State Wage Tools
State Wage Tools › Illinois › Prevailing Wage
All Illinois tools

The Illinois Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130) requires that workers on public works construction projects be paid the prevailing wage for their trade in the project's county; county wage rates are published annually by July 15 and are accessible through the Illinois Department of Labor prevailing wage database. — Source: Illinois Department of Labor — Prevailing Wage

Illinois public works

Illinois Prevailing Wage Guide

The Illinois Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130) requires that public works construction workers be paid the prevailing rate for their trade in the county where work is performed. Rates are set and published county-by-county every July 15. This guide explains how to identify the correct rate, how overtime is computed, and what records contractors must maintain.

Trade rates not shown here: Prevailing wage rates are published per trade, classification, and county by the Illinois Department of Labor. Always obtain the current wage determination from IDOL or the applicable county before beginning work.

Is your project covered?

The Illinois Prevailing Wage Act applies to public works construction — new construction, reconstruction, alteration, repair, maintenance, or demolition — for the state, any county, township, municipality, or other public body. The project must involve construction in Illinois. Verify coverage for a specific project at idol.illinois.gov/wage-laws/prevailing-wage.

How to find the correct rate

  1. Identify the county where work will be performed.
  2. Identify the trade classification (carpenter, electrician, plumber, laborer, etc.).
  3. Access the IDOL prevailing wage database at idol.illinois.gov/wage-laws/prevailing-wage.
  4. Confirm the effective date of the rate determination (published by July 15 annually).

Overtime calculation formula

Illinois prevailing wage overtime pay is calculated as the base trade rate multiplied by 1.5, plus the full fringe benefit rate at straight time (unless the wage determination specifies a different fringe rate for overtime hours).

Prevailing wage overtime formula

OT pay = (base rate × 1.5) + fringe rate Example: base $45/hr, fringe $20/hr OT pay = ($45 × 1.5) + $20 = $67.50 + $20 = $87.50/hr

Annual rate update — July 15

Illinois prevailing wage rates update each year. Counties must publish their determinations by July 15. Contractors working on multi-year projects must verify whether the rate has changed at the start of each new contract year. Using a rate that has been superseded is a violation even if the original contract specified an older rate.

What this does not determine

Sources and verification

Rules are drawn from 820 ILCS 130 (Illinois Prevailing Wage Act) and the Illinois Department of Labor prevailing wage database. Actual rates must be obtained directly from IDOL or the applicable county.