Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI: 26 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Every trade in Grand Rapids, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrElevator mechanic: $63.98 (cost-of-living adjusted $66.99)Elevator mechanic$63.98Lineman: $50.02 (cost-of-living adjusted $52.38)Lineman$50.02Construction manager: $49.22 (cost-of-living adjusted $51.54)Construction manager$49.22Plumber: $38.67 (cost-of-living adjusted $40.49)Plumber$38.67Construction supervisor: $36.23 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.94)Construction supervisor$36.23Plasterer: $35.85 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.54)Plasterer$35.85Millwright: $31.98 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.49)Millwright$31.98Brickmason: $31.77 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.27)Brickmason$31.77Ironworker: $31.37 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.85)Ironworker$31.37Heavy equipment operator: $30.70 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.15)Heavy equipment operator$30.70Electrician: $29.92 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.33)Electrician$29.92Diesel mechanic: $29.44 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.83)Diesel mechanic$29.44HVAC technician: $28.94 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.30)HVAC technician$28.94Cement mason: $28.63 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.98)Cement mason$28.63Carpenter: $28.36 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.70)Carpenter$28.36Drywall installer: $28.28 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.61)Drywall installer$28.28Crane operator: $26.23 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.47)Crane operator$26.23Sheet metal worker: $25.62 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.83)Sheet metal worker$25.62Machinist: $24.09 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.23)Machinist$24.09Roofer: $23.86 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.98)Roofer$23.86Welder: $23.52 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.63)Welder$23.52Painter: $23.50 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.61)Painter$23.50Glazier: $23.01 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.09)Glazier$23.01Construction laborer: $22.97 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.05)Construction laborer$22.97Insulation worker: $22.70 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.77)Insulation worker$22.70Tile setter: $22.36 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.41)Tile setter$22.36
Median hourly wage by trade, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 95.5).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Elevator mechanic$23.15$63.98$73.19$133,0808034% above21% above
2Lineman$32.07$50.02$63.28$104,0301703% below9% above
3Construction manager$29.76$49.22$80.60$102,3701,2901% below11% below
4Plumber$22.42$38.67$47.22$80,4402,270about the same as26% above
5Construction supervisor$25.23$36.23$54.80$75,3502,4904% below6% below
6Plasterer$30.13$35.85$38.16$74,570302% above29% above
7Millwright$22.66$31.98$53.55$66,51032025% below1% above
8Brickmason$23.66$31.77$40.00$66,0803404% above6% above
9Ironworker$22.62$31.37$36.53$65,2502304% above4% above
10Heavy equipment operator$22.62$30.70$40.80$63,8509002% above7% above
11Electrician$18.51$29.92$47.00$62,2402,88018% below2% below
12Diesel mechanic$21.72$29.44$40.52$61,2401,550about the same as1% below
13HVAC technician$21.02$28.94$45.48$60,1901,9201% below1% below
14Cement mason$21.55$28.63$35.97$59,5401,0901% below4% above
15Carpenter$20.04$28.36$36.49$59,0002,8404% below3% below
16Drywall installer$21.24$28.28$35.71$58,8201801% aboveabout the same as
17Crane operator$21.40$26.23$46.13$54,5602309% below20% below
18Sheet metal worker$18.38$25.62$44.49$53,29063017% below14% below
19Machinist$18.34$24.09$34.49$50,1103,4604% below15% below
20Roofer$18.93$23.86$42.17$49,63038017% below10% below
21Welder$19.01$23.52$30.31$48,9202,5202% below9% below
22Painter$16.72$23.50$34.77$48,8707703% below1% below
23Glazier$20.88$23.01$34.21$47,8502609% below16% below
24Construction laborer$18.07$22.97$32.01$47,7803,9904% below1% above
25Insulation worker$18.47$22.70$37.91$47,2201302% above4% below
26Tile setter$14.79$22.36$30.30$46,5001803% below16% below

Union scale in the Grand Rapids area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$29.92$36.52$25.15$61.67Union5 of 5
Plumber$38.67$47.40$23.35$70.75Union5 of 5
Carpenter$28.36$36.21$20.91$57.12Union5 of 5
Construction laborer$22.97$32.53$13.45$45.98Union5 of 5
Heavy equipment operator$30.70$41.28$25.25$66.53Union5 of 5
Ironworker$31.37$36.55$29.51$66.06Union5 of 5
Sheet metal worker$25.62$42.74$21.53$64.27Union4 of 5
Painter$23.50$28.75$18.68$47.43Union5 of 5

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

Construction jobs in Grand Rapids

32.8kConstruction jobs2026-08
-0.9%Change over 12 months
+15.5%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-202610k20k30k40k1990199520002005201020152020202533kAug 2026
Mining, logging and construction employment, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Grand Rapids?

In the Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI metro area, elevator and escalator installers and repairers had the highest median wage at $63.98 an hour in May 2025, with 80 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Grand Rapids than the rest of Michigan?

In Grand Rapids, 7 of 26 trades pay above the Michigan state median and 17 pay below it; the biggest premium is for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $63.98.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Grand Rapids-Wyoming-Kentwood, MI MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.