Construction Laborers Salary
Construction Laborers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN make a median of $60,890 a year, or about $29.27 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $106K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 103.59), that's roughly $58,780 in purchasing power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,781/month, about 44.5% of take-home, which is tight.
So what does $61K get you in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin’s Regional Price Parity (103.59). Rent from HUD Fair Market Rents. Taxes estimated for single filer, standard deduction. * Healthcare is the employee-paid share only (premiums + out-of-pocket). Actual costs vary by coverage type: employer-sponsored, ACA marketplace, or uninsured.
About construction laborers
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What this looks like in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin sits well above the national pay line for construction laborers, local pay runs about 29% higher than the U.S. median of $47K. The catch: housing math doesn't keep up. A 2-bedroom at the HUD median rents for $1,781/month, which is 44.6% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Cost of living (RPP 103.59) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for construction laborers in metros near Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Peoria | $63K | $69K |
| Decatur | $61K | $69K |
| Rockford | $58K | $63K |
| Champaign-Urbana | $59K | $64K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN
Entry-level construction laborers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $106K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Construction Laborers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Construction Laborers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $77K | +64% | 4,580 |
| New Jersey | $64K | +36% | 23,590 |
| Massachusetts | $63K | +35% | 16,210 |
| Illinois | $61K | +29% | 35,940 |
| California | $60K | +28% | 88,240 |
| Minnesota | $60K | +28% | 28,530 |
| Connecticut | $58K | +24% | 7,360 |
| Alaska | $58K | +23% | 3,690 |
| Washington | $58K | +22% | 25,060 |
| Rhode Island | $57K | +21% | 2,110 |
| Missouri | $57K | +20% | 17,050 |
| Wisconsin | $56K | +19% | 20,330 |
| Ohio | $56K | +19% | 31,910 |
| New York | $56K | +19% | 52,090 |
| Oregon | $51K | +8% | 12,620 |
| Indiana | $50K | +6% | 28,600 |
| District of Columbia | $50K | +6% | 2,090 |
| New Hampshire | $50K | +6% | 4,330 |
| Montana | $50K | +6% | 4,590 |
| Michigan | $50K | +5% | 28,490 |
| Pennsylvania | $49K | +5% | 35,920 |
| North Dakota | $49K | +4% | 5,050 |
| Nevada | $49K | +4% | 11,890 |
| Vermont | $49K | +3% | 1,430 |
| Iowa | $48K | +3% | 13,780 |
| Colorado | $48K | +2% | 18,680 |
| Nebraska | $47K | +0% | 8,530 |
| Maryland | $47K | -0% | 20,920 |
| Idaho | $47K | -0% | 10,850 |
| Arizona | $47K | -1% | 37,630 |
| Utah | $47K | -1% | 20,950 |
| Maine | $46K | -1% | 3,960 |
| Wyoming | $46K | -2% | 3,350 |
| South Dakota | $46K | -3% | 1,780 |
| Kentucky | $46K | -3% | 13,280 |
| Delaware | $46K | -3% | 3,240 |
| Tennessee | $45K | -4% | 26,250 |
| Kansas | $45K | -5% | 9,990 |
| North Carolina | $45K | -5% | 35,620 |
| Florida | $44K | -7% | 87,040 |
| Virginia | $44K | -8% | 25,830 |
| South Carolina | $43K | -9% | 19,620 |
| West Virginia | $43K | -9% | 6,620 |
| Texas | $41K | -14% | 123,250 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -16% | 13,710 |
| Georgia | $39K | -17% | 27,800 |
| New Mexico | $38K | -19% | 12,470 |
| Louisiana | $38K | -19% | 22,100 |
| Mississippi | $38K | -20% | 8,800 |
| Arkansas | $38K | -20% | 10,650 |
| Alabama | $37K | -22% | 18,400 |
Showing 1–10 of 51 (all 50 states + DC)
Track construction laborers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Chicago-Naperville-Elgin numbers change.
Related careers in Construction & Trades
Frequently asked questions
Can a construction laborer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 44.6% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,781/month. The 30% guideline puts the comfortable ceiling at roughly $1,200/month in rent — so roommates or a 1-bedroom would ease the math significantly.
What’s the entry-level salary for construction laborers in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction laborers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,346/month. At HUD’s $1,781/month FMR, rent would take 76% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is construction laborer a high-paying job in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $61K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Chicago-Naperville-Elgin compare to the national average for construction laborers?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 103.59), the purchasing-power equivalent is $59K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do construction laborers make in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN?
The median is $60,890 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,100, and experienced construction laborers can clear $105,500. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,996/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,781/month, which eats 44.6% of your paycheck. That's above the 30% rule of thumb, housing will be a stretch at the median salary, though you can manage with roommates or a smaller place.
How far does a construction laborers salary go in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin?
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin has a Regional Price Parity of 103.59 (100 is the national average). Prices are above average here, so your dollar buys less than the same salary would in a cheaper metro. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median construction laborers salary is worth about $58,780 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do construction laborers get paid the most?
The table above ranks every state by median pay for this role. Keep in mind that the highest-paying states tend to have the highest costs of living, so the top salary doesn't always mean the most money in your pocket.