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How to become an electrician in Illinois
The City of Chicago licenses Supervising Electricians and electrical contractors. The pages read, both Chicago's, do not say whether Illinois licenses electricians statewide. Electricians in Illinois earned a median $99,560 a year in May 2025 ($47.87 an hour).
Electrician licensing in Illinois
The licensing authority is City of Chicago Department of Buildings, a representative local authority. The pages each row was read from are listed under the table, with the date each was read.
| License | What it takes | Experience | Exam | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Supervising Electrician (local example) | Be at least 21 with at least two years' electrical experience, then pass the written exam (open-book, on the Chicago Electrical Code). Exam fee $150; initial license fee $150; valid one year. These are the Department's calendar year 2026 fees; its fee table effective January 1, 2027 lists $155 for each. | — | Chicago Supervising Electrician written exam (Continental Testing) | $300 |
| Chicago Electrical Contractor (business) | A business must employ at least one licensed supervising electrician. Fee $150; valid one year. | — | — | $150 |
Renewal. Annual (the Chicago license).
Licensing sources: City of Chicago Supervising Electrician License (retrieved 2026-10-03) · City of Chicago Electrical Contractor License (retrieved 2026-09-16) · City of Chicago Department of Buildings: Trade License Fees effective January 1, 2027 (retrieved 2026-10-03). Requirements change; confirm with City of Chicago Department of Buildings, a representative local authority before you act.
The steps in order, with exams, fees and renewal → · Every fee here, itemised and totalled → · Compare time and cost across trades and states →
Common questions
Do you need a license to work as an electrician in Illinois?
The City of Chicago licenses Supervising Electricians and electrical contractors. The pages read, both Chicago's, do not say whether Illinois licenses electricians statewide.
What does it cost to get licensed as an electrician in Illinois?
The published fees in the table above run from $150 to $300 depending on the tier. They are charged by Chicago, not by the state. Read each tier's requirements for any exam or license-issue fee charged on top.
How long does it take to become an electrician in Illinois?
It depends on which credential you need and the training and testing each step takes; the full path is in the table above.
How much do electricians make in Illinois?
Electricians in Illinois earned a median $99,560 a year in May 2025, $47.87 an hour. That median is 58% above the national figure of $63,190, and Illinois ranks 2 of 51 by pay for this trade.
How much do apprentice electricians make in Illinois?
In fiscal 2023 (October 2022 to September 2023), among registered apprentices in Illinois under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to electricians, 935 apprentices started, at a median $20.82 an hour across the 932 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $52.05 an hour at completion (528 completers with an exit wage DOL counts). Wages are in that year's dollars.
What electricians earn in Illinois
Electricians in Illinois earned a median $99,560 a year in May 2025, $47.87 an hour. 23,120 people held the job, 3.8 for every 1,000 jobs in the state. That median is 58% above the national figure of $63,190, and Illinois ranks 2 of 51 by pay for this trade.
The full wage spread in Illinois
| Point | Hourly | Annual | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $23.67 | $49,240 | A tenth of the workforce earns less than this. |
| 25th percentile | $35.35 | $73,520 | A quarter earn less. |
| Median | $47.87 | $99,560 | Half earn less, half earn more. |
| 75th percentile | $56.47 | $117,460 | A quarter earn more. |
| 90th percentile | $59.45 | $123,660 | A tenth earn more than this. |
| Mean | $44.34 | $92,230 | The average. Pulled up by the top earners. |
Annual figures are the hourly rate times 2,080 hours, BLS's full-time year. Overtime is inside the survey's earnings but not separated out.
Pay by metro area in Illinois
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN employs the most electricians of the 8 metro areas based in Illinois that BLS publishes, 17,720, at a median $102,350 a year. The best-paid is Kankakee, IL at $105,500.
| Metro | Employed | Median annual | 10th pct | 90th pct |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | 17,720 | $102,350 | $49,890 | $124,070 |
| Peoria, IL | 880 | $80,460 | $46,030 | $108,490 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | 410 | $100,320 | $47,970 | $105,710 |
| Decatur, IL | 400 | $81,020 | $49,370 | $119,020 |
| Rockford, IL | 370 | $93,280 | $58,690 | $125,090 |
| Bloomington, IL | 330 | $79,430 | $38,100 | $104,480 |
| Springfield, IL | 330 | $84,780 | $46,840 | $116,560 |
| Kankakee, IL | 140 | $105,500 | $59,390 | $111,490 |
Metropolitan statistical areas as BLS publishes them in the same May 2025 estimates. A metro that crosses a state line is listed only under its primary state, so part of a neighboring state's metro can sit outside this table. Areas outside any metro are not shown. Listed under another state but reaching into Illinois: St. Louis, MO-IL, Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL, Paducah, KY-IL and Cape Girardeau, MO-IL.
Illinois against its neighbors on the pay ladder
| # | State | Median annual | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oregon | $101,310 | 10,590 |
| 2 | Illinois | $99,560 | 23,120 |
| 3 | Hawaii | $96,460 | 3,070 |
| 4 | Washington | $95,220 | 19,380 |
| 5 | Alaska | $89,440 | 1,870 |
The complete ranking is on the Electricians page.
Against the national figure
| Figure | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Median annual | $99,560 | $63,190 |
| Median hourly | $47.87 | $30.38 |
| 10th percentile, annual | $49,240 | $42,640 |
| 90th percentile, annual | $123,660 | $108,510 |
| Employed | 23,120 | 757,220 |
Apprenticeships in Illinois
U.S. Department of Labor records list 3,017 registered apprentices active in Illinois in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024) under the occupation titles DOL maps to electricians (SOC 47-2111). The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024. In fiscal 2023, the latest year the file holds in full, 935 apprentices started, at a median $20.82 an hour across the 932 whose starting wage DOL counts. Those who completed that year were paid a median $52.05 an hour at completion (528 completers with an exit wage DOL counts).
Find a registered program: DOL's Apprenticeship Finder → · What those wages come to at your hours a week → · Every state's count and wages for this trade →
Wages are DOL's own hourly figures in the dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation. Which wages DOL counts, which titles count and how the state is assigned are on the data page.
Other trades in Illinois
Plumbers and pipefitters ($99,950) · HVAC technicians ($77,410) · Welders ($51,320) · Truck drivers (CDL) ($60,320) · Lineworkers (power-line installers) ($108,120) · Elevator installers ($133,690) · Ironworkers ($101,850) · Sheet metal workers ($86,630) · Carpenters ($79,000) · Brickmasons and blockmasons ($89,980) · Auto service technicians ($49,170) · Diesel mechanics ($64,340) · Heavy equipment operators ($97,740) · Machinists ($58,520)
See all 15 ranked by pay in Illinois.
The pay and employment figures on this page are the May 2025 BLS estimates, apart from the apprenticeship figures, which are DOL's; the licensing detail is read from the pages listed in the licensing section, each with the date it was read. See how the numbers are built.