Highest paying trades: the full ranking
Ranked by median annual wage, the top ten trades all pay $65,700 or more, and the top three pay over $100,000.[oews_trades] The table covers 30 skilled trades, with BLS national wage percentiles and job counts for May 2025. Medians are straight-time wages for employees; they leave out overtime and self-employment income.[oews_faq]
| Trade | Median | Hourly | 10th pct. | 90th pct. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Elevator mechanic | $109,910 | $52.84 | $59,270 | $158,890 | 23,790 |
| 2. Substation / relay electrical repairer | $103,020 | $49.53 | $65,730 | $129,920 | 20,720 |
| 3. Power plant operator | $102,040 | $49.06 | $61,790 | $131,940 | 29,320 |
| 4. Lineman | $95,320 | $45.83 | $51,470 | $128,690 | 131,070 |
| 5. Aircraft mechanic | $79,870 | $38.40 | $48,780 | $128,890 | 138,090 |
| 6. Boilermaker | $76,410 | $36.74 | $50,490 | $110,370 | 10,190 |
| 7. Construction and building inspector | $74,690 | $35.91 | $47,140 | $114,200 | 146,720 |
| 8. Commercial diver (incl. underwater welders) | $72,990 | $35.09 | $43,330 | $157,790 | 3,450 |
| 9. Crane operator | $68,080 | $32.73 | $42,640 | $103,570 | 42,890 |
| 10. Millwright | $65,700 | $31.59 | $46,290 | $93,600 | 40,330 |
| 11. Industrial machinery mechanic | $64,520 | $31.02 | $46,120 | $95,170 | 439,640 |
| 12. Plumber / pipefitter / steamfitter | $63,800 | $30.67 | $44,150 | $108,420 | 465,840 |
| 13. Electrician | $63,190 | $30.38 | $42,640 | $108,510 | 757,220 |
| 14. Ironworker (structural iron and steel) | $62,780 | $30.18 | $44,580 | $108,260 | 68,380 |
| 15. Brickmason | $62,120 | $29.87 | $44,820 | $100,010 | 52,550 |
| 16. Sheet metal worker | $61,800 | $29.71 | $38,630 | $105,650 | 119,770 |
| 17. Diesel mechanic | $61,770 | $29.70 | $44,530 | $88,740 | 289,960 |
| 18. HVAC technician | $61,010 | $29.33 | $40,050 | $95,210 | 409,670 |
| 19. Carpenter | $60,580 | $29.12 | $40,410 | $99,910 | 670,090 |
| 20. Heavy equipment operator (operating engineer) | $59,850 | $28.78 | $42,190 | $101,090 | 478,090 |
| 21. Machinist | $58,750 | $28.24 | $39,200 | $80,010 | 287,050 |
| 22. Truck driver (heavy, tractor-trailer) | $58,640 | $28.19 | $40,140 | $79,380 | 2,062,040 |
| 23. Cement mason / concrete finisher | $57,020 | $27.41 | $39,190 | $85,480 | 206,170 |
| 24. Roofer | $55,440 | $26.65 | $37,460 | $81,720 | 135,490 |
| 25. Welder | $53,750 | $25.84 | $39,240 | $77,530 | 416,210 |
| 26. Auto mechanic | $50,620 | $24.34 | $34,660 | $81,790 | 704,640 |
| 27. General maintenance and repair worker | $49,590 | $23.84 | $35,350 | $77,180 | 1,529,700 |
| 28. Painter | $49,400 | $23.75 | $37,440 | $78,810 | 225,190 |
| 29. Construction laborer | $47,120 | $22.66 | $35,090 | $78,090 | 1,096,780 |
| 30. Electrician helper | $42,670 | $20.51 | $33,020 | $58,340 | 63,630 |
SOC codes: Elevator mechanic 47-4021, Substation / relay electrical repairer 49-2095, Power plant operator 51-8013, Lineman 49-9051, Aircraft mechanic 49-3011, Boilermaker 47-2011, Construction and building inspector 47-4011, Commercial diver 49-9092, Crane operator 53-7021, Millwright 49-9044. Source: BLS OEWS series retrieved through the BLS Public Data API, Nov 14, 2026.
Top 10 highest paying trades, with take-home
The ten best paying trades leave between $54,970 and $86,152 a year after 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare at the median (single filer, before state tax).[irs][ssa]
| Trade | Median | Take-home* | Monthly take-home |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Elevator mechanic | $109,910 | $86,152 | $7,179 |
| 2. Substation / relay electrical repairer | $103,020 | $81,305 | $6,775 |
| 3. Power plant operator | $102,040 | $80,615 | $6,718 |
| 4. Lineman | $95,320 | $75,888 | $6,324 |
| 5. Aircraft mechanic | $79,870 | $65,019 | $5,418 |
| 6. Boilermaker | $76,410 | $62,584 | $5,215 |
| 7. Construction and building inspector | $74,690 | $61,374 | $5,115 |
| 8. Commercial diver (incl. underwater welders) | $72,990 | $60,178 | $5,015 |
| 9. Crane operator | $68,080 | $56,724 | $4,727 |
| 10. Millwright | $65,700 | $54,970 | $4,581 |
*Single filer, 2026 federal income tax, Social Security and Medicare; before state tax.
Best paying trades with the most jobs
Pay is only half the picture: elevator mechanics are rare (23,790 jobs), so most people will find more openings in large trades. Among trades with at least 100,000 jobs, the best paying are lineman ($95,320), aircraft mechanic ($79,870), construction and building inspector ($74,690), industrial machinery mechanic ($64,520), plumber / pipefitter / steamfitter ($63,800).[oews_trades]
| Trade | Median | Jobs | BLS projected growth 2025–35 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lineman | $95,320 | 131,070 | — |
| Aircraft mechanic | $79,870 | 138,090 | — |
| Construction and building inspector | $74,690 | 146,720 | — |
| Industrial machinery mechanic | $64,520 | 439,640 | — |
| Plumber / pipefitter / steamfitter | $63,800 | 465,840 | 7%[ooh_plumb] |
Which trades have the highest top pay?
At the 90th percentile the order changes: elevator mechanic $158,890, commercial diver $157,790, power plant operator $131,940, substation / relay electrical repairer $129,920, aircraft mechanic $128,890.[oews_trades] Commercial divers, the BLS group that includes underwater welders, have a modest $72,990 median but a $157,790 90th percentile, the widest spread of any trade here; see underwater welder salary.
How to choose a high paying trade
- Training route: many trades are learned in multi-year paid apprenticeships; see how to become a lineman, electrician apprenticeship, HVAC apprenticeship and welding apprenticeship; crane operators certify instead (see crane operator salary); plant electricians are on industrial electrician salary.
- Location: state medians differ by tens of thousands of dollars; compare any two trades by state with the tool above.
- Overtime: storm, outage and shift work can add overtime pay, which the medians above leave out.[oews_faq]
Frequently asked questions
What is the highest paying trade?
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers, at a median $109,910 a year (BLS May 2025).
What are the best paying trades with lots of jobs?
Among trades with 100,000+ jobs: lineman ($95,320), aircraft mechanic ($79,870), construction and building inspector ($74,690).
Do trades pay more than $100,000?
At the median, 3 of the 30 trades here do. At the 90th percentile, 15 trades pay over $100,000.
How much do linemen make compared with electricians?
Linemen earn a median $95,320, electricians $63,190 (BLS May 2025).
Sources
- OEWS May 2025 national wage percentiles, mean wage and employment for 30 skilled-trade occupations (OEUN series), Public Data API v2
- OEWS Frequently Asked Questions (wage definition; 2,080-hour year)
- IRS releases tax inflation adjustments for tax year 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-32)
- Contribution and Benefit Base ($184,500 for 2026)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Electricians (4- or 5-year apprenticeship; projections 2025–35)
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Diesel Service Technicians and Mechanics
- Occupational Outlook Handbook: Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers