What do skilled trades pay in Alabama in 2026?
Median pay for 27 skilled trades in Alabama (BLS OEWS May 2025).
In 2026, the highest-paying skilled trades in Alabama are Elevator Installer (~$103,700) and Power-Line Worker (~$92,030), across 27 trades tracked (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.
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Which trade is best in Alabama?
Different trades win on different measures — here's the top on each. Pick the one that matters to you.
Highest median pay
Elevator Installer
$103,700
Most jobs
Construction Laborer
18,400 jobs
Across 27 trades: $36,900–$103,700 (median $48,220).
Alabama tracks 27 skilled trades on TradesPays, all drawn from BLS OEWS May 2025 statewide median wages. At the top of the range, Elevator Installers pull $103,700 a year; at the bottom, Construction Laborers come in at $36,900. The midpoint trade earns around $48,220, with most trades falling between $44,760 and $57,655. These are statewide figures — TradesPays does not hold Alabama metro-level breakdowns or apprentice-versus-journeyman splits beyond union scale data. If you work one of these trades in Alabama, these numbers are your negotiating floor: what the market is actually paying, nothing inflated.
Trades ranked by pay in Alabama
| # | Trade | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator Installer | $103,700 |
| 2 | Power-Line Worker | $92,030 |
| 3 | Boilermaker | $63,570 |
| 4 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $61,920 |
| 5 | Millwright | $61,410 |
| 6 | Telecom Line Installer | $60,890 |
| 7 | Plumber | $58,670 |
| 8 | Ironworker | $56,640 |
| 9 | Electrician | $55,690 |
| 10 | Brickmason | $49,710 |
See all 27
| 11 | Insulation Worker | $48,930 |
| 12 | Welder | $48,490 |
| 13 | HVAC Technician | $48,370 |
| 14 | Carpenter | $48,220 |
| 15 | Drywall Installer | $48,000 |
| 16 | Sheet Metal Worker | $47,530 |
| 17 | Construction Equipment Operator | $47,520 |
| 18 | Roofer | $45,670 |
| 19 | Glazier | $45,520 |
| 20 | Tile & Stone Setter | $44,800 |
| 21 | Cement Mason | $44,720 |
| 22 | Pipelayer | $44,550 |
| 23 | Painter | $43,930 |
| 24 | Rebar Worker | $43,640 |
| 25 | Floor Layer | $38,730 |
| 26 | Hazardous Materials Removal Worker | $38,610 |
| 27 | Construction Laborer | $36,900 |
Where is the union premium biggest in Alabama?
Named locals and the premium over the BLS all-worker median.
We don't have union scale data for Alabama across our trades yet — these trades are predominantly non-union, or we haven't added IBEW/UA data. Submitting your pay helps build complete data for Alabama.
How Alabama trade pay is spread
Across the 27 trades tracked in Alabama, the pay range runs from $36,900 to $103,700 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025, statewide median wages). The 25th-to-75th band — $44,760 to $57,655 — is where most trades land, with a midpoint of $48,220. Elevator Installer sits at the top at $103,700; Construction Laborer anchors the bottom at $36,900. Every figure here is a nominal BLS dollar — the number BLS reports, before any cost-of-living adjustment. TradesPays does not apply cost-of-living indices to state wage data, so don't read a higher Alabama figure as automatically "better" than a lower number elsewhere until you account for what it costs to live where you work.
Where the jobs are in Alabama
By headcount, Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Alabama, with about 18,400 workers reported (BLS OEWS May 2025 total employment). Employment and pay are separate signals: the trade that employs the most people is rarely the top-paying one. TradesPays surfaces them separately on purpose — we don't blend headcount and wage into a single "best trade" score, because they answer different questions. If you want the highest wage, look at Elevator Installer; if you want the widest hiring market, Construction Laborer is where the volume is.
Trades in Alabama: FAQ
- What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Alabama?
- Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data, Elevator Installer is the top-paying trade tracked in Alabama, at a statewide median of $103,700.
- What is the lowest-paying trade in Alabama's dataset?
- Construction Laborer sits at the bottom of the 27 trades tracked in Alabama, with a statewide median of $36,900 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- What does the typical skilled trade pay in Alabama?
- Across the 27 trades TradesPays tracks in Alabama, the midpoint trade earns about $48,220 (the median of the per-trade statewide medians), with most trades falling between $44,760 and $57,655 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- How many skilled trades does TradesPays track in Alabama?
- TradesPays tracks 27 skilled trades at the state level in Alabama. All figures are statewide medians from BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Which trade employs the most workers in Alabama?
- Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Alabama, with about 18,400 workers reported (BLS OEWS May 2025 total employment). The trade that hires the most isn't the highest-paying — that's Elevator Installer at $103,700.
- Are Alabama's trade wages adjusted for cost of living?
- No. Every wage figure on TradesPays is a nominal BLS dollar — the number reported in BLS OEWS May 2025 before any cost-of-living adjustment. TradesPays does not apply cost-of-living indices to state figures, so what these dollars buy depends on where in Alabama you live and work.
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