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Cook County · Laborer
Laborer prevailing wage in Cook County, Illinois
$92.11an hour, base + fringes
$53.00 wage + $39.11 fringe benefits
Cook County uses the same laborer rates as 4 other counties. See all of them on one page.
On Illinois public works in Cook County, a laborer must be paid at least $92.11 an hour: a $53.00 base wage plus $39.11 in fringe benefits for health and welfare, pension, vacation, training and other insurance. IDOL lists each part but prints no total, so $92.11 is our sum of its columns. Overtime after 8 hours a day, Monday to Friday, is 1.5 times the base wage.
IDOL's Cook County schedule, posted October 19, 2026, for work performed on or after October 19, 2026. Checked against labor.illinois.gov on October 24, 2026.
Base wage and fringe: $53.00 + $39.11
The base wage is the taxable hourly wage. The other lines are the fringe benefits IDOL lists for each hour: health and welfare, pension, vacation, training, and "other insurance", which IDOL's legend defines as the "employer hourly cost for any other type(s) of insurance".
| Base wage (taxable) | $53.00 |
| Health and welfare | $19.86 |
| Pension | $18.34 |
| Training | $0.91 |
| Base + fringes (our sum; IDOL prints no total) | $92.11 |
IDOL leaves the other insurance column blank for this row, not $0.00. Our sum counts blank as zero.
Foreman base wage: $53.75 an hour, with the same fringe benefits.
Davis-Bacon laborer rate in Cook County
Federally funded or assisted construction here uses the U.S. Department of Labor's wage determinations. When a contract requires both the state rate and the Davis-Bacon rate, paying the higher of the two meets both. The contract documents say which apply.
We don't put a federal figure next to IDOL's here, because the federal determination for this county has no matching classification. The federal rows for this trade are below; match the classification to the work.
| Construction | Federal classification | Base + fringe | Base | WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | OPERATOR: POWER EQUIPMENT, GROUP 3 (HEAVY AND HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION) BOILERS; BROOMS, ALL POWER PROPELLED; CEMENT SUPPLY TENDER; COMPRESSOR, COMMON RECEIVER …ENGI0150-025 | $111.40 | $60.40 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, BUILDING & RESIDENTIAL: GROUP 11 JACKHAMMERMEN ON FIRE BRICK WORK ONLYLABO0002-006 | $88.62 | $51.68 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, BUILDING & RESIDENTIAL: GROUP 10 BOILER SETTER PLASTIC LABORERSLABO0002-006 | $88.79 | $51.85 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, BUILDING & RESIDENTIAL: GROUP 9 CHIMNEY ON FIRE BRICK; CAISSON DIGGERS; & WELL POINT SYSTEM MENLABO0002-006 | $88.69 | $51.75 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, BUILDING & RESIDENTIAL: GROUP 8 FIREBRICK & BOILER LABORERSLABO0002-006 | $88.67 | $51.73 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, BUILDING & RESIDENTIAL: GROUP 7 JACKHAMMERMEN; POWER DRIVEN CONCRETE SAWS; AND OTHER POWER TOOLSLABO0002-006 | $88.57 | $51.63 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, BUILDING & RESIDENTIAL: GROUP 6 STONE DERRICKMEN & HANDLERSLABO0002-006 | $88.54 | $51.60 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, BUILDING & RESIDENTIAL: GROUP 4 CHIMNEY OVER 40 FT.; SCAFFOLD LABORERSLABO0002-006 | $88.44 | $51.50 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, BUILDING & RESIDENTIAL: GROUP 3 CEMENT GUNLABO0002-006 | $88.42 | $51.48 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, BUILDING & RESIDENTIAL: GROUP 2 FIREPROOFING AND FIRE SHOP LABORERSLABO0002-006 | $88.34 | $51.40 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, HEAVY & HIGHWAY: GROUP 4 RAKERS, LUTEMEN; MACHINE-SCREWMEN; KETTLEMEN; MIXERMEN; DRUN-MEN; JACKHAMMERMEN (ASPHALT); PAINTMEN; MITRE BOX SPREADERS; …LABO0002-007 | $88.62 | $51.68 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, HEAVY & HIGHWAY: GROUP 2 ASPHALT TAMPERS & SMOOTHERS; CEMENT GUN LABORERSLABO0002-007 | $88.42 | $51.48 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, HEAVY & HIGHWAY: GROUP 1 COMMON LABORER; TENDERS; MATERIAL EXPEDITOR (ASPHALT PLANT); STREET PAVING, GRADE SEPARATION, SIDEWALK, CURB & GUTTER, …LABO0002-007 | $88.34 | $51.40 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, COMPRESSED AIR: 34 - AND OVERLABO0002-008 | $92.34 | $55.40 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, COMPRESSED AIR: 27 - 33 POUNDSLABO0002-008 | $91.34 | $54.40 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, COMPRESSED AIR: 21 - 26 POUNDSLABO0002-008 | $90.34 | $53.40 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, COMPRESSED AIR: 16 - 20 POUNDSLABO0002-008 | $89.84 | $52.90 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, COMPRESSED AIR: 0 - 15 POUNDSLABO0002-008 | $89.34 | $52.40 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, DEMOLITION/WRECKING: GROUP 2 INTERIOR WRECKING AND STRIP OUT WORKLABO0225-001 | $88.34 | $51.40 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
| Building, Residential, Highway, Heavy | LABORER, DEMOLITION/WRECKING: GROUP 1 COMPLETE DEMOLITIONLABO0225-001 | $83.34 | $46.40 | IL20260009 Mod 3 |
Davis-Bacon rates from SAM.gov, read October 25, 2026. Our federal totals are base plus fringe; DOL prints no total. Illinois Davis-Bacon changes
Holidays
IDOL's Cook County schedule: “The following list is considered as those days for which holiday rates of wages for work performed apply: New Years Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Veterans Day in some classifications/counties. Generally, any of these holidays which fall on a Sunday is celebrated on the following Monday. This then makes work performed on that Monday payable at the appropriate overtime rate for holiday pay. Common practice in a given local may alter certain days of celebration. If in doubt, please check with IDOL.”
Holiday work is paid at the holiday multiple in the overtime table (2.0× the base wage for this row).
When this rate changes
- Illinois rates don't lock at bid. When IDOL revises a rate, “the revised rate shall apply to such contract” from its effective date, including jobs already under way (820 ILCS 130/4(l)).
- A missing notice is no excuse. A public body's failure to send the new rates “does not relieve the contractor of the duty to comply”, or of paying back wages (820 ILCS 130/4(g), (j)).
- IDOL surveys in June and must publish the year's schedule by July 15 (820 ILCS 130/9), then posts revisions through the year. In 2026 its postings took effect on Jan 15, Mar 2, Apr 15, May 21, Jul 15, Aug 15, Sep 21 and Oct 19, 2026. Each posting replaces all 102 county schedules.
- This page uses the posting for work performed on or after October 19, 2026 (IDOL current rates; older postings are on IDOL's historical rates page).
What each class covers
IDOL's explanation of classes for Cook County, copied as printed. The class number on a row decides its rate.
LANDSCAPING
Landscaping work falls under the existing classifications for laborer, operating engineer and truck driver. The work performed by landscape plantsman and landscape laborer is covered by the existing classification of laborer. The work performed by landscape operators (regardless of equipment used or its size) is covered by the classifications of operating engineer. The work performed by landscape truck drivers (regardless of size of truck driven) is covered by the classifications of truck driver.
How Cook County compares
The main laborer rate in every county that has one, and how the pay splits here and in the nearest counties. All bars use the same scale.
Every county in Illinois
Wage and fringe benefits, nearby
- Cook Countybase $53.00$92.11
- DuPage Countybase $53.00$92.11
- Will Countybase $53.00$92.11
- Kankakee Countybase $47.70$83.79
Laborer rates in nearby counties
Current IDOL rates. You pay the rate for the county where the work is done. The Act defines “locality” as the county of the physical work, with narrow exceptions (820 ILCS 130/2).
IDOL's laborer rates for Cook County are the same as in 4 other counties: DuPage, Grundy, Lake, Will. The closest county with a different rate is Kankakee County, at $83.79.
| County | Classification | Base + fringes | Base | vs Cook County |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County | Laborer | $92.11 | $53.00 | |
| DuPage County | Laborer | $92.11 | $53.00 | same |
| Will County | Laborer | $92.11 | $53.00 | same |
| Kane County | Laborer | $92.11 | $53.00 | same |
| Lake County | Laborer | $92.11 | $53.00 | same |
| Kendall County | Laborer | $92.11 | $53.00 | same |
| McHenry County | Laborer | $92.11 | $53.00 | same |
More from IDOL on this rate
- Cook County schedule (IDOL PDF, page 1)
- Work that no listed trade covers: IDOL names a neighboring county's classification to use. Call 217-782-1710.
- Apprentices: IDOL's county schedules list journeyworker and foreman rates only.
Are you being paid this rate?
Add your base wage to what your employer pays into health, pension and other plans for you, and compare it with $92.11. Your contractor has to post the rates on the job site or give you written notice of them (820 ILCS 130/4(n)), and file a certified payroll with IDOL by the 15th of each month for the month before (820 ILCS 130/5).
A worker paid less than the prevailing rate can sue for the difference (820 ILCS 130/4(g)).
Source
Illinois Department of Labor, prevailing wage rates for Cook County, posted October 19, 2026, page 1: labor.illinois.gov/content/dam/soi/en/web/idol/laws-rules/conmed/documents/fy27/20261019/Cook.pdf
Each figure is read from IDOL's PDF and checked by a second, separate reader. IDOL prints no total; ours is re-added independently. How we check · Download Cook County as CSV · Report an error