What skilled trades pay in California, where the jobs are and how work is changing, from 37 public government sources. The best-paying trade here is elevator installer at a $141,180 median. For every trade and metro, start from the California pay page.
How California compares
42 of the 42 trades we track in California pay more than in a typical U.S. metro. The biggest premiums are for paving equipment operator (+67%), building inspector (+50%) and telecom line installer (+48%), and the biggest gaps for machinist (+0%) and insulation installer (+1%). Prices in California's metros run about 7% above the U.S. average, and a typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,782 a month (U.S. metros: $1,097).
Best-paying trades in California
Statewide median pay, BLS May 2025. The lowest-paying trade we track here is landscaper at $45,560.
Every trade in California
| Trade | Median pay | vs. U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator Installer | $141,180 | +30% | 1,910 |
| Electrical Lineworker | $129,040 | +33% | 8,930 |
| Building Inspector | $101,290 | +50% | 13,420 |
| Telecom Line Installer | $97,980 | +48% | 8,810 |
| Construction Supervisor | $97,680 | +27% | 71,750 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $87,160 | +46% | 36,020 |
| Rigger | $85,730 | +42% | 2,260 |
| Paving Equipment Operator | $83,130 | +67% | 1,400 |
| Wind Turbine Technician | $77,910 | +23% | 400 |
| Telecom Equipment Installer | $76,630 | +23% | 14,040 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $76,590 | +25% | 8,390 |
| Ironworker | $76,370 | +19% | 7,110 |
| Electrician | $76,160 | +22% | 73,310 |
| Carpenter | $75,920 | +35% | 100,750 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $74,400 | +16% | 26,830 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $73,950 | +23% | 20,940 |
| Plumber | $72,830 | +19% | 47,660 |
| HVAC Technician | $72,560 | +22% | 35,130 |
| Brickmason | $69,050 | +10% | 3,820 |
| Auto Body Repairer | $66,860 | +29% | 14,050 |
| Drywall Installer | $65,880 | +22% | 27,280 |
| Auto Mechanic | $64,980 | +33% | 65,420 |
| Glazier | $64,040 | +16% | 7,020 |
| Roofer | $63,600 | +27% | 21,190 |
| Rebar Worker | $63,110 | +11% | 2,390 |
| Concrete Finisher | $62,700 | +10% | 28,700 |
| Flooring Installer | $61,210 | +10% | 4,330 |
| Solar Installer | $60,600 | +4% | 6,830 |
| Construction Laborer | $60,270 | +29% | 88,240 |
| Plasterer | $59,940 | +2% | 6,780 |
| Painter | $59,020 | +24% | 38,430 |
| Tile Setter | $58,880 | +17% | 8,250 |
| Appliance Repair Technician | $58,480 | +16% | 2,760 |
| Welder | $58,060 | +11% | 26,060 |
| Machinist | $57,190 | +0% | 18,950 |
| Maintenance Technician | $57,000 | +18% | 143,060 |
| Hazmat Removal Worker | $56,120 | +16% | 7,340 |
| Fence Installer | $56,060 | +16% | 3,150 |
| Septic & Sewer Technician | $55,220 | +8% | 3,130 |
| Insulation Installer | $48,840 | +1% | 3,080 |
| Landscaper | $45,560 | +21% | 106,180 |
Statewide medians and jobs, BLS OEWS May 2025. “vs. U.S.” compares with the typical U.S. metro median for the trade.
Where the jobs are
- Maintenance Technician: 143,060 jobs
- Landscaper: 106,180 jobs
- Carpenter: 100,750 jobs
- Construction Laborer: 88,240 jobs
- Electrician: 73,310 jobs
California metros, best pay first
Ranked by how each metro's trade pay compares with all U.S. metros, averaged across trades.
Construction hiring
- Salinas: +3.6% (8,025 workers)
- San Jose: +3.5% (52,337 workers)
- Fresno: +2.7% (24,486 workers)
- Visalia: +1.3% (7,046 workers)
- Stockton: -0.1% (13,773 workers)
- Los Angeles: -0.1% (246,326 workers)
- Bakersfield: -0.1% (15,756 workers)
- Vallejo: -0.7% (10,655 workers)
Change in private construction jobs from a year earlier, 2026 Q1, metros with at least 5,000 construction workers (BLS QCEW).
Unions
14.9% of California workers belong to a union (16.7% are covered by a union contract), compared with about 10% nationally (all jobs, 2025).
Apprenticeships
Registered apprentices in California who finished or left a program in FY2020–2024 completed most often in electrical lineworker (81%), elevator installer (77%) and heavy equipment operator (77%).
Wages and safety
Unpaid wages recovered
Since 2018, the U.S. Labor Department has concluded 671 wage cases against construction employers in California, recovering $18,367,113 in back wages for 10,384 workers.offer check and keep your own record of hours.
DOL Wage and Hour Division enforcement data, cases concluded 2018–2026. Counts only; employers aren't named here.
Safety inspections
In 2025, California's state-run safety program and federal OSHA opened 2,333 inspections of construction worksites in the state. About 61% were set off by a complaint, a referral or an accident (622 after an accident or fatality); the rest were planned spot checks.
OSHA inspection data via the U.S. Department of Labor, construction (NAICS 23), inspections opened in 2025. Counts only.
Storm and disaster rebuild work
Since 2016, the California metros with the most federal major disasters are Napa (10), Los Angeles (9) and Chico (9) (FEMA).
Veterans
Veterans: train on the job with the GI Bill
In California, 811 employers and programs are approved for GI Bill on-the-job training and apprenticeships, across all fields. Veterans in an approved trade apprenticeship can get a monthly housing allowance on top of apprentice pay. Search approved employers with the VA's GI Bill Comparison Tool.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, GI Bill Comparison Tool data, October 2026.
Common questions
What is the highest-paying skilled trade in California?
Elevator Installer pays the most of the trades we track, with a $141,180 statewide median (BLS, May 2025), followed by electrical lineworker and building inspector.
Which trade has the most jobs in California?
maintenance technicians, with about 143,060 jobs statewide, followed by landscapers and carpenters.
Which California city pays the trades best?
San Jose, compared with other U.S. metros across the trades we track, followed by San Francisco.
Is construction hiring growing in California?
In 2026 Q1, private construction jobs were up 3.6% from a year earlier in Salinas, the fastest-changing large market in the state, and down 4.3% in San Luis Obispo.
Part of the State of Trade Pay 2026 report. Cite as “PayByTrade, State of Trade Pay in California 2026, payby.trade/report/ca/.”