Skilled Wages

Trade pay in San Francisco

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA: 28 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 Francisco, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$25$50$75$100/hrElevator mechanic: $80.90 (cost-of-living adjusted $69.98)Elevator mechanic$80.90Construction manager: $79.82 (cost-of-living adjusted $69.05)Construction manager$79.82Lineman: $65.95 (cost-of-living adjusted $57.05)Lineman$65.95Boilermaker: $65.05 (cost-of-living adjusted $56.27)Boilermaker$65.05Heavy equipment operator: $59.97 (cost-of-living adjusted $51.88)Heavy equipment operator$59.97Construction supervisor: $58.08 (cost-of-living adjusted $50.24)Construction supervisor$58.08Millwright: $54.56 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.20)Millwright$54.56Sheet metal worker: $49.35 (cost-of-living adjusted $42.69)Sheet metal worker$49.35Crane operator: $47.31 (cost-of-living adjusted $40.93)Crane operator$47.31Electrician: $44.63 (cost-of-living adjusted $38.61)Electrician$44.63Carpenter: $42.89 (cost-of-living adjusted $37.10)Carpenter$42.89Ironworker: $41.99 (cost-of-living adjusted $36.32)Ironworker$41.99Drywall installer: $39.50 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.17)Drywall installer$39.50Diesel mechanic: $39.47 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.14)Diesel mechanic$39.47HVAC technician: $37.73 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.64)HVAC technician$37.73Plumber: $37.44 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.39)Plumber$37.44Brickmason: $37.19 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.17)Brickmason$37.19Insulation worker: $36.62 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.68)Insulation worker$36.62Cement mason: $36.53 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.60)Cement mason$36.53Glazier: $35.84 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.00)Glazier$35.84Roofer: $35.74 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.92)Roofer$35.74Construction laborer: $34.91 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.20)Construction laborer$34.91Solar installer: $34.69 (cost-of-living adjusted $30.01)Solar installer$34.69Plasterer: $34.28 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.65)Plasterer$34.28Machinist: $32.57 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.17)Machinist$32.57Tile setter: $30.98 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.80)Tile setter$30.98Welder: $30.93 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.76)Welder$30.93Painter: $30.58 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.45)Painter$30.58
Median hourly wage by trade, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 115.6).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Elevator mechanic$40.83$80.90$94.41$168,27037019% above53% above
2Construction manager$48.51$79.82$108.23$166,0305,16025% above44% above
3Lineman$40.20$65.95$91.34$137,1807706% above44% above
4Boilermaker$42.57$65.05$78.25$135,2905015% above77% above
5Heavy equipment operator$29.29$59.97$71.76$124,7504,08043% above108% above
6Construction supervisor$35.51$58.08$79.97$120,8109,81024% above51% above
7Millwright$23.72$54.56$71.83$113,49032046% above73% above
8Sheet metal worker$26.71$49.35$74.42$102,66088034% above66% above
9Crane operator$24.30$47.31$74.28$98,41024024% above45% above
10Electrician$26.62$44.63$87.66$92,8309,06022% above47% above
11Carpenter$28.38$42.89$63.83$89,20014,01018% above47% above
12Ironworker$27.35$41.99$59.84$87,34080014% above39% above
13Drywall installer$27.89$39.50$64.84$82,1602,51025% above39% above
14Diesel mechanic$23.51$39.47$50.74$82,1001,73011% above33% above
15HVAC technician$23.64$37.73$62.20$78,4903,9808% above29% above
16Plumber$23.34$37.44$74.68$77,8805,6607% above22% above
17Brickmason$27.03$37.19$60.32$77,35034012% above25% above
18Insulation worker$21.69$36.62$57.65$76,17037056% above55% above
19Cement mason$25.64$36.53$58.03$75,9702,42021% above33% above
20Glazier$25.65$35.84$61.08$74,5501,08016% above31% above
21Roofer$27.75$35.74$47.30$74,3402,61017% above34% above
22Construction laborer$23.29$34.91$49.26$72,61011,62020% above54% above
23Solar installer$26.46$34.69$46.68$72,15071019% above36% above
24Plasterer$25.40$34.28$52.96$71,31058019% above24% above
25Machinist$22.04$32.57$60.57$67,7501,61018% above15% above
26Tile setter$22.13$30.98$56.00$64,4301,0209% above16% above
27Welder$23.08$30.93$48.04$64,3201,99011% above20% above
28Painter$23.11$30.58$48.34$63,6005,3108% above29% above

Union scale in the San Francisco area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$44.63$77.45$33.97$111.42Union5 of 5
Plumber$37.44$58.45$38.74$97.19Union5 of 5
Carpenter$42.89$60.39$33.52$93.91Union5 of 5
Construction laborer$34.91$38.02$29.89$67.91Union5 of 5
Heavy equipment operator$59.97$55.85$28.56$84.41Union5 of 5
Ironworker$41.99$50.70$35.15$85.85Union5 of 5
Sheet metal worker$49.35$56.96$38.63$95.59Union5 of 5
Painter$30.58$57.00$28.04$85.04Union5 of 5

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

Construction jobs in San Francisco

116.0kConstruction jobs2026-08
-2.5%Change over 12 months
-7.3%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-202650k75k100k125k150k19901995200020052010201520202025116kAug 2026
Construction employment, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in San Francisco?

In the San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA metro area, elevator and escalator installers and repairers had the highest median wage at $80.90 an hour in May 2025, with 370 jobs counted.

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

In San Francisco, 28 of 28 trades pay above the California state median and 0 pay below it; the biggest premium is for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $80.90.

Sources and notes

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