What skilled trades pay in Massachusetts, where the jobs are and how work is changing, from 37 public government sources. The best-paying trade here is elevator installer at a $138,420 median. For every trade and metro, start from the Massachusetts pay page.
How Massachusetts compares
38 of the 39 trades we track in Massachusetts pay more than in a typical U.S. metro. The biggest premiums are for ironworker (+89%), glazier (+82%) and tile setter (+61%), and the biggest gaps for rigger (-12%) and fence installer (+0%). Prices in Massachusetts's metros run about 1% below the U.S. average, and a typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,602 a month (U.S. metros: $1,097).
Best-paying trades in Massachusetts
Statewide median pay, BLS May 2025. The lowest-paying trade we track here is pest control technician at $45,560.
Every trade in Massachusetts
| Trade | Median pay | vs. U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ironworker | $120,840 | +89% | 2,050 |
| Electrical Lineworker | $110,210 | +14% | 2,350 |
| Telecom Line Installer | $103,410 | +56% | 2,230 |
| Glazier | $100,810 | +82% | 1,080 |
| Construction Supervisor | $97,850 | +27% | 18,330 |
| Brickmason | $94,950 | +51% | 1,570 |
| Plumber | $93,880 | +53% | 13,460 |
| Building Inspector | $83,200 | +23% | 4,290 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $82,100 | +34% | 2,890 |
| Tile Setter | $81,150 | +61% | 410 |
| Electrician | $79,420 | +27% | 17,810 |
| Flooring Installer | $79,280 | +42% | 1,060 |
| HVAC Technician | $77,300 | +30% | 8,200 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $76,820 | +29% | 9,680 |
| Telecom Equipment Installer | $76,500 | +23% | 2,890 |
| Carpenter | $75,200 | +34% | 18,540 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $73,270 | +21% | 4,870 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $72,840 | +14% | 6,130 |
| Roofer | $72,750 | +45% | 1,950 |
| Appliance Repair Technician | $70,750 | +40% | 550 |
| Drywall Installer | $69,500 | +29% | 590 |
| Machinist | $67,270 | +18% | 7,080 |
| Concrete Finisher | $63,840 | +12% | 1,590 |
| Construction Laborer | $63,390 | +35% | 16,210 |
| Welder | $62,570 | +20% | 2,830 |
| Paving Equipment Operator | $60,950 | +22% | 560 |
| Auto Mechanic | $60,760 | +24% | 12,710 |
| Auto Body Repairer | $59,300 | +15% | 3,060 |
| Solar Installer | $59,180 | +2% | 620 |
| Maintenance Technician | $58,320 | +21% | 29,830 |
| Painter | $57,510 | +21% | 4,430 |
| Rigger | $53,500 | -12% | 240 |
| Septic & Sewer Technician | $53,080 | +4% | 620 |
| Hazmat Removal Worker | $49,620 | +3% | 2,770 |
| Insulation Installer | $48,940 | +1% | 710 |
| Landscaper | $48,670 | +30% | 22,880 |
| Pest Control Technician | $45,560 | +2% | 1,900 |
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: 29,830 jobs
- Landscaper: 22,880 jobs
- Carpenter: 18,540 jobs
- Construction Supervisor: 18,330 jobs
- Electrician: 17,810 jobs
Massachusetts metros, best pay first
Ranked by how each metro's trade pay compares with all U.S. metros, averaged across trades.
Construction hiring
- Springfield: +0.5% (7,233 workers)
- Worcester: -1.5% (15,154 workers)
- Boston: -2.4% (111,779 workers)
- Barnstable Town: -3.5% (6,650 workers)
Change in private construction jobs from a year earlier, 2026 Q1, metros with at least 5,000 construction workers (BLS QCEW).
Unions
14.5% of Massachusetts workers belong to a union (15.4% are covered by a union contract), compared with about 10% nationally (all jobs, 2025).
Apprenticeships
Registered apprentices in Massachusetts who finished or left a program in FY2020–2024 completed most often in tile setter (78%), maintenance technician (75%) and carpenter (63%).
Wages and safety
Unpaid wages recovered
Since 2018, the U.S. Labor Department has concluded 385 wage cases against construction employers in Massachusetts, recovering $9,364,163 in back wages for 3,629 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 854 inspections of construction worksites in the state. About 48% were set off by a complaint, a referral or an accident (30 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 Massachusetts metros with the most federal major disasters are Boston (8), Worcester (2) and Barnstable Town (1) (FEMA).
Veterans
Veterans: train on the job with the GI Bill
In Massachusetts, 398 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 Massachusetts?
Elevator Installer pays the most of the trades we track, with a $138,420 statewide median (BLS, May 2025), followed by ironworker and electrical lineworker.
Which trade has the most jobs in Massachusetts?
maintenance technicians, with about 29,830 jobs statewide, followed by landscapers and carpenters.
Which Massachusetts city pays the trades best?
Boston, compared with other U.S. metros across the trades we track, followed by Barnstable Town.
Is construction hiring growing in Massachusetts?
In 2026 Q1, private construction jobs were up 0.5% from a year earlier in Springfield, the fastest-changing large market in the state, and down 3.5% in Barnstable Town.
Part of the State of Trade Pay 2026 report. Cite as “PayByTrade, State of Trade Pay in Massachusetts 2026, payby.trade/report/ma/.”