Skilled trades, ranked by what they actually pay
BLS employer-survey wages for 29 trades, May 2025. Pick a trade for the full range, the map and the union scale.
- Construction managerMedian $55.28/hr · 380,360 jobs
- Elevator mechanicMedian $52.84/hr · 23,790 jobs
- LinemanMedian $45.83/hr · 131,070 jobs
- Construction supervisorMedian $38.42/hr · 812,210 jobs
- BoilermakerMedian $36.74/hr · 10,190 jobs
- Crane operatorMedian $32.73/hr · 42,890 jobs
- MillwrightMedian $31.59/hr · 40,330 jobs
- Wind turbine technicianMedian $30.83/hr · 9,980 jobs
- PlumberMedian $30.67/hr · 465,840 jobs
- ElectricianMedian $30.38/hr · 757,220 jobs
- IronworkerMedian $30.18/hr · 68,380 jobs
- BrickmasonMedian $29.87/hr · 52,550 jobs
- Sheet metal workerMedian $29.71/hr · 119,770 jobs
- Diesel mechanicMedian $29.70/hr · 289,960 jobs
- HVAC technicianMedian $29.33/hr · 409,670 jobs
- CarpenterMedian $29.12/hr · 670,090 jobs
- Heavy equipment operatorMedian $28.78/hr · 478,090 jobs
- Drywall installerMedian $28.33/hr · 83,080 jobs
- MachinistMedian $28.24/hr · 287,050 jobs
- PlastererMedian $27.72/hr · 19,310 jobs
- GlazierMedian $27.44/hr · 58,480 jobs
- Cement masonMedian $27.41/hr · 206,170 jobs
- Tile setterMedian $26.77/hr · 35,850 jobs
- RooferMedian $26.65/hr · 135,490 jobs
- WelderMedian $25.84/hr · 416,210 jobs
- Solar installerMedian $25.55/hr · 31,350 jobs
- PainterMedian $23.75/hr · 225,190 jobs
- Insulation workerMedian $23.62/hr · 44,440 jobs
- Construction laborerMedian $22.66/hr · 1,096,780 jobs
Trades are ordered by the national median hourly wage in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, May 2025. The figure under each name is the median: half of the people counted in that occupation earn more and half earn less. The small line is the median since 1999 in nominal dollars.
Every trade page shows the full wage distribution (10th to 90th percentile) from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey, a state-by-state map, twenty years of history in today's dollars, and, for construction trades, the union and prevailing-wage package by county from Davis-Bacon wage determinations.