Skilled trades in West Virginia, ranked by pay
Of the 14 trades tracked here, the best paid in West Virginia is lineworkers at a median $83,810 a year. Across all 14, 42,990 people are employed in West Virginia. 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) | $83,810 | $40.29 | $47,760 – $115,350 | 1,260 | 12% below | #37 of 51 |
| 2 | Sheet metal workers | $72,390 | $34.81 | $38,170 – $76,020 | 540 | 17% above | #14 of 50 |
| 3 | Ironworkers | $71,850 | $34.54 | $50,620 – $80,200 | 150 | 14% above | #19 of 50 |
| 4 | Electricians | $64,810 | $31.16 | $43,620 – $95,140 | 4,290 | 3% above | #26 of 51 |
| 5 | Plumbers and pipefitters | $56,980 | $27.39 | $36,010 – $83,160 | 1,830 | 11% below | #45 of 51 |
| 6 | Heavy equipment operators | $51,300 | $24.66 | $36,500 – $76,970 | 7,830 | 14% below | #42 of 51 |
| 7 | Truck drivers (CDL) | $49,480 | $23.79 | $36,350 – $72,230 | 12,190 | 16% below | #50 of 51 |
| 8 | HVAC technicians | $48,850 | $23.49 | $36,160 – $72,640 | 1,690 | 20% below | #48 of 51 |
| 9 | Welders | $48,810 | $23.46 | $36,700 – $73,780 | 2,100 | 9% below | #47 of 51 |
| 10 | Carpenters | $48,710 | $23.42 | $35,900 – $70,060 | 3,670 | 20% below | #46 of 51 |
| 11 | Machinists | $47,350 | $22.77 | $37,300 – $71,980 | 1,700 | 19% below | #51 of 51 |
| 12 | Diesel mechanics | $46,610 | $22.41 | $35,350 – $78,460 | 1,040 | 25% below | #51 of 51 |
| 13 | Brickmasons and blockmasons | $46,600 | $22.40 | $30,750 – $64,600 | 210 | 25% below | #48 of 50 |
| 14 | Auto service technicians | $37,660 | $18.11 | $28,270 – $65,520 | 4,490 | 26% below | #51 of 51 |
"State rank" is where West Virginia 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 West Virginia median with the national median for the same trade.
Apprenticeships in West Virginia
Registered apprentices in West Virginia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carpenters | 373 | 144 | $18.22 | fewer than 50 wages |
| Electricians | 366 | 92 | $16.72 | fewer than 50 wages |
| Plumbers and pipefitters | 248 | 46 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Lineworkers (power-line installers) | 187 | 63 | $24.08 | fewer than 50 wages |
| Sheet metal workers | 85 | 26 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Ironworkers | 72 | 46 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Heavy equipment operators | 38 | 15 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| HVAC technicians | 32 | 4 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Brickmasons and blockmasons | 22 | 10 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Elevator installers | 21 | 12 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Auto service technicians | 20 | 23 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Truck drivers (CDL) | 10 | 11 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Machinists | 6 | 2 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Welders | 4 | 1 | fewer than 50 wages | fewer than 50 wages |
| Diesel mechanics | 2 | 0 | 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 West Virginia
Pay is one input, not the answer. A trade that pays a little less but employs far more people in West Virginia 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 West Virginia ranks against every other state.
Full detail by trade
Lineworkers (power-line installers) in West Virginia · Sheet metal workers in West Virginia · Ironworkers in West Virginia · Electricians in West Virginia · Plumbers and pipefitters in West Virginia · Heavy equipment operators in West Virginia · Truck drivers (CDL) in West Virginia · HVAC technicians in West Virginia · Welders in West Virginia · Carpenters in West Virginia · Machinists in West Virginia · Diesel mechanics in West Virginia · Brickmasons and blockmasons in West Virginia · Auto service technicians in West Virginia
Or compare these trades nationally on the trade ranking, or pick another state from the state list.
No state licensing records are sourced in West Virginia 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.