Updated May 2026 · BLS OEWS 2024
Highest Paying Trades in Pittsburgh
Skilled-trade workers in Pittsburgh, PA earn an average median wage of $64,249 across 42 tracked trades, per 2024 BLS OEWS data. With a cost-of-living index of 92, that translates to roughly $69,836 in U.S.-average purchasing power. The top-paying trade in the metro is Elevator Mechanic at $109,970.
Cost of Living and Real Pay in Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh's cost-of-living index of 92 sits 8% below the U.S. average — one of the more affordable metros in the country. Trade wages here often deliver stronger real purchasing power than nominal figures suggest, especially relative to coastal cities where housing eats a larger share of income. Below-average rent, groceries, and services mean a journeyman wage tends to go further.
The single highest-paying trade in Pittsburgh is Elevator Mechanic, with a median wage of $109,970 per BLS OEWS data. Power Line Installer ranks second at $105,910 — a gap of $4,060 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.
Pittsburgh's average Trade Pay Score across all tracked trades is 60, 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 Pittsburgh compares favorably and the ones where workers may earn more elsewhere.
Trade Salaries in Pittsburgh
| Trade | Category | Median | Range (10th-90th) | Grade | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator Mechanic | Specialty | $109,970 | $59,450 – $126,080 | B | 120 |
| Power Line Installer | Electrical | $105,910 | $48,280 – $113,230 | B | 860 |
| Electrical Power-Line Tech | Electrical | $105,910 | $48,280 – $113,230 | B | 860 |
| Construction Manager | Management | $102,330 | $74,750 – $164,940 | B | 1,230 |
| Boilermaker | Industrial | $89,210 | $65,960 – $100,510 | C | 160 |
| Mason (Bricklayer) | Construction | $76,040 | $50,840 – $94,930 | C | 830 |
| Environmental Engineering Tech | Specialty | $75,060 | $48,710 – $101,950 | B | 80 |
| Plumber | Plumbing | $66,930 | $46,550 – $99,470 | C | 2,880 |
| Pipefitter | Plumbing | $66,930 | $46,550 – $99,470 | C | 2,880 |
| Fire Sprinkler Fitter | Plumbing | $66,930 | $46,550 – $99,470 | C | 2,880 |
| Steamfitter | Plumbing | $66,930 | $46,550 – $99,470 | C | 2,880 |
| Telecommunications Tech | Electrical | $66,780 | $45,310 – $97,950 | C | 830 |
| Aircraft Mechanic | Automotive | $64,190 | $43,400 – $98,310 | C | 510 |
| Electrician | Electrical | $63,890 | $40,900 – $101,510 | B | 4,390 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | Metalwork | $63,830 | $44,550 – $91,530 | C | 390 |
| Plasterer | Construction | $63,600 | $28,740 – $73,440 | D | 60 |
| Tile Setter | Construction | $63,460 | $46,380 – $77,770 | D | 180 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | Industrial | $63,130 | $46,500 – $87,710 | B | 3,360 |
| Building Inspector | Management | $62,440 | $46,800 – $80,930 | C | 1,360 |
| Industrial Electrician | Electrical | $61,420 | $40,220 – $94,330 | B | 440 |
| Concrete Finisher | Construction | $61,350 | $42,530 – $82,280 | C | 770 |
| Carpenter | Construction | $59,650 | $44,080 – $91,240 | C | 5,730 |
| Drywall Installer | Construction | $59,600 | $45,610 – $72,170 | D | 410 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | Heavy Equipment | $59,570 | $44,930 – $91,580 | C | 4,600 |
| HVAC Technician | HVAC | $59,530 | $46,740 – $93,220 | C | 3,500 |
| Refrigeration Mechanic | HVAC | $59,530 | $46,740 – $93,220 | C | 3,500 |
| Millwright | Industrial | $58,980 | $47,920 – $82,200 | C | 210 |
| Tool and Die Maker | Metalwork | $58,860 | $43,860 – $72,440 | D | 590 |
| Diesel Mechanic | Automotive | $58,680 | $44,010 – $78,000 | C | 2,240 |
| Crane Operator | Heavy Equipment | $56,830 | $38,000 – $105,260 | C | 440 |
| Floor Layer | Construction | $54,590 | $36,720 – $85,800 | D | 160 |
| Septic Tank Servicer | Plumbing | $51,640 | $27,330 – $59,690 | D | 150 |
| Welder | Welding | $51,080 | $38,440 – $69,700 | C | 2,740 |
| Structural Welder | Welding | $51,080 | $38,440 – $69,700 | C | 2,740 |
| Underwater Welder | Welding | $51,080 | $38,440 – $69,700 | C | 2,740 |
| Machinist | Metalwork | $50,050 | $36,000 – $75,900 | D | 3,090 |
| Painter (Construction) | Construction | $49,470 | $35,560 – $72,640 | D | 1,210 |
| Glazier | Construction | $49,400 | $39,520 – $72,510 | C | 300 |
| Roofer | Construction | $48,580 | $37,840 – $77,940 | D | 720 |
| Auto Mechanic | Automotive | $48,120 | $34,590 – $75,040 | D | 6,410 |
| Locksmith | Specialty | $47,980 | $35,570 – $76,480 | D | 100 |
| Maintenance Mechanic | Industrial | $47,930 | $31,200 – $74,170 | D | 10,980 |
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 Pittsburgh area are listed on the U.S. Department of Labor's apprenticeship.gov registry.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which trade pays the most in Pittsburgh?
Elevator Mechanic is the highest-paying skilled trade in Pittsburgh, PA, with a median annual wage of $109,970. The 90th-percentile reading reaches $126,080, with apprentices and entry-level workers starting near $59,450. That spread reflects experience, certification, and union membership.
What is the average trade salary in Pittsburgh?
The average median wage across all 42 skilled trades tracked in Pittsburgh is $64,249. With a cost-of-living index of 92, that converts to $69,836 in U.S.-average purchasing power — an upward adjustment because the metro is less expensive than average.
Are skilled-trade jobs in Pittsburgh growing?
Five-year wage growth across Pittsburgh'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 Pittsburgh?
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 Pittsburgh compare to other metros?
Pittsburgh's average Trade Pay Score is 60/100, 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 Pittsburgh against other metros on the best-cities-for-trades ranking page.
Skilled-trade workers in Pittsburgh, PA earn an average median wage of $64,249 across 42 tracked trades, per 2024 BLS OEWS data. With a cost-of-living index of 92, that translates to roughly $69,836 in U.S.-average purchasing power. The top-paying trade in the metro is Elevator Mechanic at $109,970.
The this entity record above pulls directly from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey. What follows is the per-entity context — how this entity sits in the broader U.S. skilled-trade wage data distribution and which underlying factors drive the headline numbers.
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.