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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Which trade is best in Wisconsin?
Different trades win on different measures — here's the top on each. Pick the one that matters to you.
Highest median pay
Rebar Worker
$121,620
Most jobs
Construction Laborer
20,330 jobs
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 |
Where is the union premium biggest in Wisconsin?
Named locals and the premium over the BLS all-worker median.
We don't have union scale data for Wisconsin 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 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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