Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Los Angeles

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA: 28 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Every trade in Los Angeles, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrElevator mechanic: $67.60 (cost-of-living adjusted $59.51)Elevator mechanic$67.60Construction manager: $63.31 (cost-of-living adjusted $55.73)Construction manager$63.31Lineman: $62.71 (cost-of-living adjusted $55.20)Lineman$62.71Boilermaker: $53.06 (cost-of-living adjusted $46.71)Boilermaker$53.06Millwright: $47.72 (cost-of-living adjusted $42.01)Millwright$47.72Construction supervisor: $46.92 (cost-of-living adjusted $41.30)Construction supervisor$46.92Heavy equipment operator: $44.66 (cost-of-living adjusted $39.31)Heavy equipment operator$44.66Crane operator: $39.18 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.49)Crane operator$39.18Ironworker: $37.52 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.03)Ironworker$37.52Diesel mechanic: $37.20 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.75)Diesel mechanic$37.20Carpenter: $36.41 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.05)Carpenter$36.41Electrician: $35.49 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.24)Electrician$35.49HVAC technician: $35.49 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.24)HVAC technician$35.49Sheet metal worker: $34.96 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.77)Sheet metal worker$34.96Plumber: $34.19 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.10)Plumber$34.19Glazier: $30.85 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.16)Glazier$30.85Cement mason: $30.67 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.00)Cement mason$30.67Roofer: $30.56 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.90)Roofer$30.56Brickmason: $30.51 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.86)Brickmason$30.51Drywall installer: $30.19 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.58)Drywall installer$30.19Solar installer: $28.65 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.22)Solar installer$28.65Painter: $28.41 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.01)Painter$28.41Construction laborer: $28.28 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.89)Construction laborer$28.28Tile setter: $28.18 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.81)Tile setter$28.18Plasterer: $27.85 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.52)Plasterer$27.85Welder: $27.00 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.77)Welder$27.00Machinist: $26.76 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.56)Machinist$26.76Insulation worker: $23.30 (cost-of-living adjusted $20.51)Insulation worker$23.30
Median hourly wage by trade, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 113.6).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Elevator mechanic$35.90$67.60$77.18$140,600850about the same as28% above
2Construction manager$36.41$63.31$102.08$131,68010,1201% below15% above
3Lineman$37.14$62.71$81.51$130,4402,1401% above37% above
4Boilermaker$47.91$53.06$65.03$110,3703207% below44% above
5Millwright$24.22$47.72$63.16$99,25071027% above51% above
6Construction supervisor$28.00$46.92$74.49$97,60019,690about the same as22% above
7Heavy equipment operator$25.22$44.66$62.85$92,8908,7807% above55% above
8Crane operator$23.76$39.18$65.30$81,4905902% above20% above
9Ironworker$22.59$37.52$52.98$78,0402,1502% above24% above
10Diesel mechanic$23.34$37.20$46.04$77,3806,5205% above25% above
11Carpenter$22.53$36.41$56.46$75,74030,600about the same as25% above
12Electrician$22.19$35.49$63.31$73,81020,6103% below17% above
13HVAC technician$22.40$35.49$52.41$73,83010,7202% above21% above
14Sheet metal worker$22.70$34.96$62.12$72,7102,4405% below18% above
15Plumber$22.16$34.19$60.14$71,11015,6902% below11% above
16Glazier$23.02$30.85$58.44$64,1601,980about the same as12% above
17Cement mason$22.19$30.67$47.80$63,7907,8102% above12% above
18Roofer$23.45$30.56$43.01$63,5605,480about the same as15% above
19Brickmason$23.77$30.51$49.84$63,4501,2208% below2% above
20Drywall installer$22.05$30.19$57.88$62,8007,7105% below7% above
21Solar installer$22.63$28.65$41.03$59,6001,9302% below12% above
22Painter$20.26$28.41$40.93$59,08012,100about the same as20% above
23Construction laborer$19.08$28.28$43.99$58,81021,7302% below25% above
24Tile setter$19.48$28.18$51.82$58,6002,170about the same as5% above
25Plasterer$22.06$27.85$48.41$57,9301,6903% belowabout the same as
26Welder$21.41$27.00$38.40$56,1607,8503% below4% above
27Machinist$17.78$26.76$38.61$55,6607,8503% below5% below
28Insulation worker$19.16$23.30$50.69$48,4708301% below1% below

Union scale in the Los Angeles area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$35.49$60.80$31.59$92.39Union2 of 2
Plumber$34.19$48.84$23.58$72.42Union2 of 2
Carpenter$36.41$52.24$26.18$78.42Union2 of 2
Construction laborer$28.28$49.48$25.95$75.43Union2 of 2
Heavy equipment operator$44.66$65.25$33.20$98.45Union2 of 2
Ironworker$37.52$50.70$35.15$85.85Union2 of 2
Sheet metal worker$34.96$59.31$30.43$89.74Union2 of 2
Painter$28.41$38.52$18.64$57.16Union2 of 2

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

Construction jobs in Los Angeles

252.6kConstruction jobs2026-08
-0.7%Change over 12 months
+0.1%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-2026100k150k200k250k300k19901995200020052010201520202025253kAug 2026
Construction employment, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Los Angeles?

In the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA metro area, elevator and escalator installers and repairers had the highest median wage at $67.60 an hour in May 2025, with 850 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Los Angeles than the rest of California?

In Los Angeles, 8 of 28 trades pay above the California state median and 13 pay below it; the biggest premium is for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $67.60.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.