What do skilled trades pay in Pennsylvania in 2026?
Median pay for 29 skilled trades in Pennsylvania (BLS OEWS May 2025).
In 2026, the highest-paying skilled trades in Pennsylvania are Elevator Installer (~$117,250) and Power-Line Worker (~$106,230), across 29 trades tracked (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.
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Highest median pay
Elevator Installer
$117,250
Most jobs
Construction Laborer
35,920 jobs
Biggest union premium
Electrician
+$40,560 (+60%)
Across 29 trades: $47,760–$117,250 (median $63,840).
Pennsylvania tracks 29 skilled trades, and the numbers tell a clear story about where the money sits. Elevator Installers lead the state at $117,250 — nearly $11,000 ahead of Power-Line Workers at $106,230. Boilermakers come in at $86,850, Ironworkers at $82,970, and Tapers at $82,240. On the other end, Solar Installers earn $47,760. Every figure on TradesPays comes straight from BLS OEWS May 2025 data — no blended estimates, no editorial padding. Pennsylvania has a strong union presence that moves the needle significantly for certain trades, and cost-of-living varies enough across the state — Philadelphia to Erie, Allentown to rural Appalachia — that a dollar earned doesn't go the same distance everywhere. What follows breaks down both of those realities as plainly as the data allows.
Trades ranked by pay in Pennsylvania
| # | Trade | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator Installer | $117,250 |
| 2 | Power-Line Worker | $106,230 |
| 3 | Boilermaker | $86,850 |
| 4 | Ironworker | $82,970 |
| 5 | Taper | $82,240 |
| 6 | Telecom Line Installer | $81,020 |
| 7 | Insulation Worker | $80,770 |
| 8 | Rebar Worker | $74,670 |
| 9 | Tile & Stone Setter | $70,230 |
| 10 | Plasterer | $70,030 |
See all 29
| 11 | Brickmason | $69,560 |
| 12 | Plumber | $68,080 |
| 13 | Electricianunion $108,160 | $67,600 |
| 14 | Millwright | $64,410 |
| 15 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $63,840 |
| 16 | HVAC Technician | $62,400 |
| 17 | Cement Mason | $61,610 |
| 18 | Sheet Metal Worker | $61,400 |
| 19 | Drywall Installer | $61,160 |
| 20 | Construction Equipment Operator | $60,530 |
| 21 | Floor Layer | $60,050 |
| 22 | Carpenter | $59,370 |
| 23 | Glazier | $58,810 |
| 24 | Roofer | $55,710 |
| 25 | Welder | $52,900 |
| 26 | Painter | $52,120 |
| 27 | Construction Laborer | $49,400 |
| 28 | Hazardous Materials Removal Worker | $47,860 |
| 29 | Solar Installer | $47,760 |
Where is the union premium biggest in Pennsylvania?
Named locals and the premium over the BLS all-worker median.
| Trade | Union scale | Premium vs BLS | Local |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | $108,160 | +$40,560 (+60%) | IBEW Local 98 (Philadelphia) journeyman scale |
Union data is partial for Pennsylvania (1 of 29 trades) — submitting your pay helps build complete data for Pennsylvania.
Union landscape in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is solid union territory for the trades, anchored by IBEW and UA (United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters) locals spread across the state. The IBEW Local 98 in Philadelphia is one of the most visible benchmarks: a journeyman scale there runs $40,560 above the BLS statewide median wage for Electricians. That's not a rounding error — that's the difference between a comfortable living and a genuinely strong one. It reflects negotiated scale, benefit packages, and the density of commercial and industrial work in the Philadelphia metro. The trades most heavily organized under IBEW include Electricians and certain Power-Line Worker classifications, while UA locals cover Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters. Boilermakers — sitting at $86,850 statewide — have their own international union (IBB) with active Pennsylvania locals tied to refining, power generation, and institutional work. Ironworkers at $82,970 fall under the IUPAT/Ironworkers International, with bridge and structural work driving demand in older Pennsylvania infrastructure. TradesPays does not currently break out apprentice, journeyman, or master rates separately beyond the union scale data shown — the BLS figures represent a cross-section of all workers in each classification. If you're comparing your pay to these numbers, factor in where you sit in your progression. A first-year apprentice in a union hall isn't pulling journeyman scale, and that gap is real and intentional. The premium, when you get there, is also real.
Cost-of-living context
Every dollar figure on this page is a nominal BLS number — what workers are reported to earn, not what that money buys. Pennsylvania stretches from one of the country's densest urban corridors (Philadelphia and its suburbs) to mid-size industrial cities like Pittsburgh, Allentown, and Scranton, down to rural counties where the cost of a house and a tank of gas look nothing like they do on the I-95 corridor. BLS OEWS data is collected at the state level here, which means it doesn't tell you what an Ironworker earns in Pittsburgh versus Centre County. TradesPays will be straight with you: we don't have metro-level breakdowns on this page, and we're not going to invent them. What we can say honestly is this: states and metros with higher nominal wages frequently come with higher housing costs, higher taxes, and higher day-to-day expenses. Philadelphia wages tend to run above the state median for most trades, and Philadelphia rents reflect that. A $117,250 Elevator Installer wage is genuinely strong by any measure, but it lands differently if you're buying a house in Montgomery County versus Cambria County. We're not going to paste in a cost-of-living index number and call it analysis — those figures shift, vary by methodology, and can mislead as easily as they inform. Use the nominal wages here as a starting point for comparison, not a finish line. Talk to local union halls and contractors about what the actual take-home looks like after taxes and benefits in your specific corner of Pennsylvania.
Trades in Pennsylvania: FAQ
- How many skilled trades does TradesPays track in Pennsylvania?
- TradesPays currently tracks 29 skilled trades in Pennsylvania, all sourced from BLS OEWS May 2025 data.
- What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Pennsylvania?
- Elevator Installer tops the list at $117,250 per year, based on BLS OEWS May 2025 figures. Power-Line Worker follows at $106,230.
- What is the lowest-paying skilled trade tracked in Pennsylvania?
- Solar Installer comes in at the bottom of the 29 trades tracked, at $47,760 annually per BLS OEWS May 2025.
- How much more does a union Electrician earn in Pennsylvania compared to the statewide BLS figure?
- IBEW Local 98 (Philadelphia) journeyman scale runs $40,560 above the BLS statewide median for Electricians in Pennsylvania. That premium reflects negotiated wages and does not include the value of union benefits and pension contributions on top of base pay.
- Does TradesPays show apprentice versus journeyman versus master wage breakdowns for Pennsylvania?
- Not at this time, beyond the union journeyman scale noted for Electricians. The BLS figures represent a cross-section of all workers in each trade classification. Your actual wage depends heavily on where you are in your apprenticeship or licensing progression.
- Are the Pennsylvania wages on TradesPays adjusted for cost of living?
- No. All figures are nominal BLS dollars — what workers are reported to earn before any cost-of-living adjustment. Pennsylvania's cost of living varies significantly from Philadelphia's suburbs to rural counties, and TradesPays does not apply COL indices to state-level wage data.
- Does TradesPays show metro-level wage data for cities like Philadelphia or Pittsburgh?
- This state hub page covers Pennsylvania as a whole using BLS OEWS state-level data. Metro-level breakdowns are not available on this page. The union scale callout for IBEW Local 98 (Philadelphia) is the one Philadelphia-specific figure included.
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