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Illinois operating engineer prevailing wage, county by county
An operating engineer's prevailing wage on Illinois public works runs from $76.13 an hour in Williamson County to $121.85 in Cook County, base wage plus fringe benefits. The median county is $91.80.
Main operating engineer classification in each county (Operating engineer - class 1), IDOL posting for work on or after October 19, 2026. IDOL prints no total; each figure is base wage plus fringes. Checked October 24, 2026.
How much does an operating engineer make on prevailing wage in Illinois?
11 groups of counties with identical rates and 25 counties with rates of their own, highest main rate first, each split into wage and fringe benefits on one scale. The table below lists which counties are in each group.
- Cook County group3 counties$121.85
- Kane County group3 counties$121.85
- DuPage County1 county$121.85
- Kankakee County1 county$121.85
- Kendall County1 county$121.85
- Bureau County1 county$120.05
- LaSalle County1 county$120.05
- Livingston County1 county$120.05
- Putnam County1 county$120.05
- DeKalb County group4 counties$113.65
- Boone County1 county$113.65
- Carroll County1 county$113.65
- Stephenson County1 county$113.65
- Whiteside County1 county$113.65
- Winnebago County1 county$113.65
- Peoria County group11 counties$95.60
- Fulton County1 county$95.60
- Henry County1 county$95.60
- Marshall County1 county$95.60
- Madison County group13 counties$91.80
- Clinton County1 county$91.80
- Perry County1 county$91.80
- Washington County1 county$91.80
- Mercer County1 county$85.50
- Rock Island County1 county$85.50
- Sangamon County group13 counties$80.55
- Macon County group2 counties$80.55
- Champaign County group17 counties$77.60
- Wabash County1 county$77.60
- Wayne County1 county$77.60
- Williamson County group5 counties$76.13
- Johnson County group4 counties$76.13
- Jackson County group2 counties$76.13
- Franklin County1 county$76.13
- Hamilton County1 county$76.13
- Hardin County1 county$76.13
Which counties pay which rate
| Counties | Main classification | Base + fringes | Base |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook County group, 3 counties: Cook, Lake, Will | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $121.85 | $68.80 |
| Kane County group, 3 counties: Grundy, Kane, McHenry | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $121.85 | $68.80 |
| DuPage County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $121.85 | $68.80 |
| Kankakee County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $121.85 | $68.80 |
| Kendall County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $121.85 | $68.80 |
| Bureau County* | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $120.05 | $67.00 |
| LaSalle County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $120.05 | $67.00 |
| Livingston County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $120.05 | $67.00 |
| Putnam County* | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $120.05 | $67.00 |
| DeKalb County group, 4 counties: DeKalb, Jo Daviess, Lee, Ogle | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $113.65 | $60.75 |
| Boone County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $113.65 | $60.75 |
| Carroll County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $113.65 | $60.75 |
| Stephenson County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $113.65 | $60.75 |
| Whiteside County* | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $113.65 | $60.75 |
| Winnebago County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $113.65 | $60.75 |
| Peoria County group, 11 counties: Hancock, Henderson, Knox, Mason, McDonough, McLean, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, Woodford | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $95.60 | $49.26 |
| Fulton County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $95.60 | $49.26 |
| Henry County* | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $95.60 | $49.26 |
| Marshall County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $95.60 | $49.26 |
| Madison County group, 13 counties: Bond, Calhoun, Fayette, Greene, Jefferson, Jersey, Macoupin, Madison, Marion, Monroe, Montgomery, Randolph, St. Clair | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $91.80 | $51.70 |
| Clinton County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $91.80 | $51.70 |
| Perry County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $91.80 | $51.70 |
| Washington County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $91.80 | $51.70 |
| Mercer County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $85.50 | $43.00 |
| Rock Island County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $85.50 | $43.00 |
| Sangamon County group, 13 counties: Adams, Brown, Cass, Christian, Logan, Menard, Morgan, Piatt, Pike, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $80.55 | $44.80 |
| Macon County group, 2 counties: De Witt, Macon | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $80.55 | $44.80 |
| Champaign County group, 17 counties: Champaign, Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, Douglas, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Ford, Iroquois, Jasper, Lawrence, Moultrie, Richland, Vermilion | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $77.60 | $48.15 |
| Wabash County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $77.60 | $48.15 |
| Wayne County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $77.60 | $48.15 |
| Williamson County group, 5 counties: Alexander, Gallatin, Union, White, Williamson | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $76.13 | $42.13 |
| Johnson County group, 4 counties: Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $76.13 | $42.13 |
| Jackson County group, 2 counties: Jackson, Saline | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $76.13 | $42.13 |
| Franklin County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $76.13 | $42.13 |
| Hamilton County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $76.13 | $42.13 |
| Hardin County | Operating Engineer, Class 1 | $76.13 | $42.13 |
11 groups of counties with identical IDOL rates, and 25 counties with rates of their own. * Rate set by region inside the county; its page lists each region's rate.
These are journeyworker rates. IDOL's county schedules list journeyworker and foreman rates only; apprentice pay follows the registered apprenticeship program's standards.
Questions about Illinois operating engineer pay
What is the operating engineer prevailing wage in Cook County?
$121.85 an hour: a $68.80 base wage plus $53.05 in fringe benefits, under IDOL's county schedule. Overtime and every operating engineer classification in Cook County.
Does operating engineer prevailing wage include fringe benefits?
Yes. In Cook County the $121.85 total is a $68.80 base wage plus $53.05 in fringe benefits, about 44% of the total. The employer owes the full amount for every hour worked.
Do apprentice operating engineers get this rate?
IDOL's county schedules list journeyworker and foreman rates only. Apprentice pay follows the registered apprenticeship program's standards.
Why do some counties have the same operating engineer rate?
IDOL often publishes the same operating engineer rates for several counties. Across Illinois, the 102 counties with an operating engineer rate fall into 36 distinct sets of rates, and 11 of those sets are shared by more than one county; the largest covers 17 counties (the Champaign County group).
Which county pays operating engineers the most in Illinois?
Cook County, at $121.85 an hour for the main classification. The lowest is Williamson County at $76.13, and the median county is $91.80.