What do skilled trades pay in California in 2026?
Median pay for 30 skilled trades in California (BLS OEWS May 2025).
In 2026, the highest-paying skilled trades in California are Elevator Installer (~$141,180) and Power-Line Worker (~$129,040), across 30 trades tracked (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.
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Highest median pay
Elevator Installer
$141,180
Most jobs
Carpenter
100,750 jobs
Biggest union premium
Plumber
+$58,210 (+80%)
Across 30 trades: $56,120–$141,180 (median $72,695).
California tracks 30 skilled trades on TradesPays, and the spread tells you everything about what specialized work commands here. At the top, Elevator Installers pull $141,180 a year — the highest wage in the state dataset. Power-Line Workers follow at $129,040, Insulation Workers at $119,690, Boilermakers at $118,150, and Telecom Line Installers at $97,980. On the other end of the range, Hazardous Materials Removal Workers earn $56,120. Every figure comes from BLS OEWS May 2025 data and reflects statewide annual mean wages. TradesPays does not have metro-level breakdowns or apprentice-versus-journeyman splits outside of union scale data — what you see here is the statewide picture, nothing more, nothing less. If you're sizing up a trade, comparing California to another state, or just want to know where your ticket puts you, these 30 trades are your starting point.
Trades ranked by pay in California
| # | Trade | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator Installer | $141,180 |
| 2 | Power-Line Worker | $129,040 |
| 3 | Insulation Worker | $119,690 |
| 4 | Boilermaker | $118,150 |
| 5 | Telecom Line Installer | $97,980 |
| 6 | Construction Equipment Operator | $87,160 |
| 7 | Millwright | $77,950 |
| 8 | Sheet Metal Worker | $76,590 |
| 9 | Ironworker | $76,370 |
| 10 | Pipelayer | $76,180 |
See all 30
| 11 | Electricianunion $107,120 | $76,160 |
| 12 | Carpenter | $75,920 |
| 13 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $74,400 |
| 14 | Taper | $73,460 |
| 15 | Plumberunion $131,040 | $72,830 |
| 16 | HVAC Technician | $72,560 |
| 17 | Brickmason | $69,050 |
| 18 | Drywall Installer | $65,880 |
| 19 | Glazier | $64,040 |
| 20 | Roofer | $63,600 |
| 21 | Rebar Worker | $63,110 |
| 22 | Cement Mason | $62,700 |
| 23 | Floor Layer | $61,210 |
| 24 | Solar Installer | $60,600 |
| 25 | Construction Laborer | $60,270 |
| 26 | Plasterer | $59,940 |
| 27 | Painter | $59,020 |
| 28 | Tile & Stone Setter | $58,880 |
| 29 | Welder | $58,060 |
| 30 | Hazardous Materials Removal Worker | $56,120 |
Where is the union premium biggest in California?
Named locals and the premium over the BLS all-worker median.
| Trade | Union scale | Premium vs BLS | Local |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plumber | $131,040 | +$58,210 (+80%) | UA Local 38 (San Francisco) journeyman scale |
| Electrician | $107,120 | +$30,960 (+41%) | IBEW Local 11 (Los Angeles) journeyman scale |
Union data is partial for California (2 of 30 trades) — submitting your pay helps build complete data for California.
Union landscape in California
California has deep union infrastructure across the trades, and two of the most well-documented premiums in the state sit with plumbers and electricians. The UA (United Association) Local 38 out of San Francisco sets journeyman scale for plumbers at a premium of $58,210 above the statewide BLS mean — that's not a rounding error, that's what a negotiated scale in a high-cost metro can do for a card-carrying journeyman. On the electrical side, IBEW Local 11 out of Los Angeles posts a journeyman premium of $30,960 over the statewide BLS mean for electricians. Those two numbers are worth understanding carefully. The BLS OEWS figures average union and non-union workers across the entire state. Local union scale applies specifically to journeymen working under that local's jurisdiction — it does not represent every electrician or plumber in California. What the gap tells you is that where a UA or IBEW agreement is in place, wages run substantially higher than the statewide average pool. Beyond plumbers and electricians, IBEW and UA affiliates operate throughout California in telecom, power-line work, pipefitting, and HVAC. TradesPays will add local scale data for additional trades and locals as that information becomes available. For now, if you're deciding whether to pursue a union apprenticeship in California, the premiums above are real and documented — not projections.
Cost-of-living context
Every wage figure on this page is a nominal BLS dollar — the actual number on your W-2, before anyone adjusts it for where you live or what groceries cost. TradesPays does not apply cost-of-living indices to state wage data, and we're not going to invent one here. What's honest to say: California is broadly understood to be an expensive state to live in. Housing costs in particular vary enormously depending on whether you're working in the Central Valley, the Inland Empire, or coastal metros. A $97,980 wage for a Telecom Line Installer is a real, above-median income — what it buys you depends entirely on where you're renting or paying a mortgage. The practical implication is this: don't compare California's $141,180 Elevator Installer wage to a lower-wage state's figure and assume the California number is unambiguously better. It may be, or it may not be, depending on your housing situation and cost structure. What the California numbers do tell you is your negotiating floor — if you're a licensed tradesperson in this state, these figures show you what the market is actually paying. The union premiums documented above add another layer: journeyman scale under a strong local can move the needle significantly beyond the BLS mean, which itself already reflects one of the higher nominal trade wage environments in the country.
Trades in California: FAQ
- What is the highest-paying skilled trade in California?
- Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data, Elevator Installer is the top-paying trade tracked in California at a statewide annual mean of $141,180.
- How many skilled trades does TradesPays track in California?
- TradesPays tracks 30 skilled trades at the state level in California. All figures are statewide annual means from BLS OEWS May 2025.
- What is the lowest-paying trade in California's dataset?
- Hazardous Materials Removal Worker comes in at the bottom of the 30 trades tracked, with a statewide annual mean of $56,120.
- How much more do union plumbers earn under UA Local 38 in San Francisco?
- UA Local 38 (San Francisco) journeyman scale runs $58,210 above the statewide BLS mean for plumbers. That premium reflects a negotiated journeyman rate under that specific local's jurisdiction — it does not apply to every plumber working in California.
- What is the IBEW Local 11 premium for electricians in Los Angeles?
- IBEW Local 11 (Los Angeles) journeyman scale sits $30,960 above the statewide BLS mean for electricians. As with all local scale data on TradesPays, this applies to journeymen working under that local's agreement, not the broader statewide workforce.
- Does TradesPays have metro-level wage data for California cities like San Francisco or Los Angeles?
- Not at this time. The figures on this page are statewide annual means from BLS OEWS May 2025. The only metro-specific figures are the union local scale premiums for UA Local 38 (San Francisco) and IBEW Local 11 (Los Angeles). Metro-level BLS breakdowns are not currently available on TradesPays.
- Are California'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 data before any cost-of-living adjustment. TradesPays does not apply COL indices to state figures. California's wages are among the higher nominal figures nationally, but what those dollars buy depends on where in the state you're living and working.
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