How to Become a Locksmith in Illinois: Steps, License and Pay

How to become a locksmith in Illinois

Illinois licenses locksmiths and locksmith agencies through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. Locksmiths there earned a median $27.94 an hour ($58,110 a year) in May 2025, 13% above the national median of $24.68. The state projects about 60 openings a year through 2032.

$27.94Median hourly pay

60Openings a year to 2032

YesState license

U.S. Labor Dept.Registers apprenticeships

The short version for Illinois

Illinois licenses locksmiths and locksmith agencies through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation.
Pay runs from about $17.29 an hour for the lowest-paid tenth of locksmiths to $42.69 for the top tenth.
Jobs are projected to shrink 11.5% from 2022 to 2032, against -11.5% growth nationally.

The path in Illinois, step by step

Illinois licenses locksmith work at the state level through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. These are the steps it lays out, in order.

Get your individual locksmith license from IDFPR.
If you will employ others, apply for a locksmith agency license with yourself as licensee in charge.
Register employees with PERC cards and the 20 hour basic training.

The full license guide, with every fee and form: locksmith license in Illinois.

Finding an apprenticeship in Illinois

Illinois has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency, so the U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers and oversees programs there through a state field office. Apprenticeship.gov lists the Illinois Apprenticeship Office as the contact.

Either way, a registered program means paid work with a mentor, raises as you progress, classroom instruction and a credential recognized in every state. Search open spots in the Apprenticeship Job Finder.

Across the country. O*NET lists locksmith apprenticeship titles that are vetted by industry and approved by the U.S. Department of Labor for Registered Apprenticeship programs.

License levels and exams in Illinois

The license to aim for: Locksmith license, plus a locksmith agency license if you employ others.

License	What it covers
Permanent Employee Registration Card (PERC)	For employees of a licensed agency, with 20 hours of basic training.

What locksmiths earn in Illinois

The median locksmith in Illinois earned $27.94 an hour in May 2025, 11th of 48 states, with 430 on payrolls. The national median was $24.68.

At the bottom of the range, a quarter of locksmiths in Illinois earned under $18.01 an hour and a tenth under $17.29. At the top, a quarter earned over $31.53 and a tenth over $42.69.

Pay level	Hourly	Yearly
10th percentile	$17.29	$35,960
25th percentile	$18.01	$37,460
Median	$27.94	$58,110
75th percentile	$31.53	$65,570
90th percentile	$42.69	$88,790

Every state, the neighbors and what a business should charge: locksmith salary in Illinois.

Jobs ahead in Illinois

Illinois's labor market office projects jobs for locksmiths shrinking from 610 in 2022 to 540 in 2032, a change of -11.5%. Counting people who retire or change careers, that is about 60 openings a year.

Jobs are projected to shrink 11.5% from 2022 to 2032, against -11.5% growth nationally, ranking 39th of the 49 states in the file.

These are the state's own long-term projections, published together on Projections Central for the occupation group locksmiths and safe repairers.

Starting your own locksmith business in Illinois

To contract on your own in Illinois, the license is the Locksmith license, plus a locksmith agency license if you employ others.

Pricing comes next. Paying yourself the Illinois median of $27.94 an hour, the labor rate calculator's starting numbers (one person, 2 unbilled hours a day, $90,000 of overhead, 15% profit) come to $119.66 per billable hour. Try your own in the labor rate calculator.

The free Koira Office plan gives you a website on a Koira address, estimates customers sign with a deposit, invoices with card payments and your day's jobs in one place, with no per-person fee. See the plans.

Where this comes from

The license steps, fees and rules are from the official pages below, read on the date shown. Pay is the BLS May 2025 state estimate, the job outlook is Illinois's own long-term projection, and the apprenticeship details are from the U.S. Department of Labor. A detail an official page did not confirm is left out.

Training, schools and certifications for every state: how to become a locksmith.

FAQ

How do you become a locksmith in Illinois?

Get your individual locksmith license from IDFPR. If you will employ others, apply for a locksmith agency license with yourself as licensee in charge. Register employees with PERC cards and the 20 hour basic training.

Do you need a locksmith license in Illinois?

Yes. Illinois licenses locksmiths and locksmith agencies through the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation. An agency needs a full time licensed locksmith in charge.

How much do locksmiths make in Illinois?

The median was $27.94 an hour, or $58,110 a year, in May 2025, from the BLS wage survey. The national median was $24.68.

Who runs apprenticeships in Illinois?

The U.S. Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship registers programs in Illinois, since the state has no recognized State Apprenticeship Agency. Programs themselves are sponsored by employers, unions and trade groups.