Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Sacramento

Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA: 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 Sacramento, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrConstruction manager: $62.23 (cost-of-living adjusted $58.32)Construction manager$62.23Lineman: $61.14 (cost-of-living adjusted $57.30)Lineman$61.14Construction supervisor: $46.57 (cost-of-living adjusted $43.65)Construction supervisor$46.57Heavy equipment operator: $44.06 (cost-of-living adjusted $41.29)Heavy equipment operator$44.06Millwright: $38.39 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.98)Millwright$38.39Ironworker: $37.39 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.04)Ironworker$37.39Electrician: $35.98 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.72)Electrician$35.98Sheet metal worker: $35.97 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.71)Sheet metal worker$35.97Carpenter: $35.79 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.54)Carpenter$35.79Brickmason: $35.49 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.26)Brickmason$35.49Diesel mechanic: $34.93 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.74)Diesel mechanic$34.93HVAC technician: $32.06 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.05)HVAC technician$32.06Plumber: $31.35 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.38)Plumber$31.35Crane operator: $31.01 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.06)Crane operator$31.01Glazier: $30.57 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.65)Glazier$30.57Drywall installer: $30.55 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.63)Drywall installer$30.55Roofer: $30.44 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.53)Roofer$30.44Plasterer: $30.09 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.20)Plasterer$30.09Construction laborer: $29.11 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.28)Construction laborer$29.11Cement mason: $28.96 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.14)Cement mason$28.96Solar installer: $28.81 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.00)Solar installer$28.81Painter: $28.61 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.81)Painter$28.61Machinist: $27.84 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.09)Machinist$27.84Welder: $27.55 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.82)Welder$27.55Tile setter: $27.04 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.34)Tile setter$27.04Insulation worker: $23.23 (cost-of-living adjusted $21.77)Insulation worker$23.23
Median hourly wage by trade, Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 106.7).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Construction manager$38.14$62.23$95.52$129,4402,7603% below13% above
2Lineman$28.79$61.14$78.13$127,1606501% below33% above
3Construction supervisor$30.03$46.57$72.25$96,8606,3201% below21% above
4Heavy equipment operator$27.84$44.06$63.10$91,6502,9205% above53% above
5Millwright$29.99$38.39$55.20$79,8401002% above22% above
6Ironworker$25.02$37.39$53.67$77,7604502% above24% above
7Electrician$22.23$35.98$62.51$74,8306,3402% below18% above
8Sheet metal worker$22.90$35.97$62.41$74,8205802% below21% above
9Carpenter$21.94$35.79$55.17$74,4409,7302% below23% above
10Brickmason$23.78$35.49$48.93$73,8103407% above19% above
11Diesel mechanic$23.42$34.93$45.39$72,6601,1902% below18% above
12HVAC technician$22.41$32.06$48.68$66,6702,9408% below9% above
13Plumber$22.42$31.35$63.03$65,2103,12010% below2% above
14Crane operator$21.61$31.01$46.38$64,50017019% below5% below
15Glazier$23.12$30.57$58.47$63,5805201% below11% above
16Drywall installer$22.60$30.55$54.79$63,5402,5004% below8% above
17Roofer$23.61$30.44$42.71$63,3201,800about the same as14% above
18Plasterer$22.35$30.09$43.48$62,6004604% above9% above
19Construction laborer$19.35$29.11$44.01$60,5607,390about the same as28% above
20Cement mason$22.49$28.96$47.73$60,2402,5804% below6% above
21Solar installer$20.89$28.81$38.72$59,9307001% below13% above
22Painter$20.25$28.61$44.98$59,5102,4101% above20% above
23Machinist$18.45$27.84$44.91$57,9006001% above1% below
24Welder$22.70$27.55$38.44$57,2901,5301% below7% above
25Tile setter$18.28$27.04$43.54$56,2507904% below1% above
26Insulation worker$19.06$23.23$36.33$48,3101701% below2% below

Union scale in the Sacramento area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$35.98$47.04$21.84$68.88Union4 of 4
Plumber$31.35$58.45$38.74$97.19Union4 of 4
Carpenter$35.79$53.16$33.52$86.68Union4 of 4
Construction laborer$29.11$36.75$29.69$66.44Union4 of 4
Heavy equipment operator$44.06$55.85$28.56$84.41Union4 of 4
Ironworker$37.39$43.75$34.45$78.20Union4 of 4
Sheet metal worker$35.97$56.96$38.63$95.59Union4 of 4
Painter$28.61$43.45$22.80$66.25Union4 of 4

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

Construction jobs in Sacramento

74.6kConstruction jobs2026-08
-3.1%Change over 12 months
-3.7%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-20260k20k40k60k80k100k1990199520002005201020152020202575kAug 2026
Construction employment, Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Sacramento?

In the Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA metro area, construction managers had the highest median wage at $62.23 an hour in May 2025, with 2,760 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Sacramento than the rest of California?

In Sacramento, 7 of 26 trades pay above the California state median and 17 pay below it; the biggest premium is for construction managers at $62.23.

Sources and notes

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