SOC 51-2041 · Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters Salary in Chicago, IL

The average salary for structural metal fabricators and fitters in Chicago, Illinois is $62,340 a year ($29.97 an hour), according to BLS estimates for May 2025. The median is $68,280: half of the 2,290 people in this job in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area earn more than that, half earn less. That average is 15% more than the U.S. average for this job ($54,030).

$62,340average per year

$29.97 / hourMedian $68,280Take-home ≈ $49,325

  • $46K10th
  • $58K25th
  • $68KMedian
  • $69K75th
  • $69K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

2,290people in this job
+15%vs U.S. average
#1 of 3Illinois metros
104cost of living (U.S. = 100)
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Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters pay range in Chicago

New workers and the lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,020 a year or less, while the top 10% make $68,580 or more. The middle half of structural metal fabricators and fitters in Chicago earn between $58,240 and $68,580.

  • $46K10th
  • $58K25th
  • $68KMedian
  • $69K75th
  • $69K90th

median average · bar = middle 50% of workers · how to read it

Pay levelPer yearPer monthPer hour*
Average$62,340$5,195$29.97
Median$68,280$5,690$32.83
Entry level (25th percentile)$58,240$4,853$28.00
Experienced (75th percentile)$68,580$5,715$32.97

*Hourly figures assume 2,080 paid hours a year. Hourly to annual salary.

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters pay in Chicago vs. Illinois and the U.S.

Structural metal fabricators and fitters in Chicago earn 13% more than the Illinois average ($55,050) and 15% more than the U.S. average ($54,030). At the median the gap is +33% against the U.S. median of $51,330.

AreaAverageMedian10th pct.90th pct.Jobs
Chicago$62,340$68,280$46,020$68,5802,290
Illinois$55,050$55,380$36,960$72,4801,910
United States$54,030$51,330$37,960$72,28052,360

State and U.S. rows: BLS statewide and national estimates, May 2025, which include rural areas.

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters salary after taxes in Chicago

On the average salary of $62,340, a single filer in Chicago takes home about $49,325 a year, or $4,110 a month and $1,897 every two weeks. Taxes take 21% of gross pay.

The Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area crosses state lines, so take-home pay depends on the state where you work:

StatePer yearPer month
Working in IN$50,430$4,202
Working in IL$49,325$4,110

Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).

Illinois paycheck calculator: try your own salary

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Is Chicago a good place for structural metal fabricators and fitters? Pay vs. cost of living

Prices in the Chicago area are 4% above the U.S. average (BEA price parity 103.6), so the average $62,340 buys what about $60,177 would buy in a typical U.S. metro. This job pays 1.2 times the median wage of all jobs in Chicago ($54,720). A typical home costs $353,998, or 5.7 years of this average salary before tax.

See what $62,340 is worth in another city

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters salary in other Illinois cities

Chicago ranks 1st of 3 Illinois metro areas for this job, the best-paid in the state.

All Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters salaries in Illinois

Highest-paying cities for structural metal fabricators and fitters

Albany, OR pays this job the most of the metro areas we cover ($71,610).

Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters salary by city

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Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters salary in Chicago: questions

How much do structural metal fabricators and fitters make an hour in Chicago?

$29.97 an hour on average, and $32.83 at the median (BLS, May 2025).

What is the entry-level structural metal fabricators and fitters salary in Chicago?

The lowest-paid 10% earn about $46,020 a year and the 25th percentile is $58,240, a fair guide to starting pay.

What is the structural metal fabricators and fitters take-home pay in Chicago?

About $49,325 a year ($4,110 a month) for a single filer on the average salary of $62,340.

Do structural metal fabricators and fitters earn more in Chicago than elsewhere?

The average here is 15% more than the U.S. average for this job ($54,030).

Sources and how to read this page

  • Wages: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025 estimates for metropolitan areas. SOC code 51-2041; area Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN (16980). Relative standard error of the mean wage: 5.1%.
  • U.S. and statewide figures: BLS OEWS national and state estimates, May 2025, every employer including rural areas.
  • Cost of living: Bureau of Economic Analysis regional price parities (RPP), 2024; 100 = U.S. average.
  • Home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Typical-wage figure: OEWS all occupations, same metro.
  • Take-home pay: Single filer, standard deduction: federal income tax (2026 brackets), Social Security, Medicare and state income tax (2025 rules).
  • Job concentration: location quotient 1.51, this job is 1.5 times as concentrated as in the U.S. overall.

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