What do skilled trades pay in Missouri in 2026?
Median pay for 28 skilled trades in Missouri (BLS OEWS May 2025).
In 2026, the highest-paying skilled trades in Missouri are Elevator Installer (~$126,750) and Power-Line Worker (~$96,360), across 28 trades tracked (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.
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Which trade is best in Missouri?
Different trades win on different measures — here's the top on each. Pick the one that matters to you.
Highest median pay
Elevator Installer
$126,750
Most jobs
Construction Laborer
17,050 jobs
Across 28 trades: $48,570–$126,750 (median $61,985).
Missouri 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 $126,750 a year; at the bottom, Roofers come in at $48,570. The midpoint trade earns around $61,985, with most trades falling between $59,110 and $68,635. These are statewide figures — TradesPays does not hold Missouri metro-level breakdowns or apprentice-versus-journeyman splits beyond union scale data. If you work one of these trades in Missouri, these numbers are your negotiating floor: what the market is actually paying, nothing inflated.
Trades ranked by pay in Missouri
| # | Trade | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator Installer | $126,750 |
| 2 | Power-Line Worker | $96,360 |
| 3 | Plasterer | $79,380 |
| 4 | Insulation Worker | $78,660 |
| 5 | Boilermaker | $78,550 |
| 6 | Ironworker | $77,410 |
| 7 | Brickmason | $72,370 |
| 8 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $67,390 |
| 9 | Plumber | $66,790 |
| 10 | Millwright | $66,480 |
See all 28
| 11 | Electrician | $65,410 |
| 12 | Sheet Metal Worker | $63,560 |
| 13 | Taper | $63,020 |
| 14 | Drywall Installer | $62,580 |
| 15 | Cement Mason | $61,390 |
| 16 | Carpenter | $60,840 |
| 17 | Tile & Stone Setter | $60,590 |
| 18 | Construction Equipment Operator | $60,540 |
| 19 | HVAC Technician | $59,950 |
| 20 | Rebar Worker | $59,410 |
| 21 | Hazardous Materials Removal Worker | $59,120 |
| 22 | Telecom Line Installer | $59,080 |
| 23 | Painter | $57,510 |
| 24 | Construction Laborer | $56,730 |
| 25 | Floor Layer | $54,710 |
| 26 | Welder | $51,950 |
| 27 | Glazier | $51,430 |
| 28 | Roofer | $48,570 |
Where is the union premium biggest in Missouri?
Named locals and the premium over the BLS all-worker median.
We don't have union scale data for Missouri 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 Missouri.
How Missouri trade pay is spread
Across the 28 trades tracked in Missouri, the pay range runs from $48,570 to $126,750 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025, statewide median wages). The 25th-to-75th band — $59,110 to $68,635 — is where most trades land, with a midpoint of $61,985. Elevator Installer sits at the top at $126,750; Roofer anchors the bottom at $48,570. 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 Missouri 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 Missouri
By headcount, Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Missouri, with about 17,050 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 Missouri: FAQ
- What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Missouri?
- Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data, Elevator Installer is the top-paying trade tracked in Missouri, at a statewide median of $126,750.
- What is the lowest-paying trade in Missouri's dataset?
- Roofer sits at the bottom of the 28 trades tracked in Missouri, with a statewide median of $48,570 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- What does the typical skilled trade pay in Missouri?
- Across the 28 trades TradesPays tracks in Missouri, the midpoint trade earns about $61,985 (the median of the per-trade statewide medians), with most trades falling between $59,110 and $68,635 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- How many skilled trades does TradesPays track in Missouri?
- TradesPays tracks 28 skilled trades at the state level in Missouri. All figures are statewide medians from BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Which trade employs the most workers in Missouri?
- Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Missouri, with about 17,050 workers reported (BLS OEWS May 2025 total employment). The trade that hires the most isn't the highest-paying — that's Elevator Installer at $126,750.
- Are Missouri'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 Missouri you live and work.
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