Skilled Wages

Trade pay in Seattle

Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA: 27 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

Every trade in Seattle, ranked

Ranked median wagesMedian wageCost-of-living adjusted$0$20$40$60$80/hrConstruction manager: $76.65 (cost-of-living adjusted $68.99)Construction manager$76.65Elevator mechanic: $66.77 (cost-of-living adjusted $60.10)Elevator mechanic$66.77Lineman: $64.50 (cost-of-living adjusted $58.06)Lineman$64.50Construction supervisor: $58.24 (cost-of-living adjusted $52.42)Construction supervisor$58.24Crane operator: $54.96 (cost-of-living adjusted $49.47)Crane operator$54.96Ironworker: $53.58 (cost-of-living adjusted $48.23)Ironworker$53.58Sheet metal worker: $52.80 (cost-of-living adjusted $47.52)Sheet metal worker$52.80Electrician: $48.93 (cost-of-living adjusted $44.04)Electrician$48.93Brickmason: $47.04 (cost-of-living adjusted $42.34)Brickmason$47.04Heavy equipment operator: $46.04 (cost-of-living adjusted $41.44)Heavy equipment operator$46.04Plumber: $45.78 (cost-of-living adjusted $41.21)Plumber$45.78Millwright: $39.65 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.69)Millwright$39.65Diesel mechanic: $39.58 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.63)Diesel mechanic$39.58Cement mason: $38.88 (cost-of-living adjusted $35.00)Cement mason$38.88HVAC technician: $38.51 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.66)HVAC technician$38.51Tile setter: $38.00 (cost-of-living adjusted $34.20)Tile setter$38.00Carpenter: $36.74 (cost-of-living adjusted $33.07)Carpenter$36.74Glazier: $36.35 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.72)Glazier$36.35Drywall installer: $36.33 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.70)Drywall installer$36.33Machinist: $35.85 (cost-of-living adjusted $32.27)Machinist$35.85Insulation worker: $34.61 (cost-of-living adjusted $31.15)Insulation worker$34.61Welder: $31.85 (cost-of-living adjusted $28.67)Welder$31.85Roofer: $30.81 (cost-of-living adjusted $27.73)Roofer$30.81Solar installer: $29.63 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.67)Solar installer$29.63Painter: $29.06 (cost-of-living adjusted $26.16)Painter$29.06Construction laborer: $28.72 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.85)Construction laborer$28.72Plasterer: $28.30 (cost-of-living adjusted $25.47)Plasterer$28.30
Median hourly wage by trade, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, May 2025. Thin marker: cost-of-living adjusted (BEA metro price parity 111.1).
#Trade10thMedian $/hr90thMedian $/yrJobsvs statevs US
1Construction manager$52.79$76.65$106.43$159,4304,0103% above39% above
2Elevator mechanic$36.82$66.77$78.33$138,8802901% above26% above
3Lineman$35.85$64.50$72.99$134,1501,0101% above41% above
4Construction supervisor$37.49$58.24$82.12$121,13011,04011% above52% above
5Crane operator$30.44$54.96$65.00$114,33057013% above68% above
6Ironworker$26.31$53.58$62.26$111,4404504% above78% above
7Sheet metal worker$29.49$52.80$71.76$109,8302,19011% above78% above
8Electrician$26.77$48.93$72.74$101,7809,7507% above61% above
9Brickmason$28.64$47.04$55.51$97,83031018% above57% above
10Heavy equipment operator$28.77$46.04$61.74$95,7504,86017% above60% above
11Plumber$24.97$45.78$73.80$95,2306,35018% above49% above
12Millwright$29.78$39.65$56.95$82,4702808% above26% above
13Diesel mechanic$29.53$39.58$55.56$82,3303,7406% above33% above
14Cement mason$27.35$38.88$63.77$80,8602,1404% above42% above
15HVAC technician$24.70$38.51$62.21$80,1003,9406% above31% above
16Tile setter$27.84$38.00$50.20$79,0404501% above42% above
17Carpenter$27.93$36.74$59.50$76,41014,9703% above26% above
18Glazier$23.97$36.35$63.11$75,61090013% above32% above
19Drywall installer$26.91$36.33$61.53$75,5601,8403% above28% above
20Machinist$23.73$35.85$53.27$74,5604,25013% above27% above
21Insulation worker$23.87$34.61$64.47$71,9801,2506% above47% above
22Welder$24.17$31.85$43.09$66,2403,2305% above23% above
23Roofer$23.29$30.81$50.27$64,0902,9706% above16% above
24Solar installer$24.25$29.63$29.64$61,630—about the same as16% above
25Painter$22.79$29.06$38.12$60,4405,1401% above22% above
26Construction laborer$20.99$28.72$47.37$59,74013,0403% above27% above
27Plasterer$23.65$28.30$52.04$58,86022014% above2% above

Union scale in the Seattle area

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

TradeMetro market medianDB baseFringeTotal packageRate sourceCounties with a rate
Electrician$48.93$75.96$33.48$109.44Union3 of 3
Plumber$45.78$75.21$33.88$109.09Union3 of 3
Carpenter$36.74$63.98$19.13$83.11Union3 of 3
Construction laborer$28.72$50.38$16.96$67.34Union3 of 3
Heavy equipment operator$46.04$60.46$27.57$88.03Union3 of 3
Ironworker$53.58$57.94$34.52$92.46Union3 of 3
Sheet metal worker$52.80$69.86$33.39$103.25Union3 of 3
Painter$29.06$41.24$14.70$55.94Union3 of 3

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

Construction jobs in Seattle

124.0kConstruction jobs2026-08
-0.2%Change over 12 months
-6.9%Change over 5 years
Construction employment, 1990-202650k75k100k125k150k19901995200020052010201520202025124kAug 2026
Mining, logging and construction employment, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA, thousands, BLS CES, not seasonally adjusted.

Questions this page answers

What is the highest-paying trade in Seattle?

In the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA metro area, construction managers had the highest median wage at $76.65 an hour in May 2025, with 4,010 jobs counted.

Do trades pay more in Seattle than the rest of Washington?

In Seattle, 26 of 27 trades pay above the Washington state median and 0 pay below it; the biggest premium is for construction managers at $76.65.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA MSA.
  • BLS CES metro employment.
  • BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
  • SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.