Ironworker pay in Illinois
What ironworkers earn in Illinois: pay for the state and 8 metro areas, plus job counts and 10 listed training programs.
- $98,680Average across all experience levels (state)
- $64,830Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $101,850Median pay (state)
- $124,450Top 10% earn over
2,740 jobs in Illinois.
Pay by percentile
Ironworker pay in Illinois
Annual wages.
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $64,830 | $81,750 | $101,850 | $120,640 | $124,450 | $98,680 | 2,740 |
| United States | $44,580 | $49,880 | $62,780 | $82,660 | $108,260 | $70,280 | 68,380 |
Metro areas
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $64,620 | $83,630 | $102,350 | $121,760 | $124,530 | $100,620 | 2,120 |
| Rockford, IL | $60,200 | $78,800 | $100,290 | $106,320 | $114,730 | $92,900 | 190 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $79,670 | $79,850 | $82,480 | $104,910 | $106,790 | $88,440 | 30 |
| Springfield, IL | $51,390 | $75,030 | $81,750 | $81,750 | $83,090 | $76,990 | 40 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $50,380 | $62,940 | $81,640 | $86,670 | $97,970 | $78,360 | 670 |
| Peoria, IL | $63,470 | $76,310 | $80,060 | $97,250 | $98,320 | $81,890 | 90 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $58,810 | $66,410 | $79,090 | $89,560 | $105,170 | $79,680 | 90 |
| Decatur, IL | $64,830 | $64,830 | $64,830 | $73,490 | $99,540 | $72,880 | 40 |
At a glance
How Illinois compares
| Rank by average pay | 3 of 52 states and territories with a BLS estimate |
|---|---|
| Average vs U.S. average | +40.4% ($98,680 vs $70,280) |
| Median vs U.S. median | +62.2% ($101,850 vs $62,780) |
| Median hourly wage | $48.97 |
| Bottom 10% to top 10% | $64,830 to $124,450 |
| Jobs per 1,000 jobs in the state | 0.45 |
| Location quotient | 1.02 (about as concentrated as the U.S. average of 1.00) |
| Metro areas with a BLS estimate | 8; highest median Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $102,350, lowest Decatur, IL $64,830 |
Training
Schools and apprenticeships in Illinois
We matched 10 ironworker training options in Illinois: 0 school programs in the NCES IPEDS 2023-24 completions file and 10 registered apprenticeship sponsors in the DOL Office of Apprenticeship partner file. This site covers pay and careers; the school and apprenticeship directory lives on our sister site.
Veterans can compare gI Bill-approved welding programs on VeteranTradeSchools.com.
Sources
Figures as of BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates (released 2026-05-15) and BLS Employment Projections 2025–35 (released 2026-08-27).
- Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15 (news release USDL-26-0725; data tables). Cross-checked against the BLS Public Data API on 2026-11-04.
- Occupation: O*NET OnLine, 47-2221.00 Structural Iron and Steel Workers, retrieved 2026-11-04 (CC BY 4.0).
- Apprenticeship sponsors: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship: partner sponsors file, retrieved 2026-10-29 (Partner Finder).
- Schools & graduates: U.S. Department of Education, NCES IPEDS Completions 2023-24 (C2024_A) and Institutional Characteristics (HD2024), award year 2023-24, matched by 6-digit CIP code (completions file; CIP-SOC crosswalk).
- Tuition: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (Most Recent Cohorts: Institution + Field of Study), data updated 2026-10-15, matched by IPEDS unit ID (source).
Program listings are matched from public files by occupation code or organization name; they are not endorsements and we have not visited or tested any program. Confirm schedules, entry requirements and costs with the program. Compiled by the HighPayingTrades Data Team; last refreshed 2026-11-04.