Last updated: 2025 BLS data · Page refreshed:
What does a Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic salary really buy you in Illinois?
Illinois is near the US average cost of livingData: BLS OEWS 2025 + BEA Regional Price Parities 2022 • Updated 2026-05-19
Illinois's Regional Price Parity (RPP) is 101.3, meaning prices are 1.3% higher the national average. A Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic earning $47,180 in Illinois has the equivalent purchasing power of $46,574 in an average-cost US state.
Every dollar goes further in low-cost states. Here is how each salary percentile compares after adjusting for Illinois's cost of living.
| Percentile | Nominal Salary | COL-Adjusted | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10th Percentile (P10) | $34,900 | $34,452 | $-447 |
| 25th Percentile (P25) | $39,020 | $38,519 | $-500 |
| Median (P50) | $47,180 | $46,574 | $-605 |
| 75th Percentile (P75) | $49,960 | $49,318 | $-641 |
| 90th Percentile (P90) | $62,080 | $61,283 | $-796 |
Illinois's cost of living is close to the national average, so $47,180 keeps most of its value at $46,574 in real terms. Location choice here is more about career opportunities than cost arbitrage.
With an RPP of 101.3, Illinois is within a few percent of the national cost-of-living baseline. Salary adjustment for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic is therefore minor — what you earn is close to what you'd keep in real purchasing power.
After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living, $47,180 nominal nets out to $46,575 in real purchasing power — a small 1.3% loss. The state's cost profile is close enough to average that COL alone shouldn't drive location decisions for this Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic.
Illinois's rank of #32 of 48 states means real purchasing power for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic trails the national half-way line.
Where does Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic salary stretch the furthest? Top 10 states ranked by COL-adjusted median salary.
Illinois ranks #32 out of 48 states for Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic after cost-of-living adjustment.
How much do you actually take home? See Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic take-home pay in Illinois after taxes →
A Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic in Illinois earns a median salary of $47,180 per year. After adjusting for Illinois's cost of living (RPP=101.3), the real purchasing power is $46,574 — a -1.3% difference.
Illinois's cost of living is 1.3% higher than the national average according to the BEA Regional Price Parities (2022). The RPP index for Illinois is 101.3 (US average = 100).
Regional Price Parities (RPPs) are price indexes published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) that measure differences in price levels across states. They are expressed as a percentage of the national average (US = 100). Higher RPP means higher cost of living.
The adjusted salary is calculated as: Nominal Salary x (100 / RPP). For a Molders, Shapers, and Casters, Except Metal and Plastic in Illinois: $47,180 x (100 / 101.3) = $46,574. This represents what the salary would be worth in a state with average living costs.
Some links are affiliate links. See our disclosure.