Illinois
Welder pay in Illinois
What welders earn in Illinois: BLS OEWS May 2025 pay for the state and 12 metro areas, plus job counts and 102 listed training programs.
- $55,930Average pay (state)
- $38,890Entry-level / bottom 10%
- $51,320Median pay (state)
- $76,730Top 10% earn over
16,260 jobs in Illinois · 102 listed programs. Average pay across all experience levels (BLS OEWS May 2025).
BLS wage data
Welder pay in Illinois
Annual wages from the BLS OEWS May 2025 estimates, released 2026-05-15.
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $38,890 | $46,500 | $51,320 | $61,520 | $76,730 | $55,930 | 16,260 |
| United States | $39,240 | $46,790 | $53,750 | $63,010 | $77,530 | $56,760 | 416,210 |
Metro areas
| Area | 10th pct | 25th pct | Median | 75th pct | 90th pct | Mean | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria, IL | $46,480 | $50,050 | $58,960 | $65,920 | $79,930 | $61,580 | 1,230 |
| Decatur, IL | $47,020 | $48,840 | $57,670 | $62,760 | $66,200 | $58,230 | 200 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $39,130 | $46,270 | $52,650 | $61,750 | $74,450 | $56,180 | 9,320 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $38,770 | $46,630 | $51,640 | $60,560 | $72,140 | $54,840 | 2,820 |
| Rockford, IL | $39,920 | $45,190 | $50,200 | $61,000 | $70,710 | $53,380 | 870 |
| Springfield, IL | $35,340 | $43,200 | $49,860 | $57,440 | $72,290 | $52,990 | 100 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $39,280 | $47,270 | $48,630 | $60,000 | $71,950 | $53,840 | 1,240 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $39,250 | $45,040 | $48,610 | $57,020 | $62,690 | $51,710 | 100 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $37,970 | $44,160 | $48,580 | $54,580 | $59,280 | $49,500 | 170 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $39,300 | $44,550 | $48,560 | $58,800 | $66,580 | $52,270 | 310 |
| Kankakee, IL | $36,230 | $40,490 | $47,460 | $58,590 | $71,110 | $50,870 | 230 |
| Bloomington, IL | $35,990 | $38,520 | $47,180 | $57,220 | $58,190 | $47,750 | 70 |
Find training
Looking for a school or apprenticeship?
This page covers pay and job outlook. Our sister site RegisteredTradeSchools.com keeps the training directory for welders: registered apprenticeship sponsors, how to apply, and school routes.
Programs
Top training programs in Illinois
We matched 102 programs in Illinois: 102 school programs (IPEDS 2023-24) and 0 registered apprenticeship sponsors (DOL). The 10 below are schools with published tuition first; the full directory is on RegisteredTradeSchools.com (links above).
| Program / provider | Location | Type | Graduates 2023-24 | Tuition | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Hawk College Welding Technology/Welder | Moline, IL | Certificate (1-2 years) | 10 | $5,220–$8,100 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Black Hawk College Welding Technology/Welder | Moline, IL | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 48 | $5,220–$8,100 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Carl Sandburg College Welding Technology/Welder | Galesburg, IL | Certificate (1-2 years) | 10 | $5,500–$9,160 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Carl Sandburg College Welding Technology/Welder | Galesburg, IL | Associate degree | 2 | $5,500–$9,160 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| Carl Sandburg College Welding Technology/Welder | Galesburg, IL | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 11 | $5,500–$9,160 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College Welding Technology/Welder | Chicago, IL | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 0 | $4,710–$15,540 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College Welding Technology/Welder | Chicago, IL | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 20 | $4,710–$15,540 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College Welding Technology/Welder | Chicago, IL | Certificate (under 12 weeks) | 0 | $4,710–$15,540 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College Welding Technology/Welder | Chicago, IL | Certificate (12 weeks to 1 year) | 0 | $4,710–$15,540 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
| College of DuPage Welding Technology/Welder | Glen Ellyn, IL | Certificate (1-2 years) | 0 | $4,680–$12,870 Annual tuition & fees, in-state to out-of-state (institution-wide) | IPEDS 2023-24 · CIP 48.0508 |
Sources
- 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 2026-11-03.
- Occupation: O*NET OnLine, 51-4121.00 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, retrieved 2026-11-03 (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 team; last refreshed 2026-11-03.