BLS May 2025
Mechanic Salary in Illinois
Illinois sits 31st of 50 states on mechanic pay, near the middle of the table. For automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023), the Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 median is $49,170 a year, $1,450 below the national median of $50,620, and 29,510 wage and salary jobs sit behind it. Pay runs from $34,190 at the 10th percentile to $91,200 at the 90th, across 4.2 percent of U.S. technician jobs.
By Trevor Rupe, Contributor at Savo Media Group
At a Glance
- 31st of 50 states on median pay for automotive service technicians and mechanics (SOC 49-3023), $49,170 against $50,620 nationally.
- $81,680 for aircraft mechanics, 66 percent over automotive technicians.
- A $57,010 spread between the 10th and 90th percentiles, 3rd widest of 50.
$57,010 Separates Low and High Mechanic Salary in Illinois
The pay floor of $34,190 sits close to the nation, but the ceiling of $91,200 runs $9,410 more than the nation. The $57,010 spread from bottom tenth to top tenth is $9,880 wider than the national one. Illinois ranks 10th of 50 states at the 90th percentile.
| Measure | Illinois | United States | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th percentile | $34,190 | $34,660 | -$470 |
| 25th percentile | $38,310 | $38,900 | -$590 |
| Median (50th percentile) | $49,170 | $50,620 | -$1,450 |
| 75th percentile | $73,640 | $70,430 | +$3,210 |
| 90th percentile | $91,200 | $81,790 | +$9,410 |
| Mean | $56,680 | $56,420 | +$260 |
| Wage and salary jobs | 29,510 | 704,640 |
The middle half of Illinois mechanics earn $38,310 to $73,640 (-$590 on the nation at the 25th percentile, +$3,210 at the 75th).
Mean pay of $56,680 climbs $7,510 over the median on the strength of top earnings.
The $34,190 at the 10th percentile says where the bottom tenth ends, not what a beginner is paid.
Aircraft Mechanics Out-Earn Auto Mechanics by $32,510 in Illinois
Aircraft mechanics sit at $81,680 on 3,370 jobs, $32,510 more than the $49,170 automotive median. Auto mechanics rank last of the 5 trades.
| Trade | Illinois median | U.S. median | Rank of 50 | Jobs | Best metro |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aircraft Mechanic | $81,680 | $79,870 | 19th | 3,370 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, $100,610 |
| Heavy Equipment Mechanic | $71,370 | $65,510 | 15th | 3,470 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, $74,090 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $64,340 | $61,770 | 17th | 11,320 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, $65,680 |
| Collision Repair Technician | $52,020 | $54,890 | 26th | 5,750 | St. Louis, MO-IL, $63,920 |
| Auto Mechanic | $49,170 | $50,620 | 31st | 29,510 | St. Louis, MO-IL, $58,190 |
Heavy equipment mechanics ($71,370, +$5,860) and diesel mechanics ($64,340, +$2,570) beat their national medians.
Collision repair technicians ($52,020, -$2,870) falls short of its national median.
Aircraft mechanics ($81,680, +$1,810) lands close to its national median.
Aircraft mechanics do best in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, where the median is $100,610.
30 Ranked Mechanic Programs in Illinois
28 schools supply 30 ranked programs (22 automotive, 2 diesel, 1 collision repair and 5 aviation maintenance); Illinois Central College in East Peoria, IL scores best, 68.2 in automotive.
Waubonsee Community College in Sugar Grove, IL is the least expensive of 30 priced programs at $3,504 a year, in-district; Universal Technical Institute of Illinois in Lisle, IL is the most, at $40,550 for the 11-month program.
3 ranked programs are in Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, where the median is $55,320.
- Illinois Central College East Peoria, IL, automotive, score 68.2, #14 of 415
- Parkland College Champaign, IL, automotive, score 66.8, #19 of 415
- Rock Valley College Rockford, IL, aviation maintenance, score 66.3, #14 of 148
- Rock Valley College Rockford, IL, automotive, score 65.1, #30 of 415
- Oakton College Des Plaines, IL, automotive, score 63.1, #58 of 415
- Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove, IL, collision repair, score 62.9, #15 of 59
- Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Lisle, IL, diesel, score 61.8, #21 of 76
- Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills, IL, automotive, score 61.1, #77 of 415
- Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove, IL, automotive, score 60.9, #80 of 415
- Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago Chicago, IL, aviation maintenance, score 59.7, #40 of 148
- College of Lake County Grayslake, IL, automotive, score 58.3, #107 of 415
- Triton College River Grove, IL, automotive, score 58.0, #108 of 415
Best Mechanic Schools in Illinois scores all 30 programs by one method
St. Louis, MO-IL Pays 22 Percent More Than Peoria, IL
With 12 metropolitan areas to compare, start with the big three: Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN ($55,320), St. Louis, MO-IL ($58,190) and Peoria, IL ($47,750), 28,770 jobs between them.
Peoria, IL at $47,750 and St. Louis, MO-IL at $58,190 mark the low and high of the state, 22 percent apart, counting areas with 500 or more jobs.
4 nonmetropolitan areas add 4,140 jobs (14 percent of 29,510), all under the $49,170 state median at $45,920 to $48,260, while the best metro clears the best of them by $9,930.
5 of the 12 areas, led by Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN, extend into IN and carry one figure for the whole area.
| Area | Median | Against Illinois | 10th to 90th percentile | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $55,320 | +$6,150 | $34,520 to $92,460 | 20,140 |
| St. Louis, MO-IL | $58,190 | +$9,020 | $36,280 to $78,140 | 7,590 |
| Peoria, IL | $47,750 | -$1,420 | $33,780 to $82,210 | 1,040 |
| Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA-IL | $47,880 | -$1,290 | $34,840 to $79,750 | 980 |
| Rockford, IL | $48,110 | -$1,060 | $34,890 to $80,010 | 730 |
| Springfield, IL | $48,810 | -$360 | $36,090 to $81,060 | 550 |
| Champaign-Urbana, IL | $48,090 | -$1,080 | $35,370 to $77,020 | 460 |
| Bloomington, IL | $46,260 | -$2,910 | $31,200 to $78,140 | 440 |
| Kankakee, IL | $45,190 | -$3,980 | $31,200 to $80,100 | 320 |
| Cape Girardeau, MO-IL | $48,690 | -$480 | $32,600 to $75,860 | 310 |
| Paducah, KY-IL | $43,260 | -$5,910 | $30,680 to $69,010 | 290 |
| Decatur, IL | $47,880 | -$1,290 | $35,700 to $77,980 | 240 |
| West Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $45,920 | -$3,250 | $34,700 to $76,540 | 1,310 |
| East Central Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $47,530 | -$1,640 | $34,190 to $78,070 | 1,000 |
| South Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $47,000 | -$2,170 | $32,610 to $78,960 | 930 |
| Northwest Illinois nonmetropolitan area | $48,260 | -$910 | $35,270 to $77,360 | 900 |
29,510 Mechanic Jobs in Illinois at the National Density
Technicians hold 4.8 of every 1,000 Illinois jobs, tracking the nation (location quotient 1.07). That puts Illinois 27th among 50 states on concentration.
Among the trades, automotive technicians are the most concentrated, ahead of diesel mechanics at 1.00.
Illinois Between Indiana and Missouri on Mechanic Pay
Missouri is the closest, $10 lower at $49,160; after that comes Indiana at $49,360, a gap of $190.
20 other states are within $2,500 of $49,170; 11 are inside $1,000. Rank changes fast in this stretch.
Questions About Mechanic Salary in Illinois
What is the mechanic salary in Illinois?
A $49,170 median, $23.64 an hour, $1,450 below the nation. Pay runs $34,190 to $91,200 from the 10th to the 90th percentile.
How much more do aircraft mechanics earn than auto mechanics in Illinois?
The median gap is $32,510, $81,680 for aircraft mechanics against $49,170 for automotive technicians in the OEWS count.
Which mechanic school in Illinois ranks highest?
Illinois Central College in East Peoria, IL, at 68.2 out of 100; 30 programs are ranked in all.
The figures here are the Bureau of Labor Statistics median for wage and salary workers, so the mechanic salary in Illinois for any one job depends on the employer, the metro area and the trade.
Sources for Mechanic Salary in Illinois
- BLS OEWS, Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics May 2025, read October 23, 2026.
- BLS OEWS technical notes Wage and salary workers only.