Official data · U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 FIPS 17031 Ver en español

Cook County · Illinois · United States

What trades pay in Cook County

This is what each kind of business actually pays in Cook County. The numbers come from the payroll that employers report to the government by law, not from salaries people type into a website.

$1,156 Median weekly pay across these 43 trades. $3,525 — $518.

Weekly pay, highest to lowest

TradePer week vs 2023
Offices of lawyersNAICS 541110 · 3,927 businesses · 35,524 employees$3,525$183,299 a year+6.5%up
Highway, street and bridge constructiongroupNAICS 2373 · 100 businesses · 3,130 employees$2,518$130,913 a year+6.7%up
Engineering servicesNAICS 541330 · 594 businesses · 14,019 employees$2,450$127,391 a year+7.9%up
Building finishing: painting, carpentry, flooringgroupNAICS 2383 · 1,714 businesses · 9,222 employees$2,289$119,046 a year+49.8%up
Real estate agents and brokersNAICS 531210 · 2,273 businesses · 6,565 employees$2,221$115,508 a year+6.6%up
Offices of physiciansNAICS 621111 · 2,429 businesses · 35,101 employees$1,970$102,459 a year+2.4%up
Plumbing, electrical and HVAC contractorsgroupNAICS 2382 · 2,454 businesses · 26,360 employees$1,890$98,292 a year+2.3%up
Other specialty trade contractorsgroupNAICS 2389 · 716 businesses · 6,437 employees$1,856$96,508 a year+5.3%up
Solid waste collectionNAICS 562111 · 86 businesses · 1,314 employees$1,720$89,440 a year+6.5%up
Foundation, structure and building exteriorgroupNAICS 2381 · 1,281 businesses · 7,788 employees$1,714$89,120 a year+5.3%up
New car dealersNAICS 441110 · 218 businesses · 14,305 employees$1,564$81,341 a year-4.2%down
Specialized freight trucking, long-distanceNAICS 484230 · 144 businesses · 910 employees$1,530$79,546 a year+4.8%up
Tax preparation servicesNAICS 541213 · 388 businesses · 1,155 employees$1,525$79,312 a year+7.3%up
Machine shopsNAICS 332710 · 228 businesses · 4,320 employees$1,498$77,920 a year-0.2%flat
Other services to buildingsNAICS 561790 · 168 businesses · 1,440 employees$1,365$70,973 a year-13.2%down
Residential building constructiongroupNAICS 2361 · 3,678 businesses · 7,660 employees$1,341$69,749 a year+11.2%up
Automotive body and paintNAICS 811121 · 454 businesses · 3,810 employees$1,304$67,798 a year-0.8%down
Offices of dentistsNAICS 621210 · 2,530 businesses · 16,667 employees$1,221$63,514 a year+4.5%up
Local truck driving (general freight)NAICS 484110 · 2,318 businesses · 8,710 employees$1,200$62,409 a year+1.8%up
Long-distance truck driving (general freight)NAICS 484121 · 3,356 businesses · 10,717 employees$1,194$62,109 a year-0.4%flat
Used car dealersNAICS 441120 · 213 businesses · 1,417 employees$1,184$61,546 a year+4.4%up
Taxi and ride serviceNAICS 485310 · 81 businesses · 260 employees$1,156$60,135 a year-3.4%down
General automotive repairNAICS 811111 · 1,359 businesses · 5,971 employees$1,148$59,687 a year+3.4%up
Metal window and door manufacturingNAICS 332321 · 20 businesses · 463 employees$1,079$56,120 a year+2.0%up
Couriers and express deliveryNAICS 492110 · 159 businesses · 23,976 employees$1,041$54,111 a year+3.2%up
Nursing care facilitiesNAICS 623110 · 278 businesses · 27,559 employees$1,015$52,790 a year+3.6%up
Landscaping servicesNAICS 561730 · 1,235 businesses · 6,845 employees$997$51,828 a year+2.0%up
Physical and occupational therapyNAICS 621340 · 649 businesses · 8,066 employees$994$51,666 a year+2.8%up
Janitorial servicesNAICS 561720 · 1,092 businesses · 25,007 employees$811$42,193 a year+3.4%up
Security guards and patrolNAICS 561612 · 232 businesses · 25,799 employees$765$39,757 a year+4.1%up
Barber shopsNAICS 812111 · 147 businesses · 694 employees$756$39,301 a year+1.7%up
CaterersNAICS 722320 · 284 businesses · 5,014 employees$728$37,831 a year+1.7%up
Child day care servicesNAICS 624410 · 1,474 businesses · 18,801 employees$727$37,807 a year+3.1%up
Full-service restaurantsNAICS 722511 · 4,315 businesses · 90,481 employees$714$37,127 a year+3.5%up
Beauty salonsNAICS 812112 · 1,441 businesses · 6,849 employees$712$37,035 a year+3.0%up
Supermarkets and grocery storesNAICS 445110 · 1,163 businesses · 44,062 employees$698$36,282 a year+3.3%up
Automotive oil change and lubricationNAICS 811191 · 49 businesses · 973 employees$695$36,151 a year0.0%flat
Convenience storesNAICS 445131 · 489 businesses · 1,930 employees$609$31,685 a year+2.0%up
Retail bakeriesNAICS 311811 · 246 businesses · 2,720 employees$606$31,514 a year+2.9%up
Nail salonsNAICS 812113 · 487 businesses · 1,498 employees$573$29,817 a year+2.0%up
Snack and coffee shopsNAICS 722515 · 1,122 businesses · 14,457 employees$562$29,231 a year+4.9%up
Home health care servicesNAICS 621610 · 670 businesses · 38,560 employees$549$28,551 a year-2.8%down
Limited-service restaurantsNAICS 722513 · 4,186 businesses · 63,606 employees$518$26,918 a year+4.4%up

What this number is, and what it is not

It is the average of the entire payroll of that kind of business, split across everyone on it: the helper who started yesterday, the twenty-year veteran, and the person running the office. An experienced worker earns more than the average for their line; someone starting out, less.

Rows marked group are groups because the government does not publish plumbing, electrical and HVAC separately at the county level. We would rather say so than invent the breakdown.

Trades where the government hides the pay — because there are few employers and you could tell who we mean — are left out instead of shown as zero.

How the county is doing

Businesses538,830
Employees9,748,178
Annual payroll$770 M
Net movement of people−69,302People per year, arrivals minus departures.

Where people move

The counties that take in the most people from Cook County. Same trade, different pay.

For the business owner

Do you own one of these 538,830 businesses?

People looking for work in your trade, in your county, are reading this page. Your business can appear next to its row, with your phone and what you pay.

Appear on this page
What is the average weekly pay in Cook County?
Across the 43 trades on this page, the middle one pays $1,156 a week. The highest pays $3,525 and the lowest $518.
Where do these numbers come from?
From the payroll that employers in Cook County report to the government by law for unemployment insurance, published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2024. They are not salaries people report about themselves.
Why is my trade not listed?
The government hides the pay for a trade when a county has few employers in it, because the figure would point at a specific business. We leave those out rather than show a zero.