Highway Maintenance Workers Salary
In Champaign-Urbana, IL, highway maintenance workers earn $65,730 at the median, or about $31.6 an hour. The range runs from $34K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Cost of living is below average (RPP 92.7), which stretches that salary to about $70,906 in buying power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,122/month, or 26% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $66K get you in Champaign-Urbana?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Champaign-Urbana’s Regional Price Parity (92.7). 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 highway maintenance workers
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What this looks like in Champaign-Urbana
Champaign-Urbana sits well above the national pay line for highway maintenance workers, local pay runs about 31% higher than the U.S. median of $50K. Rent runs $1,122/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 26.2% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Regional Price Parity sits at 92.7 (national = 100), meaning everyday costs run about 7% cheaper here. Your dollar stretches further than the headline salary suggests. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for highway maintenance workers in metros near Champaign-Urbana, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $76K | $74K |
| Peoria | $61K | $67K |
| Rockford | $51K | $55K |
| Bloomington | $61K | $66K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Champaign-Urbana, IL
Entry-level highway maintenance workers (10th percentile) start around $34K. Mid-career wages sit at $66K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $66K spread from bottom to top.
Highway Maintenance Workers pay across states
Median income ranked highest to lowest, compared to the national figure
View Highway Maintenance Workers salary in all states
| State | Median salary | vs. national | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oregon | $65K | +30% | 1,650 |
| Washington | $65K | +30% | 2,590 |
| Connecticut | $65K | +29% | 2,130 |
| Minnesota | $63K | +26% | 4,610 |
| Illinois | $62K | +23% | 10,790 |
| Massachusetts | $62K | +22% | 2,000 |
| Montana | $61K | +21% | 1,140 |
| North Dakota | $61K | +21% | 1,240 |
| California | $60K | +19% | 8,150 |
| Iowa | $58K | +16% | 4,000 |
| Vermont | $58K | +16% | 1,170 |
| Wisconsin | $58K | +15% | 6,000 |
| Rhode Island | $58K | +15% | 620 |
| Utah | $56K | +11% | 1,240 |
| New York | $55K | +10% | 13,820 |
| Alaska | $54K | +8% | 50 |
| Michigan | $54K | +7% | 5,230 |
| Colorado | $52K | +4% | 1,990 |
| Idaho | $52K | +4% | 1,340 |
| New Jersey | $52K | +3% | 4,850 |
| New Hampshire | $51K | +2% | 1,230 |
| Arizona | $51K | +1% | 1,410 |
| Virginia | $51K | +1% | 3,400 |
| Nevada | $49K | -2% | 990 |
| Maryland | $49K | -2% | 620 |
| Maine | $49K | -2% | 1,620 |
| Ohio | $49K | -3% | 6,070 |
| Nebraska | $49K | -3% | 2,580 |
| South Dakota | $49K | -3% | 1,800 |
| Indiana | $48K | -4% | 4,380 |
| Wyoming | $48K | -4% | 820 |
| South Carolina | $48K | -4% | 2,290 |
| North Carolina | $48K | -5% | 3,750 |
| New Mexico | $48K | -5% | 1,470 |
| Pennsylvania | $48K | -5% | 11,140 |
| Missouri | $47K | -6% | 5,470 |
| Tennessee | $46K | -8% | 2,280 |
| Kansas | $46K | -8% | 1,960 |
| Texas | $46K | -9% | 6,630 |
| Delaware | $45K | -10% | 90 |
| West Virginia | $45K | -10% | 730 |
| Louisiana | $45K | -11% | 1,050 |
| Florida | $42K | -16% | 2,530 |
| Kentucky | $40K | -20% | 3,030 |
| Oklahoma | $39K | -23% | 3,180 |
| Georgia | $38K | -25% | 1,980 |
| Alabama | $37K | -26% | 2,730 |
| Arkansas | $36K | -29% | 860 |
| Mississippi | $35K | -30% | 4,160 |
Showing 1–10 of 49 states with published data
BLS does not publish data for every state when sample sizes are too small
Track highway maintenance workers salary changes
BLS updates this data quarterly. We'll email you when Champaign-Urbana numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a highway maintenance worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Champaign-Urbana?
Yes — at the median salary of $66K, rent takes 26.2% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,122/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for highway maintenance workers in Champaign-Urbana?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new highway maintenance workers typically earn — is $34K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,061/month. At HUD’s $1,122/month FMR, rent would take 54% of that take-home — above the 30% guideline, so a 1-bedroom or shared housing is likely necessary starting out.
Is highway maintenance worker a high-paying job in Champaign-Urbana?
Local pay is 31% above the national median — $66K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Champaign-Urbana compare to the national average for highway maintenance workers?
Champaign-Urbana pays $66K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +31%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 92.7), the purchasing-power equivalent is $71K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do highway maintenance workers make in Champaign-Urbana, IL?
The median is $65,730 a year, that works out to about $32 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $34,350, and experienced highway maintenance workers can clear $100,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $66K enough to live in Champaign-Urbana?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,281/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,122/month, which eats 26.2% of your paycheck. That's under the 30% guideline most financial planners use, so the numbers work.
How far does a highway maintenance workers salary go in Champaign-Urbana?
Champaign-Urbana has a Regional Price Parity of 92.7 (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 highway maintenance workers salary is worth about $70,906 in national-average purchasing power.
Where do highway maintenance workers 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.