Skilled Wages

Best-paying states for each trade

Computed from public data; nothing hand-picked.

  1. 119 tradesHawaii
  2. 219 tradesWashington
  3. 315 tradesIllinois

Where each trade pays best

TradeTop 5 states by median $/hrTop 3 after cost-of-living adjustment
BoilermakerCalifornia $56.80, Mississippi $50.92, New Mexico $48.66, Illinois $47.95, Michigan $47.22Mississippi $58.53, New Mexico $52.78, California $51.31
BrickmasonMinnesota $45.78, Massachusetts $45.65, Illinois $43.26, New York $40.58, Washington $40.00Minnesota $46.43, Illinois $43.26, North Dakota $43.18
CarpenterHawaii $41.00, Illinois $37.98, California $36.50, Massachusetts $36.16, Washington $35.67Illinois $37.98, Hawaii $37.27, Alaska $34.68
Cement masonHawaii $46.10, Alaska $44.69, Illinois $37.58, Washington $37.27, Oregon $32.95Alaska $43.64, Hawaii $41.91, Illinois $37.58
Construction laborerHawaii $37.07, New Jersey $30.80, Massachusetts $30.48, Illinois $29.18, California $28.98Hawaii $33.70, Missouri $30.04, Minnesota $29.38
Construction managerNew York $74.69, Washington $74.55, Massachusetts $69.71, Alaska $66.92, New Jersey $66.46Washington $69.67, New York $69.22, Massachusetts $65.89
Construction supervisorWashington $52.68, Illinois $50.84, New Jersey $50.73, Oregon $49.55, Hawaii $49.34Illinois $50.84, Washington $49.23, Alaska $47.95
Crane operatorHawaii $59.74, Nevada $55.69, Rhode Island $50.16, Washington $48.61, New Jersey $48.39Nevada $55.69, Hawaii $54.31, Rhode Island $49.03
Diesel mechanicHawaii $38.50, Washington $37.45, Alaska $36.34, Maryland $35.96, California $35.55North Dakota $35.71, Alaska $35.49, Hawaii $35.00
Drywall installerHawaii $50.40, New Jersey $36.09, Alaska $35.43, Oregon $35.35, Washington $35.16Hawaii $45.82, Alaska $34.60, Oregon $34.19
ElectricianOregon $48.71, Illinois $47.87, Hawaii $46.38, Washington $45.78, Alaska $43.00Illinois $47.87, Oregon $47.11, Washington $42.79
Elevator mechanicMaine $69.08, Nevada $68.25, California $67.88, Oregon $66.64, Massachusetts $66.55Maine $71.22, Nevada $68.25, Missouri $67.11
GlazierMassachusetts $48.47, Hawaii $38.85, District of Columbia $37.69, New Jersey $34.08, Oregon $34.08Massachusetts $45.81, Hawaii $35.32, District of Columbia $34.29
HVAC technicianDistrict of Columbia $40.57, Alaska $37.23, Illinois $37.21, Massachusetts $37.16, Connecticut $36.83North Dakota $40.24, Minnesota $37.23, Illinois $37.21
Heavy equipment operatorHawaii $55.70, Illinois $46.99, New Jersey $43.11, California $41.90, Washington $39.28Hawaii $50.64, Illinois $46.99, Indiana $41.01
Insulation workerNebraska $35.16, Washington $32.57, Mississippi $30.23, Oregon $28.95, New York $28.41Nebraska $39.02, Mississippi $34.75, Iowa $30.57
IronworkerMassachusetts $58.10, New Jersey $54.43, Washington $51.76, Illinois $48.97, Hawaii $48.01Massachusetts $54.91, New Jersey $50.03, Illinois $48.97
LinemanHawaii $64.59, Washington $63.97, Oregon $63.02, California $62.04, Connecticut $60.99Idaho $63.13, Oregon $60.95, Washington $59.79
MachinistHawaii $40.58, Alaska $37.34, District of Columbia $35.05, Massachusetts $32.34, Washington $31.81Hawaii $36.89, Alaska $36.46, North Dakota $33.39
MillwrightNew Jersey $51.70, New Mexico $43.38, Michigan $42.88, Wisconsin $39.73, Colorado $39.15New Jersey $47.52, New Mexico $47.05, Michigan $44.57
PainterHawaii $32.80, Illinois $29.45, Alaska $29.32, Washington $28.68, New York $28.64Missouri $30.45, Hawaii $29.82, North Dakota $29.64
PlastererNew York $57.78, Hawaii $50.13, Minnesota $49.29, Illinois $45.09, New Hampshire $44.71New York $53.55, Minnesota $49.99, Hawaii $45.57
PlumberDistrict of Columbia $48.57, Illinois $48.05, Oregon $46.66, Minnesota $45.39, Alaska $45.15Illinois $48.05, Minnesota $46.03, Oregon $45.13
RooferIllinois $37.45, New Jersey $36.83, Minnesota $35.81, Massachusetts $34.98, Alaska $32.09Illinois $37.45, Minnesota $36.32, New Jersey $33.85
Sheet metal workerWashington $47.38, Hawaii $46.32, Alaska $45.48, New Jersey $44.64, Illinois $41.65Alaska $44.41, Washington $44.28, Hawaii $42.11
Solar installerNew Jersey $37.96, Hawaii $33.83, Nevada $32.60, Oregon $31.88, Ohio $30.00New Jersey $34.89, Nevada $32.60, Ohio $32.33
Tile setterMassachusetts $39.02, Hawaii $38.11, Washington $37.46, Maine $34.00, Minnesota $33.92Massachusetts $36.88, Maine $35.05, Washington $35.01
WelderAlaska $38.87, Hawaii $37.98, Connecticut $31.19, Wyoming $30.69, Washington $30.30Alaska $37.96, Hawaii $34.53, Louisiana $33.93
Wind turbine technicianNew York $39.10, Kansas $37.62, California $37.46, Indiana $36.87, Washington $36.48Kansas $41.75, Iowa $41.00, South Dakota $40.06

Questions this page answers

Which state pays trades the most overall?

Counting how often each state appears in the top five across all trades: Hawaii (19), Washington (19), Illinois (15), Alaska (12), New Jersey (12). After cost-of-living adjustment the Midwest and Mountain states climb.

Sources and notes

  • BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025.
  • BLS Employment Projections; BLS CPI-U; BEA Regional Price Parities; SAM.gov Davis-Bacon wage determinations (not the official determination).