Boilermaker salary in Illinois
Updated September 27, 2026 with BLS data from May 2025
Boilermakers in Illinois earn a median of $99,730 a year, or $47.95 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $117,270. That's 31% more than the national median of $76,410, 4th of 37 states and DC.
- Apprentice starting pay (estimate)
- $40.24/hr
- Jobs in Illinois
- 110
- After cost of living
- $99,770
- Median hourly pay
- $47.95/hr
- vs U.S. median
- +31%
- Rank among states
- 4th of 37
Apprentice, journeyman and top boilermaker pay
| Stage | Yearly pay | Hourly pay |
|---|---|---|
| Apprentice | $83,690–$89,520$40.24–$43.04/hr | |
| Journeyman | $99,730$47.95/hr | |
| Top earners | $103,430–$117,270$49.72–$56.38/hr |
Estimated from BLS percentiles (10th–25th, median, 75th–90th); BLS does not report pay by license level.
Pay over time
The median boilermaker wage in Illinois fell 0.4%, from $100,110 in May 2021 to $99,730 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it fell 16.6%.
| Year | Median a year | Median an hour |
|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $100,110 | $48.13/hr |
| May 2022 | $101,750 | $48.92/hr |
| May 2023 | $90,740 | $43.62/hr |
| May 2024 | $95,340 | $45.84/hr |
| May 2025 | $99,730 | $47.95/hr |
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, each May release; inflation from the BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U, May of each year). BLS cautions against reading much into year-to-year changes, so we compare the first and last years. How we compare years
How Illinois compares
- Boilermakers are less concentrated in Illinois than nationally: 0.0 of every 1,000 jobs, 0.27 times the U.S. share.
- The 90th-percentile wage, $117,270, is 1.4 times the 10th-percentile wage, $83,690: a measure of how much pay rises with experience and specialty.
Pay by metro area
- Chicago–Naperville–Elgin$109,640
- St. LouisMO-IL$94,640
Other trades in Illinois
Questions
- How much do boilermakers make in Illinois?
- Boilermakers in Illinois earn a median of $99,730 a year, or $47.95 an hour, according to May 2025 BLS data. The top 10% earn more than $117,270.
- How much do boilermakers make an hour in Illinois?
- The median hourly wage is $47.95. The middle half earn between $43.04 and $49.72 an hour. (BLS, May 2025.)
- What do apprentice boilermakers make in Illinois?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level. The 10th-percentile wage, $40.24 an hour ($83,690 a year), is a reasonable estimate of starting pay; the 25th percentile is $43.04.
- Has boilermaker pay gone up in Illinois?
- The median boilermaker wage in Illinois fell 0.4%, from $100,110 in May 2021 to $99,730 in May 2025. Prices rose 19.4% over the same period, so after inflation it fell 16.6%. (BLS wage data and Consumer Price Index.)
- How much does a journeyman boilermaker make in Illinois?
- BLS doesn't report pay by license level, but the median, $99,730 a year ($47.95 an hour), is a fair estimate of typical journeyman pay. Master-level and top earners are closer to the 75th to 90th percentiles, $103,430–$117,270.
- Where in Illinois do boilermakers earn the most?
- Among Illinois metro areas, Chicago–Naperville–Elgin has the highest median at $109,640 a year, and St. Louis the lowest at $94,640.
About this data
Wages are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey for May 2025, occupation 47-2011 (Boilermakers), area code 17. BLS counts wage and salary workers only, so self-employed boilermakers and business owners aren't included. The cost-of-living figure divides the median by the Bureau of Economic Analysis Regional Price Parity for 2024 (100.0, where the U.S. average is 100). Page updated September 27, 2026. How we calculate these figures