What skilled trades pay in Delaware, where the jobs are and how work is changing, from 37 public government sources. The best-paying trade here is electrical lineworker at a $97,180 median. For every trade and metro, start from the Delaware pay page.
How Delaware compares
23 of the 33 trades we track in Delaware pay more than in a typical U.S. metro. The biggest premiums are for telecom line installer (+42%), painter (+23%) and auto mechanic (+19%), and the biggest gaps for hazmat removal worker (-8%) and drywall installer (-7%). Prices in Delaware's metros run about 2% below the U.S. average, and a typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,294 a month (U.S. metros: $1,097).
Best-paying trades in Delaware
Statewide median pay, BLS May 2025. The lowest-paying trade we track here is landscaper at $37,350.
Every trade in Delaware
| Trade | Median pay | vs. U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Lineworker | $97,180 | +0% | 330 |
| Telecom Line Installer | $93,850 | +42% | 310 |
| Construction Supervisor | $81,100 | +5% | 2,590 |
| Building Inspector | $72,700 | +8% | 570 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $67,320 | +5% | 890 |
| Telecom Equipment Installer | $66,670 | +7% | 440 |
| Brickmason | $66,550 | +6% | 200 |
| Plumber | $64,720 | +5% | 1,590 |
| Electrician | $63,700 | +2% | 2,260 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $63,590 | +5% | 670 |
| Machinist | $62,650 | +10% | 310 |
| HVAC Technician | $62,320 | +5% | 1,730 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $61,460 | +0% | 440 |
| Ironworker | $59,820 | -7% | 90 |
| Roofer | $59,440 | +19% | 230 |
| Carpenter | $59,200 | +5% | 2,250 |
| Painter | $58,530 | +23% | 480 |
| Auto Mechanic | $58,410 | +19% | 1,910 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $58,020 | -3% | 1,230 |
| Welder | $57,270 | +10% | 600 |
| Concrete Finisher | $57,030 | -0% | 400 |
| Paving Equipment Operator | $54,020 | +8% | 150 |
| Insulation Installer | $53,570 | +11% | 280 |
| Appliance Repair Technician | $53,390 | +6% | 60 |
| Drywall Installer | $50,170 | -7% | 350 |
| Maintenance Technician | $50,150 | +4% | 3,310 |
| Auto Body Repairer | $48,780 | -6% | 340 |
| Septic & Sewer Technician | $48,440 | -5% | 30 |
| Construction Laborer | $45,550 | -3% | 3,240 |
| Pest Control Technician | $45,300 | +2% | 300 |
| Landscaper | $37,350 | -1% | 4,130 |
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
- Landscaper: 4,130 jobs
- Maintenance Technician: 3,310 jobs
- Construction Laborer: 3,240 jobs
- Construction Supervisor: 2,590 jobs
- Electrician: 2,260 jobs
Unions
10.4% of Delaware workers belong to a union (11.5% are covered by a union contract), compared with about 10% nationally (all jobs, 2025).
Apprenticeships
Registered apprentices in Delaware who finished or left a program in FY2020–2024 completed most often in electrician (68%), plumber (55%) and sheet metal worker (54%).
Wages and safety
Unpaid wages recovered
Since 2018, the U.S. Labor Department has concluded 29 wage cases against construction employers in Delaware, recovering $419,936 in back wages for 284 workers.offer check and keep your own record of hours.
DOL Wage and Hour Division enforcement data, cases concluded 2018–2025. Counts only; employers aren't named here.
Safety inspections
In 2025, federal OSHA opened 181 inspections of construction worksites in the state. About 26% were set off by a complaint, a referral or an accident (1 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 Delaware metros with the most federal major disasters are Dover (2) (FEMA).
Veterans
Veterans: train on the job with the GI Bill
In Delaware, 81 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 Delaware?
Electrical Lineworker pays the most of the trades we track, with a $97,180 statewide median (BLS, May 2025), followed by telecom line installer and construction supervisor.
Which trade has the most jobs in Delaware?
landscapers, with about 4,130 jobs statewide, followed by maintenance technicians and construction laborers.
Part of the State of Trade Pay 2026 report. Cite as “PayByTrade, State of Trade Pay in Delaware 2026, payby.trade/report/de/.”