Registered apprenticeships Rank #6 of 51 51-state dataset

Illinois Apprenticeship Programs

Illinois runs a mid-sized registered-apprenticeship system in the country — 38,000 active apprentices across 1,400 programs, with a 60.2% completion rate and wages that climb from $18 to $32.

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Active apprentices
38,000
National rank
#6 / 51
Completion rate
60.2%
Completion wage
$32
The verdict

Illinois ranks #6 of 51 of 51 jurisdictions by active registered apprentices — about 4.5% of all U.S. registered apprentices. Its 60.2% completion rate sits 2 pts above the 58.2% national average, and apprentices who finish raise their pay by 83% — from $18 to $32 an hour.

#6
of 51 by size
1,400
Registered programs
9,500
New this year
+$14.5
Wage gain / hr

Where Illinois sits among all 51 jurisdictions

Active registered apprentices by state (in thousands). Illinois is marked in rose; most states cluster at the lower end while a few large states carry the bulk of enrollment.

active apprentices distribution — Illinois marked 26 states at 0–10k 26 0 11 states at 10–20k 11 10 6 states at 20–30k 6 20 3 states at 30–40k 3 30 2 states at 40–50k 2 40 1 states at 50–60k 1 50 0 states at 60–70k 60 1 states at 70–80k 1 70 1 states at 80–90k 1 80 active apprentices (k) →
Top 10% by active apprentices Higher active apprentices than 90% of all 51 states.

Illinois has active apprentices of 38k. Distribution: 26 states at 0-10k; 11 states at 10-20k; 6 states at 20-30k; 3 states at 30-40k; 2 states at 40-50k; 1 states at 50-60k; 0 states at 60-70k; 1 states at 70-80k; 1 states at 80-90k.

Source: U.S. Department of Labor registered-apprenticeship data, compiled by PlainWorkforce. Counts rounded to the nearest thousand.

Top apprenticeship trades in Illinois, by AI exposure

Illinois's largest registered-apprenticeship occupations, ranked by AI-exposure score — most sit well below the 37% occupation-wide average (the dotted line), which is exactly why the trades are AI-resilient. Bars link to the full occupation profile where tracked.

AI-exposure scores are PlainWorkforce's analysis of O*NET task data; the 37% line is the average across all 832 tracked occupations. Lower = more AI-resilient.

Illinois vs. the national average

Completion rate
60.2%
National avg 58.2% · 2 pts above
Starting wage
$18
National avg $16/hr
Completion wage
$32
National avg $30/hr

Frequently asked questions

How many apprentices does Illinois have?

Illinois has approximately 38,000 active registered apprentices across about 1,400 registered programs, ranking 6 of 51 U.S. jurisdictions by active enrollment (U.S. Department of Labor registered-apprenticeship data).

What is the apprenticeship completion rate in Illinois?

Illinois's registered-apprenticeship completion rate is approximately 60.2%, 2 points above the 58.2% national average across all 51 jurisdictions.

How much do apprentices earn in Illinois?

Registered apprentices in Illinois start at around $18 per hour and earn approximately $32 per hour on completion — a 83% increase. Wages rise progressively as skills develop.

What are the top apprenticeship trades in Illinois?

The most common registered-apprenticeship trades in Illinois are Electrician, Plumber, Pipefitter, Carpenter, Operating Engineer. Construction trades (electricians, plumbers, carpenters) dominate registered enrollment nationally.

Compare other states

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Data sources: U.S. Department of Labor — Registered Apprenticeship (active apprentices, registered programs, completion rates, and wages by state); O*NET (occupation task data, for the linked AI-exposure scores). Compiled and formatted by PlainWorkforce. Enrollment and wage figures are rounded. See our methodology for how this data is sourced and computed.