The highest paying trades in 2025
Ranked by median hourly wage, from US Bureau of Labor Statistics data covering 7,735,960 working people across ten trades. Every trade links through to its full breakdown, including pay in all 51 states.
| # | Trade | Median hourly | Median annual | Top 10% | Employed in US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Construction Managers | $55.28 | $114,990 | $91.08 | 380,360 |
| 2 | Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters | $30.67 | $63,800 | $52.13 | 465,840 |
| 3 | Electricians | $30.38 | $63,190 | $52.17 | 757,220 |
| 4 | HVAC Mechanics & Installers | $29.33 | $61,010 | $45.78 | 409,670 |
| 5 | Carpenters | $29.12 | $60,580 | $48.03 | 670,090 |
| 6 | Roofers | $26.65 | $55,440 | $39.29 | 135,490 |
| 7 | Maintenance & Repair Workers, General | $23.84 | $49,590 | $37.11 | 1,529,700 |
| 8 | Painters, Construction & Maintenance | $23.75 | $49,400 | $37.89 | 225,190 |
| 9 | Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers | $18.82 | $39,150 | $27.28 | 952,640 |
| 10 | Janitors & Cleaners | $17.71 | $36,840 | $24.17 | 2,209,760 |
One framing note before the findings: Construction Managers sit at the top but it is a management job, not a tool-in-hand trade. It is included because it is where a lot of trade careers end up, and because “construction manager” is what BLS calls the role most people mean by general contractor. If you want the highest paid hands-on trade, it is plumbing — by a whisker.
Plumbers and electricians earn the same money
Plumbers median $30.67 an hour; electricians $30.38. That is a gap of 29 cents an hour — about $603 a year. Statistically they are the same job for money.
People argue about which trade to enter as though the pay differs meaningfully. It does not. Choose on the work itself, the licensing path in your state, and which one you would rather be doing at fifty — because the paycheque will not decide it for you.
Electricians have the most room at the top
Median pay tells you where the middle sits. What it hides is how far the ceiling is above it — and that varies a lot by trade.
| Trade | Median | Top 10% | Upside |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | $30.38 | $52.17 | +72% |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters | $30.67 | $52.13 | +70% |
| Carpenters | $29.12 | $48.03 | +65% |
| Construction Managers | $55.28 | $91.08 | +65% |
| Painters, Construction & Maintenance | $23.75 | $37.89 | +60% |
| HVAC Mechanics & Installers | $29.33 | $45.78 | +56% |
| Maintenance & Repair Workers, General | $23.84 | $37.11 | +56% |
| Roofers | $26.65 | $39.29 | +47% |
| Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers | $18.82 | $27.28 | +45% |
| Janitors & Cleaners | $17.71 | $24.17 | +36% |
A top-decile electrician earns 72% more than the median electrician, the widest spread of any trade here. At the other end, a top-decile janitor earns only 36% above median — that occupation has a hard ceiling.
Worth being precise about one comparison, because it is close: a top-decile electrician ($52.17) still earns less than a median construction manager ($55.28) — by $3.11 an hour. Being excellent at a trade does not quite reach the middle of managing them.
The biggest occupation is also the worst paid
Janitors and cleaners are the largest group here by a distance — 2,209,760 people — and the lowest paid, at $17.71 an hour. The second largest is maintenance and repair workers at 1,529,700, sitting seventh for pay.
The pattern is not a perfect inverse — landscaping is the second lowest paid but only the third largest — but the direction is clear: the trades that are easiest to enter employ the most people and pay the least, and the ones with a licensing barrier pay more. The barrier is the wage.
Where you work matters as much as what you do
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters shows the widest geography: District of Columbia pays 2.1× what Arkansas does for the same job. Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers is the flattest at 1.5×.
A plumber in a top-paying state out-earns a construction manager in a bottom-paying one. Before concluding your trade is underpaid, check what it pays two states over — we have every trade in all 51 jurisdictions.
What this does not measure
These are employed wages. Self-employed contractors bill differently, and the gap is large — a billed hourly rate has to cover self-employment tax, insurance, vehicle, tools, unbillable quoting time and gaps between jobs. Ownership, not trade choice, is the bigger lever on what you actually take home. Our profit margin calculator works that out from your own overhead.
It also measures pay, not demand. When the work actually arrives differs sharply by trade — see the trade demand calendar for the twelve-month shape.
FAQ
What is the highest paying trade?
Of the trades measured here, Construction Managers earn the most at $55.28 an hour ($114,990 a year), though that is a management role. The highest paid hands-on trade is plumbing at $30.67, with electrical effectively tied at $30.38.
Do plumbers or electricians make more?
Plumbers, by 29 cents an hour — about $603 a year, which is inside the noise. They are the same money. Electricians have slightly more headroom at the top: a top-decile electrician earns $52.17 against $52.13 for plumbers.
Which trade has the best earning potential?
Electricians, measured by how far the top decile sits above the median — 72%, the widest of any trade here. Plumbing is close behind. Both reward licensing progression and specialisation more than the trades with flatter distributions.
Can you make six figures in the trades?
As an employee it is uncommon outside construction management, which has a median of $114,990. The top 10% of electricians and plumbers reach roughly $108,514. Six figures is far more achievable running the business rather than working in it, where you keep margin on other people's labour as well as your own.
What is the lowest paying trade?
Janitors and cleaners, at $17.71 an hour ($36,840 a year). It is also the largest occupation on this list, employing 2,209,760 people.
Where does this data come from?
US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, 2025 release. Same source as our state-by-state pages, so every figure is directly comparable. It covers employed workers only.