Highest-Paying Trades in Ohio 2026

39 skilled trades tracked in Ohio metro areas. The top-paying trade is Construction Manager at $101,380 median salary. Data from BLS OEWS (2024).

#	Trade	Median Salary	Cities	Avg Score
1	Construction Manager	$101,380	1	75
2	Crane Operator	$90,090	1	69
3	Power Line Installer	$79,810	1	79
4	Electrical Power-Line Tech	$79,810	1	79
5	Heavy Equipment Operator	$75,000	1	66
6	Millwright	$73,760	1	67
7	Building Inspector	$71,700	1	60
8	Aircraft Mechanic	$70,710	1	66
9	Sheet Metal Worker	$65,460	1	60
10	Industrial Machinery Mechanic	$65,450	1	76
11	Insulation Worker	$65,100	1	59
12	Mason (Bricklayer)	$64,570	1	51
13	Plumber	$63,600	1	67
14	Pipefitter	$63,600	1	67
15	Fire Sprinkler Fitter	$63,600	1	67
16	Steamfitter	$63,600	1	64
17	Drywall Installer	$63,530	1	51
18	Electrician	$63,160	1	74
19	Concrete Finisher	$63,070	1	58
20	Environmental Engineering Tech	$63,050	1	66
21	Telecommunications Tech	$62,360	1	58
22	Diesel Mechanic	$62,320	1	62
23	HVAC Technician	$61,990	1	68
24	Refrigeration Mechanic	$61,990	1	66
25	Carpenter	$61,490	1	59
26	Roofer	$58,980	1	56
27	Floor Layer	$58,970	1	49
28	Painter (Construction)	$57,690	1	50
29	Tool and Die Maker	$56,030	1	45
30	Glazier	$55,720	1	61
31	Machinist	$52,790	1	47
32	Auto Mechanic	$50,710	1	51
33	Maintenance Mechanic	$50,440	1	55
34	Welder	$50,400	1	55
35	Structural Welder	$50,400	1	55
36	Underwater Welder	$50,400	1	53
37	Industrial Electrician	$49,870	1	65
38	Tile Setter	$48,700	1	42
39	Locksmith	$45,850	1	49

Skilled trade wage data for Ohio 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 Ohio with a median salary of $101,380 across 1 metro areas.

We track 39 skilled trades across metro areas in Ohio 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 Ohio →

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.