Skilled Wages

Trade pay in San Diego

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA: 25 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Every trade in San Diego, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrElevator mechanic: $67.43 (cost-of-living adjusted $60.26)Elevator mechanic$67.43Construction manager: $64.04 (cost-of-living adjusted $57.23)Construction manager$64.04Lineman: $58.11 (cost-of-living adjusted $51.93)Lineman$58.11Construction supervisor: $46.08 (cost-of-living adjusted $41.18)Construction supervisor$46.08Heavy equipment operator: $40.23 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.95)Heavy equipment operator$40.23Sheet metal worker: $38.50 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.41)Sheet metal worker$38.50Crane operator: $38.33 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.25)Crane operator$38.33Ironworker: $36.73 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.82)Ironworker$36.73Drywall installer: $36.68 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.78)Drywall installer$36.68Electrician: $36.62 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.73)Electrician$36.62Diesel mechanic: $36.09 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.25)Diesel mechanic$36.09HVAC technician: $36.00 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.17)HVAC technician$36.00Carpenter: $35.19 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.45)Carpenter$35.19Plumber: $34.86 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.15)Plumber$34.86Cement mason: $31.98 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.58)Cement mason$31.98Glazier: $31.32 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.99)Glazier$31.32Brickmason: $30.43 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.19)Brickmason$30.43Welder: $30.08 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.88)Welder$30.08Roofer: $29.90 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.72)Roofer$29.90Machinist: $29.53 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.39)Machinist$29.53Solar installer: $29.49 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.35)Solar installer$29.49Plasterer: $29.37 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.25)Plasterer$29.37Tile setter: $28.00 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.02)Tile setter$28.00Construction laborer: $27.49 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.57)Construction laborer$27.49Painter: $26.91 (cost-of-living adjusted $24.05)Painter$26.91
Median hourly wage by trade, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 111.9).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Elevator mechanic$33.10$67.43$77.49$140,2501701% below28% above
2Construction manager$39.56$64.04$100.17$133,2103,800about the same as16% above
3Lineman$31.57$58.11$76.38$120,8707406% below27% above
4Construction supervisor$28.96$46.08$71.08$95,8507,0002% below20% above
5Heavy equipment operator$26.21$40.23$65.42$83,6703,1304% below40% above
6Sheet metal worker$22.81$38.50$60.84$80,0801,4805% above30% above
7Crane operator$32.37$38.33$59.66$79,720210about the same as17% above
8Ironworker$23.72$36.73$53.05$76,400740about the same as22% above
9Drywall installer$23.27$36.68$54.86$76,2903,22016% above29% above
10Electrician$23.03$36.62$60.70$76,1608,060about the same as21% above
11Diesel mechanic$24.70$36.09$45.92$75,0701,4302% above22% above
12HVAC technician$22.46$36.00$54.80$74,8803,2103% above23% above
13Carpenter$22.75$35.19$56.53$73,2008,7104% below21% above
14Plumber$22.13$34.86$61.44$72,5105,100about the same as14% above
15Cement mason$22.68$31.98$49.41$66,5302,3306% above17% above
16Glazier$23.76$31.32$58.55$65,1508402% above14% above
17Brickmason$23.32$30.43$48.95$63,2802608% below2% above
18Welder$22.45$30.08$39.65$62,5602,9408% above16% above
19Roofer$22.89$29.90$36.36$62,1801,8302% below12% above
20Machinist$19.38$29.53$41.81$61,4202,1807% above5% above
21Solar installer$22.88$29.49$38.77$61,3405501% above15% above
22Plasterer$22.38$29.37$48.50$61,0805202% above6% above
23Tile setter$19.03$28.00$43.60$58,2409101% below5% above
24Construction laborer$19.04$27.49$41.35$57,1808,8505% below21% above
25Painter$21.33$26.91$40.16$55,9704,0405% below13% above

Union scale in the San Diego area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$36.62$66.32$19.07$85.39Union1 of 1
Plumber$34.86$48.84$23.58$72.42Union1 of 1
Carpenter$35.19$48.94$26.18$75.12Union1 of 1
Construction laborer$27.49$49.28$25.09$74.37Union1 of 1
Heavy equipment operator$40.23$65.25$33.20$98.45Union1 of 1
Ironworker$36.73$50.70$35.15$85.85Union1 of 1
Sheet metal worker$38.50$53.45$30.92$84.37Union1 of 1
Painter$26.91$38.52$18.64$57.16Union1 of 1

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

Construction jobs in San Diego

86.6kConstruction jobs2026-08
-3.6%Change over 12 months
+2.0%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-202620k40k60k80k100k120k1990199520002005201020152020202587kAug 2026
Construction employment, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in San Diego?

In the San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA metro area, elevator and escalator installers and repairers had the highest median wage at $67.43 an hour in May 2025, with 170 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in San Diego than the rest of California?

In San Diego, 10 of 25 trades pay above the California state median and 10 pay below it; the biggest premium is for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $67.43.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.