Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Highest Paying Trades in Chicago
Skilled-trade workers in Chicago, IL earn an average median wage of $77,019 across 43 tracked trades, per 2024 BLS OEWS data. With a cost-of-living index of 107, that translates to roughly $71,980 in U.S.-average purchasing power. The top-paying trade in the metro is Elevator Mechanic at $141,380.
Cost of Living and Real Pay in Chicago
Chicago's cost-of-living index of 107 is essentially at the U.S. average. Nominal trade wages here are a reasonable proxy for real purchasing power — what you see is what you take home, with no significant adjustment needed up or down for COL. That makes Chicago a useful baseline for comparing trade pay across the country.
The single highest-paying trade in Chicago is Elevator Mechanic, with a median wage of $141,380 per BLS OEWS data. Construction Manager ranks second at $118,830 — a gap of $22,550 between #1 and #2. Wider gaps usually signal a specialty trade with steep certification or experience requirements; narrower gaps indicate broad-based wage strength across multiple skilled occupations in the metro.
Chicago's average Trade Pay Score across all tracked trades is 61, a middle-of-the-pack C grade. Some trades in the metro deliver strong real pay; others are dragged down by either weak nominal wages or cost-of-living offsets. Use the table below to identify the trades where Chicago compares favorably and the ones where workers may earn more elsewhere.
Trade Salaries in Chicago
| Trade | Category | Median | Range (10th-90th) | Grade | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator Mechanic | Specialty | $141,380 | $97,690 – $160,480 | B | 720 |
| Construction Manager | Management | $118,830 | $64,410 – $170,590 | B | 11,920 |
| Power Line Installer | Electrical | $114,030 | $76,400 – $125,710 | B | 2,140 |
| Electrical Power-Line Tech | Electrical | $114,030 | $76,400 – $125,710 | B | 2,140 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | Heavy Equipment | $101,200 | $55,900 – $121,410 | C | 7,760 |
| Electrician | Electrical | $99,540 | $50,310 – $120,770 | B | 16,690 |
| Plumber | Plumbing | $98,890 | $50,210 – $123,600 | B | 14,230 |
| Pipefitter | Plumbing | $98,890 | $50,210 – $123,600 | B | 14,230 |
| Fire Sprinkler Fitter | Plumbing | $98,890 | $50,210 – $123,600 | B | 14,230 |
| Steamfitter | Plumbing | $98,890 | $50,210 – $123,600 | B | 14,230 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | Metalwork | $97,970 | $41,100 – $120,060 | C | 3,080 |
| Ironworker | Structural | $93,190 | $69,700 – $141,200 | C | 80 |
| Plasterer | Construction | $90,020 | $67,510 – $105,810 | C | 210 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | Automotive | $89,960 | $46,850 – $127,780 | C | 2,570 |
| Mason (Bricklayer) | Construction | $86,330 | $51,830 – $108,580 | C | 2,480 |
| Millwright | Industrial | $83,180 | $45,760 – $117,480 | C | 1,290 |
| Concrete Finisher | Construction | $82,190 | $46,640 – $107,680 | C | 4,120 |
| Building Inspector | Management | $78,110 | $48,710 – $123,960 | C | 2,370 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | Industrial | $76,960 | $49,770 – $91,840 | B | 9,430 |
| Carpenter | Construction | $76,510 | $41,090 – $120,970 | C | 19,460 |
| HVAC Technician | HVAC | $74,400 | $44,770 – $115,570 | C | 6,140 |
| Refrigeration Mechanic | HVAC | $74,400 | $44,770 – $115,570 | C | 6,140 |
| Drywall Installer | Construction | $69,810 | $40,730 – $110,670 | D | 590 |
| Roofer | Construction | $69,570 | $46,570 – $104,800 | C | 4,540 |
| Floor Layer | Construction | $69,110 | $50,590 – $113,050 | D | 720 |
| Telecommunications Tech | Electrical | $67,310 | $44,940 – $99,100 | C | 4,410 |
| Diesel Mechanic | Automotive | $65,240 | $45,700 – $96,420 | C | 7,340 |
| Painter (Construction) | Construction | $63,140 | $38,040 – $112,700 | D | 5,390 |
| Tool and Die Maker | Metalwork | $61,580 | $43,000 – $85,230 | D | 3,100 |
| Industrial Electrician | Electrical | $60,420 | $38,920 – $109,710 | C | 380 |
| Glazier | Construction | $59,990 | $46,470 – $115,300 | C | 1,800 |
| Auto Mechanic | Automotive | $58,340 | $34,960 – $91,670 | D | 18,180 |
| Crane Operator | Heavy Equipment | $57,740 | $43,010 – $137,150 | C | 1,210 |
| Machinist | Metalwork | $57,470 | $37,440 – $81,850 | D | 10,500 |
| Maintenance Mechanic | Industrial | $56,940 | $35,620 – $80,950 | C | 48,480 |
| Tile Setter | Construction | $53,430 | $46,450 – $92,800 | D | 620 |
| Insulation Worker | Construction | $53,350 | $39,600 – $83,190 | D | 830 |
| Environmental Engineering Tech | Specialty | $51,830 | $41,560 – $82,840 | C | 120 |
| Septic Tank Servicer | Plumbing | $51,060 | $37,290 – $79,840 | D | 520 |
| Welder | Welding | $50,700 | $37,950 – $70,910 | D | 9,150 |
| Structural Welder | Welding | $50,700 | $37,950 – $70,910 | D | 9,150 |
| Underwater Welder | Welding | $50,700 | $37,950 – $70,910 | D | 9,150 |
| Locksmith | Specialty | $45,600 | $36,440 – $74,500 | D | 420 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure on this page comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, published annually at bls.gov/oes. BLS surveys hundreds of thousands of employers per release; the resulting percentile wages (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) are the gold standard for U.S. wage benchmarking. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%); read the full methodology.
Career outlook data — projected employment growth through 2032, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in the Chicago area are listed on the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov registry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which trade pays the most in Chicago?
Elevator Mechanic is the highest-paying skilled trade in Chicago, IL, with a median annual wage of $141,380. The 90th-percentile reading reaches $160,480, with apprentices and entry-level workers starting near $97,690. That spread reflects experience, certification, and union membership.
What is the average trade salary in Chicago?
The average median wage across all 43 skilled trades tracked in Chicago is $77,019. With a cost-of-living index of 107, that converts to $71,980 in U.S.-average purchasing power — a downward adjustment because the metro is more expensive than average.
Are skilled-trade jobs in Chicago growing?
Five-year wage growth across Chicago's tracked trades varies by occupation — energy and electrification trades have generally posted the strongest gains, while general construction labor has tracked closer to inflation. Detailed projected employment growth through 2032 for each trade is published in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Where can I find apprenticeships in Chicago?
Registered apprenticeship programs are listed on the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov site at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/. You can filter by city, state, and occupation. Most skilled trades require 3-5 years of registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay; the per-trade pages on TradeWages list typical year-by-year apprentice pay as a percentage of journeyman scale.
How does pay in Chicago compare to other metros?
Chicago's average Trade Pay Score is 61/100, a mid-tier grade. The score combines nominal pay, 5-year wage growth, employment depth, and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power, so it captures both how much you earn and how far that income goes locally. Compare Chicago against other metros on the best-cities-for-trades ranking page.
Skilled-trade workers in Chicago, IL earn an average median wage of $77,019 across 43 tracked trades, per 2024 BLS OEWS data. With a cost-of-living index of 107, that translates to roughly $71,980 in U.S.-average purchasing power. The top-paying trade in the metro is Elevator Mechanic at $141,380.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
Practical use of this page is in combination with the comparison and ranking pages elsewhere on the site, which surface the same data for this entity’s peers within U.S. trades, cities, and states. A single-entity reading without peer context can be misleading when an entity is an outlier on one axis but typical on another.