Trade pay in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh, PA: 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 Pittsburgh, ranked

Median hourly wage by trade, Pittsburgh, PA, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 94.7).

#	Trade	10th	Median $/hr	90th	Median $/yr	Jobs	vs state	vs US
1	Elevator mechanic	$30.30	$58.62	$60.67	$121,920	140	4% above	11% above
2	Lineman	$31.32	$50.76	$57.29	$105,590	1,030	1% below	11% above
3	Construction manager	$37.33	$49.72	$83.75	$103,420	1,420	4% below	10% below
4	Boilermaker	$32.50	$43.95	$49.50	$91,420	100	5% above	20% above
5	Construction supervisor	$28.64	$39.92	$62.47	$83,030	6,000	2% above	4% above
6	Ironworker	$27.08	$39.84	$51.03	$82,860	370	about the same as	32% above
7	Brickmason	$24.25	$36.99	$46.74	$76,940	590	11% above	24% above
8	Plumber	$22.55	$33.70	$51.86	$70,100	2,910	3% above	10% above
9	Electrician	$22.01	$33.34	$51.37	$69,340	5,210	3% above	10% above
10	Plasterer	$27.60	$31.89	$39.74	$66,330	50	5% below	15% above
11	Tile setter	$21.11	$31.61	$38.92	$65,750	230	6% below	18% above
12	Cement mason	$22.15	$30.44	$35.94	$63,310	1,500	3% above	11% above
13	Heavy equipment operator	$22.83	$29.96	$45.47	$62,320	5,050	3% above	4% above
14	HVAC technician	$22.35	$29.87	$44.57	$62,140	2,680	about the same as	2% above
15	Crane operator	$18.64	$29.57	$54.76	$61,510	330	6% below	10% below
16	Millwright	$23.43	$29.54	$40.50	$61,440	200	5% below	6% below
17	Carpenter	$21.12	$29.41	$45.00	$61,180	5,920	3% above	1% above
18	Drywall installer	$22.01	$29.14	$35.28	$60,600	380	1% below	3% above
19	Diesel mechanic	$21.73	$28.98	$38.13	$60,280	2,070	2% below	2% below
20	Sheet metal worker	$23.00	$27.91	$42.51	$58,050	870	5% below	6% below
21	Machinist	$18.72	$26.86	$35.84	$55,880	2,760	3% below	5% below
22	Welder	$20.81	$25.78	$36.44	$53,610	3,600	1% above	about the same as
23	Roofer	$18.96	$25.17	$36.22	$52,350	770	6% below	6% below
24	Glazier	$17.10	$24.59	$35.66	$51,140	290	13% below	10% below
25	Construction laborer	$17.98	$24.33	$34.54	$50,600	8,620	2% above	7% above
26	Painter	$17.33	$23.79	$33.96	$49,490	1,260	5% below	about the same as
27	Insulation worker	$18.14	$22.65	$35.38	$47,110	140	7% below	4% below

Statewide figures for every trade are on the highest-paying trades in Pennsylvania page; county union scale is on the Pennsylvania prevailing wage page.

Union scale in the Pittsburgh area

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

Trade	Metro market median	DB base	Fringe	Total package	Rate source	Counties with a rate
Electrician	$33.34	$49.11	$36.79	$85.90	Union	6 of 8
Plumber	$33.70	$48.65	$25.47	$74.12	Union	8 of 8
Carpenter	$29.41	$38.92	$20.06	$58.98	Union	8 of 8
Construction laborer	$24.33	$27.82	$20.39	$48.21	Union	8 of 8
Heavy equipment operator	$29.96	$41.69	$24.05	$65.74	Union	8 of 8
Ironworker	$39.84	$38.89	$34.54	$73.43	Union	8 of 8
Sheet metal worker	$27.91	$46.75	$35.93	$82.68	Union	8 of 8
Painter	$23.79	$36.01	$23.72	$59.73	Union	8 of 8

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

Construction jobs in Pittsburgh

58.0kConstruction jobs2026-09

-5.5%Change over 12 months

-11.2%Change over 5 years

Construction employment, Pittsburgh, PA, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Pittsburgh?

In the Pittsburgh, PA metro area, elevator mechanics had the highest median wage at $58.62 an hour in May 2025, with 140 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Pittsburgh than the rest of Pennsylvania?

In Pittsburgh, 11 of 27 trades pay above the Pennsylvania state median and 14 pay below it; the biggest premium is for elevator mechanics at $58.62.

Sources and notes

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