Truck Driver Pay in Illinois (2026)
Official BLS numbers for heavy and tractor-trailer drivers (SOC 53-3032) in Illinois, how Chicagoland rail drayage and the I-80 crossroads build the job market, and what the flat 4.95% income tax leaves in the paycheck.
By the HaulMath editorial team · Updated $1
Key numbers at a glance
| Metric (SOC 53-3032, statewide) | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | Typical market read (hedged) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean hourly wage | $30.01 | Well above the $28.71 national mean |
| Mean annual wage | $62,430 | vs. $59,710 nationally — about $2,720 ahead |
| Median annual wage | $60,320 | Above the $58,640 national median |
| 10th percentile (annual) | $39,710 | Below the $40,140 national 10th — entry market still exists |
Truck driver pay in Illinois: the numbers
The benchmark is the Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS survey for heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, May 2025 release. Illinois is the heavyweight of this ten-state batch: roughly 84,200 driver jobs statewide, about 13.8 of every 1,000 jobs. Annual figures assume 2,080 hours, so treat them as full-time equivalents rather than promises.
| Metric (SOC 53-3032, statewide) | BLS OEWS, May 2025 | Typical market read (hedged) |
|---|---|---|
| Mean hourly wage | $30.01 | Well above the $28.71 national mean |
| Mean annual wage | $62,430 | vs. $59,710 nationally — about $2,720 ahead |
| Median annual wage | $60,320 | Above the $58,640 national median |
| 10th percentile (annual) | $39,710 | Below the $40,140 national 10th — entry market still exists |
| 75th percentile (annual) | $75,600 | Drayage, union distribution, specialized freight |
| 90th percentile (annual) | $86,300 | Nearly $7,000 over the national $79,380 |
| Hedged hiring range, 2026 | — | Roughly $55,000–$75,000 for experienced company drivers; verify with carriers |
Illinois shows the widest internal spread of almost any Midwestern state: a below-national 10th percentile ($39,710) under a far-above-national 90th ($86,300). That is a two-tier market at work. The bottom tier is classic mega-carrier OTR and rural downstate truckload work. The top tier is Chicagoland: intermodal drayage paid by the load, union grocery and beverage distribution paid hourly with overtime, and dedicated accounts in the warehouse belt — jobs that reward seniority and equipment flexibility more than raw miles. BLS does not track cents-per-mile pay, and structure varies sharply between downstate OTR and metro hourly work — confirm details with the carrier.
How miles and freight shape pay in Illinois
Illinois is the crossroads of continental freight. Chicago is the largest rail intermodal hub in North America — stacks from the West Coast terminate at ramps across Cook County and the Joliet–Elwood corridor, and every container that leaves a ramp on rubber tires is a drayage job. Around that rail spine sits one of the continent's biggest warehouse belts along I-55 and I-80 southwest of the city, plus a massive consumption market for grocery, food-service and retail distribution inside the metro. Downstate, the map opens: I-80 carries coast-to-coast truckload traffic, I-55 runs to St. Louis and the South, I-57 drops to Memphis, and I-39 connects Rockford through Peoria–Bloomington as a distribution corridor in its own right.
That mix supports every work style at scale: hourly local and regional drivers home nightly, Chicagoland drayage owner-operators chasing per-load rates, and national OTR drivers based at terminals from Joliet to Effingham. Two Illinois-specific line items eat paychecks fast. First, tolls — the Illinois Tollway system and the Chicago Skyway are a real weekly cost for regional drivers, so route planning matters. Second, congestion: a dray move that pays for 45 minutes can burn two hours on the Stevenson at 3 p.m. Owner-operators should price tolls and dwell into every run with the load profit calculator and recheck their cost per mile quarterly. For how Illinois stacks up nationally, see the truck driver pay by state hub.
The tax angle in Illinois
Illinois taxes wages at a flat 4.95% — a rate unchanged since 2017 and locked in by the state constitution's flat-tax requirement after voters rejected the graduated-tax amendment in 2020, per the Illinois Department of Revenue. On a $62,430 mean wage, that is roughly $3,100 to the state before the personal exemption. The flat structure cuts both ways: entry drivers pay the same rate as drayage owners, but there is no bracket penalty as pay climbs toward that $86,300 90th percentile. Drivers who live in Indiana or Wisconsin and run Chicago freight file non-resident Illinois returns with credits at home; owner-operators apportion through their base state. Verify current rates with the Illinois Department of Revenue, and see the trucking tax deductions guide for the deduction basics.
FAQ
How much do truck drivers make in Illinois?
Per BLS OEWS (May 2025), heavy and tractor-trailer drivers in Illinois earn a mean of $30.01/hour or $62,430/year, with a median of $60,320 and a 10th–90th percentile spread of $39,710–$86,300.
Is Illinois pay above the national average for CDL drivers?
Yes. Illinois's $62,430 mean is about $2,720 above the national $59,710 for SOC 53-3032, and its $86,300 90th percentile towers over the national $79,380 — Chicagoland drayage and union distribution drive the top end.
What freight moves in Illinois?
Rail intermodal out of Chicagoland ramps, the giant warehouse belt around Joliet and Elwood, regional distribution into Chicago, and long-haul traffic crossing on I-80, I-55, I-57, I-90 and I-94.
Does Illinois tax truck driver pay?
Yes — a flat 4.95% state income tax on wages (per the Illinois Department of Revenue). On a $62,430 mean wage that is roughly $3,100 to the state. Owner-operators apportion through their base state.
Is local or OTR work more common in Illinois?
Both are deep markets. Chicagoland runs one of the country's largest drayage and local distribution pools, while downstate terminals in Joliet, Rockford and Effingham base national OTR fleets running every direction.
What per-mile pay can a company driver expect in Illinois?
BLS does not track CPM. Company OTR/regional positions in the Midwest commonly advertise roughly $0.60–$0.80 per mile, with drayage and local work usually hourly; confirm current offers with the carrier.