What do skilled trades pay in Minnesota in 2026?
Median pay for 28 skilled trades in Minnesota (BLS OEWS May 2025).
In 2026, the highest-paying skilled trades in Minnesota are Elevator Installer (~$128,020) and Insulation Worker (~$105,670), across 28 trades tracked (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.
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Which trade is best in Minnesota?
Different trades win on different measures: here's the top on each. Pick the one that matters to you.
Highest median pay
Elevator Installer
$128,020
Most workers employed
Construction Laborer
28,530 workers
Across 28 trades: $57,270–$128,020 (median $75,420).
Minnesota tracks 28 skilled trades on TradesPays, all drawn from BLS OEWS May 2025 statewide median wages. At the top of the range, Elevator Installers pull $128,020 a year; at the bottom, Painters come in at $57,270. The midpoint trade earns around $75,420, with most trades falling between $65,830 and $94,613. These are statewide figures: TradesPays does not hold Minnesota metro-level breakdowns or apprentice-versus-journeyman splits beyond union scale data. If you work one of these trades in Minnesota, these numbers are your negotiating floor: what the market is actually paying, nothing inflated.
Trades ranked by pay in Minnesota
| # | Trade | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator Installer | $128,020 |
| 2 | Insulation Worker | $105,670 |
| 3 | Power-Line Worker | $104,180 |
| 4 | Plasterer | $102,530 |
| 5 | Boilermaker | $96,190 |
| 6 | Ironworker | $95,320 |
| 7 | Brickmason | $95,220 |
| 8 | Plumber | $94,410 |
| 9 | Pipelayer | $81,980 |
| 10 | Construction Equipment Operator | $79,130 |
See all 28
| 11 | Millwright | $78,570 |
| 12 | Electrician | $78,160 |
| 13 | Taper | $78,090 |
| 14 | HVAC Technician | $76,350 |
| 15 | Roofer | $74,490 |
| 16 | Telecom Line Installer | $73,710 |
| 17 | Sheet Metal Worker | $72,970 |
| 18 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $71,960 |
| 19 | Tile & Stone Setter | $70,560 |
| 20 | Cement Mason | $66,830 |
| 21 | Glazier | $66,130 |
| 22 | Carpenter | $64,930 |
| 23 | Drywall Installer | $61,290 |
| 24 | Welder | $60,280 |
| 25 | Construction Laborer | $60,260 |
| 26 | Floor Layer | $59,380 |
| 27 | Hazardous Materials Removal Worker | $59,100 |
| 28 | Painter | $57,270 |
Published local scales in Minnesota?
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 Minnesota across our trades yet. Missing scale data does not establish union coverage. Submitting your pay helps build complete data for Minnesota.
How Minnesota trade pay is spread
Across the 28 trades tracked in Minnesota, the pay range runs from $57,270 to $128,020 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025, statewide median wages). The 25th-to-75th band, $65,830 to $94,613, is where most trades land, with a midpoint of $75,420. Elevator Installer sits at the top at $128,020; Painter anchors the bottom at $57,270. 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 Minnesota 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 Minnesota
By headcount, Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Minnesota, with about 28,530 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 Minnesota: FAQ
- What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Minnesota?
- Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data, Elevator Installer is the top-paying trade tracked in Minnesota, at a statewide median of $128,020.
- What is the lowest-paying trade in Minnesota's dataset?
- Painter sits at the bottom of the 28 trades tracked in Minnesota, with a statewide median of $57,270 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- What does the typical skilled trade pay in Minnesota?
- Across the 28 trades TradesPays tracks in Minnesota, the midpoint trade earns about $75,420 (the median of the per-trade statewide medians), with most trades falling between $65,830 and $94,613 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- How many skilled trades does TradesPays track in Minnesota?
- TradesPays tracks 28 skilled trades at the state level in Minnesota. All figures are statewide medians from BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Which trade employs the most workers in Minnesota?
- Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Minnesota, with about 28,530 workers reported (BLS OEWS May 2025 total employment). The trade that hires the most isn't the highest-paying: that's Elevator Installer at $128,020.
- Are Minnesota'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 Minnesota you live and work.
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