How Much Do Welders Make in Illinois?
Welders in Illinois earned a median of $51,320 a year in May 2025, or $24.67 an hour, just under the national median of $53,750. The top tenth earned $76,730 or more. Pay was highest around Peoria, at a $58,960 median, followed by Decatur at $57,670; the Chicago area, where most Illinois welders work, came in at $52,650.
The median welder in Illinois earned $51,320 a year in May 2025, which works out to $24.67 an hour. That is a little under the national median of $53,750. Where you work matters more than the state figure suggests: welders around Peoria earned a median of $58,960, while those around Bloomington earned $47,180.
Here is how that pay breaks down, which Illinois metros pay best, and which schools put you close to those jobs.
The Illinois Welder Pay Range, From First Job to Top Earner
A median hides a wide spread. These are annual wages for welders, cutters, solderers and brazers in Illinois, May 2025, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Where you fall | Illinois | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Bottom 10% earn less than | $38,890 | $39,240 |
| Bottom 25% earn less than | $46,500 | $46,790 |
| Median | $51,320 | $53,750 |
| Mean (average) | $55,930 | $56,760 |
| Top 25% earn more than | $61,520 | $63,010 |
| Top 10% earn more than | $76,730 | $77,530 |
Two things stand out. First, the Illinois floor is almost the same as the national one, so a new welder here starts near where new welders start everywhere. Second, the top tenth clears $76,730, so experience and added skills have real room to pay off.
With 16,260 welders employed statewide, Illinois is a large market, and you are not stuck with one or two employers.
Peoria and Decatur Pay More Than Chicago
Most people assume the city pays best. For Illinois welders, it doesn’t. Peoria and Decatur topped the state in May 2025, both ahead of the Chicago area.
| Metro area | Median pay | Hourly median | Welders employed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peoria | $58,960 | $28.34 | 1,230 |
| Decatur | $57,670 | $27.73 | 200 |
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin | $52,650 | $25.31 | 9,320 |
| St. Louis (MO-IL) | $51,640 | $24.83 | 2,820 |
| Rockford | $50,200 | $24.14 | 870 |
| Springfield | $49,860 | $23.97 | 100 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island (IA-IL) | $48,630 | $23.38 | 1,240 |
| Champaign-Urbana | $48,610 | $23.37 | 100 |
| Cape Girardeau (MO-IL) | $48,580 | $23.35 | 170 |
| Paducah (KY-IL) | $48,560 | $23.35 | 310 |
| Kankakee | $47,460 | $22.82 | 230 |
| Bloomington | $47,180 | $22.69 | 70 |
Peoria also has one of the highest floors in the state. Its bottom tenth earned $46,480 or less, well above the statewide $38,890. Decatur’s floor is higher still, at $47,020, though it is a small market.
Chicago’s advantage is volume. With 9,320 welders, the Chicago area is by far the largest welding job market in the state, even if its median trails Peoria’s. Its top tenth earned $74,450 or more.
Train Close to the Metros That Pay Best
If you plan to stay near home after school, it helps to train where the better-paying jobs are. Here are the schools closest to each of the stronger markets.
Peoria
Illinois Central College in East Peoria is the main option. It offers a two-year AAS, a one-year Welding Specialist certificate and a one-semester Welding Operator certificate, and it conferred 132 welding awards in 2024–25. See the East Peoria welding schools page for nearby choices. Spoon River College in Canton is within reach to the southwest and offers two short certificates.
Decatur
Richland Community College sits in Decatur itself. Its programs run from a 12-credit Basic Welding Certificate to a 47-credit Pipefitting and Pipe Welding Certificate and a 62-credit AAS, and they prepare you for AWS, ASME and NCCER certification tests.
Chicago Area
You have the most choice here. Elgin Community College teaches every major process plus pipe, robotic welding and inspection, with morning, afternoon and evening classes. College of Lake County in Gurnee conferred 207 welding awards in 2024–25, more than any other Illinois community college. Harper, Moraine Valley, Joliet Junior College and College of DuPage round out the list. Start with the Chicago welding schools page.
Rockford and the Metro East
Rock Valley College is an AWS accredited test facility, so you can test for certification after its 31-credit certificate; see Rockford. Across the river from St. Louis, Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville runs day and evening classes and conferred 155 welding awards in 2024–25. Browse the Belleville page for more.
Smaller Markets Where Welder Pay Runs Lower
Outside Peoria, Decatur and Chicago, Illinois welder medians sit in a tight band, from Bloomington’s $47,180 up to Rockford’s $50,200. That doesn’t make these markets a bad bet. Tuition is low across the state, and several of these areas have busy schools.
Springfield ($49,860 median). Midwest Technical Institute conferred 289 welding awards in 2024–25, the most in Illinois, through a 720-hour welding program and a 960-hour welding and pipefitting program. Lincoln Land Community College had the lowest tuition in the area at $3,744. The Springfield metro itself is small, with about 100 welders, so you may commute to Decatur or Peoria for the higher-paying jobs. See the Springfield welding schools page.
Bloomington ($47,180 median). Heartland Community College in Normal conferred 138 welding awards in 2024–25 and runs morning, afternoon and evening classes in 8-week and 16-week formats. Peoria is close enough that you could look for work in both markets.
Quad Cities ($48,630 median). Black Hawk College in Moline serves a metro with 1,240 welders, one of the larger markets in the state, and its top tenth earned $71,950 or more.
Kankakee ($47,460 median). The median is modest, but the top tenth earned $71,110 or more. Kankakee Community College teaches pipe welding and offers an AAS alongside five certificates.
Southern Illinois. The Paducah and Cape Girardeau metros, which reach into the state’s southern tip, had medians of $48,560 and $48,580. Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Rend Lake College in Ina and John A Logan College in Carterville all train welders in that part of the state. See the Herrin page for nearby options.
Jobs That Pay More Once You Can Weld
Welding is a starting point. Several Illinois careers build on the same skills and pay well above the welder median. These are May 2025 Illinois medians from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
| Career | Illinois median | Hourly median |
|---|---|---|
| Welding engineer | $111,930 | $53.81 |
| Welding sales representative | $107,570 | $51.72 |
| Ironworker | $101,850 | $48.97 |
| Welding supervisor | $75,200 | $36.16 |
| Millwright | $66,640 | $32.04 |
| Welding instructor | $62,480 | $30.04 |
| Robotic welding technician | $58,840 | $28.29 |
| Welder | $51,320 | $24.67 |
| Welding inspector | $47,920 | $23.04 |
Ironwork stands out. Illinois ironworkers earned a median of $101,850, about twice the welder median, and structural welding is part of the job. If that path interests you, a school with a strong stick and structural focus gives you a head start.
Supervision is the broadest step up. Illinois had 29,640 first-line production supervisors in May 2025, at a median of $75,200.
The welding inspector figure covers a broad group of inspectors and testers, so it sits below the welder median. Its top tenth in Illinois earned $75,030 or more.
Skills That Move You Up the Pay Scale
The top quarter of Illinois welders earned more than $61,520. You get there by adding skills employers pay extra for. Several Illinois schools build those skills in from the start.
Pipe welding. Kankakee Community College has a 12-credit Pipe Welding Certificate, Moraine Valley an 18-credit one, and Harper a 17-credit Basic Pipe Welding Certificate. Pipe work is the skill behind the pipe welder career.
Robotic welding. Sauk Valley, Triton, Rock Valley and John Wood all teach robotic and automated welding. Illinois robotic welding technicians earned a median of $58,840, though only 180 held that job title statewide.
Code certification. McHenry County College’s certificates prepare you for certified welder tests under the AWS D1.1 structural steel code. Illinois Valley Community College is an AWS accredited testing facility. The welding certification guide explains which tests matter.
Weighing Illinois Pay Against the Cost of Training
A full-time year at an Illinois community college cost $3,252 to $6,090 in tuition and fees in 2024–25 for in-district students. Set against a $51,320 median, a short certificate at your district college is a modest outlay.
For school-by-school tuition, books and full program totals, read the companion guide to welding school cost in Illinois. To compare Illinois pay with other states, see the national welder salary table, and for every school ranked, the best welding schools in Illinois.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Hourly Wage for a Welder in Illinois?
The median hourly wage for Illinois welders was $24.67 in May 2025. In the Peoria area it was $28.34, and in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin area $25.31.
How Many Welders Work in Illinois?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 16,260 welders, cutters, solderers and brazers employed in Illinois in May 2025. About 9,320 of them worked in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin metro area.
Do Illinois Welders Earn More Than the National Average?
Slightly less at the middle. The Illinois median was $51,320 against $53,750 nationally, and the Illinois mean was $55,930 against $56,760. Peoria and Decatur welders beat the national median.
What Does an Entry-Level Welder Make in Illinois?
The bottom tenth of Illinois welders earned $38,890 or less in May 2025, and the bottom quarter $46,500 or less. Those figures are a fair guide to what newer welders earn in their first jobs.
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