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Skilled trades by state
Pick a state to see its trades ranked by what they pay there, how many people the state employs in each, and how that pay compares to the rest of the country. May 2025 BLS estimates.
| State | Best-paid trade | Its median | Employed, published counts |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Elevator installers | $103,700 | 117,210 |
| Alaska | Sheet metal workers | $94,600 | 16,750 |
| Arizona | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $75,420 | 158,120 |
| Arkansas | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $81,450 | 81,910 |
| California | Elevator installers | $141,180 | 659,490 |
| Colorado | Elevator installers | $123,360 | 116,780 |
| Connecticut | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $126,850 | 60,760 |
| Delaware | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $97,180 | 22,650 |
| District of Columbia | Elevator installers | $122,570 | 8,260 |
| Florida | Elevator installers | $104,730 | 410,090 |
| Georgia | Elevator installers | $83,500 | 204,970 |
| Hawaii | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $134,340 | 23,810 |
| Idaho | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $125,410 | 56,200 |
| Illinois | Elevator installers | $133,690 | 251,940 |
| Indiana | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $102,040 | 189,360 |
| Iowa | Elevator installers | $115,300 | 93,540 |
| Kansas | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $101,620 | 74,990 |
| Kentucky | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $77,020 | 104,450 |
| Louisiana | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $76,410 | 104,920 |
| Maine | Elevator installers | $143,690 | 36,730 |
| Maryland | Elevator installers | $122,260 | 107,630 |
| Massachusetts | Elevator installers | $138,420 | 134,930 |
| Michigan | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $106,890 | 215,460 |
| Minnesota | Elevator installers | $128,020 | 140,280 |
| Mississippi | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $75,890 | 67,070 |
| Missouri | Elevator installers | $126,750 | 153,710 |
| Montana | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $110,320 | 29,140 |
| Nebraska | Elevator installers | $117,690 | 61,940 |
| Nevada | Elevator installers | $141,950 | 67,830 |
| New Hampshire | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $102,170 | 30,180 |
| New Jersey | Elevator installers | $137,920 | 140,010 |
| New Mexico | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $76,470 | 42,710 |
| New York | Elevator installers | $135,720 | 291,920 |
| North Carolina | Elevator installers | $107,700 | 213,930 |
| North Dakota | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $105,870 | 33,810 |
| Ohio | Elevator installers | $105,020 | 266,430 |
| Oklahoma | Elevator installers | $105,430 | 93,910 |
| Oregon | Elevator installers | $138,600 | 89,750 |
| Pennsylvania | Elevator installers | $117,250 | 277,620 |
| Rhode Island | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $104,620 | 19,970 |
| South Carolina | Elevator installers | $90,860 | 103,940 |
| South Dakota | Elevator installers | $116,320 | 28,680 |
| Tennessee | Elevator installers | $100,490 | 171,280 |
| Texas | Elevator installers | $102,140 | 670,520 |
| Utah | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $101,220 | 98,850 |
| Vermont | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $108,520 | 14,650 |
| Virginia | Elevator installers | $108,250 | 187,490 |
| Washington | Elevator installers | $137,180 | 159,710 |
| West Virginia | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $83,810 | 42,990 |
| Wisconsin | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $105,820 | 161,370 |
| Wyoming | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $93,860 | 22,840 |
"Best-paid trade" is the highest median among the 15 trades tracked here for that state (a tie lists every trade that shares it); it is not always the same trade from state to state. Open a state to see them all ranked. The employment column adds the trades whose count BLS publishes for that state.