Occupation ranking
Highest Paying Trade Jobs
Skilled-trade occupations with the highest published annual median salary, defined by BLS Construction and Extraction plus Installation, Maintenance, and Repair major groups.
This ranking surfaces 0 distinct occupations using the selected measure from Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), each scored on the "Annual Median" dimension. The spread shown above is the observed range in the selected published measure and does not establish its causes. Every row links to the occupation's national profile with state and local-area wage breakdowns.
This ranking covers detailed occupations in the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program’s Construction and Extraction (SOC 47-0000) and Installation, Maintenance, and Repair (SOC 49-0000) major groups, the two groups BLS itself classifies as the skilled trades, ordered by published national annual median wage. The set is BLS’s own major-group taxonomy, not a hand-picked list, so it may include supervisory and inspection roles within those groups alongside hands-on trade work.
The values are published BLS estimates from the program named above, not job-board averages. Wage rankings use OEWS; growth, openings, and typical-entry education assignments use Employment Projections. Occupation profiles show OEWS wage percentiles and local-area estimates where published, plus BLS education assignments and projections where available. See our methodology for the source and field definitions.
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Last updated: May 2025. Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS).
Percentile bands and state/local-area breakouts use BLS OEWS State and Area Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates, May 2025.
How this list is computed: every detailed SOC occupation with a published "Annual Median" value in the May 2025 OEWS release is ranked directly on that value, with no editorial weighting or WageDex-imputed fill-ins for suppressed cells. The source values themselves are BLS estimates; occupations without a published value are absent.
Frequently Asked Questions
What counts as a trade job on this list?
Any detailed occupation BLS classifies under its Construction and Extraction (SOC 47-0000) or Installation, Maintenance, and Repair (SOC 49-0000) major groups, BLS’s own definition of the skilled trades, not an editorial selection.
Do these salaries reflect a typical apprentice or entry-level trade wage?
No. The annual median describes the midpoint of the full national wage distribution for covered workers in the occupation, including experienced workers. Check each occupation profile’s percentile wages and BLS typical-entry education/training assignment for entry-level expectations.
Do these figures include overtime or union scale differences?
No. OEWS wages include base pay, production bonuses, commissions, and tips, and exclude overtime premiums and employer benefits. Union scale, regional licensing, and local demand can move actual pay above or below the published national median.
Related Rankings & Nearby Pages
Jump to another ranking lens, explore the top-ranked occupation, or compare roles side-by-side.
How to read this ranking
Use the ranking to scope a field, then drill into a specific job
- These are occupation medians from the BLS OEWS survey: in each role, half of workers earn more and half earn less. The ranking is a starting point, not your expected pay. Browse occupations
- Pay rank shifts by location. A role near the top nationally can pay very differently in your state or metro, before you even adjust for cost of living. Compare states
- Open any occupation to see its full pay band, percentiles, and outlook, so you read the number in context. All rankings
Estimates reflect the BLS May 2025 reference period and exclude self-employed workers; some small occupation-area cells are suppressed.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OES Occupational wage estimates by area and industry · 2025
Source data and WageDex calculations are identified in context on this page. Each ranking labels its BLS source in context: OEWS May 2025 for wage rankings and Employment Projections 2024–2034 for growth and openings rankings. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.
This ranking is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or career advice. National rankings reflect aggregate BLS figures and may not represent a specific employer's actual pay, consult a qualified career counselor or financial advisor before making decisions based on this data.