Fence Installers in the Modesto area earn a median of $59,600 a year, 23% above the typical U.S. metro. That ranks #3 of 51 metros nationwide.
Within driving distance, the same work pays less in Stockton.
Modesto scorecard for fence installers Our calculation
Grades compare Modesto with every other U.S. metro for this trade (A = top 20%).
Pay Government data
Pay range
Shaded: the middle half of workers. Grey line: typical U.S. metro ($48,410).
Compared with nearby metros
What the pay is really worth in Modesto Our calculation
Prices in Modesto run 4% above the U.S. average. Adjusted for that, a median paycheck here buys what $57,248 would in a typical place, ranking #8 of 51 on real pay.
Two different views, don't combine them. Real pay already accounts for housing, because the price index includes rent. Rent burden shows what share of pay a typical 1-bedroom takes. Use either one, not both together.
What fence installers do
Erect and repair fences and fence gates, using hand and power tools.
Most important day-to-day tasks
- Establish the location for a fence, and gather information needed to ensure that there are no electric cables or water lines in the area.
- Set metal or wooden posts in upright positions in postholes.
- Measure and lay out fence lines and mark posthole positions, following instructions, drawings, or specifications.
- Align posts, by lines or sighting, and verify vertical alignment of posts, using plumb bobs or spirit levels.
- Attach rails or tension wire along bottoms of posts to form fencing frames.
Outlook & getting started
Nationally, fence installer jobs are projected to grow 5.6% from 2025 to 2035 (all jobs: 3.5%), with about 2,500 openings a year. About 21% are self-employed.
On-the-job safety Government data
Nationally, fence installers have 118 injuries or illnesses serious enough to miss work per 10,000 full-time workers, 1.4× the rate for all jobs (87). The most common cause is being struck by or caught in objects and equipment.
BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024 (national, cases with days away from work).
Highest-paying CA metros for fence installers
| Metro | Median | Real pay | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| ModestoCALIFORNIA · CA | $59,600 | $57,248 | 40 |
| StocktonCALIFORNIA · CA | $58,750 | $55,905 | 150 |
| San FranciscoCALIFORNIA · CA | $58,640 | $50,721 | 270 |
| San JoseCALIFORNIA · CA | $58,250 | $52,752 | 210 |
| OxnardCALIFORNIA · CA | $56,310 | $50,944 | 100 |
| RiversideCALIFORNIA · CA | $55,060 | $51,728 | 420 |
| Los AngelesCALIFORNIA · CA | $50,290 | $44,283 | 710 |
| SacramentoCALIFORNIA · CA | $48,820 | $45,767 | 340 |
| San Luis ObispoCALIFORNIA · CA | $48,230 | $44,412 | 60 |
| ChicoCALIFORNIA · CA | $44,800 | $44,270 | 30 |
See every metro in California.
How much work is there? Government data
Local job market
The Modesto area's unemployment rate was 7.2% in 2025 (all workers, not just fence installers), above the typical U.S. metro's 4.1%. It was 8.2% in 2021.
BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, annual averages 2021–2025 (2025 preliminary).
Getting to work
The average commute in the Modesto area is 30 minutes each way, longer than the typical metro (24 min). 22% of commuters spend 45 minutes or more. 78% drive alone, 1% take transit and 8% work from home (all workers, not just trades).
Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year estimates (table S0801).
New construction
New-home permits in Modesto are up 49% from 2021 to 2025 (811 → 1,205).
In 2025 the Modesto area approved permits for 1,205 new homes (894 single-family), or 2.2 per 1,000 residents, ranking #280 of 393 metros.
Competition
In 2024 the area had 569 one-person businesses (no employees) in site prep & specialty contracting, averaging $67,603 a year in revenue before expenses.
They compete with 94 site prep & specialty contracting companies that have employees (about 814 workers in total). 50% of those companies have fewer than 5 employees.
Employee vs. working for yourself Your scenario
A model, not a market rate. It shows the minimum you'd need to bill to match a $59,600 employee salary once you cover what an employer normally pays for. Change any number.
Minimum billing rate
Billable hours are hours you can charge a customer. Driving, quoting, paperwork and slow weeks aren't billable, which is why 1,400 is a common starting point versus 2,080 paid hours as an employee.
Get fence installer pricing & estimate templates →Compare Modesto with another city →
About this data
- Pay: BLS Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2025, local to this metro.
- Real pay: BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024, local.
- Rent: HUD Fair Market Rents, FY2027, local (county rents weighted by population).
- Job outlook, education, training: BLS Employment Projections 2025–35, national.
- Duties: O*NET 31.0, national.
- Safety: BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses, 2023–2024, national.
- New construction: Census Building Permits, 2021–2025, local.
- Commute: Census American Community Survey, 2024 1-year, local, all workers.
- Unemployment: BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics, 2021–2025 annual averages, local, all workers (2025 preliminary).
- Competition: Census Nonemployer Statistics 2024 and County Business Patterns 2023, local, reported by industry, so related trades can share one figure.
- Jobs are employment estimates, not open positions. Grades rank this metro against all others for the same trade.