How many sign shops are in Illinois, and what do they pay?
Illinois against the states around it
| # | State | Sign shops | Employees | Avg pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | New York | 3,618 | $68,081 | |
| 5 | Georgia | 2,596 | $59,114 | |
| 6 | Illinois | 3,509 | $71,991 | |
| 7 | Ohio | 3,293 | $58,165 | |
| 8 | North Carolina | 2,202 | $56,026 |
The full ranking of all 51 states is on the home page. The most shops: Texas with 713. U.S. total: 7,581 shops, 76,480 employees, $63,399 average pay.
Putting up a sign in Illinois
The shops counted here sell into cities that each permit signs under their own code, and the permit is usually the longest step in a sign job. For the largest local market in these figures, PrinterFlo's summary of the sign rules in Naperville sets out what needs a permit, the size limits and what the city checks before a sign goes up.
Questions
How many sign shops are in Illinois?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 308 sign manufacturing establishments in Illinois in 2024 (annual average, private employers), ranking Illinois 6 of 51 states. Together they employed 3,509 people, about 11.4 per shop.
How much do sign makers make in Illinois?
Average annual pay across Illinois's sign shops was $71,991 in 2024, 14% above the U.S. sign industry average of $63,399. That is total payroll divided by employment, so it blends fabricators, designers, installers and owners on payroll.
What counts as a sign shop in these figures?
An establishment with payroll classified under NAICS 339950, Sign Manufacturing: businesses whose main activity is making signs, including electric and non-electric signs, channel letters, printed banners and vehicle graphics. Print shops, engravers and installation contractors classified under other codes are not included, and neither are owner-only shops with no employees.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), annual averages, private ownership, NAICS 339950 Sign Manufacturing, Illinois, 2024 and 2023 annual averages, read September 22, 2026. Average pay = total annual wages ÷ annual average employment. Ranks computed from the 51 states with a published establishment count.