Skip to main content
TRADEWAGES

BLS 2024 Data · 50 Trades · 30 Cities · Updated May 2026

What Skilled Trades Actually Pay

Real salary data from BLS occupational wage surveys, not recruiter claims or forum guesses. Percentile breakdowns, cost-of-living adjustments, and Trade Pay Scores for every trade in every city.

Top TradesCareer GuidesUnion vs Non-Union
50
Trades
30
Cities
1K
Data Points
4.4M
Workers Tracked

Browse by Trade

View all rankings →

Elevator Mechanic

Specialty · 4yr apprenticeship

$116,702
21 cities · +3% growth
B

Construction Manager

Management

$114,957
30 cities · +5% growth
B

Power Line Installer

Electrical · 4yr apprenticeship

$101,512
30 cities · +7% growth
B

Electrical Power-Line Tech

Electrical · 4yr apprenticeship

$101,512
30 cities · +7% growth
B

Boilermaker

Industrial · 4yr apprenticeship

$89,510
14 cities · +-1% growth
C

Pile Driver Operator

Heavy Equipment · 4yr apprenticeship

$87,644
8 cities · +4% growth
C

Aircraft Mechanic

Automotive · 2yr apprenticeship

$79,931
30 cities · +6% growth
B

Building Inspector

Management

$75,182
30 cities · +1% growth
C

Crane Operator

Heavy Equipment · 3yr apprenticeship

$75,123
30 cities · +4% growth
C

Millwright

Industrial · 4yr apprenticeship

$72,209
29 cities · +6% growth
C

Wind Turbine Technician

Energy · 2yr apprenticeship

$71,538
5 cities · +45% growth
A

Electrician

Electrical · 4yr apprenticeship

$70,935
30 cities · +11% growth
B

Ironworker

Structural · 4yr apprenticeship

$70,146
20 cities · +4% growth
C

Industrial Electrician

Electrical · 4yr apprenticeship

$69,958
29 cities · +11% growth
B

Plumber

Plumbing · 4yr apprenticeship

$69,782
30 cities · +6% growth
C

Pipefitter

Plumbing · 5yr apprenticeship

$69,782
30 cities · +6% growth
C

Fire Sprinkler Fitter

Plumbing · 5yr apprenticeship

$69,782
30 cities · +6% growth
C

Steamfitter

Plumbing · 5yr apprenticeship

$69,782
30 cities · +6% growth
C

Mason (Bricklayer)

Construction · 3yr apprenticeship

$68,974
29 cities · +-2% growth
D

Heavy Equipment Operator

Heavy Equipment · 3yr apprenticeship

$68,475
30 cities · +4% growth
C
View all 47 trades →

Browse by City

View all rankings →

San Francisco, CA

45 tradesCOL: 190
$87,439
avg median

Seattle, WA

43 tradesCOL: 149
$84,522
avg median

Boston, MA

42 tradesCOL: 152
$79,727
avg median

Portland, OR

42 tradesCOL: 130
$78,814
avg median

New York, NY

46 tradesCOL: 187
$78,694
avg median

Minneapolis, MN

42 tradesCOL: 106
$78,272
avg median

Chicago, IL

43 tradesCOL: 107
$77,019
avg median

Los Angeles, CA

47 tradesCOL: 166
$74,460
avg median

Milwaukee, WI

42 tradesCOL: 96
$70,201
avg median

Philadelphia, PA

45 tradesCOL: 115
$69,648
avg median

Denver, CO

45 tradesCOL: 128
$67,348
avg median

Detroit, MI

41 tradesCOL: 89
$67,215
avg median

Las Vegas, NV

41 tradesCOL: 104
$67,113
avg median

Kansas City, MO

43 tradesCOL: 94
$65,570
avg median

St. Louis, MO

41 tradesCOL: 90
$65,395
avg median

Indianapolis, IN

45 tradesCOL: 91
$64,625
avg median

Pittsburgh, PA

42 tradesCOL: 92
$64,249
avg median

Phoenix, AZ

43 tradesCOL: 103
$63,846
avg median

Salt Lake City, UT

41 tradesCOL: 104
$63,298
avg median

Columbus, OH

39 tradesCOL: 93
$63,004
avg median

New Orleans, LA

36 tradesCOL: 95
$60,816
avg median

Atlanta, GA

43 tradesCOL: 106
$59,780
avg median

Miami, FL

45 tradesCOL: 122
$59,387
avg median

Nashville, TN

42 tradesCOL: 103
$58,992
avg median

Raleigh, NC

39 tradesCOL: 100
$58,403
avg median

Dallas, TX

45 tradesCOL: 102
$58,064
avg median

Houston, TX

45 tradesCOL: 96
$58,026
avg median

Charlotte, NC

40 tradesCOL: 98
$57,288
avg median

Tampa, FL

44 tradesCOL: 101
$56,665
avg median

San Antonio, TX

40 tradesCOL: 90
$55,594
avg median

Top Trades by Pay

Full rankings →

Elevator Mechanic

Specialty

$116,702
B

Construction Manager

Management

$114,957
B

Power Line Installer

Electrical

$101,512
B

Electrical Power-Line Tech

Electrical

$101,512
B

Boilermaker

Industrial

$89,510
C

Pile Driver Operator

Heavy Equipment

$87,644
C

Aircraft Mechanic

Automotive

$79,931
B

Building Inspector

Management

$75,182
C

Crane Operator

Heavy Equipment

$75,123
C

Millwright

Industrial

$72,209
C

Wind Turbine Technician

Energy

$71,538
A

Electrician

Electrical

$70,935
B

Ironworker

Structural

$70,146
C

Industrial Electrician

Electrical

$69,958
B

Plumber

Plumbing

$69,782
C

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does this salary data come from?

All wage data comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, which surveys over 1.1 million establishments annually. This is the same data used by the federal government for labor market analysis.

What is the Trade Pay Score?

The Trade Pay Score (0-100, graded A-F) measures how well a trade pays in a specific city relative to cost of living. It factors in median wage vs. local household income (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), job demand/openings (25%), and cost-of-living adjusted pay (20%). A grade of A means excellent earning potential for that market.

What do the percentiles mean?

The 50th percentile (median) means half of workers in that trade earn more and half earn less. The 10th percentile is typical for apprentices and entry-level workers, while the 90th percentile represents master tradespeople and specialists with decades of experience.

How is cost-of-living adjustment calculated?

We use the MERIC Cost of Living Index where 100 is the national average. A city with an index of 150 means living costs are 50% above average. We adjust salaries to show their real purchasing power, a $60K salary in a city with a COL of 90 goes further than $80K in a city with a COL of 150.