Illinois prevailing wage law
Whether Illinois requires prevailing wages on public construction, from what contract size, who sets the rates, and what contractors file. Each fact links its official source and the date it was checked.
Prevailing wage in Illinois at a glance
- State prevailing wage law
- In force820 ILCS 130 (Prevailing Wage Act)
- Contract threshold
- No dollar threshold
- Certified payroll
- Monthly
- Federal work
- Davis-Bacon, over $2,000
Illinois prevailing wage rules
- The law
- Illinois's Prevailing Wage Act (820 ILCS 130) applies to public works of any size.Source: Illinois Department of Labor, Prevailing Wage Act FAQ (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Who it covers
- All fixed works constructed by any public body or paid for in whole or in part with public funds, including projects financed with bonds, grants, loans or other funds made available by or through the State or its political subdivisions, or undertaken by an institution supported in whole or in part by public funds. Sales tax rebates and TIF financing alone do not count as public funds.Source: Illinois Department of Labor, Prevailing Wage Act FAQ (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Threshold
- No dollar threshold: the Act applies to public works of any size.Source: U.S. Department of Labor, Dollar Threshold Amount for Contract Coverage Under State Prevailing Wage Laws (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Agency
- Illinois Department of Labor (opens in a new tab)Source: Illinois Department of Labor, Prevailing Wage Act FAQ (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Rates
- Rate determinations (opens in a new tab)Rates by county, published and revised by the Department of Labor through the year; a change applies to projects already underway.Source: Illinois Department of Labor, Prevailing Wage Rates (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Certified payroll
- Certified Transcript of Payroll Portal (opens in a new tab)Contractors and subcontractors file a certified payroll for each month with work by the 15th of the next month, to the Illinois Department of Labor's online portal, unless a State agency running the project has them file with it directly (820 ILCS 130/5, 5.1). Willfully failing to file is a class A misdemeanor.Filed with: Illinois Department of Labor.Source: Illinois Department of Labor, Certified Transcript of Payroll (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Registration
- Not confirmed
Not confirmed: no official source settled it on the check date, so none is shown.
Federally funded work in Illinois
On a project whose federal funding carries Davis-Bacon, the federal rules apply whatever the state law says. Whether Illinois's own law applies as well is in its coverage above: some state laws leave federally funded projects out.
- Davis-Bacon
- Federal Davis-Bacon labor standards apply to contracts over $2,000 for the construction, alteration or repair of public buildings or public works, or of work financed with federal funds under a law that requires Davis-Bacon, one of the Related Acts (29 CFR 5.5(a)).Source: 29 CFR 5.5, Contract provisions and related matters (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Certified payroll
- On Davis-Bacon work, each contractor and subcontractor submits certified payrolls weekly, for each week of covered work; the prime contractor is responsible for its subcontractors' payrolls (29 CFR 5.5(a)(3)(ii)(A)).Source: 29 CFR 5.5, Contract provisions and related matters (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
More for Illinois contractors
WORKLIO HCM
Prevailing wage and certified payroll in Worklio HCM
Set up prevailing wage rates by project, location and classification: your team assigns each worker's classification and apprentice step, and payroll applies the rates. Fringe benefits are calculated as cash or plan contributions, union dues and benefit packages are deducted with remittance reports by local, apprentices are paid at progressive rates by level, and WH-347 certified payroll reports carry job costing segments. Workers' comp class codes are set per job and employee. Union, prevailing wage, and certified payroll is available as an add-on to any plan.
See the union, prevailing wage, and certified payroll add-on
Prevailing wage in other states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Sources
The statute, agency page or federal rule behind each fact, as checked.
- Illinois Department of Labor, Prevailing Wage Act FAQ (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- U.S. Department of Labor, Dollar Threshold Amount for Contract Coverage Under State Prevailing Wage Laws (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Illinois Department of Labor, Prevailing Wage Rates (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- Illinois Department of Labor, Certified Transcript of Payroll (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
- 29 CFR 5.5, Contract provisions and related matters (opens in a new tab), checked October 6, 2026
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the relevant agency or your advisor. You remain responsible for paying the required rates and filing on time.