Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Highest Paying Trades in Los Angeles
Skilled-trade workers in Los Angeles, CA earn an average median wage of $74,460 across 47 tracked trades, per 2024 BLS OEWS data. With a cost-of-living index of 166, that translates to roughly $44,855 in U.S.-average purchasing power. The top-paying trade in the metro is Elevator Mechanic at $136,920.
Cost of Living and Real Pay in Los Angeles
Los Angeles's cost-of-living index of 166 is well above the U.S. average — roughly 66% more expensive to live there than in a typical American city. Housing is the dominant driver in nearly every high-COL metro, with groceries, transportation, and services compounding the gap. Trades workers in Los Angeles need substantially higher nominal pay to match the purchasing power of a journeyman in a mid-cost metro.
The single highest-paying trade in Los Angeles is Elevator Mechanic, with a median wage of $136,920 per BLS OEWS data. Construction Manager ranks second at $128,730 — a gap of $8,190 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.
Los Angeles's average Trade Pay Score across all tracked trades is 49, in the D-or-below tier. That typically reflects either thin local labor demand, a high-cost metro that erodes purchasing power, or both. Workers should examine the per-trade detail carefully — a few specialized trades may still grade well even when the metro-wide average is weak.
Trade Salaries in Los Angeles
| Trade | Category | Median | Range (10th-90th) | Grade | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator Mechanic | Specialty | $136,920 | $72,620 – $155,150 | C | 1,400 |
| Construction Manager | Management | $128,730 | $82,010 – $198,810 | B | 10,430 |
| Power Line Installer | Electrical | $127,810 | $75,280 – $164,930 | B | 2,840 |
| Electrical Power-Line Tech | Electrical | $127,810 | $75,280 – $164,930 | B | 2,840 |
| Boilermaker | Industrial | $107,600 | $81,860 – $122,240 | D | 400 |
| Wind Turbine Technician | Energy | $105,370 | $59,930 – $160,120 | A | 60 |
| Pile Driver Operator | Heavy Equipment | $103,790 | $63,870 – $123,300 | C | 260 |
| Building Inspector | Management | $103,480 | $59,220 – $168,900 | C | 3,730 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | Heavy Equipment | $93,220 | $52,920 – $129,130 | C | 8,430 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | Automotive | $85,550 | $49,140 – $126,280 | C | 4,860 |
| Millwright | Industrial | $84,010 | $56,180 – $128,670 | C | 730 |
| Tool and Die Maker | Metalwork | $78,810 | $49,180 – $102,380 | F | 760 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | Metalwork | $78,560 | $46,320 – $123,390 | D | 2,770 |
| Electrician | Electrical | $76,120 | $43,900 – $128,400 | C | 21,070 |
| Environmental Engineering Tech | Specialty | $75,250 | $47,410 – $112,450 | D | 230 |
| Diesel Mechanic | Automotive | $74,490 | $47,770 – $92,910 | D | 6,030 |
| Telecommunications Tech | Electrical | $74,080 | $52,840 – $98,420 | D | 4,790 |
| Carpenter | Construction | $73,840 | $45,790 – $117,940 | D | 31,350 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | Industrial | $72,120 | $46,460 – $108,240 | C | 7,800 |
| Industrial Electrician | Electrical | $67,320 | $45,230 – $119,240 | C | 1,770 |
| Concrete Finisher | Construction | $65,430 | $46,030 – $99,820 | D | 8,250 |
| Glazier | Construction | $65,320 | $48,110 – $117,320 | D | 2,500 |
| Plumber | Plumbing | $65,110 | $45,530 – $125,580 | D | 13,440 |
| Pipefitter | Plumbing | $65,110 | $45,530 – $125,580 | D | 13,440 |
| Fire Sprinkler Fitter | Plumbing | $65,110 | $45,530 – $125,580 | D | 13,440 |
| Steamfitter | Plumbing | $65,110 | $45,530 – $125,580 | D | 13,440 |
| HVAC Technician | HVAC | $64,820 | $46,510 – $106,270 | D | 9,420 |
| Refrigeration Mechanic | HVAC | $64,820 | $46,510 – $106,270 | D | 9,420 |
| Ironworker | Structural | $64,480 | $45,080 – $109,770 | D | 350 |
| Drywall Installer | Construction | $64,170 | $45,100 – $118,150 | F | 7,690 |
| Roofer | Construction | $62,860 | $47,310 – $86,490 | D | 5,450 |
| Auto Mechanic | Automotive | $62,820 | $37,060 – $88,580 | D | 19,620 |
| Crane Operator | Heavy Equipment | $61,780 | $43,880 – $135,010 | D | 760 |
| Locksmith | Specialty | $61,310 | $47,250 – $88,950 | D | 800 |
| Mason (Bricklayer) | Construction | $60,500 | $48,050 – $107,470 | F | 1,060 |
| Floor Layer | Construction | $60,420 | $40,600 – $103,930 | F | 2,120 |
| Plasterer | Construction | $59,840 | $39,730 – $103,590 | F | 2,310 |
| Solar PV Installer | Electrical | $59,660 | $47,520 – $83,200 | B | 1,870 |
| Welder | Welding | $58,200 | $45,330 – $89,180 | D | 7,560 |
| Structural Welder | Welding | $58,200 | $45,330 – $89,180 | D | 7,560 |
| Underwater Welder | Welding | $58,200 | $45,330 – $89,180 | D | 7,560 |
| Painter (Construction) | Construction | $58,040 | $41,910 – $94,300 | F | 10,440 |
| Tile Setter | Construction | $55,210 | $40,050 – $78,270 | F | 1,790 |
| Septic Tank Servicer | Plumbing | $52,330 | $45,610 – $74,870 | F | 580 |
| Maintenance Mechanic | Industrial | $52,290 | $38,020 – $79,660 | D | 41,080 |
| Machinist | Metalwork | $50,610 | $35,940 – $78,890 | F | 8,820 |
| Insulation Worker | Construction | $42,990 | $38,410 – $67,090 | F | 620 |
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 Los Angeles area are listed on the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov registry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which trade pays the most in Los Angeles?
Elevator Mechanic is the highest-paying skilled trade in Los Angeles, CA, with a median annual wage of $136,920. The 90th-percentile reading reaches $155,150, with apprentices and entry-level workers starting near $72,620. That spread reflects experience, certification, and union membership.
What is the average trade salary in Los Angeles?
The average median wage across all 47 skilled trades tracked in Los Angeles is $74,460. With a cost-of-living index of 166, that converts to $44,855 in U.S.-average purchasing power — a downward adjustment because the metro is more expensive than average.
Are skilled-trade jobs in Los Angeles growing?
Five-year wage growth across Los Angeles'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 Los Angeles?
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 Los Angeles compare to other metros?
Los Angeles's average Trade Pay Score is 49/100, a below-average 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 Los Angeles against other metros on the best-cities-for-trades ranking page.
Skilled-trade workers in Los Angeles, CA earn an average median wage of $74,460 across 47 tracked trades, per 2024 BLS OEWS data. With a cost-of-living index of 166, that translates to roughly $44,855 in U.S.-average purchasing power. The top-paying trade in the metro is Elevator Mechanic at $136,920.
For this entity, the underlying data on this page comes from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. The breakdown above is the federal record; the paragraphs below add the per-entity context that makes the headline numbers usable for a real decision rather than just a data lookup.
Every number on this page links back to the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey; the methodology page describes the inputs, refresh cadence, and known limitations of the underlying data product.
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.