Construction & Trades salaries
Construction and extraction trades build and dig, from electricians and plumbers to carpenters, masons, and heavy equipment operators.
Below are all 57 construction & trades occupations the BLS tracks, ranked by median annual pay for May 2025. The best paid, elevator and escalator installers and repairers, earns a median of $109,910 a year.
| # | Job | Median annual | Hourly | Typical education | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $109,910 | $52.84 | High school diploma or equivalent | 23,790 |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $79,920 | $38.42 | High school diploma or equivalent | 812,210 |
| 3 | Roof Bolters, Mining | $78,540 | $37.76 | High school diploma or equivalent | 2,160 |
| 4 | Boilermakers | $76,410 | $36.74 | High school diploma or equivalent | 10,190 |
| 5 | Terrazzo Workers and Finishers | $76,170 | $36.62 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,180 |
| 6 | Construction and Building Inspectors | $74,690 | $35.91 | High school diploma or equivalent | 146,720 |
| 7 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | $74,500 | $35.82 | No formal educational credential | 5,930 |
| 8 | Pile Driver Operators | $73,300 | $35.24 | High school diploma or equivalent | 2,310 |
| 9 | Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | $70,070 | $33.69 | High school diploma or equivalent | 19,580 |
| 10 | Tapers | $68,270 | $32.82 | No formal educational credential | 12,840 |
| 11 | Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | $67,890 | $32.64 | No formal educational credential | 12,600 |
| 12 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $63,800 | $30.67 | High school diploma or equivalent | 465,840 |
| 13 | Electricians | $63,190 | $30.38 | High school diploma or equivalent | 757,220 |
| 14 | Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $62,780 | $30.18 | High school diploma or equivalent | 68,380 |
| 15 | Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $62,120 | $29.87 | High school diploma or equivalent | 52,550 |
| 16 | Continuous Mining Machine Operators | $61,810 | $29.72 | No formal educational credential | 14,000 |
| 17 | Sheet Metal Workers | $61,800 | $29.71 | High school diploma or equivalent | 119,770 |
| 18 | Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | $61,390 | $29.51 | High school diploma or equivalent | 5,100 |
| 19 | Carpenters | $60,580 | $29.12 | High school diploma or equivalent | 670,090 |
| 20 | Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | $60,190 | $28.94 | High school diploma or equivalent | 19,450 |
| 21 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $59,850 | $28.78 | High school diploma or equivalent | 478,090 |
| 22 | Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers | $58,970 | $28.35 | High school diploma or equivalent | 13,800 |
| 23 | Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | $58,930 | $28.33 | No formal educational credential | 83,080 |
| 24 | Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | $58,620 | $28.18 | No formal educational credential | 10,590 |
| 25 | Insulation Workers, Mechanical | $58,340 | $28.05 | High school diploma or equivalent | 25,660 |
| 26 | Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | $58,160 | $27.96 | No formal educational credential | 43,140 |
| 27 | Plasterers and Stucco Masons | $57,660 | $27.72 | No formal educational credential | 19,310 |
| 28 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | $57,430 | $27.61 | High school diploma or equivalent | 34,480 |
| 29 | Stonemasons | $57,390 | $27.59 | High school diploma or equivalent | 7,820 |
| 30 | Glaziers | $57,080 | $27.44 | High school diploma or equivalent | 58,480 |
| 31 | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | $57,020 | $27.41 | No formal educational credential | 206,170 |
| 32 | Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles | $56,460 | $27.15 | No formal educational credential | 23,640 |
| 33 | Tile and Stone Setters | $55,690 | $26.77 | No formal educational credential | 35,850 |
| 34 | Roofers | $55,440 | $26.65 | No formal educational credential | 135,490 |
| 35 | Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | $53,340 | $25.64 | High school diploma or equivalent | 41,820 |
| 36 | Solar Photovoltaic Installers | $53,140 | $25.55 | High school diploma or equivalent | 31,350 |
| 37 | Paperhangers | $52,140 | $25.07 | No formal educational credential | 1,570 |
| 38 | Floor Sanders and Finishers | $50,440 | $24.25 | No formal educational credential | 3,720 |
| 39 | Carpet Installers | $50,340 | $24.20 | No formal educational credential | 13,780 |
| 40 | Highway Maintenance Workers | $50,260 | $24.16 | High school diploma or equivalent | 154,960 |
| 41 | Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers | $49,910 | $24.00 | High school diploma or equivalent | 28,380 |
| 42 | Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | $49,880 | $23.98 | High school diploma or equivalent | 30,650 |
| 43 | Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | $49,450 | $23.78 | High school diploma or equivalent | 51,710 |
| 44 | Painters, Construction and Maintenance | $49,400 | $23.75 | No formal educational credential | 225,190 |
| 45 | Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall | $49,120 | $23.62 | No formal educational credential | 44,440 |
| 46 | Pipelayers | $49,000 | $23.56 | No formal educational credential | 33,050 |
| 47 | Rock Splitters, Quarry | $48,740 | $23.44 | No formal educational credential | 3,320 |
| 48 | Fence Erectors | $47,980 | $23.07 | No formal educational credential | 24,480 |
| 49 | Helpers--Extraction Workers | $47,730 | $22.95 | High school diploma or equivalent | 6,700 |
| 50 | Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters | $47,550 | $22.86 | No formal educational credential | 14,170 |
| 51 | Construction Laborers | $47,120 | $22.66 | No formal educational credential | 1,096,780 |
| 52 | Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | $46,960 | $22.58 | No formal educational credential | 44,970 |
| 53 | Helpers--Roofers | $44,160 | $21.23 | No formal educational credential | 6,030 |
| 54 | Helpers--Carpenters | $43,780 | $21.05 | No formal educational credential | 21,680 |
| 55 | Helpers--Electricians | $42,670 | $20.51 | High school diploma or equivalent | 63,630 |
| 56 | Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $42,360 | $20.36 | High school diploma or equivalent | 44,330 |
| 57 | Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons | $40,470 | $19.46 | No formal educational credential | 7,490 |
Ranked by median annual wage. National estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2025.
Construction & Trades salary FAQ
What is the highest paying construction & trades job?
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers top the construction & trades field at a median of $109,910 a year, based on BLS data for May 2025.
How much do construction & trades jobs pay on average?
Pay varies widely across the 57 occupations in this field. The middle of the list, stonemasons, sits at a median of $57,390 a year. The overall U.S. median across all jobs is $50,980.
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Source. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025. Figures shown as published, last
updated 2026-05-15.