What do skilled trades pay in Texas in 2026?
Median pay for 30 skilled trades in Texas (BLS OEWS May 2025).
In 2026, the highest-paying skilled trades in Texas are Elevator Installer (~$102,140) and Power-Line Worker (~$78,940), across 30 trades tracked (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.
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Highest median pay
Elevator Installer
$102,140
Most jobs
Construction Laborer
123,250 jobs
Biggest union premium
Electrician
+$24,630 (+42%)
Across 30 trades: $40,620–$102,140 (median $50,555).
Texas tracks 30 skilled trades on TradesPays, and the spread tells you a lot about what certification and risk premium look like in practice. At the top, Elevator Installers average $102,140 — more than double the $40,620 that Construction Laborers average at the bottom. In between, Power-Line Workers ($78,940), Boilermakers ($75,750), Telecom Line Installers ($75,740), and Millwrights ($62,630) fill out the upper tier. Every figure here comes from BLS OEWS May 2025 data at the state level. TradesPays does not break these down by metro area or by apprentice, journeyman, and master tiers — except where union scale data gives us a direct number. What you see is a statewide average across all experience levels and all corners of the state, so treat it as a floor-to-ceiling range indicator, not a personal paycheck prediction.
Trades ranked by pay in Texas
| # | Trade | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator Installer | $102,140 |
| 2 | Power-Line Worker | $78,940 |
| 3 | Boilermaker | $75,750 |
| 4 | Telecom Line Installer | $75,740 |
| 5 | Millwright | $62,630 |
| 6 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $61,930 |
| 7 | Plumber | $59,840 |
| 8 | Electricianunion $83,200 | $58,570 |
| 9 | HVAC Technician | $57,760 |
| 10 | Brickmason | $56,410 |
See all 30
| 11 | Sheet Metal Worker | $54,240 |
| 12 | Welder | $53,340 |
| 13 | Ironworker | $52,240 |
| 14 | Plasterer | $51,140 |
| 15 | Rebar Worker | $50,650 |
| 16 | Construction Equipment Operator | $50,460 |
| 17 | Insulation Worker | $48,930 |
| 18 | Carpenter | $48,900 |
| 19 | Solar Installer | $48,240 |
| 20 | Glazier | $47,730 |
| 21 | Drywall Installer | $47,590 |
| 22 | Cement Mason | $47,500 |
| 23 | Tile & Stone Setter | $47,030 |
| 24 | Roofer | $46,030 |
| 25 | Pipelayer | $45,620 |
| 26 | Painter | $45,460 |
| 27 | Hazardous Materials Removal Worker | $44,390 |
| 28 | Taper | $43,670 |
| 29 | Floor Layer | $43,070 |
| 30 | Construction Laborer | $40,620 |
Where is the union premium biggest in Texas?
Named locals and the premium over the BLS all-worker median.
| Trade | Union scale | Premium vs BLS | Local |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrician | $83,200 | +$24,630 (+42%) | IBEW Local 716 (Houston) journeyman scale |
Union data is partial for Texas (1 of 30 trades) — submitting your pay helps build complete data for Texas.
Union landscape in Texas
Texas is a right-to-work state, which means union membership is voluntary — but that does not mean union scale is irrelevant. Where organized labor has a foothold, the wage premium is real and measurable. The clearest example in the data: IBEW Local 716 in Houston sets a journeyman electrician scale that runs $24,630 above the Texas statewide BLS average for electricians. That is not a rounding error — it is roughly what a full year of raises looks like for a non-union worker in the same trade. IBEW (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) locals operate across the state's major metro areas, covering commercial and industrial electricians, telecom line workers, and power-line crews. UA (United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters) locals cover plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in industrial and refinery-heavy corridors, particularly along the Gulf Coast. Boilermakers — already averaging $75,750 statewide — have significant union density in petrochemical and refinery work around the Houston Ship Channel, where project agreements and local union scales frequently push total compensation above that BLS average. The honest caveat: TradesPays has verified journeyman scale data for IBEW Local 716 electricians. For other trades and other locals, the union premium likely exists but we do not have a hard number to put on it at this time. If you are weighing a union vs. non-union shop in Texas, the electrician data point is the most reliable benchmark we can give you right now.
Cost-of-living context
The wages on this page are nominal BLS dollars — the actual dollar amounts reported by employers to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They are not adjusted for cost of living, housing costs, property taxes, or anything else. That matters more in Texas than in some states because Texas is not a single cost-of-living environment. A $78,940 Power-Line Worker wage stretches further in Lubbock than it does in Austin, and it buys a different life in Midland during an oil boom than it does in a slow market. Texas has no state income tax, which is a real take-home advantage compared to states with a 5–9% income tax bracket. But property taxes in Texas are among the highest in the country, and housing costs in the major metros have risen sharply over the past several years. TradesPays is not going to invent a cost-of-living index or tell you that a Texas wage 'goes further' as a blanket statement — that depends entirely on where in Texas you are working and living. What we will say plainly: if you are comparing a Texas wage offer to a wage offer in California or New York, the nominal number is not the whole story in either direction. Higher-pay states almost always come with higher costs. The right comparison is net purchasing power in the specific city, and that math is yours to run with local housing and tax data. TradesPays gives you the gross wage benchmark — the starting point, not the finish line.
Trades in Texas: FAQ
- How many trades does TradesPays track in Texas?
- TradesPays currently tracks 30 skilled trades at the Texas state level, using BLS OEWS May 2025 data as the source.
- What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Texas?
- Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data, Elevator Installers and Repairers average $102,140 statewide — the highest figure across all 30 trades tracked in Texas.
- What is the union wage premium for electricians in Texas?
- IBEW Local 716 in Houston sets a journeyman scale that is $24,630 above the Texas statewide BLS average for electricians. That is the one union premium TradesPays has a verified hard number for in this state.
- Does Texas having no state income tax affect take-home pay for tradespeople?
- Yes, meaningfully. With no state income tax, a Texas tradesperson keeps more of every paycheck compared to workers in states with income tax. However, Texas property taxes are high, so the net advantage depends on whether you own or rent and where you live.
- Are the wages on TradesPays broken down by city or metro area in Texas?
- No. All figures are statewide BLS averages. TradesPays does not currently provide metro-level breakdowns for Texas, so wages in Houston, Dallas, Austin, or El Paso may differ from the statewide number shown.
- Does TradesPays show separate pay rates for apprentices, journeymen, and masters in Texas?
- Not from BLS data — those figures are statewide averages across all experience levels in a trade. The one exception is the IBEW Local 716 journeyman scale for electricians, which is a specific tier number sourced directly from that local's wage schedule.
- Why is there such a large gap between the top and bottom trades in Texas?
- The $102,140 Elevator Installer average vs. the $40,620 Construction Laborer average reflects licensing requirements, physical risk, and specialized certification. Elevator work requires state licensure and a multi-year apprenticeship. General labor typically has no certification barrier to entry. That gap is not unique to Texas — it shows up in every state TradesPays covers.
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