Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Indianapolis

Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN: 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 Indianapolis, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrElevator mechanic: $56.02 (cost-of-living adjusted $58.54)Elevator mechanic$56.02Construction manager: $52.85 (cost-of-living adjusted $55.22)Construction manager$52.85Lineman: $50.63 (cost-of-living adjusted $52.90)Lineman$50.63Construction supervisor: $41.01 (cost-of-living adjusted $42.85)Construction supervisor$41.01Heavy equipment operator: $39.51 (cost-of-living adjusted $41.29)Heavy equipment operator$39.51Millwright: $38.18 (cost-of-living adjusted $39.90)Millwright$38.18Plumber: $37.01 (cost-of-living adjusted $38.67)Plumber$37.01Brickmason: $34.99 (cost-of-living adjusted $36.56)Brickmason$34.99Crane operator: $34.62 (cost-of-living adjusted $36.18)Crane operator$34.62Ironworker: $33.72 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.24)Ironworker$33.72Sheet metal worker: $31.66 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.08)Sheet metal worker$31.66Electrician: $31.31 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.72)Electrician$31.31Carpenter: $31.28 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.69)Carpenter$31.28Glazier: $30.03 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.38)Glazier$30.03HVAC technician: $29.89 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.23)HVAC technician$29.89Cement mason: $29.86 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.20)Cement mason$29.86Diesel mechanic: $29.67 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.00)Diesel mechanic$29.67Drywall installer: $29.45 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.77)Drywall installer$29.45Insulation worker: $28.51 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.79)Insulation worker$28.51Roofer: $24.80 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.91)Roofer$24.80Welder: $24.55 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.65)Welder$24.55Construction laborer: $24.54 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.64)Construction laborer$24.54Painter: $24.47 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.57)Painter$24.47Machinist: $24.33 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.42)Machinist$24.33Tile setter: $24.31 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.40)Tile setter$24.31Solar installer: $19.08 (cost-of-living adjusted $19.94)Solar installer$19.08
Median hourly wage by trade, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 95.7).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Elevator mechanic$31.35$56.02$63.10$116,5205026% above6% above
2Construction manager$29.38$52.85$81.67$109,9302,4503% above4% below
3Lineman$25.05$50.63$55.43$105,3006503% above10% above
4Construction supervisor$28.72$41.01$56.63$85,3006,2503% above7% above
5Heavy equipment operator$23.87$39.51$46.70$82,1903,7003% above37% above
6Millwright$25.21$38.18$46.14$79,4203903% above21% above
7Plumber$22.47$37.01$49.22$76,9804,0101% above21% above
8Brickmason$23.69$34.99$42.05$72,770670about the same as17% above
9Crane operator$19.17$34.62$47.46$72,02034036% above6% above
10Ironworker$22.27$33.72$46.93$70,1401,110about the same as12% above
11Sheet metal worker$22.29$31.66$47.12$65,8401,4803% above7% above
12Electrician$20.00$31.31$47.45$65,1305,3905% below3% above
13Carpenter$22.57$31.28$42.58$65,0704,9603% above7% above
14Glazier$21.55$30.03$35.85$62,4703704% above9% above
15HVAC technician$21.90$29.89$47.47$62,1603,0803% above2% above
16Cement mason$21.48$29.86$36.68$62,1101,6601% above9% above
17Diesel mechanic$22.37$29.67$38.65$61,7102,8502% aboveabout the same as
18Drywall installer$22.04$29.45$36.54$61,26016023% above4% above
19Insulation worker$19.63$28.51$38.20$59,2902409% above21% above
20Roofer$19.91$24.80$42.82$51,5801,00011% below7% below
21Welder$18.12$24.55$36.60$51,0702,7903% above5% below
22Construction laborer$18.04$24.54$34.26$51,0409,8402% above8% above
23Painter$17.43$24.47$33.42$50,9001,2501% above3% above
24Machinist$20.40$24.33$34.69$50,6103,54012% below14% below
25Tile setter$19.09$24.31$36.52$50,5702404% above9% below
26Solar installer$19.07$19.08$26.36$39,69024014% below25% below

Union scale in the Indianapolis area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$31.31$41.00$27.36$68.36Union11 of 11
Plumber$37.01$50.05$20.39$70.44Union11 of 11
Carpenter$31.28$35.54$22.12$57.66Union11 of 11
Construction laborer$24.54$28.38$18.55$46.93Union11 of 11
Heavy equipment operator$39.51$36.15$38.65$74.80Union11 of 11
Ironworker$33.72$39.76$25.00$64.76Union11 of 11
Sheet metal worker$31.66$44.45$30.45$74.90Union11 of 11
Painter$24.47$33.00$19.86$52.86Union11 of 11

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

Construction jobs in Indianapolis

76.7kConstruction jobs2026-08
+7.0%Change over 12 months
+29.8%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 2005-202620k40k60k80k100k2005201020152020202577kAug 2026
Construction employment, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Indianapolis?

In the Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN metro area, elevator and escalator installers and repairers had the highest median wage at $56.02 an hour in May 2025, with 50 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Indianapolis than the rest of Indiana?

In Indianapolis, 20 of 26 trades pay above the Indiana state median and 4 pay below it; the biggest premium is for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $56.02.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.