How much do sheet metal workers make in Illinois in 2026?

The median sheet metal worker in Illinois earns $86,630 a year, which works out to roughly $41.65 an hour based on a standard 2,080-hour work year. That puts Illinois sheet metal workers well above what many trades earn in the Midwest, reflecting the technical skill this work demands — cutting, fabricating, and installing ductwork, roofing systems, and architectural metal products all require precision that takes years to develop.

Pay spreads wide in this trade. Workers at the 25th percentile — typically those still building their hours or working in lower-demand areas — bring in $59,400 annually, about $28.56 an hour. Get to the 75th percentile and you're looking at $105,330 a year, or $50.64 an hour. That's a $45,930 gap between the bottom quarter and the top quarter, which tells you that experience, specialization, and location within Illinois matter a great deal.

Chicago and the surrounding collar counties drive a significant share of that upper-end pay. The metro area has one of the densest concentrations of commercial construction, industrial facilities, and HVAC contractors in the country. Sheet metal workers servicing large-scale commercial HVAC systems or working on high-rise curtain wall and roofing projects in the city will generally command wages toward the top of the range. Workers in downstate Illinois — Springfield, Peoria, Rockford — tend to see rates closer to the median or slightly below, though lower cost of living partially offsets that difference.

Overtime is a real factor in this trade. Commercial and industrial construction projects frequently run on tight timelines, and HVAC installation work often spikes in spring and fall when contractors are racing to get systems commissioned before occupancy deadlines. A worker earning the median $41.65 an hour who logs 200 hours of overtime in a year — not unusual on a busy commercial project — adds roughly $12,500 to their annual take-home at time-and-a-half. That's why some journeymen-level workers in busy years clear well above $100,000 even if their base wage doesn't reflect it.

Entering the trade typically means completing a five-year apprenticeship that combines on-the-job hours with classroom instruction covering blueprint reading, geometry, and CAD software increasingly used for duct layout. Apprentice pay starts lower — often in the $18–$22/hr range depending on employer and location — and steps up at set intervals. Once you've completed your apprenticeship and hit journeyman status, your pay should move toward the median or above it, depending on your specialty and employer.

Specialty work is one of the clearest paths to the 75th percentile and beyond. Workers who develop skills in industrial sheet metal fabrication, architectural metals, precision HVAC work for data centers or hospitals, or who move into estimating and project coordination, consistently command wages above the midpoint. Welding certifications — especially for stainless steel or aluminum — add value that most employers will pay for directly.

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

These figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, published May 2025. The BLS samples employers across the state and reports wages for workers actually on payroll during the survey period. What the data doesn't capture: cash paid for weekend emergency calls, per diem on travel jobs, employer contributions to health insurance or retirement plans, or income from side fabrication work. Total compensation for many sheet metal workers in Illinois runs higher than the wage figures alone suggest.