Skilled trades in Idaho, ranked by pay
Of the 14 trades tracked here, the best paid in Idaho is lineworkers at a median $125,410 a year. Across all 14, 56,200 people are employed in Idaho. 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 | Lineworkers (power-line installers) | $125,410 | $60.29 | $75,770 – $131,140 | 860 | 32% above | #6 of 51 |
| 2 | Ironworkers | $72,750 | $34.98 | $49,780 – $80,140 | 500 | 16% above | #18 of 50 |
| 3 | Electricians | $63,000 | $30.29 | $38,830 – $95,470 | 5,690 | about the same as | #30 of 51 |
| 4 | Brickmasons and blockmasons | $62,510 | $30.06 | $46,030 – $78,780 | 320 | 1% above | #25 of 50 |
| 5 | Heavy equipment operators | $61,680 | $29.66 | $47,230 – $79,650 | 4,270 | 3% above | #23 of 51 |
| 6 | Diesel mechanics | $59,230 | $28.48 | $45,960 – $77,800 | 1,930 | 4% below | #38 of 51 |
| 7 | Machinists | $58,810 | $28.28 | $38,450 – $81,920 | 1,070 | about the same as | #27 of 51 |
| 8 | Truck drivers (CDL) | $58,770 | $28.26 | $43,360 – $77,120 | 15,920 | about the same as | #26 of 51 |
| 9 | HVAC technicians | $56,240 | $27.04 | $38,660 – $80,780 | 4,550 | 8% below | #44 of 51 |
| 10 | Plumbers and pipefitters | $52,380 | $25.18 | $39,430 – $82,620 | 3,090 | 18% below | #49 of 51 |
| 11 | Carpenters | $52,000 | $25.00 | $36,850 – $75,710 | 8,380 | 14% below | #37 of 51 |
| 12 | Welders | $50,530 | $24.30 | $40,370 – $70,790 | 3,300 | 6% below | #39 of 51 |
| 13 | Auto service technicians | $48,420 | $23.28 | $34,570 – $77,710 | 5,030 | 4% below | #36 of 51 |
| 14 | Sheet metal workers | $46,350 | $22.29 | $36,340 – $78,470 | 1,290 | 25% below | #49 of 50 |
"State rank" is where Idaho 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 Idaho median with the national median for the same trade.
Apprenticeships in Idaho
Registered apprentices in Idaho 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 | 506 | 196 | $18.57 | $31.84 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 371 | 172 | $19.00 | fewer than 50 wages |
| Lineworkers (power-line installers) | 173 | 84 | $32.40 | fewer than 50 wages |
| Carpenters | 132 | 78 | $23.42 | fewer than 50 wages |
| Sheet metal workers | 128 | 68 | $21.14 | fewer than 50 wages |
| HVAC technicians | 104 | 83 | $20.00 | fewer than 50 wages |
| Welders | 46 | 21 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Ironworkers | 43 | 25 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Auto service technicians | 41 | 36 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Elevator installers | 14 | 5 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Diesel mechanics | 13 | 8 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Heavy equipment operators | 10 | 6 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Truck drivers (CDL) | 8 | 14 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Machinists | 6 | 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. What a wage comes to a week and a year, at your hours →
Which of these to consider in Idaho
Pay is one input, not the answer. A trade that pays a little less but employs far more people in Idaho 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 Idaho ranks against every other state.
Full detail by trade
Lineworkers (power-line installers) in Idaho · Ironworkers in Idaho · Electricians in Idaho · Brickmasons and blockmasons in Idaho · Heavy equipment operators in Idaho · Diesel mechanics in Idaho · Machinists in Idaho · Truck drivers (CDL) in Idaho · HVAC technicians in Idaho · Plumbers and pipefitters in Idaho · Carpenters in Idaho · Welders in Idaho · Auto service technicians in Idaho · Sheet metal workers in Idaho
Or compare these trades nationally on the trade ranking, or pick another state from the state list.
No state licensing records are sourced in Idaho 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.