Overtime is a real factor in this trade. Hazmat projects often run on tight schedules because a building can't resume normal operations until the abatement clears air quality testing. That urgency pushes contractors to authorize overtime, and workers in the Chicago market who are willing to work extended hours or weekend shifts can push their effective annual earnings well above the 75th percentile figure. Emergency response callouts — a chemical spill, an unexpected asbestos discovery mid-demolition — pay premium rates and can add meaningful dollars to a worker's annual total.

Specialty also drives pay within hazmat work. Lead abatement, radiological decontamination, and emergency spill response tend to pay more than standard asbestos removal, largely because the hazard level is higher and the worker pool with the right credentials is smaller. Workers who invest in DOT hazardous materials handling certification, HAZWOPER 40-hour training, and confined space rescue qualifications are positioning themselves for the higher end of the pay scale.

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

The BLS OEWS figures here represent straight-time wages and do not capture overtime earnings, shift differentials, per diem pay for travel work, or the value of employer-paid benefits like health coverage or pension contributions. For workers in the field full-time with good overtime access, total compensation can run meaningfully higher than the figures shown. Use the percentile data as a baseline for evaluating job offers and negotiating pay, not as a ceiling.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025.