Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Boston

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: 24 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Every trade in Boston, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrConstruction manager: $75.23 (cost-of-living adjusted $69.46)Construction manager$75.23Elevator mechanic: $72.17 (cost-of-living adjusted $66.64)Elevator mechanic$72.17Ironworker: $58.10 (cost-of-living adjusted $53.65)Ironworker$58.10Lineman: $53.60 (cost-of-living adjusted $49.49)Lineman$53.60Glazier: $51.74 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.77)Glazier$51.74Construction supervisor: $48.02 (cost-of-living adjusted $44.34)Construction supervisor$48.02Crane operator: $47.19 (cost-of-living adjusted $43.57)Crane operator$47.19Brickmason: $46.62 (cost-of-living adjusted $43.05)Brickmason$46.62Plumber: $46.52 (cost-of-living adjusted $42.95)Plumber$46.52Sheet metal worker: $39.69 (cost-of-living adjusted $36.65)Sheet metal worker$39.69Tile setter: $39.54 (cost-of-living adjusted $36.51)Tile setter$39.54Electrician: $38.42 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.48)Electrician$38.42HVAC technician: $37.75 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.86)HVAC technician$37.75Heavy equipment operator: $36.99 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.16)Heavy equipment operator$36.99Diesel mechanic: $36.43 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.64)Diesel mechanic$36.43Carpenter: $36.16 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.39)Carpenter$36.16Machinist: $34.65 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.99)Machinist$34.65Roofer: $31.90 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.46)Roofer$31.90Millwright: $31.36 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.96)Millwright$31.36Welder: $30.66 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.31)Welder$30.66Construction laborer: $30.49 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.15)Construction laborer$30.49Cement mason: $30.23 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.91)Cement mason$30.23Solar installer: $28.56 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.37)Solar installer$28.56Painter: $27.80 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.67)Painter$27.80
Median hourly wage by trade, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 108.3).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Construction manager$50.90$75.23$104.74$156,4707,5708% above36% above
2Elevator mechanic$39.27$72.17$74.17$150,120—8% above37% above
3Ironworker$38.94$58.10$61.83$120,8401,310about the same as93% above
4Lineman$39.05$53.60$61.81$111,4901,5501% above17% above
5Glazier$32.44$51.74$53.20$107,6107807% above89% above
6Construction supervisor$33.35$48.02$66.34$99,89013,1102% above25% above
7Crane operator$28.53$47.19$62.40$98,140500about the same as44% above
8Brickmason$30.15$46.62$65.80$96,9601,0602% above56% above
9Plumber$25.13$46.52$69.21$96,7609,2003% above52% above
10Sheet metal worker$20.77$39.69$58.20$82,5502,3301% above34% above
11Tile setter$25.93$39.54$51.49$82,230—1% above48% above
12Electrician$22.71$38.42$62.17$79,91013,4101% above26% above
13HVAC technician$24.46$37.75$49.54$78,5306,0502% above29% above
14Heavy equipment operator$25.96$36.99$60.51$76,9406,370about the same as29% above
15Diesel mechanic$25.02$36.43$49.93$75,7703,1103% above23% above
16Carpenter$23.47$36.16$59.71$75,21012,720about the same as24% above
17Machinist$23.27$34.65$45.00$72,0604,8707% above23% above
18Roofer$25.82$31.90$46.26$66,3501,1209% below20% above
19Millwright$28.97$31.36$37.79$65,220—about the same as1% below
20Welder$23.57$30.66$40.11$63,7702,2102% above19% above
21Construction laborer$22.34$30.49$47.80$63,42011,580about the same as35% above
22Cement mason$23.73$30.23$53.81$62,8709501% below10% above
23Solar installer$22.19$28.56$36.78$59,400380about the same as12% above
24Painter$21.95$27.80$52.81$57,8203,2201% above17% above

Union scale in the Boston area

The highest Davis-Bacon Building-construction package among the counties in the Boston metro, next to the metro market median from BLS.

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$38.42$48.16$36.20$84.36Union5 of 7
Plumber$46.52$69.84$36.43$106.27Union5 of 7
Carpenter$36.16$50.10$31.45$81.55Union5 of 7
Construction laborer$30.49$46.10$29.70$75.80Union5 of 7
Heavy equipment operator$36.99$57.83$33.70$91.53Union5 of 7
Ironworker$58.10$57.87$37.67$95.54Union5 of 7
Sheet metal worker$39.69$60.00$48.78$108.78Union5 of 7
Painter$27.80$46.26$36.00$82.26Union5 of 7

Not the official determination. County-level lookup on the Massachusetts prevailing wage page.

Construction jobs in Boston

126.0kConstruction jobs2026-08
+2.0%Change over 12 months
+1.9%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-202625k50k75k100k125k150k19901995200020052010201520202025126kAug 2026
Mining, logging and construction employment, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Boston?

In the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area, construction managers had the highest median wage at $75.23 an hour in May 2025, with 7,570 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Boston than the rest of Massachusetts?

In Boston, 15 of 24 trades pay above the Massachusetts state median and 2 pay below it; the biggest premium is for construction managers at $75.23.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.