What do skilled trades pay in Indiana in 2026?
Median pay for 30 skilled trades in Indiana (BLS OEWS May 2025).
In 2026, the highest-paying skilled trades in Indiana are Power-Line Worker (~$102,040) and Elevator Installer (~$92,390), across 30 trades tracked (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.
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Which trade is best in Indiana?
Different trades win on different measures: here's the top on each. Pick the one that matters to you.
Highest median pay
Power-Line Worker
$102,040
Most workers employed
Construction Laborer
28,600 workers
Across 30 trades: $42,810–$102,040 (median $62,070).
Indiana tracks 30 skilled trades on TradesPays, all drawn from BLS OEWS May 2025 statewide median wages. At the top of the range, Power-Line Workers pull $102,040 a year; at the bottom, Tapers come in at $42,810. The midpoint trade earns around $62,070, with most trades falling between $50,375 and $72,888. These are statewide figures: TradesPays does not hold Indiana metro-level breakdowns or apprentice-versus-journeyman splits beyond union scale data. If you work one of these trades in Indiana, these numbers are your negotiating floor: what the market is actually paying, nothing inflated.
Trades ranked by pay in Indiana
| # | Trade | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Power-Line Worker | $102,040 |
| 2 | Elevator Installer | $92,390 |
| 3 | Boilermaker | $91,410 |
| 4 | Construction Equipment Operator | $79,580 |
| 5 | Millwright | $77,140 |
| 6 | Plumber | $76,320 |
| 7 | Pipelayer | $73,580 |
| 8 | Brickmason | $73,110 |
| 9 | Insulation Worker | $72,220 |
| 10 | Ironworker | $70,130 |
See all 30
| 11 | Electrician | $68,490 |
| 12 | Rebar Worker | $64,650 |
| 13 | Sheet Metal Worker | $64,040 |
| 14 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $63,950 |
| 15 | Carpenter | $62,870 |
| 16 | Cement Mason | $61,270 |
| 17 | HVAC Technician | $60,430 |
| 18 | Glazier | $60,210 |
| 19 | Telecom Line Installer | $58,920 |
| 20 | Roofer | $57,980 |
| 21 | Plasterer | $53,930 |
| 22 | Floor Layer | $50,720 |
| 23 | Painter | $50,260 |
| 24 | Construction Laborer | $50,070 |
| 25 | Drywall Installer | $49,810 |
| 26 | Welder | $49,730 |
| 27 | Tile & Stone Setter | $48,450 |
| 28 | Hazardous Materials Removal Worker | $46,680 |
| 29 | Solar Installer | $46,140 |
| 30 | Taper | $42,810 |
Published local scales in Indiana?
Named locals and the difference from the BLS all-worker median. Geography and experience levels differ; this is not a union versus non-union wage gap.
We don't have union scale data for Indiana across our trades yet. Missing scale data does not establish union coverage. Submitting your pay helps build complete data for Indiana.
How Indiana trade pay is spread
Across the 30 trades tracked in Indiana, the pay range runs from $42,810 to $102,040 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025, statewide median wages). The 25th-to-75th band, $50,375 to $72,888, is where most trades land, with a midpoint of $62,070. Power-Line Worker sits at the top at $102,040; Taper anchors the bottom at $42,810. 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 Indiana 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 Indiana
By headcount, Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Indiana, with about 28,600 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 Power-Line Worker; if you want the widest hiring market, Construction Laborer is where the volume is.
Trades in Indiana: FAQ
- What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Indiana?
- Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data, Power-Line Worker is the top-paying trade tracked in Indiana, at a statewide median of $102,040.
- What is the lowest-paying trade in Indiana's dataset?
- Taper sits at the bottom of the 30 trades tracked in Indiana, with a statewide median of $42,810 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- What does the typical skilled trade pay in Indiana?
- Across the 30 trades TradesPays tracks in Indiana, the midpoint trade earns about $62,070 (the median of the per-trade statewide medians), with most trades falling between $50,375 and $72,888 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- How many skilled trades does TradesPays track in Indiana?
- TradesPays tracks 30 skilled trades at the state level in Indiana. All figures are statewide medians from BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Which trade employs the most workers in Indiana?
- Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Indiana, with about 28,600 workers reported (BLS OEWS May 2025 total employment). The trade that hires the most isn't the highest-paying: that's Power-Line Worker at $102,040.
- Are Indiana'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 Indiana you live and work.
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