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 2024. The best paid, elevator and escalator installers and repairers, earns a median of $106,580 a year.
| # | Job | Median annual | Hourly | Typical education | Employed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $106,580 | $51.24 | High school diploma or equivalent | 23,340 |
| 2 | First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | $78,690 | $37.83 | High school diploma or equivalent | 806,080 |
| 3 | Roof Bolters, Mining | $76,640 | $36.85 | High school diploma or equivalent | 2,230 |
| 4 | Boilermakers | $73,340 | $35.26 | High school diploma or equivalent | 10,170 |
| 5 | Construction and Building Inspectors | $72,120 | $34.67 | High school diploma or equivalent | 137,210 |
| 6 | Pile Driver Operators | $70,510 | $33.90 | High school diploma or equivalent | 3,040 |
| 7 | Loading and Moving Machine Operators, Underground Mining | $68,860 | $33.11 | No formal educational credential | 6,130 |
| 8 | Rail-Track Laying and Maintenance Equipment Operators | $67,370 | $32.39 | High school diploma or equivalent | 16,480 |
| 9 | Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas | $65,010 | $31.26 | No formal educational credential | 13,090 |
| 10 | Tapers | $64,700 | $31.11 | No formal educational credential | 12,500 |
| 11 | Continuous Mining Machine Operators | $63,380 | $30.47 | No formal educational credential | 14,340 |
| 12 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $62,970 | $30.27 | High school diploma or equivalent | 455,940 |
| 13 | Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas | $62,740 | $30.16 | No formal educational credential | 11,040 |
| 14 | Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $62,700 | $30.14 | High school diploma or equivalent | 64,720 |
| 15 | Electricians | $62,350 | $29.98 | High school diploma or equivalent | 742,580 |
| 16 | Sheet Metal Workers | $60,850 | $29.26 | High school diploma or equivalent | 117,470 |
| 17 | Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $60,800 | $29.23 | High school diploma or equivalent | 53,520 |
| 18 | Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas | $59,600 | $28.65 | High school diploma or equivalent | 17,410 |
| 19 | Carpenters | $59,310 | $28.51 | High school diploma or equivalent | 697,740 |
| 20 | Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers | $59,280 | $28.50 | High school diploma or equivalent | 14,140 |
| 21 | Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters | $59,110 | $28.42 | High school diploma or equivalent | 5,680 |
| 22 | Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators | $58,710 | $28.23 | High school diploma or equivalent | 469,270 |
| 23 | Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers | $58,140 | $27.95 | No formal educational credential | 82,900 |
| 24 | Service Unit Operators, Oil and Gas | $57,980 | $27.88 | No formal educational credential | 44,120 |
| 25 | Terrazzo Workers and Finishers | $57,260 | $27.53 | High school diploma or equivalent | 1,450 |
| 26 | Insulation Workers, Mechanical | $57,250 | $27.52 | High school diploma or equivalent | 25,640 |
| 27 | Plasterers and Stucco Masons | $56,020 | $26.93 | No formal educational credential | 20,880 |
| 28 | Glaziers | $55,440 | $26.65 | High school diploma or equivalent | 57,000 |
| 29 | Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers | $54,660 | $26.28 | No formal educational credential | 205,230 |
| 30 | Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles | $54,340 | $26.13 | No formal educational credential | 24,850 |
| 31 | Excavating and Loading Machine and Dragline Operators, Surface Mining | $52,550 | $25.26 | High school diploma or equivalent | 34,210 |
| 32 | Tile and Stone Setters | $52,240 | $25.11 | No formal educational credential | 38,740 |
| 33 | Stonemasons | $51,990 | $25.00 | High school diploma or equivalent | 8,750 |
| 34 | Solar Photovoltaic Installers | $51,860 | $24.93 | High school diploma or equivalent | 28,280 |
| 35 | Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators | $51,650 | $24.83 | High school diploma or equivalent | 45,680 |
| 36 | Roofers | $50,970 | $24.51 | No formal educational credential | 136,740 |
| 37 | Carpet Installers | $49,850 | $23.97 | No formal educational credential | 14,980 |
| 38 | Floor Sanders and Finishers | $49,150 | $23.63 | No formal educational credential | 4,140 |
| 39 | Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners | $49,140 | $23.62 | High school diploma or equivalent | 29,050 |
| 40 | Highway Maintenance Workers | $49,070 | $23.59 | High school diploma or equivalent | 151,750 |
| 41 | Pipelayers | $48,710 | $23.42 | No formal educational credential | 33,580 |
| 42 | Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall | $48,680 | $23.41 | No formal educational credential | 38,610 |
| 43 | Painters, Construction and Maintenance | $48,660 | $23.40 | No formal educational credential | 224,180 |
| 44 | Hazardous Materials Removal Workers | $48,490 | $23.31 | High school diploma or equivalent | 50,570 |
| 45 | Helpers--Extraction Workers | $48,400 | $23.27 | High school diploma or equivalent | 6,720 |
| 46 | Paperhangers | $48,260 | $23.20 | No formal educational credential | 1,520 |
| 47 | Miscellaneous Construction and Related Workers | $48,120 | $23.14 | High school diploma or equivalent | 33,530 |
| 48 | Roustabouts, Oil and Gas | $47,510 | $22.84 | No formal educational credential | 45,330 |
| 49 | Rock Splitters, Quarry | $47,460 | $22.82 | No formal educational credential | 3,080 |
| 50 | Fence Erectors | $46,940 | $22.57 | No formal educational credential | 22,640 |
| 51 | Construction Laborers | $46,730 | $22.47 | No formal educational credential | 1,057,660 |
| 52 | Helpers--Brickmasons, Blockmasons, Stonemasons, and Tile and Marble Setters | $46,480 | $22.35 | No formal educational credential | 15,660 |
| 53 | Helpers--Carpenters | $41,600 | $20.00 | No formal educational credential | 24,610 |
| 54 | Helpers--Roofers | $40,590 | $19.51 | No formal educational credential | 5,170 |
| 55 | Helpers--Electricians | $39,890 | $19.18 | High school diploma or equivalent | 64,440 |
| 56 | Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $39,270 | $18.88 | High school diploma or equivalent | 43,640 |
| 57 | Helpers--Painters, Paperhangers, Plasterers, and Stucco Masons | $38,140 | $18.34 | No formal educational credential | 7,220 |
Ranked by median annual wage. National estimates from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS, May 2024.
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 $106,580 a year, based on BLS data for May 2024.
How much do construction & trades jobs pay on average?
Pay varies widely across the 57 occupations in this field. The middle of the list, cement masons and concrete finishers, sits at a median of $54,660 a year. The overall U.S. median across all jobs is $49,500.
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Source. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2024. Figures shown as published, last
updated 2025-04-02.