Highest-Paying Trades in North Carolina 2026

42 skilled trades tracked in North Carolina metro areas. The top-paying trade is Construction Manager at $108,620 median salary. Data from BLS OEWS (2024).

#	Trade	Median Salary	Cities	Avg Score
1	Construction Manager	$108,620	2	75
2	Elevator Mechanic	$105,610	1	71
3	Power Line Installer	$76,025	2	76
4	Electrical Power-Line Tech	$76,025	2	76
5	Building Inspector	$72,015	2	59
6	Aircraft Mechanic	$71,110	2	65
7	Crane Operator	$69,250	2	62
8	Industrial Electrician	$69,175	2	73
9	Telecommunications Tech	$65,015	2	58
10	Millwright	$63,780	1	63
11	Industrial Machinery Mechanic	$62,195	2	74
12	Tool and Die Maker	$61,145	2	46
13	Machinist	$60,150	2	49
14	Diesel Mechanic	$58,650	2	60
15	HVAC Technician	$56,065	2	64
16	Refrigeration Mechanic	$56,065	2	62
17	Plumber	$55,555	2	62
18	Pipefitter	$55,555	2	62
19	Fire Sprinkler Fitter	$55,555	2	62
20	Steamfitter	$55,555	2	59
21	Electrician	$55,305	2	68
22	Ironworker	$55,220	1	55
23	Welder	$53,920	2	55
24	Structural Welder	$53,920	2	55
25	Underwater Welder	$53,920	2	53
26	Sheet Metal Worker	$52,240	2	52
27	Auto Mechanic	$51,750	2	49
28	Heavy Equipment Operator	$50,725	2	53
29	Environmental Engineering Tech	$50,290	2	57
30	Carpenter	$50,165	2	51
31	Drywall Installer	$49,875	2	42
32	Mason (Bricklayer)	$49,765	2	41
33	Maintenance Mechanic	$49,570	2	52
34	Roofer	$48,550	2	47
35	Concrete Finisher	$48,205	2	48
36	Floor Layer	$48,035	2	41
37	Glazier	$47,360	1	53
38	Insulation Worker	$46,350	2	47
39	Tile Setter	$45,180	1	38
40	Painter (Construction)	$44,890	2	39
41	Septic Tank Servicer	$42,960	2	41
42	Locksmith	$41,880	2	46

Skilled trade wage data for North Carolina 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 North Carolina with a median salary of $108,620 across 2 metro areas.

We track 42 skilled trades across metro areas in North Carolina 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 North Carolina →

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.