Illinois energy profile

Manufacturing energy costs in Illinois

As of May 2026, industrial electricity in Illinois runs 10.2 cents per kWh. That is 17.1% more expensive than the U.S. average and places the state 36 of 51 nationally.

Current prices in Illinois

  • Industrial electricity: 10.2 cents per kWh (May 2026, EIA).
  • Commercial electricity, the rate a warehouse or distribution center in Illinois typically pays: 15.36 cents per kWh.
  • Industrial natural gas: 9.67 per Mcf (May 2026), 126.5% above the national average.
  • Just below Illinois on the price ladder: South Dakota at 9.78, Minnesota at 9.8, Ohio at 9.87 cents. Just above: Pennsylvania at 10.31, Virginia at 10.53, Delaware at 10.69 cents.

What the rate does to operating cost

  • A 10 kW machine running a 4,000 hour year costs about 4,080 in electricity at Illinois rates versus 3,484 at the national average; at 50 kW the gap is 20,400 versus 17,420, and at 200 kW it is 81,600 versus 69,680.
  • At this rate, efficiency projects clear their hurdle faster in Illinois than almost anywhere: every avoided kWh is worth more, so compressed air leak repairs, VFD retrofits, and scheduling around demand charges deserve a fresh look.

What factory labor pays in Illinois

  • Industrial production managers: $61.19/hr median in Illinois versus $60.61 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Industrial engineers: $48.34/hr median in Illinois versus $49.25 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Industrial machinery mechanics: $36.63/hr median in Illinois versus $31.02 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Production supervisors: $36.16/hr median in Illinois versus $35.79 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Tool and die makers: $29.41/hr median in Illinois versus $30.79 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Machinists: $28.13/hr median in Illinois versus $28.24 nationally (OEWS 2025).
  • Illinois employs about 575,000 manufacturing workers as of Jun 2026 (BLS).

Manufacturing base in Illinois

  • Illinois has 12,465 manufacturing establishments employing about 544,438 workers (Census County Business Patterns, 2023).
  • Largest sectors by establishment count: fabricated metal products (2,779), food manufacturing (1,433), machinery manufacturing (1,266), printing and related support (1,084), machine shops (829).

Sources and update cadence

  • Prices come from the U.S. Energy Information Administration and refresh automatically when the agency publishes; this page also archives each month's Illinois observation so the local price history deepens over time.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.