Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Denver

Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO: 27 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Every trade in Denver, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrConstruction manager: $61.95 (cost-of-living adjusted $58.55)Construction manager$61.95Elevator mechanic: $59.31 (cost-of-living adjusted $56.06)Elevator mechanic$59.31Lineman: $43.80 (cost-of-living adjusted $41.40)Lineman$43.80Millwright: $40.19 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.99)Millwright$40.19Construction supervisor: $40.10 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.90)Construction supervisor$40.10Crane operator: $37.12 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.09)Crane operator$37.12Brickmason: $36.12 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.14)Brickmason$36.12Wind turbine technician: $35.94 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.97)Wind turbine technician$35.94Diesel mechanic: $35.00 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.08)Diesel mechanic$35.00HVAC technician: $34.41 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.52)HVAC technician$34.41Carpenter: $31.21 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.50)Carpenter$31.21Drywall installer: $30.89 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.20)Drywall installer$30.89Heavy equipment operator: $30.81 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.12)Heavy equipment operator$30.81Glazier: $30.81 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.12)Glazier$30.81Plumber: $30.72 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.04)Plumber$30.72Electrician: $30.36 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.70)Electrician$30.36Cement mason: $29.87 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.23)Cement mason$29.87Sheet metal worker: $29.63 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.01)Sheet metal worker$29.63Machinist: $29.14 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.54)Machinist$29.14Ironworker: $28.88 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.30)Ironworker$28.88Welder: $28.31 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.76)Welder$28.31Painter: $27.92 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.39)Painter$27.92Roofer: $26.84 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.37)Roofer$26.84Solar installer: $25.55 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.15)Solar installer$25.55Insulation worker: $24.87 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.51)Insulation worker$24.87Plasterer: $23.65 (cost-of-living adjusted $22.35)Plasterer$23.65Construction laborer: $23.44 (cost-of-living adjusted $22.16)Construction laborer$23.44
Median hourly wage by trade, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 105.8).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Construction manager$40.36$61.95$98.18$128,8507,2503% above12% above
2Elevator mechanic$24.92$59.31$72.13$123,360450about the same as12% above
3Lineman$28.45$43.80$63.66$91,0901,18012% below4% below
4Millwright$25.83$40.19$41.51$83,6001503% above27% above
5Construction supervisor$29.59$40.10$60.58$83,40011,7803% above4% above
6Crane operator$34.99$37.12$44.40$77,200250about the same as13% above
7Brickmason$22.72$36.12$38.05$75,12039015% above21% above
8Wind turbine technician$30.20$35.94$48.03$74,740160about the same as17% above
9Diesel mechanic$24.25$35.00$47.18$72,8002,7703% above18% above
10HVAC technician$23.56$34.41$50.43$71,5804,36010% above17% above
11Carpenter$23.15$31.21$43.26$64,9107,2503% above7% above
12Drywall installer$21.54$30.89$38.20$64,2601,1104% above9% above
13Heavy equipment operator$25.23$30.81$38.42$64,0805,1502% above7% above
14Glazier$23.64$30.81$38.83$64,0801,2303% above12% above
15Plumber$23.38$30.72$49.41$63,9005,7501% aboveabout the same as
16Electrician$22.15$30.36$45.27$63,15010,4501% aboveabout the same as
17Cement mason$22.33$29.87$36.05$62,1302,5902% above9% above
18Sheet metal worker$22.13$29.63$40.65$61,6208806% aboveabout the same as
19Machinist$22.50$29.14$40.63$60,6201,0501% above3% above
20Ironworker$23.97$28.88$40.11$60,0804802% above4% below
21Welder$21.66$28.31$38.32$58,8901,990about the same as10% above
22Painter$22.32$27.92$38.93$58,0701,67010% above18% above
23Roofer$22.68$26.84$36.78$55,8301,9008% above1% above
24Solar installer$22.08$25.55$38.84$53,1402807% aboveabout the same as
25Insulation worker$19.40$24.87$36.02$51,7407302% above5% above
26Plasterer$20.45$23.65$38.48$49,2002003% above15% below
27Construction laborer$18.74$23.44$30.32$48,7609,6502% above3% above

Union scale in the Denver area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$30.36$46.80$19.53$66.33Union10 of 10
Plumber$30.72$47.23$21.68$68.91Union10 of 10
Carpenter$31.21$35.09$13.84$48.93Union10 of 10
Construction laborer$23.44$16.04$4.95$20.99Survey10 of 10
Heavy equipment operator$30.81$20.78$5.78$26.56Survey10 of 10
Ironworker$28.88$39.21$12.50$51.71Union10 of 10
Sheet metal worker$29.63$43.05$22.65$65.70Union10 of 10
Painter$27.92$27.41$11.56$38.97Union10 of 10

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

Construction jobs in Denver

114.2kConstruction jobs2026-08
+1.2%Change over 12 months
+4.0%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-202625k50k75k100k125k19901995200020052010201520202025114kAug 2026
Mining, logging and construction employment, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Denver?

In the Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO metro area, construction managers had the highest median wage at $61.95 an hour in May 2025, with 7,250 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Denver than the rest of Colorado?

In Denver, 22 of 27 trades pay above the Colorado state median and 1 pay below it; the biggest premium is for construction managers at $61.95.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.