Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Plumber Salary in Chicago
2024 BLS OEWS Data · Plumbing · COL Index: 107
Plumbers in Chicago, IL earn a median annual wage of $98,890 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $50,210 and the 90th at $123,600. After cost of living, that translates to $92,421 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (74/100).
What Plumbers Take Home in Chicago
The $73,390 spread between entry-level and top-decile plumbers in Chicago is around 74% of the median — a typical range for skilled trades. Workers can roughly double their entry pay through a combination of experience, certifications, union membership, and moving from helper to journeyman to foreman roles.
Chicago's cost-of-living index of 107 is within a few points of the U.S. average, so the $98,890 median for plumbers here translates almost directly into real purchasing power — roughly $92,421 in U.S.-average terms. What you see is what you take home, with no significant adjustment up or down.
With a Trade Pay Score of 74 (B), plumbers in Chicago land in the strong second tier. Pay, growth, and purchasing power are all solid but one factor — usually wage growth or cost-of-living-adjusted real pay — keeps the score below the A threshold. For most workers, B-graded combinations are perfectly reasonable career choices.
Salary Distribution
Percentile Breakdown
| Level | Salary | COL-Adjusted |
|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (Apprentice / Entry) | $50,210 | $46,925 |
| 25th Percentile (Early Career) | $65,290 | $61,019 |
| 50th Percentile (Journeyman / Median) | $98,890 | $92,421 |
| 75th Percentile (Experienced) | $118,350 | $110,607 |
| 90th Percentile (Master / Foreman) | $123,600 | $115,514 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure here comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program at bls.gov/oes — a survey of about 1.2 million employers per release covering more than 800 occupations and every U.S. metropolitan statistical area. 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%) into a single 0-100 grade. Read the full methodology.
Career outlook detail — projected 2032 employment levels for plumbers, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in Chicago are listed at apprenticeship.gov. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a Plumber make in Chicago?
Per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data, the median plumber salary in Chicago, IL is $98,890. The 10th percentile is $50,210 (typical for entry-level or apprentice-tier positions); the 90th percentile reaches $123,600 (master, foreman, or specialty roles).
How does Chicago pay compare for Plumbers?
With a Trade Pay Score of 74/100 and a grade of B, the Chicago-Plumber pairing is a strong combination but with one factor (usually growth or cost-of-living-adjusted real pay) holding it back from an A grade.
What is the apprenticeship path for Plumbers in Chicago?
Plumbers typically complete a 4-year registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay, starting around the 10th percentile ($50,210) and progressing toward the median. Registered apprenticeship programs in the area are listed at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/.
How does cost of living affect Plumber pay in Chicago?
Chicago has a cost-of-living index of 107. The median plumber salary of $98,890 translates to $92,421 in U.S.-average purchasing power — a downward adjustment because the metro is more expensive than average.
Where does this salary data come from?
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median or percentile from the 2024 release at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys roughly 1.2 million U.S. employers per release. Career outlook context (projected employment growth through 2032) comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. Both are public-domain U.S. government data sources.
Other High-Paying Trades in Chicago
$141,380 median · Grade B
$118,830 median · Grade B
$114,030 median · Grade B
$114,030 median · Grade B
$101,200 median · Grade C
$99,540 median · Grade B
Plumbers in Chicago, IL earn a median annual wage of $98,890 per 2024 BLS OEWS data, with the 10th percentile at $50,210 and the 90th at $123,600. After cost of living, that translates to $92,421 in U.S.-average purchasing power. Trade Pay Score: B (74/100).
For Plumbers in Chicago, IL, 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.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for Plumbers in Chicago, IL is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.