What skilled trades pay in Florida, where the jobs are and how work is changing, from 37 public government sources. The best-paying trade here is elevator installer at a $104,730 median. For every trade and metro, start from the Florida pay page.
How Florida compares
5 of the 41 trades we track in Florida pay more than in a typical U.S. metro. The biggest premiums are for appliance repair technician (+13%), flooring installer (+2%) and building inspector (+1%), and the biggest gaps for plasterer (-19%) and sheet metal worker (-19%). Prices in Florida's metros run about 1% below the U.S. average, and a typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,389 a month (U.S. metros: $1,097).
Best-paying trades in Florida
Statewide median pay, BLS May 2025. The lowest-paying trade we track here is landscaper at $37,100.
Every trade in Florida
| Trade | Median pay | vs. U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator Installer | $104,730 | -3% | 2,790 |
| Electrical Lineworker | $86,870 | -10% | 6,420 |
| Construction Supervisor | $75,790 | -2% | 69,830 |
| Building Inspector | $68,170 | +1% | 13,860 |
| Telecom Line Installer | $61,740 | -7% | 5,760 |
| Telecom Equipment Installer | $61,030 | -2% | 11,820 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $60,650 | -5% | 17,120 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $60,490 | +0% | 14,900 |
| Appliance Repair Technician | $57,280 | +13% | 3,000 |
| Electrician | $57,250 | -8% | 49,700 |
| Machinist | $57,140 | +0% | 8,400 |
| Flooring Installer | $57,020 | +2% | 1,660 |
| HVAC Technician | $56,670 | -5% | 39,160 |
| Ironworker | $55,700 | -13% | 2,730 |
| Plumber | $52,910 | -14% | 29,260 |
| Brickmason | $52,760 | -16% | 2,610 |
| Rigger | $52,390 | -13% | 910 |
| Welder | $50,640 | -3% | 16,420 |
| Solar Installer | $50,550 | -13% | 2,980 |
| Rebar Worker | $50,500 | -11% | 1,150 |
| Carpenter | $49,870 | -11% | 39,300 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $49,640 | -19% | 8,040 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $49,400 | -17% | 27,510 |
| Drywall Installer | $48,970 | -9% | 6,000 |
| Concrete Finisher | $48,680 | -15% | 15,240 |
| Auto Body Repairer | $48,600 | -6% | 9,220 |
| Auto Mechanic | $48,260 | -1% | 49,930 |
| Roofer | $47,590 | -5% | 23,550 |
| Painter | $47,530 | -0% | 22,450 |
| Plasterer | $47,420 | -19% | 1,970 |
| Tile Setter | $47,280 | -6% | 4,070 |
| Insulation Installer | $47,100 | -2% | 2,690 |
| Glazier | $47,030 | -15% | 6,370 |
| Paving Equipment Operator | $46,840 | -6% | 2,740 |
| Septic & Sewer Technician | $46,150 | -9% | 1,330 |
| Maintenance Technician | $46,060 | -5% | 111,530 |
| Fence Installer | $45,550 | -6% | 2,020 |
| Pest Control Technician | $44,320 | -0% | 12,400 |
| Construction Laborer | $44,030 | -6% | 87,040 |
| Hazmat Removal Worker | $42,350 | -12% | 1,780 |
| Landscaper | $37,100 | -1% | 86,040 |
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: 111,530 jobs
- Construction Laborer: 87,040 jobs
- Landscaper: 86,040 jobs
- Construction Supervisor: 69,830 jobs
- Auto Mechanic: 49,930 jobs
Florida metros, best pay first
Ranked by how each metro's trade pay compares with all U.S. metros, averaged across trades.
Construction hiring
- Gainesville: +0.8% (7,224 workers)
- Crestview: -0.9% (8,028 workers)
- Miami: -1.0% (154,082 workers)
- Pensacola: -1.2% (13,107 workers)
- Palm Bay: -1.7% (15,688 workers)
- Tampa: -2.6% (93,354 workers)
- Orlando: -2.7% (89,084 workers)
- Jacksonville: -2.8% (51,283 workers)
Change in private construction jobs from a year earlier, 2026 Q1, metros with at least 5,000 construction workers (BLS QCEW).
Unions
5.4% of Florida workers belong to a union (6.2% are covered by a union contract), compared with about 10% nationally (all jobs, 2025).
Apprenticeships
Registered apprentices in Florida who finished or left a program in FY2020–2024 completed most often in industrial machinery mechanic (76%), auto mechanic (69%) and diesel mechanic (64%).
Wages and safety
Unpaid wages recovered
Since 2018, the U.S. Labor Department has concluded 1,483 wage cases against construction employers in Florida, recovering $17,570,088 in back wages for 14,014 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, federal OSHA opened 1,480 inspections of construction worksites in the state. About 39% were set off by a complaint, a referral or an accident (55 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 Florida metros with the most federal major disasters are Jacksonville (11), Tallahassee (10) and Gainesville (8) (FEMA).
Veterans
Veterans: train on the job with the GI Bill
In Florida, 598 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 Florida?
Elevator Installer pays the most of the trades we track, with a $104,730 statewide median (BLS, May 2025), followed by electrical lineworker and construction supervisor.
Which trade has the most jobs in Florida?
maintenance technicians, with about 111,530 jobs statewide, followed by construction laborers and landscapers.
Which Florida city pays the trades best?
Naples, compared with other U.S. metros across the trades we track, followed by Miami.
Is construction hiring growing in Florida?
In 2026 Q1, private construction jobs were up 0.8% from a year earlier in Gainesville, the fastest-changing large market in the state, and down 8.7% in Naples.
Part of the State of Trade Pay 2026 report. Cite as “PayByTrade, State of Trade Pay in Florida 2026, payby.trade/report/fl/.”