Electricians in Illinois earned the 4th highest average salary in the country as of 2015, while electrician in two cities of Illinois earned exceptionally high wages according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS):
- Rockford—6th highest average salary in the country
- Elgin—10th highest average salary in the country
The state of Illinois expects that the number of jobs for electricians will grow by more than 2,800 in the ten-year period ending in 2022 (Illinois Department of Employment Security).
Demand is strong for skilled electricians and other types of construction professionals. In fact, 85% of the construction firms in Illinois surveyed by the Associated General Contractors of America in 2015 expected that it would be either hard now or continue to be hard to find qualified workers.
Chicago in particular is a hotbed of construction activity, and the city had the 3rd highest number of jobs for electricians of any metropolitan area in the country according to the BLS.
Crain’s Chicago Business described “good times” for the city’s construction industry in an article published in December 2015. Major construction projects in Chicago offer significant opportunities for electricians and other people who work in the construction industry. Large-scale construction projects underway in Chicago in 2016 include:
- A 390-unit high-rise apartment building in the Gold Coast
- Two high-rises totaling 748 apartments in River North
High-profile projects for Chicago that are in the planning stages include:
- The $400 million Lucas Museum of Narrative Art
- The $1 billion 93-story Wanda Vista Tower on the Chicago River
- The Barack Obama Presidential Center
- A $500 million outpatient center by Rush University Medical Center
- A Hyde Park trauma center for the University of Chicago Medicine
Salaries for Residential Electricians Throughout Illinois
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides the range of salaries earned by electricians in urban and rural parts of Illinois. Highly skilled master electricians can expect to earn salaries at the highest end of these ranges (2015):
Salaries for Specialty Electricians in the Major Cities of Illinois
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salaries for a number of different types of specialized electricians that work in the major cities of Illinois (2015). Those with the most education and experience tend to earn salaries at the upper end of the ranges shown here:
Electrical and Electronics Repairers Specializing in Commercial and Industrial Equipment:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: $53,200 – $85,860
- Elgin: $49,890 – $86,280
- Lake County-Kenosha County: $56,920 – $78,700
- Peoria: $59,210 – $71,670
- Rockford: $55,000 – $77,190
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: $71,640 – $95,870
- Lake County/Kenosha County: $64,280 – $88,210
- Peoria: $72,020 – $92,610
- Springfield: $87,330 – $99,240
Electronic Home Entertainment Equipment Installers and Repairers:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: $53,160 – $77,510
- Lake County-Kenosha County: $50,040 – $67,050
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: $45,520 – $72,850
- Peoria: $58,870 – $91,760
Electrical and Electronics Repairers Specializing in Transportation Equipment:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: $62,550 – $94,700
Electronic Equipment Installers and Repairers Specializing in Motor Vehicles:
- Chicago-Naperville-Elgin: $39,070 – $66,660
The statewide average for electricians in these specialized roles is shown in the table below:
Salaries for Electrician Apprentices in Chicago and Lake/Kenosha Counties
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics provides salary data for the occupational classification for “Electrician’s Helpers” in two of the major metropolitan areas of Illinois. This information is shown here to represent the wages earned during an electrical apprenticeship; 2015: