Highest Paying Trades
Skilled trades with the best median wages nationwide
Elevator Mechanic is the highest-paying trade with an average median wage of $117K across 21 metro areas.
| # | Name | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator Mechanic $117K median, Specialty, 21 metros | 116,702 |
| 2 | Construction Manager $115K median, Management, 30 metros | 114,957 |
| 3 | Power Line Installer $102K median, Electrical, 30 metros | 101,512 |
| 4 | Electrical Power-Line Tech $102K median, Electrical, 30 metros | 101,512 |
| 5 | Boilermaker $90K median, Industrial, 14 metros | 89,510 |
| 6 | Pile Driver Operator $88K median, Heavy Equipment, 8 metros | 87,644 |
| 7 | Aircraft Mechanic $80K median, Automotive, 30 metros | 79,931 |
| 8 | Building Inspector $75K median, Management, 30 metros | 75,182 |
| 9 | Crane Operator $75K median, Heavy Equipment, 30 metros | 75,123 |
| 10 | Millwright $72K median, Industrial, 29 metros | 72,209 |
Elevator Mechanic is the highest-paying trade with an average median wage of $117K across 21 metro areas.
Frequently Asked Questions
This report is auto-generated from real public data sources. Entities are ranked by their key metrics and the most notable changes and extremes are highlighted.
The underlying data is refreshed on a regular schedule. This report was generated from the most recent available data (last updated May 2026).
The primary metric varies by report type. It may represent a score, dollar amount, rate, or count depending on what the report is measuring.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OES, 2026.