Highway Maintenance Workers Salary
In Kankakee, IL, highway maintenance workers earn $73,080 at the median, or about $35.14 an hour. The range runs from $39K at the entry level to $101K for experienced workers. Adjusted for local prices (RPP 96.39), that's roughly $75,817 in purchasing power. Rent on a 2-bedroom averages $1,326/month, or 27.6% of estimated take-home pay.
So what does $73K get you in Kankakee?
Groceries, utilities, transportation, and healthcare scaled from national averages by Kankakee’s Regional Price Parity (96.39). 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 Kankakee
Kankakee sits well above the national pay line for highway maintenance workers, local pay runs about 45% higher than the U.S. median of $50K. Rent runs $1,326/month for a 2-bedroom (HUD FMR), taking 28.3% of the median take-home. That's within the 30% rule, though not by much. Cost of living (RPP 96.39) is near the national average, so spending patterns here track the typical American budget fairly closely. Use the affordability calculator above to model your specific situation.
Compared to nearby metros
Median pay for highway maintenance workers in metros near Kankakee, adjusted for local cost of living.
| Metro | Median pay | COL-adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $76K | $74K |
| Peoria | $61K | $67K |
| Champaign-Urbana | $66K | $71K |
| Rockford | $51K | $55K |
COL-adjusted = median salary ÷ (BEA Regional Price Parity ÷ 100). Expresses purchasing power in national-average dollars.
Compensation breakdown
Annual earnings by percentile, Kankakee, IL
Entry-level highway maintenance workers (10th percentile) start around $39K. Mid-career wages sit at $73K. Top earners bring in $101K or more, a $62K 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 Kankakee numbers change.
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Frequently asked questions
Can a highway maintenance worker afford a 2BR apartment alone in Kankakee?
Yes — at the median salary of $73K, rent takes 28.3% of take-home pay. A 2-bedroom at the HUD Fair Market Rent runs $1,326/month. That stays under the 30% guideline most financial planners use.
What’s the entry-level salary for highway maintenance workers in Kankakee?
The 10th-percentile wage — what new highway maintenance workers typically earn — is $39K/year. Take-home on that works out to about $2,348/month. At HUD’s $1,326/month FMR, rent would take 56% 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 Kankakee?
Local pay is 45% above the national median — $73K here vs. $50K nationally.
How does Kankakee compare to the national average for highway maintenance workers?
Kankakee pays $73K median vs. the U.S. average of $50K — that’s +45%. After adjusting for local cost of living (RPP 96.39), the purchasing-power equivalent is $76K — still ahead of the national median.
How much do highway maintenance workers make in Kankakee, IL?
The median is $73,080 a year, that works out to about $35 an hour. But the range is wide: entry-level workers start around $39,130, and experienced highway maintenance workers can clear $100,790. These are BLS numbers, based on employer-reported data, not self-reported surveys.
Is $73K enough to live in Kankakee?
On that salary, you'd take home roughly $4,682/month after taxes. A 2-bedroom here rents for about $1,326/month, which eats 28.3% 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 Kankakee?
Kankakee has a Regional Price Parity of 96.39 (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 $75,817 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.