Trade pay in Tampa
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL: 25 trades ranked by median wage, with the union scale and the jobs trend.
Every trade in Tampa, ranked
| # | Trade | 10th | Median $/hr | 90th | Median $/yr | Jobs | vs state | vs US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction manager | $30.39 | $58.08 | $102.39 | $120,800 | 4,760 | 7% above | 5% above |
| 2 | Elevator mechanic | $28.46 | $50.96 | $59.79 | $105,990 | 380 | 1% above | 4% below |
| 3 | Lineman | $28.38 | $45.44 | $51.37 | $94,510 | 950 | 9% above | 1% below |
| 4 | Crane operator | $24.86 | $37.22 | $45.93 | $77,420 | 370 | 8% above | 14% above |
| 5 | Construction supervisor | $23.77 | $36.05 | $56.04 | $74,980 | 9,840 | 1% below | 6% below |
| 6 | Diesel mechanic | $21.61 | $29.36 | $37.56 | $61,060 | 1,910 | 1% above | 1% below |
| 7 | Brickmason | $17.85 | $27.64 | $30.98 | $57,490 | 360 | 9% above | 7% below |
| 8 | Electrician | $18.73 | $27.62 | $36.87 | $57,450 | 7,170 | about the same as | 9% below |
| 9 | Machinist | $20.29 | $27.48 | $35.05 | $57,160 | 1,530 | about the same as | 3% below |
| 10 | Carpenter | $17.88 | $25.06 | $33.63 | $52,130 | 6,010 | 5% above | 14% below |
| 11 | Plumber | $20.00 | $25.00 | $32.13 | $52,000 | 4,180 | 2% below | 18% below |
| 12 | Solar installer | $22.25 | $24.60 | $37.26 | $51,170 | — | 1% above | 4% below |
| 13 | HVAC technician | $19.05 | $24.30 | $36.20 | $50,540 | 6,090 | 11% below | 17% below |
| 14 | Heavy equipment operator | $19.42 | $24.18 | $35.25 | $50,300 | 3,980 | 2% above | 16% below |
| 15 | Welder | $19.18 | $24.00 | $32.39 | $49,930 | 2,520 | 1% below | 7% below |
| 16 | Cement mason | $18.50 | $23.84 | $36.09 | $49,590 | 1,780 | 2% above | 13% below |
| 17 | Drywall installer | $17.60 | $23.83 | $29.58 | $49,560 | 770 | 1% above | 16% below |
| 18 | Sheet metal worker | $17.25 | $23.80 | $31.71 | $49,510 | 970 | about the same as | 20% below |
| 19 | Ironworker | $19.07 | $23.42 | $32.95 | $48,720 | 320 | 13% below | 22% below |
| 20 | Plasterer | $16.33 | $23.20 | $30.04 | $48,260 | 170 | 2% above | 16% below |
| 21 | Painter | $17.72 | $22.87 | $28.30 | $47,570 | 3,080 | about the same as | 4% below |
| 22 | Glazier | $17.65 | $22.84 | $29.96 | $47,500 | 820 | 1% above | 17% below |
| 23 | Roofer | $16.00 | $22.68 | $30.57 | $47,170 | 3,380 | 1% below | 15% below |
| 24 | Tile setter | $13.38 | $22.25 | $31.58 | $46,280 | 480 | 2% below | 17% below |
| 25 | Construction laborer | $16.15 | $21.04 | $28.42 | $43,750 | 12,860 | 1% below | 7% below |
Union scale in the Tampa area
The highest Davis-Bacon Building-construction package among the counties in the Tampa metro, next to the metro market median from BLS.
| Trade | Metro market median | DB base | Fringe | Total package | Rate source | Counties with a rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | $27.62 | $33.11 | $14.59 | $47.70 | Union | 4 of 4 |
| Plumber | $25.00 | $35.30 | $18.24 | $53.54 | Union | 4 of 4 |
| Carpenter | $25.06 | $17.37 | $3.85 | $21.22 | Survey | 4 of 4 |
| Construction laborer | $21.04 | $11.84 | $1.95 | $13.79 | Survey | 4 of 4 |
| Heavy equipment operator | $24.18 | $22.07 | $8.80 | $30.87 | Survey | 4 of 4 |
| Ironworker | $23.42 | $35.25 | $17.32 | $52.57 | Union | 4 of 4 |
| Sheet metal worker | $23.80 | $25.75 | $16.92 | $42.67 | Union | 4 of 4 |
| Painter | $22.87 | $14.72 | $2.13 | $16.85 | Survey | 4 of 4 |
Not the official determination. County-level lookup on the Florida prevailing wage page.
Construction jobs in Tampa
99.6kConstruction jobs2026-08
+1.6%Change over 12 months
+16.1%Change over 5 years
Questions this page answers
What is the highest-paying trade in Tampa?
In the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL metro area, construction managers had the highest median wage at $58.08 an hour in May 2025, with 4,760 jobs counted.
Do trades pay more in Tampa than the rest of Florida?
In Tampa, 13 of 25 trades pay above the Florida state median and 8 pay below it; the biggest premium is for construction managers at $58.08.
Sources and notes
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL MSA.
- BLS CES metro employment.
- BEA metro Regional Price Parities.
- SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations.