Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Milwaukee

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI: 25 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Every trade in Milwaukee, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrConstruction manager: $57.29 (cost-of-living adjusted $59.12)Construction manager$57.29Lineman: $52.40 (cost-of-living adjusted $54.08)Lineman$52.40Brickmason: $46.16 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.64)Brickmason$46.16Ironworker: $46.02 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.49)Ironworker$46.02Construction supervisor: $44.11 (cost-of-living adjusted $45.52)Construction supervisor$44.11Millwright: $40.79 (cost-of-living adjusted $42.09)Millwright$40.79Plumber: $40.72 (cost-of-living adjusted $42.02)Plumber$40.72Heavy equipment operator: $38.19 (cost-of-living adjusted $39.41)Heavy equipment operator$38.19Sheet metal worker: $37.90 (cost-of-living adjusted $39.11)Sheet metal worker$37.90Elevator mechanic: $37.55 (cost-of-living adjusted $38.75)Elevator mechanic$37.55Electrician: $37.41 (cost-of-living adjusted $38.61)Electrician$37.41Cement mason: $35.93 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.08)Cement mason$35.93Glazier: $34.60 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.71)Glazier$34.60Tile setter: $30.85 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.84)Tile setter$30.85Carpenter: $30.73 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.71)Carpenter$30.73HVAC technician: $30.25 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.22)HVAC technician$30.25Diesel mechanic: $30.25 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.22)Diesel mechanic$30.25Drywall installer: $29.23 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.17)Drywall installer$29.23Machinist: $29.00 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.93)Machinist$29.00Roofer: $28.91 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.83)Roofer$28.91Crane operator: $28.57 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.48)Crane operator$28.57Welder: $28.55 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.46)Welder$28.55Construction laborer: $27.61 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.49)Construction laborer$27.61Painter: $24.34 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.12)Painter$24.34Insulation worker: $24.10 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.87)Insulation worker$24.10
Median hourly wage by trade, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 96.9).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Construction manager$37.10$57.29$81.25$119,1701,6804% above4% above
2Lineman$30.48$52.40$58.24$109,0005303% above14% above
3Brickmason$23.87$46.16$48.25$96,01028020% above55% above
4Ironworker$28.81$46.02$47.85$95,7302403% above52% above
5Construction supervisor$24.06$44.11$62.40$91,7603,8608% above15% above
6Millwright$29.29$40.79$46.42$84,8502103% above29% above
7Plumber$27.18$40.72$59.84$84,7002,7604% above33% above
8Heavy equipment operator$29.52$38.19$48.49$79,4302,0706% above33% above
9Sheet metal worker$21.85$37.90$57.38$78,8401,0201% above28% above
10Elevator mechanic$26.71$37.55$62.48$78,1101401% above29% below
11Electrician$21.72$37.41$49.93$77,8004,4902% above23% above
12Cement mason$24.25$35.93$46.61$74,73093016% above31% above
13Glazier$22.69$34.60$45.74$71,97020015% above26% above
14Tile setter$25.13$30.85$41.17$64,1601202% above15% above
15Carpenter$22.71$30.73$45.28$63,9103,3104% above6% above
16HVAC technician$22.28$30.25$47.95$62,9301,6202% above3% above
17Diesel mechanic$22.46$30.25$40.04$62,9201,3801% above2% above
18Drywall installer$18.99$29.23$38.40$60,8003401% above3% above
19Machinist$21.24$29.00$37.77$60,3204,2302% above3% above
20Roofer$18.77$28.91$38.07$60,1409801% above8% above
21Crane operator$22.39$28.57$50.20$59,4309012% below13% below
22Welder$23.17$28.55$34.79$59,3903,4002% above10% above
23Construction laborer$18.41$27.61$40.15$57,4304,7402% above22% above
24Painter$18.94$24.34$36.11$50,6201,1401% above2% above
25Insulation worker$19.25$24.10$33.74$50,1202201% above2% above

Union scale in the Milwaukee area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$37.41$50.86$28.26$79.12Union4 of 4
Plumber$40.72$60.05$27.90$87.95Union4 of 4
Carpenter$30.73$45.46$31.52$76.98Union4 of 4
Construction laborer$27.61$40.48$23.92$64.40Union4 of 4
Heavy equipment operator$38.19$54.21$28.55$82.76Union4 of 4
Ironworker$46.02$47.52$33.67$81.19Union4 of 4
Sheet metal worker$37.90$58.03$29.98$88.01Union4 of 4
Painter$24.34$42.44$24.87$67.31Union4 of 4

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

Construction jobs in Milwaukee

42.7kConstruction jobs2026-08
+5.2%Change over 12 months
+21.0%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-202610k20k30k40k50k1990199520002005201020152020202543kAug 2026
Construction employment, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Milwaukee?

In the Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI metro area, construction managers had the highest median wage at $57.29 an hour in May 2025, with 1,680 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Milwaukee than the rest of Wisconsin?

In Milwaukee, 24 of 25 trades pay above the Wisconsin state median and 1 pay below it; the biggest premium is for construction managers at $57.29.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.