Skilled Wages

Union scale vs market pay by state

Computed from public data; nothing hand-picked.

Data compiled by Skilled WagesBLS OEWS May 2025

  1. 12.80×New Jersey
  2. 22.72×Delaware
  3. 32.60×Missouri

Union electrician package vs market median, by state

Market median vs union electrician package by stateMarket medianPrevailing (union)$0$25$50$75$100$125/hrNew Jersey: market median $37.14, prevailing (union) $103.81, gap +$66.67New Jersey+$66.67Delaware: market median $30.63, prevailing (union) $83.43, gap +$52.80Delaware+$52.80Missouri: market median $31.45, prevailing (union) $81.86, gap +$50.41Missouri+$50.41Pennsylvania: market median $32.50, prevailing (union) $82.64, gap +$50.14Pennsylvania+$50.14Connecticut: market median $37.28, prevailing (union) $84.53, gap +$47.25Connecticut+$47.25Massachusetts: market median $38.18, prevailing (union) $84.36, gap +$46.18Massachusetts+$46.18Rhode Island: market median $35.62, prevailing (union) $80.85, gap +$45.23Rhode Island+$45.23District of Columbia: market median $37.97, prevailing (union) $82.56, gap +$44.59District of Columbia+$44.59California: market median $36.62, prevailing (union) $80.15, gap +$43.53California+$43.53Alaska: market median $43.00, prevailing (union) $85.77, gap +$42.77Alaska+$42.77Ohio: market median $31.11, prevailing (union) $69.93, gap +$38.82Ohio+$38.82New York: market median $37.86, prevailing (union) $76.39, gap +$38.53New York+$38.53Iowa: market median $29.26, prevailing (union) $66.39, gap +$37.13Iowa+$37.13Indiana: market median $32.93, prevailing (union) $68.36, gap +$35.43Indiana+$35.43West Virginia: market median $31.16, prevailing (union) $66.44, gap +$35.28West Virginia+$35.28Kentucky: market median $28.71, prevailing (union) $63.40, gap +$34.69Kentucky+$34.69Kansas: market median $31.66, prevailing (union) $64.30, gap +$32.64Kansas+$32.64Colorado: market median $29.92, prevailing (union) $59.17, gap +$29.25Colorado+$29.25Utah: market median $29.81, prevailing (union) $58.89, gap +$29.08Utah+$29.08New Hampshire: market median $30.21, prevailing (union) $59.04, gap +$28.83New Hampshire+$28.83
Market median wage (BLS) vs typical union package (Davis-Bacon base + fringe) for electricians, by state, top 20 gaps.
#StateMarket median $/hrUnion package $/hrPackage ÷ marketCounties with union rate
1New Jersey$37.14$103.812.80×100%
2Delaware$30.63$83.432.72×100%
3Missouri$31.45$81.862.60×98%
4Pennsylvania$32.50$82.642.54×94%
5Rhode Island$35.62$80.852.27×100%
6Iowa$29.26$66.392.27×17%
7Connecticut$37.28$84.532.27×100%
8Ohio$31.11$69.932.25×84%
9Massachusetts$38.18$84.362.21×100%
10Kentucky$28.71$63.402.21×78%
11California$36.62$80.152.19×91%
12District of Columbia$37.97$82.562.17×100%
13West Virginia$31.16$66.442.13×65%
14Indiana$32.93$68.362.08×97%
15Kansas$31.66$64.302.03×22%
16New York$37.86$76.392.02×92%
17Alaska$43.00$85.771.99×100%
18Colorado$29.92$59.171.98×98%
19Utah$29.81$58.891.98×97%
20New Hampshire$30.21$59.041.95×70%
21Idaho$30.29$58.741.94×95%
22Hawaii$46.38$89.711.93×100%
23Washington$45.78$87.781.92×97%
24Wisconsin$36.80$70.471.91×100%
25New Mexico$28.07$53.711.91×88%
26Arkansas$23.59$43.891.86×45%
27Oklahoma$29.33$54.541.86×91%
28Virginia$30.24$55.971.85×71%
29Nebraska$29.24$53.881.84×100%
30North Dakota$31.59$57.591.82×79%
31South Dakota$29.51$53.151.80×73%
32Georgia$28.04$49.201.75×77%
33Illinois$47.87$83.991.75×100%
34Arizona$29.36$51.341.75×93%
35Florida$27.52$47.701.73×60%
36Michigan$36.67$63.351.73×85%
37Texas$28.16$47.191.68×19%
38North Carolina$27.31$45.411.66×32%
39South Carolina$28.24$46.791.66×67%
40Maine$36.24$59.881.65×31%
41Oregon$48.71$79.511.63×56%
42Tennessee$29.37$47.701.62×40%
43Montana$36.90$58.911.60×93%
44Alabama$26.78$41.241.54×36%
45Louisiana$29.59$43.911.48×83%
46Mississippi$29.26$42.941.47×70%
47Vermont$30.49$42.851.41×29%

Union package includes fringe benefits (health, pension, training) that the market median excludes, so the ratio overstates the take-home gap. Electricians, Building construction type.

Questions this page answers

Where is the union scale furthest above market pay?

New Jersey: a typical union package of $103.81 against a market median of $37.14, 2.80 times. The smallest gaps are in Louisiana, Mississippi, Vermont.

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).