Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
New York vs Los Angeles
Skilled-trade workers in New York earn an average median wage of $78,694 versus $74,460 in Los Angeles, per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. After adjusting for cost of living, Los Angeles delivers $44,855 in U.S.-average purchasing power versus $42,082 for New York.
Nominal Pay vs Real Pay
On nominal pay, New York runs ahead — $78,694 versus $74,460, a gap of $4,234. Whether that gap survives a cost-of-living adjustment is the key question, and it usually does not survive in coastal-versus-interior comparisons.
Cost of living diverges meaningfully — New York at index 187 versus Los Angeles at 166. New York is the more expensive metro by 21 index points, which means a worker in New York needs roughly that much more in nominal pay just to match the purchasing power of a worker in Los Angeles.
Once cost of living is factored in, Los Angeles delivers $2,773 more in real purchasing power than New York. That is a substantial gap on a per-year basis and compounds over a career; for a worker comparing offers, it is often the deciding number.
New York, NY
Los Angeles, CA
Trade-by-Trade Comparison
| Trade | New York | Los Angeles | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction Manager | $138,000 | $128,730 | +$9,270 |
| Elevator Mechanic | $127,040 | $136,920 | -$9,880 |
| Pile Driver Operator | $125,070 | $103,790 | +$21,280 |
| Power Line Installer | $119,760 | $127,810 | -$8,050 |
| Electrical Power-Line Tech | $119,760 | $127,810 | -$8,050 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | $98,730 | $85,550 | +$13,180 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $98,610 | $93,220 | +$5,390 |
| Crane Operator | $94,370 | $61,780 | +$32,590 |
| Ironworker | $92,980 | $64,480 | +$28,500 |
| Industrial Electrician | $91,450 | $67,320 | +$24,130 |
| Millwright | $86,020 | $84,010 | +$2,010 |
| Building Inspector | $85,960 | $103,480 | -$17,520 |
| Boilermaker | $80,560 | $107,600 | -$27,040 |
| Plumber | $79,420 | $65,110 | +$14,310 |
| Pipefitter | $79,420 | $65,110 | +$14,310 |
| Fire Sprinkler Fitter | $79,420 | $65,110 | +$14,310 |
| Steamfitter | $79,420 | $65,110 | +$14,310 |
| Plasterer | $78,360 | $59,840 | +$18,520 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $77,350 | $78,560 | -$1,210 |
| Mason (Bricklayer) | $77,270 | $60,500 | +$16,770 |
| Electrician | $76,450 | $76,120 | +$330 |
| Tool and Die Maker | $76,110 | $78,810 | -$2,700 |
| Roofer | $74,470 | $62,860 | +$11,610 |
| HVAC Technician | $74,090 | $64,820 | +$9,270 |
| Refrigeration Mechanic | $74,090 | $64,820 | +$9,270 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $73,920 | $74,490 | -$570 |
| Tile Setter | $72,840 | $55,210 | +$17,630 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $72,710 | $72,120 | +$590 |
| Carpenter | $69,680 | $73,840 | -$4,160 |
| Concrete Finisher | $65,880 | $65,430 | +$450 |
| Drywall Installer | $65,840 | $64,170 | +$1,670 |
| Telecommunications Tech | $65,250 | $74,080 | -$8,830 |
| Insulation Worker | $64,510 | $42,990 | +$21,520 |
| Glazier | $62,750 | $65,320 | -$2,570 |
| Machinist | $62,320 | $50,610 | +$11,710 |
| Environmental Engineering Tech | $62,100 | $75,250 | -$13,150 |
| Solar PV Installer | $61,140 | $59,660 | +$1,480 |
| Welder | $60,840 | $58,200 | +$2,640 |
| Structural Welder | $60,840 | $58,200 | +$2,640 |
| Underwater Welder | $60,840 | $58,200 | +$2,640 |
| Locksmith | $59,880 | $61,310 | -$1,430 |
| Septic Tank Servicer | $59,170 | $52,330 | +$6,840 |
| Auto Mechanic | $59,110 | $62,820 | -$3,710 |
| Maintenance Mechanic | $58,900 | $52,290 | +$6,610 |
| Floor Layer | $58,760 | $60,420 | -$1,660 |
| Painter (Construction) | $58,450 | $58,040 | +$410 |
How These Numbers Are Calculated
Every wage figure on this page is a real BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median, drawn from the 2024 release at bls.gov/oes. The COL-Adjusted column uses each metro's cost-of-living index to translate nominal pay into U.S.-average purchasing power. The Avg Trade Pay Score is the average of the per-trade composites for that metro — a 0-100 grade weighted on raw 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 by trade — comes from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov/ooh. Apprenticeship listings for both New York and Los Angeles are maintained at the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov registry. All three are public-domain federal data sources.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do trade workers earn more in New York or Los Angeles?
On nominal pay, New York earns more — $78,694 versus $74,460. After cost of living, Los Angeles delivers stronger real purchasing power at $44,855 versus $42,082.
What is the cost-of-living difference between New York and Los Angeles?
New York carries a cost-of-living index of 187; Los Angeles runs at 166. The 21-point difference means a worker needs roughly that much more nominal pay in the higher-cost metro just to match the purchasing power of the lower-cost metro.
Which metro has more skilled-trade jobs tracked?
New York tracks 46 trades with available BLS OEWS data; Los Angeles tracks 47. Both readings come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program at https://www.bls.gov/oes/, which surveys hundreds of thousands of employers per release.
How are these wages calculated?
Every wage figure is the median (50th percentile) annual salary for that trade in that metro from the 2024 BLS OEWS release. The cost-of-living-adjusted column uses each metro's COL index to convert nominal pay into U.S.-average purchasing power. Read the full BLS OEWS methodology at https://www.bls.gov/oes/ for survey design and percentile computation detail.
Where can I find apprenticeships in either metro?
Registered apprenticeship programs for both metros are listed on the U.S. Department of Labor's site at https://www.apprenticeship.gov/, which lets you filter by city and trade. Most skilled trades require 3-5 years of registered apprenticeship before reaching journeyman pay.
Skilled-trade workers in New York earn an average median wage of $78,694 versus $74,460 in Los Angeles, per 2024 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. After adjusting for cost of living, Los Angeles delivers $44,855 in U.S.-average purchasing power versus $42,082 for New York.
Comparing entity A and entity B on U.S. skilled-trade wage data requires lining up the underlying the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey data side by side. The table above runs the comparison on the canonical fields; the narrative below identifies the factor or factors that drive the most meaningful difference between the two.
Practical use of the comparison: read the data above, then drill into the individual entity A and entity B detail pages for the underlying breakdown. A pairwise comparison answers the relative question; the per-entity pages answer the absolute question.