What do skilled trades pay in Ohio in 2026?

Which trade is best in Ohio?

Different trades win on different measures — here's the top on each. Pick the one that matters to you.

Across 29 trades: $46,140–$105,020 (median $62,990).

Trades ranked by pay in Ohio

Where is the union premium biggest in Ohio?

Named locals and the premium over the BLS all-worker median.

We don't have union scale data for Ohio 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 Ohio.

Union landscape in Ohio

TradesPays does not have union scale data for Ohio in our current set. That's a straight limitation worth naming up front. What we can tell you is that some Ohio skilled-trades workers are covered by a collective bargaining agreement, which means their actual wages, benefits, and working conditions are set by that contract — not by a statewide BLS median. If you're working under or considering a union contract, the only reliable source for current scale rates is your local. Go to them directly and ask for the current wage schedule, because rates can change with each contract cycle and vary by classification within a trade. The BLS figures on this page reflect a blend of union and non-union employment across Ohio. They don't separate those two populations, so you can't read a union premium or discount into the numbers shown here. Until we add scale data for Ohio, treat these figures as a general market reference and verify with your local for anything contract-specific.

Cost-of-living context

Every dollar figure on this page is a nominal BLS dollar — meaning it has not been adjusted for cost of living. Ohio is frequently cited as a lower-cost state compared to coastal markets, and that reputation isn't unfounded at a broad level. But there are a few things to keep straight before you use that framing to make a career or relocation decision. First, TradesPays does not publish cost-of-living indices, and we're not going to invent one. The BLS OEWS data we use is statewide, so it blends Columbus, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Toledo, Youngstown, and every rural county in between — areas with meaningfully different housing costs, commute realities, and local economies. Second, if you're comparing Ohio wages to a higher-wage state, remember that higher nominal pay often tracks with higher housing, transportation, and tax costs. A $93,150 wage in Ohio and a $115,000 wage in another state may not represent as large a real-dollar gap as the headline numbers suggest — or the gap could be larger depending on where exactly you'd be living. The only way to make that comparison honestly is to run the actual numbers for your specific situation: your housing cost, your tax bracket, your commute. Use the figures here as a starting point for comparing trades within Ohio, and do your own math before drawing cross-state conclusions.

Trades in Ohio: FAQ

What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Ohio?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data, Elevator Installers top the list in Ohio at a median wage of $105,020 per year. Power-Line Workers are second at $93,150.

How many trades does TradesPays track in Ohio?

TradesPays currently tracks 29 skilled trades in Ohio using BLS OEWS state-level data.

What is the lowest-paying trade tracked in Ohio?

Tile & Stone Setters have the lowest median wage in our Ohio data at $46,140 per year, according to BLS OEWS May 2025 figures.

Are these wages specific to a city like Columbus or Cleveland?

No. All figures on this page are statewide Ohio medians from BLS OEWS. TradesPays does not currently publish metro-level breakdowns for Ohio, so the numbers blend wages from across the entire state.

Do these wages reflect what apprentices or journeymen earn?

No. BLS OEWS data is a statewide median across all experience levels and employment types. It does not break out apprentice, journeyman, or master-level pay separately. Expect entry-level wages to fall below the median and experienced workers to exceed it.

Where does TradesPays get its Ohio wage data?

All figures come from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) survey, May 2025 release. It's the same federal dataset employers and workforce agencies use — collected directly from employer payroll records across Ohio.

Does Ohio have union scale data on TradesPays?

Not at this time. Union scale data for Ohio is not in our current dataset. If you work under a collective bargaining agreement, contact your local directly for the current wage schedule, as contract rates are set independently of BLS figures.

Other states to compare