Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Highest Paying Trades in Denver
Skilled-trade workers in Denver, CO earn an average median wage of $67,348 across 45 tracked trades, per 2024 BLS OEWS data. With a cost-of-living index of 128, that translates to roughly $52,616 in U.S.-average purchasing power. The top-paying trade in the metro is Construction Manager at $124,850.
Cost of Living and Real Pay in Denver
Denver runs a cost-of-living index of 128, around 28% above the U.S. average. The premium is real but manageable — most trade wages here clear the cost-of-living gap thanks to strong demand and a deeper labor market. Workers should still factor housing carefully when comparing job offers between Denver and lower-cost metros.
The single highest-paying trade in Denver is Construction Manager, with a median wage of $124,850 per BLS OEWS data. Elevator Mechanic ranks second at $122,880 — a gap of $1,970 between #1 and #2. Wider gaps usually signal a specialty trade with steep certification or experience requirements; narrower gaps indicate broad-based wage strength across multiple skilled occupations in the metro.
Denver's average Trade Pay Score across all tracked trades is 54, a middle-of-the-pack C grade. Some trades in the metro deliver strong real pay; others are dragged down by either weak nominal wages or cost-of-living offsets. Use the table below to identify the trades where Denver compares favorably and the ones where workers may earn more elsewhere.
Trade Salaries in Denver
| Trade | Category | Median | Range (10th-90th) | Grade | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Manager | Management | $124,850 | $76,790 – $183,540 | B | 7,860 |
| Elevator Mechanic | Specialty | $122,880 | $63,300 – $130,580 | B | 0 |
| Power Line Installer | Electrical | $99,550 | $63,890 – $124,580 | B | 1,010 |
| Electrical Power-Line Tech | Electrical | $99,550 | $63,890 – $124,580 | B | 1,010 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | Automotive | $82,570 | $61,710 – $130,610 | C | 1,870 |
| Millwright | Industrial | $81,600 | $52,440 – $100,620 | C | 0 |
| Building Inspector | Management | $79,500 | $49,170 – $123,010 | C | 2,070 |
| Crane Operator | Heavy Equipment | $75,830 | $72,160 – $85,920 | C | 340 |
| Industrial Electrician | Electrical | $75,680 | $53,150 – $104,560 | C | 770 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | Industrial | $73,690 | $54,700 – $99,470 | B | 2,610 |
| Mason (Bricklayer) | Construction | $72,770 | $48,740 – $77,530 | D | 480 |
| Diesel Mechanic | Automotive | $71,080 | $50,490 – $99,030 | C | 2,570 |
| Telecommunications Tech | Electrical | $67,820 | $51,290 – $96,750 | D | 1,890 |
| Wind Turbine Technician | Energy | $66,220 | $57,370 – $78,420 | B | 220 |
| Tool and Die Maker | Metalwork | $65,850 | $46,020 – $88,630 | F | 130 |
| HVAC Technician | HVAC | $64,990 | $47,830 – $104,210 | C | 4,580 |
| Refrigeration Mechanic | HVAC | $64,990 | $47,830 – $104,210 | C | 4,580 |
| Plumber | Plumbing | $64,300 | $48,000 – $102,170 | C | 5,220 |
| Pipefitter | Plumbing | $64,300 | $48,000 – $102,170 | C | 5,220 |
| Fire Sprinkler Fitter | Plumbing | $64,300 | $48,000 – $102,170 | C | 5,220 |
| Steamfitter | Plumbing | $64,300 | $48,000 – $102,170 | C | 5,220 |
| Glazier | Construction | $63,340 | $49,960 – $92,920 | D | 1,160 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | Heavy Equipment | $63,290 | $51,630 – $79,930 | D | 5,400 |
| Electrician | Electrical | $63,010 | $44,900 – $90,480 | C | 10,600 |
| Carpenter | Construction | $61,470 | $41,750 – $75,600 | D | 7,560 |
| Concrete Finisher | Construction | $61,400 | $45,710 – $74,000 | D | 2,720 |
| Drywall Installer | Construction | $60,860 | $47,510 – $77,360 | D | 1,080 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | Metalwork | $60,730 | $44,190 – $84,850 | D | 960 |
| Environmental Engineering Tech | Specialty | $60,590 | $48,470 – $80,760 | C | 0 |
| Tile Setter | Construction | $60,580 | $40,190 – $93,610 | D | 230 |
| Auto Mechanic | Automotive | $60,240 | $42,060 – $94,640 | D | 6,060 |
| Septic Tank Servicer | Plumbing | $59,780 | $46,690 – $75,940 | D | 290 |
| Machinist | Metalwork | $59,640 | $42,160 – $79,800 | D | 930 |
| Ironworker | Structural | $58,710 | $47,470 – $71,240 | D | 240 |
| Welder | Welding | $58,700 | $46,200 – $77,080 | D | 1,730 |
| Structural Welder | Welding | $58,700 | $46,200 – $77,080 | D | 1,730 |
| Underwater Welder | Welding | $58,700 | $46,200 – $77,080 | D | 1,730 |
| Roofer | Construction | $56,110 | $47,950 – $74,800 | D | 1,900 |
| Painter (Construction) | Construction | $54,500 | $46,220 – $63,720 | F | 1,900 |
| Maintenance Mechanic | Industrial | $52,510 | $39,950 – $76,820 | D | 11,060 |
| Plasterer | Construction | $52,010 | $44,700 – $77,320 | F | 390 |
| Solar PV Installer | Electrical | $51,860 | $45,340 – $70,980 | B | 0 |
| Floor Layer | Construction | $51,460 | $43,000 – $60,700 | F | 0 |
| Insulation Worker | Construction | $48,610 | $39,370 – $65,480 | D | 590 |
| Locksmith | Specialty | $47,250 | $35,700 – $73,080 | D | 170 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure on this page comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program, published annually at bls.gov/oes. BLS surveys hundreds of thousands of employers per release; the resulting percentile wages (10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th) are the gold standard for U.S. wage benchmarking. The Trade Pay Score combines raw median pay (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), employment depth (25%), and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power (20%); read the full methodology.
Career outlook data — projected employment growth through 2032, typical entry-level requirements, on-the-job training expectations — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship programs in the Denver area are listed on the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov registry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which trade pays the most in Denver?
Construction Manager is the highest-paying skilled trade in Denver, CO, with a median annual wage of $124,850. The 90th-percentile reading reaches $183,540, with apprentices and entry-level workers starting near $76,790. That spread reflects experience, certification, and union membership.
What is the average trade salary in Denver?
The average median wage across all 45 skilled trades tracked in Denver is $67,348. With a cost-of-living index of 128, that converts to $52,616 in U.S.-average purchasing power — a downward adjustment because the metro is more expensive than average.
Are skilled-trade jobs in Denver growing?
Five-year wage growth across Denver's tracked trades varies by occupation — energy and electrification trades have generally posted the strongest gains, while general construction labor has tracked closer to inflation. Detailed projected employment growth through 2032 for each trade is published in the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at https://www.bls.gov/ooh/.
Where can I find apprenticeships in Denver?
Registered apprenticeship programs are listed on the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov site at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/. You can filter by city, state, and occupation. Most skilled trades require 3-5 years of registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay; the per-trade pages on TradeWages list typical year-by-year apprentice pay as a percentage of journeyman scale.
How does pay in Denver compare to other metros?
Denver's average Trade Pay Score is 54/100, a mid-tier grade. The score combines nominal pay, 5-year wage growth, employment depth, and cost-of-living-adjusted purchasing power, so it captures both how much you earn and how far that income goes locally. Compare Denver against other metros on the best-cities-for-trades ranking page.
Skilled-trade workers in Denver, CO earn an average median wage of $67,348 across 45 tracked trades, per 2024 BLS OEWS data. With a cost-of-living index of 128, that translates to roughly $52,616 in U.S.-average purchasing power. The top-paying trade in the metro is Construction Manager at $124,850.
this entity is one of the data points covered by this site’s U.S. skilled-trade wage data dataset. The detail above comes directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the context that follows situates the headline numbers against the broader distribution across U.S. trades, cities, and states.
The methodology behind every numeric value on this page is publicly documented on the the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey portal and described in detail on this site’s methodology page. Refresh cadence varies by underlying series; the page surfaces the as-of date for each number so readers can trace any figure back to the source release.
For readers using this page as a decision input, the related-entity pages elsewhere on the site provide the comparison set. The most useful comparison for this entity is typically a peer within U.S. trades, cities, and states with similar size, similar exposure, or similar geography — not the national-level summary alone.