What do skilled trades pay in Wisconsin in 2026?
Median pay for 30 skilled trades in Wisconsin (BLS OEWS May 2025).
In 2026, the highest-paying skilled trades in Wisconsin are Rebar Worker (~$121,620) and Power-Line Worker (~$105,820), across 30 trades tracked (BLS OEWS May 2025). Last updated June 2026.
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Highest median pay
Rebar Worker
$121,620
Most workers employed
Construction Laborer
20,330 workers
Across 30 trades: $47,750–$121,620 (median $63,905).
Wisconsin tracks 30 skilled trades on TradesPays, all drawn from BLS OEWS May 2025 statewide median wages. At the top of the range, Rebar Workers pull $121,620 a year; at the bottom, Hazardous Materials Removal Workers come in at $47,750. The midpoint trade earns around $63,905, with most trades falling between $58,650 and $80,938. These are statewide figures: TradesPays does not hold Wisconsin metro-level breakdowns or apprentice-versus-journeyman splits beyond union scale data. If you work one of these trades in Wisconsin, these numbers are your negotiating floor: what the market is actually paying, nothing inflated.
Trades ranked by pay in Wisconsin
| # | Trade | Median |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rebar Worker | $121,620 |
| 2 | Power-Line Worker | $105,820 |
| 3 | Boilermaker | $97,590 |
| 4 | Ironworker | $92,820 |
| 5 | Pipelayer | $86,870 |
| 6 | Insulation Worker | $85,120 |
| 7 | Millwright | $82,630 |
| 8 | Plumber | $81,210 |
| 9 | Brickmason | $80,120 |
| 10 | Sheet Metal Worker | $77,760 |
See all 30
| 11 | Elevator Installer | $77,640 |
| 12 | Electrician | $76,540 |
| 13 | Construction Equipment Operator | $75,280 |
| 14 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $66,620 |
| 15 | Cement Mason | $64,250 |
| 16 | Telecom Line Installer | $63,560 |
| 17 | Tile & Stone Setter | $62,680 |
| 18 | Glazier | $62,400 |
| 19 | HVAC Technician | $61,710 |
| 20 | Carpenter | $61,660 |
| 21 | Drywall Installer | $59,970 |
| 22 | Roofer | $59,370 |
| 23 | Welder | $58,410 |
| 24 | Taper | $57,840 |
| 25 | Construction Laborer | $56,100 |
| 26 | Floor Layer | $52,860 |
| 27 | Plasterer | $50,700 |
| 28 | Painter | $50,090 |
| 29 | Solar Installer | $49,770 |
| 30 | Hazardous Materials Removal Worker | $47,750 |
Published local scales in Wisconsin?
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 Wisconsin across our trades yet. Missing scale data does not establish union coverage. Submitting your pay helps build complete data for Wisconsin.
How Wisconsin trade pay is spread
Across the 30 trades tracked in Wisconsin, the pay range runs from $47,750 to $121,620 a year (BLS OEWS May 2025, statewide median wages). The 25th-to-75th band, $58,650 to $80,938, is where most trades land, with a midpoint of $63,905. Rebar Worker sits at the top at $121,620; Hazardous Materials Removal Worker anchors the bottom at $47,750. 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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin
By headcount, Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Wisconsin, with about 20,330 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 Rebar Worker; if you want the widest hiring market, Construction Laborer is where the volume is.
Trades in Wisconsin: FAQ
- What is the highest-paying skilled trade in Wisconsin?
- Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 data, Rebar Worker is the top-paying trade tracked in Wisconsin, at a statewide median of $121,620.
- What is the lowest-paying trade in Wisconsin's dataset?
- Hazardous Materials Removal Worker sits at the bottom of the 30 trades tracked in Wisconsin, with a statewide median of $47,750 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- What does the typical skilled trade pay in Wisconsin?
- Across the 30 trades TradesPays tracks in Wisconsin, the midpoint trade earns about $63,905 (the median of the per-trade statewide medians), with most trades falling between $58,650 and $80,938 (BLS OEWS May 2025).
- How many skilled trades does TradesPays track in Wisconsin?
- TradesPays tracks 30 skilled trades at the state level in Wisconsin. All figures are statewide medians from BLS OEWS May 2025.
- Which trade employs the most workers in Wisconsin?
- Construction Laborer is the most-employed trade TradesPays tracks in Wisconsin, with about 20,330 workers reported (BLS OEWS May 2025 total employment). The trade that hires the most isn't the highest-paying: that's Rebar Worker at $121,620.
- Are Wisconsin'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 Wisconsin you live and work.
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