Illinois vs Pennsylvania: contractor markets, side by side
Illinois has 15,797 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Pennsylvania has 9,064: about 1.7× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Illinois | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 15,797 | 9,064 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 12.4 | 6.5 |
| Residents | 12,757,583 | 13,983,292 |
| Households | 5,427,336 | 6,205,690 |
| Median household income | $84,033 | $78,687 |
| Building permits (2025) | 18,551 | 25,709 |
| Top city by licenses | Chicago | — |
Illinois is the denser market: 12.4 active licenses per 10k residents against 6.5 in Pennsylvania. Density cuts both ways: more contractors to sell to per square mile, and more competition per job for the contractors themselves.
Household income runs higher in Illinois: $84,033 median against $78,687 in Pennsylvania, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Illinois | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 2,601 | 1,773 |
| Plumbers | 993 | 684 |
| HVAC Contractors | — | 246 |
| General Contractors | 6,715 | 6,042 |
| Roofing Contractors | 4,509 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 119 |
| Masons | 979 | — |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 182 |
Counts are active licenses only, from each state's license board. A “—” means that board doesn't issue a statewide license for the trade, not that the trade doesn't exist there.
Working one of these markets?
Illinois vs Pennsylvania: common questions
Does Illinois or Pennsylvania have more licensed contractors?
Illinois has more: 15,797 active licensed contractors against 9,064 in Pennsylvania, about 1.7× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits.
Which has the denser contractor market, Illinois or Pennsylvania?
Illinois is denser: 12.4 active licenses per 10k residents against 6.5 in Pennsylvania.
Where does household income run higher, Illinois or Pennsylvania?
Illinois: $84,033 median household income against $78,687 in Pennsylvania, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Illinois vs Pennsylvania comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the IDFPR + Chicago Department of Buildings and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.