Skilled Wages

Trade pay in San Jose

San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA: 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 Jose, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$25$50$75$100/hrElevator mechanic: $83.62 (cost-of-living adjusted $75.74)Elevator mechanic$83.62Construction manager: $78.39 (cost-of-living adjusted $71.01)Construction manager$78.39Lineman: $75.78 (cost-of-living adjusted $68.64)Lineman$75.78Construction supervisor: $62.36 (cost-of-living adjusted $56.49)Construction supervisor$62.36Heavy equipment operator: $59.78 (cost-of-living adjusted $54.15)Heavy equipment operator$59.78Ironworker: $52.62 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.66)Ironworker$52.62Sheet metal worker: $52.54 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.59)Sheet metal worker$52.54Plumber: $51.71 (cost-of-living adjusted $46.84)Plumber$51.71Electrician: $43.77 (cost-of-living adjusted $39.65)Electrician$43.77Diesel mechanic: $42.78 (cost-of-living adjusted $38.75)Diesel mechanic$42.78Glazier: $39.63 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.90)Glazier$39.63HVAC technician: $39.45 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.73)HVAC technician$39.45Carpenter: $38.55 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.92)Carpenter$38.55Drywall installer: $38.19 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.59)Drywall installer$38.19Roofer: $36.85 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.38)Roofer$36.85Brickmason: $36.51 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.07)Brickmason$36.51Cement mason: $36.31 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.89)Cement mason$36.31Plasterer: $34.95 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.66)Plasterer$34.95Solar installer: $34.44 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.20)Solar installer$34.44Construction laborer: $32.92 (cost-of-living adjusted $29.82)Construction laborer$32.92Welder: $30.84 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.93)Welder$30.84Machinist: $30.55 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.67)Machinist$30.55Tile setter: $30.09 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.26)Tile setter$30.09Painter: $29.79 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.98)Painter$29.79Insulation worker: $28.31 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.64)Insulation worker$28.31
Median hourly wage by trade, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 110.4).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Elevator mechanic$50.95$83.62$96.72$173,9207023% above58% above
2Construction manager$47.07$78.39$120.19$163,0401,85022% above42% above
3Lineman$48.17$75.78$94.56$157,62030022% above65% above
4Construction supervisor$36.92$62.36$94.26$129,7004,77033% above62% above
5Heavy equipment operator$29.17$59.78$73.44$124,3401,36043% above108% above
6Ironworker$27.10$52.62$62.79$109,44033043% above74% above
7Sheet metal worker$26.35$52.54$74.75$109,28075043% above77% above
8Plumber$30.42$51.71$74.81$107,5603,83048% above69% above
9Electrician$26.10$43.77$83.34$91,0305,48020% above44% above
10Diesel mechanic$27.19$42.78$54.54$88,98072020% above44% above
11Glazier$27.68$39.63$64.91$82,42035029% above44% above
12HVAC technician$27.49$39.45$65.70$82,0501,74013% above35% above
13Carpenter$26.54$38.55$64.36$80,1904,4606% above32% above
14Drywall installer$28.94$38.19$64.80$79,4301,96021% above35% above
15Roofer$28.51$36.85$49.54$76,6501,66021% above38% above
16Brickmason$24.17$36.51$61.80$75,93018010% above22% above
17Cement mason$24.04$36.31$57.19$75,5201,50020% above32% above
18Plasterer$27.98$34.95$49.68$72,70042021% above26% above
19Solar installer$25.17$34.44$47.80$71,63028018% above35% above
20Construction laborer$22.34$32.92$45.37$68,4704,42014% above45% above
21Welder$23.62$30.84$44.38$64,1401,05010% above19% above
22Machinist$21.32$30.55$46.99$63,5401,37011% above8% above
23Tile setter$22.32$30.09$49.88$62,5804306% above12% above
24Painter$23.41$29.79$46.49$61,9702,4105% above25% above
25Insulation worker$23.86$28.31$59.06$58,89019021% above20% above

Union scale in the San Jose area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$43.77$77.45$33.97$111.42Union2 of 2
Plumber$51.71$54.50$42.54$97.04Union2 of 2
Carpenter$38.55$60.39$33.52$93.91Union2 of 2
Construction laborer$32.92$38.02$29.89$67.91Union2 of 2
Heavy equipment operator$59.78$43.72$31.15$74.87Union2 of 2
Ironworker$52.62$50.70$35.15$85.85Union2 of 2
Sheet metal worker$52.54$55.16$34.18$89.34Union2 of 2
Painter$29.79$57.00$28.04$85.04Union2 of 2

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

Construction jobs in San Jose

58.3kConstruction jobs2026-08
+7.8%Change over 12 months
+10.6%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-202620k30k40k50k60k70k1990199520002005201020152020202558kAug 2026
Construction employment, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in San Jose?

In the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA metro area, elevator and escalator installers and repairers had the highest median wage at $83.62 an hour in May 2025, with 70 jobs counted.

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

In San Jose, 25 of 25 trades pay above the California state median and 0 pay below it; the biggest premium is for elevator and escalator installers and repairers at $83.62.

Sources and notes

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