What do skilled trades pay in Florida in 2026?
Median pay for 30 skilled trades in Florida (BLS OEWS May 2025).
In 2026, the highest-paying skilled trades in Florida are Elevator Installer (~$104,730) and Power-Line Worker (~$86,870), across 30 trades tracked (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.
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Different trades win on different measures — here's the top on each. Pick the one that matters to you.
Highest median pay
Elevator Installer
$104,730
Most jobs
Construction Laborer
87,040 jobs
Across 30 trades: $42,350–$104,730 (median $50,185).
Florida tracks 30 skilled trades on TradesPays, and the spread tells you a lot about where the work sits. At the top, Elevator Installers pull $104,730 — a full $17,860 ahead of the next tier. Power-Line Workers come in at $86,870, Boilermakers at $69,790, Millwrights at $62,000, and Telecom Line Installers at $61,740. On the lower end, Hazardous Materials Removal Workers average $42,350. Every figure here comes from BLS OEWS May 2025 — statewide averages across all employers, all experience levels. That means a first-year and a 20-year veteran are both baked into the same number. Use these as a baseline for understanding where each trade sits relative to the others in Florida, not as a personal pay guarantee.
Trades ranked by pay in Florida
| # | Trade | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator Installer | $104,730 |
| 2 | Power-Line Worker | $86,870 |
| 3 | Boilermaker | $69,790 |
| 4 | Millwright | $62,000 |
| 5 | Telecom Line Installer | $61,740 |
| 6 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $60,650 |
| 7 | Electrician | $57,250 |
| 8 | Floor Layer | $57,020 |
| 9 | HVAC Technician | $56,670 |
| 10 | Ironworker | $55,700 |
See all 30
| 11 | Plumber | $52,910 |
| 12 | Brickmason | $52,760 |
| 13 | Welder | $50,640 |
| 14 | Solar Installer | $50,550 |
| 15 | Rebar Worker | $50,500 |
| 16 | Carpenter | $49,870 |
| 17 | Insulation Worker | $49,660 |
| 18 | Sheet Metal Worker | $49,640 |
| 19 | Construction Equipment Operator | $49,400 |
| 20 | Taper | $49,400 |
| 21 | Drywall Installer | $48,970 |
| 22 | Cement Mason | $48,680 |
| 23 | Roofer | $47,590 |
| 24 | Painter | $47,530 |
| 25 | Plasterer | $47,420 |
| 26 | Tile & Stone Setter | $47,280 |
| 27 | Pipelayer | $47,260 |
| 28 | Glazier | $47,030 |
| 29 | Construction Laborer | $44,030 |
| 30 | Hazardous Materials Removal Worker | $42,350 |
Where is the union premium biggest in Florida?
Named locals and the premium over the BLS all-worker median.
We don't have union scale data for Florida 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 Florida.
Union landscape in Florida
Florida is a right-to-work state, which shapes how trades are organized across the state — but it does not mean union representation is absent. Depending on the trade, the employer, and the specific job site, some workers in Florida are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Those agreements typically set wage scales, benefit contributions, and working conditions that differ from what statewide BLS averages reflect. TradesPays does not have union scale data for Florida in its current dataset. That is a straight-up limit of what we can show you here. If you are in a trade where collective bargaining applies — or you want to know whether it applies to your situation — the right move is to contact your local directly. They can give you the current negotiated rates, fringe benefit breakdowns, and jurisdiction details that no statewide average can capture. Do not assume the BLS figures on this page represent union scale, and do not assume they represent non-union either. They are a blend. If your pay is set by a collective bargaining agreement, your local's rate sheet is the number that matters.
Cost-of-living context
Every dollar figure on this page is a nominal BLS dollar — meaning it is not adjusted for what that money actually buys you in Florida versus anywhere else. Florida does not have a state income tax, which keeps more of a paycheck intact compared to higher-tax states. But Florida's housing costs, particularly in metro areas along the coasts and in Central Florida, have climbed significantly in recent years. What a $62,000 Millwright wage covers in a rural part of the state is a different conversation than what it covers in Miami or Orlando. TradesPays does not publish cost-of-living indices, and we are not going to invent one. What we can tell you is this: comparing a Florida wage to a wage in a higher-paying state requires more than subtracting two numbers. Higher nominal pay often comes with higher housing costs, higher taxes, or both. The reverse can also be true — lower nominal wages in lower-cost areas can stretch further than they look on paper. Use the Florida figures here to understand trade-to-trade comparisons within the state. If you are weighing a move or comparing Florida rates to another state's numbers on TradesPays, factor in your actual cost of living before drawing conclusions. The BLS data shows what workers are being paid — it does not tell you what that pay is worth in your zip code.
Trades in Florida: FAQ
- What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Florida?
- Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data, Elevator Installers top the list at $104,730 statewide average. That is a significant lead over the second-highest trade tracked, Power-Line Workers at $86,870.
- How many trades does TradesPays track in Florida?
- TradesPays tracks 30 skilled trades in Florida. The data comes from BLS OEWS May 2025 and represents statewide averages across all experience levels and employer types.
- What is the lowest-paying trade tracked in Florida?
- Hazardous Materials Removal Workers average $42,350, the lowest among the 30 trades tracked in Florida. Keep in mind this is a statewide average blending all experience levels.
- Does TradesPays have metro-level pay data for Florida cities like Miami or Tampa?
- Not at this time. All figures on this page are statewide averages. Pay can vary meaningfully between rural areas and high-cost metros, but TradesPays does not currently break out city or metro-level data for Florida.
- Does TradesPays have union scale data for Florida?
- No. Union scale data is not in the TradesPays dataset for Florida. If you are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, contact your local directly for current negotiated rates — the statewide BLS averages here will not reflect your contract scale.
- Are these Florida wages broken out by apprentice, journeyman, or master level?
- No. The BLS OEWS figures are statewide averages across all experience levels and do not split by apprentice, journeyman, or master classification. Entry-level and senior workers are both included in the same number.
- How current is the Florida trades pay data on TradesPays?
- The data is sourced from BLS OEWS May 2025, which is the most recent release available. BLS updates OEWS data annually, and TradesPays will update figures as new releases come out.
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