Highest-Paying Trades in New York 2026

46 skilled trades tracked in New York metro areas. The top-paying trade is Construction Manager at $138,000 median salary. Data from BLS OEWS (2024).

#	Trade	Median Salary	Cities	Avg Score
1	Construction Manager	$138,000	1	70
2	Elevator Mechanic	$127,040	1	64
3	Pile Driver Operator	$125,070	1	59
4	Power Line Installer	$119,760	1	71
5	Electrical Power-Line Tech	$119,760	1	71
6	Aircraft Mechanic	$98,730	1	57
7	Heavy Equipment Operator	$98,610	1	55
8	Crane Operator	$94,370	1	53
9	Ironworker	$92,980	1	51
10	Industrial Electrician	$91,450	1	61
11	Millwright	$86,020	1	51
12	Building Inspector	$85,960	1	44
13	Boilermaker	$80,560	1	37
14	Plumber	$79,420	1	52
15	Pipefitter	$79,420	1	52
16	Fire Sprinkler Fitter	$79,420	1	52
17	Steamfitter	$79,420	1	49
18	Plasterer	$78,360	1	35
19	Sheet Metal Worker	$77,350	1	45
20	Mason (Bricklayer)	$77,270	1	36
21	Electrician	$76,450	1	59
22	Tool and Die Maker	$76,110	1	33
23	Roofer	$74,470	1	41
24	HVAC Technician	$74,090	1	52
25	Refrigeration Mechanic	$74,090	1	50
26	Diesel Mechanic	$73,920	1	46
27	Tile Setter	$72,840	1	34
28	Industrial Machinery Mechanic	$72,710	1	59
29	Carpenter	$69,680	1	41
30	Concrete Finisher	$65,880	1	39
31	Drywall Installer	$65,840	1	32
32	Telecommunications Tech	$65,250	1	40
33	Insulation Worker	$64,510	1	38
34	Glazier	$62,750	1	43
35	Machinist	$62,320	1	31
36	Environmental Engineering Tech	$62,100	1	45
37	Solar PV Installer	$61,140	1	70
38	Welder	$60,840	1	41
39	Structural Welder	$60,840	1	41
40	Underwater Welder	$60,840	1	39
41	Locksmith	$59,880	1	39
42	Septic Tank Servicer	$59,170	1	34
43	Auto Mechanic	$59,110	1	37
44	Maintenance Mechanic	$58,900	1	39
45	Floor Layer	$58,760	1	28
46	Painter (Construction)	$58,450	1	29

Skilled trade wage data for New York is sourced from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) program.
, BLS OEWS (2024)

Frequently Asked Questions

Construction Manager is the highest-paying skilled trade in New York with a median salary of $138,000 across 1 metro areas.

We track 46 skilled trades across metro areas in New York using Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data.

The Trade Pay Score (0-100, A-F) rates each trade-city combination on median wage vs. household income (30%), 5-year wage growth (25%), job demand (25%), and cost-of-living adjusted pay (20%).

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS

Trades ranked by median salary across metro areas in the state. Trade Pay Score: wage vs. household income (30%), 5-year growth (25%), job demand (25%), COL-adjusted pay (20%).

Best-Paying Trades Nationwide →All Trade Data for New York →

The this entity category groups every U.S. skilled-trade wage data entity sharing this attribute. The list above is the data; the paragraphs below explain what the grouping means against the broader the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey distribution and how to read the relative rankings within the category.

For readers using this category as a starting point, the per-entity detail pages linked from the table above carry the underlying the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey data in full. The category-level view is the filter; the per-entity pages are the actual answer.

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES, 2026.