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Skilled trades in District of Columbia, ranked by pay
Of the 14 trades tracked here, the best paid in District of Columbia is elevator installers at a median $122,570 a year. Across the 13 with a published employment count, 8,260 people are employed in District of Columbia. Each row links to the full wage spread for that trade in the state.
| # | Trade | Median annual | Median hourly | 10th–90th | Employed | vs US | State rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator installers | $122,570 | $58.93 | $65,870 – $148,490 | not published | 12% above | #13 of 37 |
| 2 | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $101,240 | $48.67 | $67,750 – $132,900 | 150 | 6% above | #24 of 51 |
| 3 | Plumbers and pipefitters | $101,020 | $48.57 | $52,310 – $117,180 | 1,010 | 58% above | #1 of 51 |
| 4 | HVAC technicians | $84,390 | $40.57 | $49,940 – $108,240 | 400 | 38% above | #1 of 51 |
| 5 | Electricians | $78,970 | $37.97 | $51,950 – $125,790 | 2,440 | 25% above | #7 of 51 |
| 6 | Heavy equipment operators | $74,610 | $35.87 | $50,540 – $98,270 | 620 | 25% above | #13 of 51 |
| 7 | Machinists | $72,900 | $35.05 | $56,570 – $98,850 | 160 | 24% above | #3 of 51 |
| 8 | Auto service technicians | $68,660 | $33.01 | $46,230 – $89,960 | 310 | 36% above | #1 of 51 |
| 9 | Diesel mechanics | $65,200 | $31.34 | $49,930 – $93,040 | 110 | 6% above | #16 of 51 |
| 10 | Brickmasons and blockmasons | $64,450 | $30.98 | $62,140 – $101,140 | 200 | 4% above | #22 of 50 |
| 11 | Truck drivers (CDL) | $64,170 | $30.85 | $51,500 – $84,000 | 830 | 9% above | #3 of 51 |
| 12 | Carpenters | $61,710 | $29.67 | $47,840 – $80,720 | 1,540 | 2% above | #18 of 51 |
| 13 | Ironworkers | $61,240 | $29.44 | $58,130 – $93,070 | 210 | 2% below | #30 of 50 |
| 14 | Welders | $60,180 | $28.93 | $48,400 – $75,580 | 280 | 12% above | #15 of 51 |
"State rank" is where District of Columbia places on median pay for that trade among the states and DC with a published median; a low number means the state pays well for it. "vs US" compares the District of Columbia median with the national median for the same trade.
Apprenticeships in District of Columbia
Registered apprentices in District of Columbia in fiscal year 2024 (October 2023 to September 2024), under the occupation titles the U.S. Department of Labor maps to each trade, with the median wage apprentices started at and the median at completion in fiscal 2023. A median is shown only where 50 or more apprentices carry the wage. The file's fiscal 2024 records largely stop after February 2024.
| Trade | Active, fiscal 2024 | Started, fiscal 2023 | Median starting wage | Median completing wage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 71 | 31 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 39 | 13 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Elevator installers | 11 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Sheet metal workers | 11 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| HVAC technicians | 9 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Carpenters | 8 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Ironworkers | 4 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons | 3 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Lineworkers (power-line installers) | 3 | 0 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Truck drivers (CDL) | 1 | 3 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
Hourly wages, in the dollars of fiscal 2023; the starters and the completers are different people. Each trade links to its count and wages in every state.
Which of these to consider in District of Columbia
Pay is one input, not the answer. A trade that pays a little less but employs far more people in District of Columbia can be the easier one to get hired and stay hired in. Weigh the median against the employment column, and against the training time and licensing each trade demands. Open a trade to see its full percentile spread and how District of Columbia ranks against every other state.
Full detail by trade
Elevator installers in District of Columbia · Lineworkers (power-line installers) in District of Columbia · Plumbers and pipefitters in District of Columbia · HVAC technicians in District of Columbia · Electricians in District of Columbia · Heavy equipment operators in District of Columbia · Machinists in District of Columbia · Auto service technicians in District of Columbia · Diesel mechanics in District of Columbia · Brickmasons and blockmasons in District of Columbia · Truck drivers (CDL) in District of Columbia · Carpenters in District of Columbia · Ironworkers in District of Columbia · Welders in District of Columbia
Or compare these trades nationally on the trade ranking, or pick another state from the state list.
No state licensing records are sourced in District of Columbia yet. Every trade page also gives pay by metro area where BLS publishes it and the registered-apprentice count where the U.S. Department of Labor lists an active apprentice. The pay and employment figures here are the May 2025 BLS estimates; see how the numbers are built.