Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Richmond

Richmond, VA: 24 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Every trade in Richmond, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60/hrConstruction manager: $53.05 (cost-of-living adjusted $54.19)Construction manager$53.05Elevator mechanic: $52.04 (cost-of-living adjusted $53.16)Elevator mechanic$52.04Lineman: $37.55 (cost-of-living adjusted $38.36)Lineman$37.55Construction supervisor: $36.84 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.63)Construction supervisor$36.84Machinist: $30.12 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.77)Machinist$30.12Plumber: $29.56 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.19)Plumber$29.56Diesel mechanic: $29.51 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.14)Diesel mechanic$29.51Electrician: $29.50 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.13)Electrician$29.50Crane operator: $29.41 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.04)Crane operator$29.41Ironworker: $28.97 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.59)Ironworker$28.97HVAC technician: $28.43 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.04)HVAC technician$28.43Glazier: $27.77 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.37)Glazier$27.77Welder: $27.74 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.34)Welder$27.74Heavy equipment operator: $26.58 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.15)Heavy equipment operator$26.58Carpenter: $24.94 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.47)Carpenter$24.94Brickmason: $24.90 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.43)Brickmason$24.90Tile setter: $24.10 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.62)Tile setter$24.10Drywall installer: $23.68 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.19)Drywall installer$23.68Millwright: $23.50 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.00)Millwright$23.50Roofer: $23.10 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.60)Roofer$23.10Sheet metal worker: $23.08 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.58)Sheet metal worker$23.08Painter: $22.92 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.41)Painter$22.92Cement mason: $21.96 (cost-of-living adjusted $22.43)Cement mason$21.96Construction laborer: $20.39 (cost-of-living adjusted $20.83)Construction laborer$20.39
Median hourly wage by trade, Richmond, VA, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 97.9).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Construction manager$38.26$53.05$92.28$110,3501,2707% below4% below
2Elevator mechanic$29.79$52.04$62.02$108,25090about the same as2% below
3Lineman$24.48$37.55$50.77$78,1104902% above18% below
4Construction supervisor$25.48$36.84$52.03$76,6304,4603% below4% below
5Machinist$22.54$30.12$46.06$62,6506502% above7% above
6Plumber$21.36$29.56$37.26$61,4802,3402% above4% below
7Diesel mechanic$22.19$29.51$38.08$61,3901,400about the same as1% below
8Electrician$18.79$29.50$38.82$61,3503,6002% below3% below
9Crane operator$19.48$29.41$38.16$61,1801708% below10% below
10Ironworker$22.67$28.97$33.83$60,260—about the same as4% below
11HVAC technician$18.40$28.43$37.80$59,1302,7001% below3% below
12Glazier$18.41$27.77$29.35$57,7601603% below1% above
13Welder$20.65$27.74$40.35$57,7101,2602% below7% above
14Heavy equipment operator$19.54$26.58$35.77$55,2802,2203% below8% below
15Carpenter$18.27$24.94$33.48$51,8703,0707% below14% below
16Brickmason$19.32$24.90$29.58$51,8004305% below17% below
17Tile setter$17.33$24.10$30.09$50,1301203% above10% below
18Drywall installer$19.42$23.68$29.04$49,26036012% below16% below
19Millwright$21.89$23.50$36.23$48,8901505% below26% below
20Roofer$19.05$23.10$29.39$48,0503301% below13% below
21Sheet metal worker$17.55$23.08$36.32$48,0106108% below22% below
22Painter$17.69$22.92$28.50$47,6701,010about the same as3% below
23Cement mason$18.13$21.96$30.92$45,67063010% below20% below
24Construction laborer$15.62$20.39$25.57$42,4104,5603% below10% below

Union scale in the Richmond area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$29.50$37.95$18.02$55.97Union13 of 17
Plumber$29.56$33.25$19.47$52.72Union13 of 17
Carpenter$24.94$21.10$1.11$22.21Survey13 of 17
Construction laborer$20.39$16.00$0.00$16.00Survey13 of 17
Heavy equipment operator$26.58$19.74$1.43$21.17Survey13 of 17
Ironworker$28.97$31.00$18.28$49.28Union12 of 17
Sheet metal worker$23.08$17.73$6.44$24.17Survey13 of 17
Painter$22.92$16.58$0.00$16.58Survey12 of 17

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

Construction jobs in Richmond

47.0kConstruction jobs2026-08
-0.6%Change over 12 months
+10.8%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k1990199520002005201020152020202547kAug 2026
Mining, logging and construction employment, Richmond, VA, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Richmond?

In the Richmond, VA metro area, construction managers had the highest median wage at $53.05 an hour in May 2025, with 1,270 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Richmond than the rest of Virginia?

In Richmond, 4 of 24 trades pay above the Virginia state median and 16 pay below it; the biggest premium is for construction managers at $53.05.

Sources and notes

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