How much does an electrician charge per hour in Illinois?
Typical electrician rate, Illinois
$117/hr
Most electricians in Illinois charge $87 to $138 an hour. A full 8-hour day runs about $936.
Updated October 2026 · Wage data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025
How we got $117
| Median electrician wage in Illinois | $47.87 |
|---|---|
| × 1.4 payroll taxes, workers' comp, insurance | $67.02 |
| ÷ 0.8 for hours nobody gets billed (driving, supply runs, estimates) | $83.77 |
| × 1.4 overhead (truck, tools, office) and profit | $117.28 |
| Typical rate | $117/hr |
What electricians earn in Illinois
| Pay level | Wage | Charges about |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (10th percentile) | $23.67 | $58/hr |
| 25th percentile | $35.35 | $87/hr |
| Median (middle) | $47.87 | $117/hr |
| 75th percentile | $56.47 | $138/hr |
| Top earners (90th percentile) | $59.45 | $146/hr |
23,120 electricians work in Illinois. The middle earner makes $99,560 a year. Wages are from the BLS Electricians category.
How Illinois compares
Illinois electricians earn 58% above the U.S., ranking #2 of 51 states for electrician pay (#1 pays the most). The typical U.S. rate is $74 an hour.
| State | Typical | Most charge |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | $117/hr | $87 to $138 |
| Wisconsin | $90/hr | $66 to $110 |
| Michigan | $90/hr | $59 to $109 |
| Indiana | $81/hr | $59 to $108 |
| Ohio | $76/hr | $59 to $95 |
| United States | $74/hr | $58 to $99 |
What drives electrician prices
Most states license electricians, and most work beyond swapping a fixture needs a permit and an inspection. Many electricians charge a service-call minimum on small jobs, and master electricians bill above journeymen.
Common questions
How much does an electrician charge per hour in Illinois?
Most electricians in Illinois charge between $87 and $138 an hour, and about $117 is typical. A full 8-hour day runs about $936. These are estimates built from what electricians earn in Illinois (a median of $47.87 an hour, BLS May 2025), not quotes.
Why do electricians charge so much more than they earn?
The wage is only part of the cost. On top of $47.87 an hour, the employer pays payroll taxes, workers' comp and insurance (about $67.02 in total), loses paid hours to driving, supply runs and estimates that nobody is billed for (about $83.77 per billed hour), and has to cover the truck, tools, office and a profit. That's how $47.87 becomes about $117.
What's the lowest rate an electrician in Illinois can charge without losing money?
About $84 an hour for an electrician paid the Illinois median. That covers pay, payroll taxes, insurance and unbilled time, but nothing for the truck, tools, office or profit, so a rate below it loses money on every hour.
Other trades in Illinois
Rates are BidFlow estimates, not quotes. Each starts with the May 2025 wage from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, then multiplies by 1.4 for payroll taxes and insurance, divides by 0.8 for hours that can't be billed, and multiplies by 1.4 for overhead and profit. Updated October 2026. How we calculate
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