Construction Laborers Salary
Construction Laborers in Illinois make a median of $60,690 a year, or about $29.18 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $105K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 93.85), which stretches that salary to about $64,667 in buying power. A 2-bedroom apartment runs $1,407/month, about 35.3% of take-home, which is tight.
Statewide average. Salary and cost of living vary significantly across Illinois. Jump to a metro for precise data:
So what does $61K get you in Illinois?
About construction laborers
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What this looks like in Illinois
Illinois 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 $1,407/month, which is 35.3% of the median worker's take-home, past the 30% guideline most planners use. Regional Price Parity sits at 93.85 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 6% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. The pay premium is real, but so are the offsets.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Illinois
Entry-level construction laborers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $61K. Top earners bring in $105K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Construction Laborers salary by metro in Illinois
8 metro areas with BLS data, ranked by median pay
| Metro area | Median salary | vs. state | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria | $63K | +4% | 1,020 |
| Springfield | $61K | +1% | 510 |
| Decatur | $61K | +1% | 940 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $61K | +0% | 26,690 |
| Bloomington | $61K | -0% | 380 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $59K | -2% | 570 |
| Rockford | $58K | -4% | 830 |
| Kankakee | $55K | -10% | 200 |
Compare to other states
Track construction laborers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Illinois numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a construction laborer afford a 2BR apartment alone in Illinois?
It’s a stretch — at the median salary of $61K, rent takes 35.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,407/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 Illinois?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new construction laborers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,333/month. At HUD’s $1,407/month FMR, rent would take 60% 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 Illinois?
Local pay is 29% above the national median — $61K here vs. $47K nationally.
How does Illinois compare to the national average for construction laborers?
Illinois pays $61K median vs. the U.S. average of $47K — that’s +29%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 93.85), the purchasing-power equivalent is $65K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do construction laborers make in Illinois?
The median is $60,690 a year, that works out to about $29 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $38,880, and experienced construction laborers can clear $105,040. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $61K enough to live in Illinois?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $3,983/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,407/month, which eats 35.3% 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 Illinois?
Illinois has a Regional Price Parity of 93.85 (100 is the national average). That's below average, your money stretches further here than the raw salary number suggests. After cost-of-living adjustment, the median construction laborers salary is worth about $64,667 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.