Skilled Trades Pay, State by State
Median and top-10% hourly pay for 36 trades in all 50 states and DC, from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The gap between the two is where skills and certifications pay off.
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Here's where the trade pays. Our job is getting you to the top of it.
Electrician · All states
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Government data: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025, all employers. Not a job offer or a SiteWorker rate.
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The biggest steps up
First-line supervisors (all trades) earn a median of $29 to $53/hr, depending on the state (Arkansas to Washington).
Hourly pay by trade
Here's where the trade pays. Our job is getting you to the top of it. We work with clients who pay for skill and experience. Clients filter for top-rated workers. A strong rating keeps you in front of them.
| Trade | Median, lowest state | Median, highest state | Top 10%, highest state |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical & Controls | |||
| Electricians | $24 Arkansas | $49 Oregon | $67 California |
| Low Voltage Technicians | $23 Mississippi | $38 Alaska | $50 Massachusetts |
| Instrumentation Technicians | $29 Illinois | $48 Washington | $64 North Dakota |
| Elevator Mechanics | $21 Kentucky | $69 Maine | $84 Nevada |
| Medium-Voltage Cable Splicers | $36 Arizona | $65 Hawaii | $80 California |
| Substation Technicians | $36 Nevada | $63 Oregon | $80 Alaska |
| Fiber Splicers | $23 Louisiana | $50 Rhode Island | $58 New York |
| Mechanical & Piping | |||
| Plumbers | $23 Arkansas | $49 District of Columbia | $71 Oregon |
| Pipefitters | $23 Arkansas | $49 District of Columbia | $71 Oregon |
| Steamfitters | $23 Arkansas | $49 District of Columbia | $71 Oregon |
| HVAC Technicians | $23 Arkansas | $41 District of Columbia | $58 Washington |
| Sheet Metal Workers | $22 Arkansas | $47 Washington | $72 Washington |
| Insulators | $22 Delaware | $58 California | $80 California |
| Boilermakers | $20 Maryland | $57 California | $74 Wyoming |
| Sprinkler Fitters | $23 Arkansas | $49 District of Columbia | $71 Oregon |
| Structural & Metal | |||
| Welders | $23 Arkansas | $39 Alaska | $53 Alaska |
| Ironworkers | $22 Arkansas | $58 Massachusetts | $63 New Jersey |
| Millwrights | $25 Oklahoma | $52 New Jersey | $70 New Jersey |
| Rebar Workers | $19 Mississippi | $58 Wisconsin | $65 New York |
| Building & Finishing | |||
| Carpenters | $23 Oklahoma | $41 Hawaii | $73 Alaska |
| Concrete Finishers | $21 Mississippi | $46 Hawaii | $60 Washington |
| Masons | $21 Maine | $46 Minnesota | $66 Massachusetts |
| Drywall Finishers | $20 West Virginia | $54 Illinois | $56 Illinois |
| Painters | $19 Arkansas | $33 Hawaii | $54 New York |
| Glaziers | $18 Mississippi | $48 Massachusetts | $63 Washington |
| Roofers | $21 Oklahoma | $37 Illinois | $51 Illinois |
| Testing & Commissioning | |||
| QA/QC Inspectors | $24 Mississippi | $49 Alaska | $78 California |
| Commissioning Technicians | $28 South Dakota | $48 Wyoming | $68 District of Columbia |
| Controls Technicians | $28 South Dakota | $48 Wyoming | $68 District of Columbia |
| Equipment & Site | |||
| Crane Operators | $20 Arkansas | $60 Hawaii | $104 New York |
| Heavy Equipment Operators | $21 Arkansas | $56 Hawaii | $70 New York |
| Scaffold Builders | — | — | — |
| General Laborers | $18 Alabama | $37 Hawaii | $51 New Jersey |
| Solar Installers | $20 South Dakota | $38 New Jersey | $51 Hawaii |
| Pile Driver Operators | $23 Georgia | $58 Massachusetts | $68 Washington |
| Survey and Layout Technicians | $21 South Carolina | $38 California | $57 California |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 state estimates (released April 2026). Hourly wages across all employers in each state, rounded to the nearest dollar. These are government figures, not SiteWorker pay or bill rates. Some trades share a government pay category (plumbers, pipefitters and steamfitters) or use the closest match; each trade page notes it. A dash means the government doesn't publish that figure.
Prevailing wage and Davis-Bacon
On federally funded or assisted projects over $2,000, anywhere in the country, the Davis-Bacon Act sets a minimum wage and fringe benefits for each classification, by county and type of project (building, heavy, highway or residential). These rates are published as wage determinations on SAM.gov and can be higher than the state figures above.
Many states also have their own prevailing wage laws for public works, and others have none. Clean energy projects that claim the full federal tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act also have to pay prevailing wages and meet apprenticeship requirements.
Look up county rates on SAM.gov and each state's rules on the U.S. Department of Labor's state prevailing wage page. This is general information, not legal advice.
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