Skilled Wages

Trade pay in San Antonio

San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX: 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 San Antonio, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60/hrElevator mechanic: $49.85 (cost-of-living adjusted $52.64)Elevator mechanic$49.85Construction manager: $47.33 (cost-of-living adjusted $49.98)Construction manager$47.33Lineman: $37.52 (cost-of-living adjusted $39.62)Lineman$37.52Construction supervisor: $35.35 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.33)Construction supervisor$35.35Crane operator: $32.79 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.63)Crane operator$32.79Millwright: $28.56 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.16)Millwright$28.56Diesel mechanic: $28.18 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.76)Diesel mechanic$28.18HVAC technician: $28.17 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.75)HVAC technician$28.17Plumber: $27.97 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.54)Plumber$27.97Sheet metal worker: $27.59 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.13)Sheet metal worker$27.59Electrician: $27.41 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.94)Electrician$27.41Brickmason: $27.20 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.72)Brickmason$27.20Machinist: $25.57 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.00)Machinist$25.57Ironworker: $24.10 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.45)Ironworker$24.10Carpenter: $23.51 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.83)Carpenter$23.51Heavy equipment operator: $23.44 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.75)Heavy equipment operator$23.44Welder: $23.18 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.48)Welder$23.18Glazier: $22.95 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.23)Glazier$22.95Insulation worker: $22.63 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.90)Insulation worker$22.63Cement mason: $22.60 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.86)Cement mason$22.60Drywall installer: $22.38 (cost-of-living adjusted $23.63)Drywall installer$22.38Tile setter: $21.48 (cost-of-living adjusted $22.68)Tile setter$21.48Roofer: $21.02 (cost-of-living adjusted $22.20)Roofer$21.02Painter: $20.88 (cost-of-living adjusted $22.05)Painter$20.88Construction laborer: $18.94 (cost-of-living adjusted $20.00)Construction laborer$18.94
Median hourly wage by trade, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 94.7).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Elevator mechanic$26.78$49.85$57.49$103,7002202% above6% below
2Construction manager$29.51$47.33$75.70$98,4504,6803% below14% below
3Lineman$23.26$37.52$51.73$78,0301,3101% below18% below
4Construction supervisor$23.01$35.35$50.05$73,5206,1701% below8% below
5Crane operator$21.25$32.79$44.81$68,2002707% belowabout the same as
6Millwright$13.96$28.56$39.21$59,4002405% below10% below
7Diesel mechanic$20.85$28.18$38.67$58,6202,160about the same as5% below
8HVAC technician$18.25$28.17$39.62$58,5903,1601% above4% below
9Plumber$17.91$27.97$37.76$58,1803,1903% below9% below
10Sheet metal worker$18.58$27.59$36.76$57,3806806% above7% below
11Electrician$18.01$27.41$36.38$57,0106,6603% below10% below
12Brickmason$20.48$27.20$28.23$56,580400about the same as9% below
13Machinist$18.11$25.57$40.45$53,19075010% below9% below
14Ironworker$19.51$24.10$34.27$50,1205104% below20% below
15Carpenter$18.00$23.51$28.63$48,9002,240about the same as19% below
16Heavy equipment operator$19.15$23.44$33.67$48,7503,9803% below19% below
17Welder$18.38$23.18$35.48$48,2202,51010% below10% below
18Glazier$17.85$22.95$28.50$47,730480about the same as16% below
19Insulation worker$17.42$22.63$29.17$47,0703703% below4% below
20Cement mason$17.62$22.60$29.22$47,0101,9601% below18% below
21Drywall installer$17.10$22.38$28.42$46,5502902% below21% below
22Tile setter$17.68$21.48$26.72$44,690905% below20% below
23Roofer$14.39$21.02$29.69$43,7203505% below21% below
24Painter$16.77$20.88$27.68$43,4309604% below12% below
25Construction laborer$16.41$18.94$24.61$39,3908,4003% below16% below

Union scale in the San Antonio area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$27.41$37.45$12.19$49.64Union8 of 8
Plumber$27.97$38.97$11.48$50.45Union8 of 8
Carpenter$23.51$16.86$4.17$21.03Survey8 of 8
Construction laborer$18.94$14.11$0.00$14.11Survey8 of 8
Heavy equipment operator$23.44$19.43$3.49$22.92Survey8 of 8
Ironworker$24.10$28.30$8.23$36.53Union8 of 8
Sheet metal worker$27.59$34.10$16.10$50.20Union8 of 8
Painter$20.88$13.13$0.00$13.13Survey8 of 8

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

Construction jobs in San Antonio

71.6kConstruction jobs2026-08
+2.9%Change over 12 months
+22.4%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-20260k20k40k60k80k1990199520002005201020152020202572kAug 2026
Construction employment, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in San Antonio?

In the San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX metro area, elevator and escalator installers and repairers had the highest median wage at $49.85 an hour in May 2025, with 220 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in San Antonio than the rest of Texas?

In San Antonio, 3 of 25 trades pay above the Texas state median and 18 pay below it; the biggest premium is for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $49.85.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Antonio-New Braunfels, TX MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.