{"id":2461383,"date":"2025-07-14T14:32:02","date_gmt":"2025-07-14T18:32:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/il-construction-workers-highest-paid-in-u-s-as-new-home-building-lags-washington-examiner\/"},"modified":"2025-07-14T14:35:55","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T18:35:55","slug":"il-construction-workers-highest-paid-in-u-s-as-new-home-building-lags-washington-examiner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/il-construction-workers-highest-paid-in-u-s-as-new-home-building-lags-washington-examiner\/","title":{"rendered":"IL construction workers highest paid in U.S. as new home building lags &#8211; Washington Examiner"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fil-construction-workers-highest-paid-in-u-s-as-new-home-building-lags-washington-examiner%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2461383&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A recent report by Construction Coverage reveals that Illinois construction workers earn the highest pay in the United States when adjusted for cost of living, with a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gen-z-watching-their-debt-climb-amid-soaring-rent-food-prices\/\" title=\"Gen Z Struggling with Rising Debt Due to High Rent and Food ...s\">median annual wage<\/a> of over $79,000. This figure is about 12% higher than the next highest Midwest state,Minnesota,and 50% higher than the median wage for all workers in Illinois. Major metro areas such as Chicago, Peoria, Decatur, and champaign rank among the top for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/labor-department-to-issue-pro-union-final-rule-on-construction-worker-pay-report\/\" title=\"Labor Department to release pro-union regulation on construction worker wages: ...\">construction worker wages<\/a>. Despite these high wages, Illinois ranks near the bottom nationally in new home construction, placing 48th with only 3.7 new units built per 1,000 existing homes last year, notably lower than the national average of 10.1. The Springfield and Chicago metro areas in particular have low rates of new home authorizations. The report highlights that while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/congressional-budget-office-minimum-wage-hike-would-cost-1-4-million-jobs\/\" title=\"Congressional Budget Office: Minimum Wage Hike Would ... 1.4 Million Jobs\">higher wages<\/a> increase labor costs, they can also improve worker retention and productivity.Illinois also has a relatively high unionization rate in private construction at 26.1%, contributing to labor dynamics in the industry.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">IL construction workers highest paid in U.S. as new home building lags<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2173662\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p>(The Center Square) &ndash; According to two new reports by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/construction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Construction<\/a> Coverage, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/illinois\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">Illinois<\/a> ranked 48th out of 50 U.S. states for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/constructioncoverage.com\/research\/cities-investing-most-in-new-housing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">new home construction<\/a>&nbsp;last year while leading the nation in&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/constructioncoverage.com\/research\/best-paying-cities-for-construction-workers\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">construction worker pay<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Analysts at Construction Coverage looked at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/wages\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"\">wage<\/a> data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and cost-of-living data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis to determine where in the country construction workers earn the most when local price differences are taken into account.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3470550\/wec-jacobs-doesnt-want-charges-in-madison-ballots-case\/\">WEC boss Jacobs doesn&rsquo;t want charges in Madison ballots case<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/crime\/3470138\/mike-lawler-epstein-debacle-colossal-waste-time-effort\/\">Mike Lawler calls Epstein debacle &lsquo;a colossal waste of time and effort&rsquo;<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/washington-secrets\/3470499\/katie-couric-trump-maga-liberal-media-bias\/\">Katie Couric labels Trump&rsquo;s MAGA &lsquo;a s*** show&rsquo;: Liberal Media Scream<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p>Michael Stromberg, head of Engineering &amp; Data Analytics at Construction Coverage, said construction workers in Illinois have the highest median wages in the country after adjusting for cost-of-living metrics.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;That&rsquo;s coming in at over $79,000 per year. For reference, that&rsquo;s nearly 12% more than the next-highest neighboring Midwest state, Minnesota, at just over $70,000 annually. That&rsquo;s also 50% more than the median wage for all workers in Illinois at roughly $50,000 per year,&rdquo; Stromberg told The Center Square.<\/p>\n<p>Without the cost-of-living adjustment factored in, Stromberg said Hawaii&rsquo;s <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >construction workers earn higher median wages<\/a> than Illinois workers, but Hawaii&rsquo;s high cost of living resulted in Illinois&rsquo; elevation to the top spot.<\/p>\n<p>Stromberg said the trends hold true at the local level.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The Chicago metropolitan area ranks first among large metros for construction worker pay. The Peoria metropolitan area ranks first among mid-size metros, and Decatur and Champaign rank second and third respectively among small metropolitan areas. So, from a personal income perspective, Illinois is an attractive state to work in for construction workers,&rdquo; Stromberg said.<\/p>\n<p>Nationwide, construction workers earn a median wage of $58,000 per year.<\/p>\n<p>Most neighboring states had median wages significantly lower than Illinois but still finished relatively high in the overall rankings.<\/p>\n<p>Wisconsin slotted 9th out of 50 with a median wage of $66,780. Indiana ranked 11th at $65,868, Missouri 13th at $65,387 and Iowa 14th at $65,249. Kentucky came in 32nd at $56,340.<\/p>\n<p>In a separate report, Construction Coverage found that Illinois built the third-fewest homes in the U.S. last year, with just 3.7 new units per 100 existing homes. For context, there were 10.1 authorizations per 1,000 existing homes across the U.S.<\/p>\n<p>The numbers are even more troubling for communities around the Illinois Capitol. The Springfield metro area authorized two new units per 1,000 existing homes last year, placing it 199th among all small U.S. metros building the most new housing.<\/p>\n<p>The Chicago metro area authorized 4.6 new units per 1,000 existing homes in 2024, the 9th fewest of any large U.S. metro.<\/p>\n<p>Construction Coverage analyzed U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development data for the report.<\/p>\n<p>Stromberg said the relationship between labor costs and the cost of housing is a complicated topic.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Generally speaking, higher wages and benefits for construction workers are obviously a direct increase in labor costs. However, higher pay can lead to better worker retention [and] more efficient productivity. For example, an experienced and cohesive crew might have fewer setbacks or reworks,&rdquo; Stromberg explained.<\/p>\n<p>Stromberg noted that the construction industry has a higher <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-urges-workers-to-make-your-voice-heard-as-amazon-employees-vote-on-union\/\" title=\"Biden Urges ... to \u2018Make Your Voice Heard\u2019 as Amazon Employees Vote on Union\">union membership rate<\/a> than the national average for all workers.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/in_focus\/3421371\/fema-future-abolition-overhaul-cabinet\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FEMA&rsquo;S FORK IN THE ROAD: ABOLITION OR SEAT AT THE CABINET<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;More specifically, the Illinois union membership rate for workers in the private construction industry is 26.1%, so that&rsquo;s nearly double the union membership rate for all workers in Illinois,&rdquo; Stromberg said.<\/p>\n<p>Stromberg said the 26.1% rate for Illinois ranks third among all U.S. states. He said the national union membership rate for all workers is 9.9%.<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thecentersquare.com%2Fillinois%2Farticle_9da4bc7c-b1e8-47b7-a4a8-f4eb839d0d73.html%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook%26utm_campaign%3Duser-share\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script><script>!function(){var g=window;g.googletag=g.googletag||{},g.googletag.cmd=g.googletag.cmd||[],g.googletag.cmd.push(function(){g.googletag.pubads().setTargeting(\"has-featured-video\",\"true\")})}();<\/script><script>var _bp=_bp||[];_bp.push({\"div\":\"Brid_2173662\",\"obj\":{\"id\":\"27789\",\"width\":\"1280\",\"height\":\"720\",\"stickyDirection\":\"below\",\"video\":\"2173662\"}});<\/script><script defer src=\"https:\/\/services.brid.tv\/player\/build\/brid.min.js\"><\/script><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>IL construction workers top paid despite low home building<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2461384,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/january-jobs-report.webp","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[59054,59057,59053,59055,59056],"class_list":["post-2461383","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-highest-paid-workers","tag-housing-market-trends","tag-il-construction","tag-new-home-building","tag-u-s-construction"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/january-jobs-report.webp","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2461383","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2461383"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2461383\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2461391,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2461383\/revisions\/2461391"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2461384"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2461383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2461383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2461383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}