What skilled trades actually pay, where you are
Not one number. The whole range, from the government's survey of employers, next to the union scale contractors must pay on public jobs, for 29 trades in every state, metro and county.
Built from public federal data. Every figure carries its source and date.
Three numbers, side by side
Market wage
The 10th to 90th percentile of what employers report paying, from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey. Median, range and rank for every state and metro.
Union and prevailing scale
The base wage plus fringe that federal projects must pay in each county, from Davis-Bacon wage determinations, with a flag for union-contract versus survey rates.
Local demand
Construction employment by state and metro every month since 1990, county contractor pay, and BLS ten-year projections for each trade.
Electrician pay by state, as a starting point
Highest-paying trades
- Construction managerMedian $55.28/hr
- Elevator mechanicMedian $52.84/hr
- LinemanMedian $45.83/hr
- Construction supervisorMedian $38.42/hr
- BoilermakerMedian $36.74/hr
- Crane operatorMedian $32.73/hr
- MillwrightMedian $31.59/hr
- Wind turbine technicianMedian $30.83/hr
- PlumberMedian $30.67/hr
- ElectricianMedian $30.38/hr
- IronworkerMedian $30.18/hr
- BrickmasonMedian $29.87/hr
Prevailing wage, county by county
Bidding public work, checking a paycheck, or just curious why the required rate in one county is twice the next? Every state page lists the Davis-Bacon base and fringe for each county and construction type, marks stale survey rates, and links to the official determination.
Which trade pays more?
Electrician or plumber? HVAC or lineman? Side-by-side pay, growth and openings, and a map of which one wins in each state.
What changed
- Prevailing wage index refreshed 2026-09-28; OEWS May 2025 wages; construction jobs through 2026-08.
Full change log · How the numbers are built · Download the data