State enforcement profile · #5 of 56 by penalties
Workplace enforcement in Illinois
According to OSHA enforcement records (2010–2026), Illinois has 9,437 employers in the federal enforcement record, with 18,232 OSHA inspections and $97.2M in penalties assessed. The state's Wage and Hour Division has recovered $82.5M in back wages across 3,237 enforcement cases.
- 9,437
- Employers
- 18,232
- Inspections
- $97.2M
- OSHA penalties
- $82.5M
- Back wages
The state in one line
Illinois ranks #5 of 56 U.S. jurisdictions by total OSHA penalties, with 38,576 violations cited across 18,232 inspections and $82.5M in wages recovered for workers.
- #5
- of 56 states by penalties
- 2.12
- violations per inspection
- $10K
- avg penalty per employer
- 3,237
- WHD wage-theft cases
What to check next
Illinois's enforcement record is one jurisdiction in a national pattern. Treat it as a benchmark to drill down from, not a verdict on the state overall.
- Illinois averages 2.12 violations per inspection, at or below the 2.21 national average across 56 states.
- See Illinois's single worst-cited employer in full detail. Miracapo Pizza Company LLC DBA Little Lady Foods record
- Compare Illinois against a similarly-sized state by employer count. New Jersey record
- Put two employers head-to-head on inspections, penalties, and back wages. Compare employers
What the data says about Illinois
Federal workplace enforcement in Illinois covers 9,437 employers with 18,232 total OSHA inspections on record. Inspectors documented 38,576 violations statewide, yielding 2.12 violations per inspection on average. OSHA has assessed $97.2M in penalties against employers in the state, averaging $10K per tracked employer.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Wage and Hour Division (WHD) adds a separate enforcement layer, recovering $82.5M in back wages across 3,237 cases - an average of $25K per case. Combined OSHA and WHD enforcement activity gives workers, journalists, and researchers a verifiable record of which employers have been cited and which workplaces regulators have prioritized.
The employers listed on this page represent workplaces with at least two OSHA inspections or $1,000 or more in WHD back wages owed. Data is sourced directly from data.dol.gov. Penalty figures are current assessed amounts, reflecting any settlements, informal conference reductions, or formal contest outcomes. Click any employer below to view their full inspection history, violation breakdown by severity, and wage-compliance record.
Where Illinois ranks nationally
Average OSHA penalty per tracked employer, vs all 56 U.S. jurisdictions
$10,296 Top 18% most affordable more affordable than 82% of 56 U.S. jurisdictions
Each bar is a $2K-wide band; taller bars hold more U.S. jurisdictions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Labor, OSHA enforcement extracts · 2026
Top OSHA & wage enforcement actions in Illinois
Ranked by combined OSHA penalties and DOL Wage & Hour Division back wages. Some employers below have wage-theft cases with zero OSHA safety violations, or vice versa; check the Inspections/Violations columns before drawing safety conclusions.
All employers in Illinois
Nearby states by enforcement footprint
Industries in Illinois
Enforcement and wage-compliance data broken out by industry sector within Illinois.
Top Cities in Illinois
The 20 cities with the most employers in the federal enforcement record within Illinois (of 325 total).
Source: OSHA Enforcement Data, U.S. Department of Labor · Verify with OSHA establishment search →
Source: Wage & Hour Division Compliance Actions, U.S. Department of Labor · DOL WHD data →
Every figure on PlainWorker is rendered directly from official U.S. Department of Labor OSHA and Wage & Hour Division enforcement records, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.