What skilled trades pay in New York, where the jobs are and how work is changing, from 39 public government sources. The best-paying trade here is elevator installer at a $135,720 median. For every trade and metro, start from the New York pay page.
How New York compares
39 of the 42 trades we track in New York pay more than in a typical U.S. metro. The biggest premiums are for plasterer (+104%), rigger (+75%) and rebar worker (+72%), and the biggest gaps for auto body repairer (-8%) and solar installer (-4%). Prices in New York's metros run about 4% below the U.S. average, and a typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,196 a month (U.S. metros: $1,097).
Best-paying trades in New York
Statewide median pay, BLS May 2025. The lowest-paying trade we track here is landscaper at $44,840.
Every trade in New York
| Trade | Median pay | vs. U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator Installer | $135,720 | +25% | 3,470 |
| Electrical Lineworker | $121,280 | +25% | 5,840 |
| Rigger | $105,600 | +75% | 650 |
| Telecom Line Installer | $100,960 | +52% | 8,530 |
| Rebar Worker | $98,040 | +72% | 1,110 |
| Construction Supervisor | $95,700 | +24% | 29,600 |
| Ironworker | $92,610 | +45% | 2,700 |
| Brickmason | $84,410 | +34% | 3,790 |
| Wind Turbine Technician | $81,330 | +28% | 390 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $80,980 | +36% | 14,490 |
| Building Inspector | $79,460 | +18% | 11,160 |
| Electrician | $78,750 | +26% | 40,130 |
| Plumber | $77,490 | +26% | 23,210 |
| HVAC Technician | $74,430 | +25% | 24,430 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $73,760 | +20% | 6,570 |
| Hazmat Removal Worker | $73,090 | +52% | 4,090 |
| Carpenter | $72,330 | +29% | 40,630 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $70,100 | +16% | 13,230 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $69,740 | +9% | 12,740 |
| Telecom Equipment Installer | $67,710 | +9% | 6,240 |
| Roofer | $66,020 | +32% | 4,570 |
| Appliance Repair Technician | $65,190 | +29% | 2,110 |
| Concrete Finisher | $64,040 | +12% | 9,060 |
| Paving Equipment Operator | $62,760 | +26% | 4,530 |
| Glazier | $61,760 | +12% | 3,400 |
| Flooring Installer | $61,360 | +10% | 880 |
| Drywall Installer | $61,280 | +14% | 2,840 |
| Tile Setter | $61,260 | +21% | 2,990 |
| Machinist | $60,920 | +7% | 9,400 |
| Painter | $59,570 | +25% | 13,040 |
| Welder | $59,140 | +13% | 8,310 |
| Insulation Installer | $59,100 | +22% | 1,600 |
| Maintenance Technician | $57,790 | +20% | 119,650 |
| Solar Installer | $56,160 | -4% | 1,230 |
| Construction Laborer | $55,930 | +19% | 52,090 |
| Septic & Sewer Technician | $55,220 | +8% | 1,550 |
| Auto Mechanic | $54,120 | +11% | 32,020 |
| Pest Control Technician | $48,530 | +9% | 4,220 |
| Fence Installer | $48,000 | -1% | 1,010 |
| Auto Body Repairer | $47,670 | -8% | 8,530 |
| Landscaper | $44,840 | +19% | 47,600 |
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: 119,650 jobs
- Construction Laborer: 52,090 jobs
- Landscaper: 47,600 jobs
- Carpenter: 40,630 jobs
- Electrician: 40,130 jobs
New York metros, best pay first
Ranked by how each metro's trade pay compares with all U.S. metros, averaged across trades.
Construction hiring
- Buffalo: +7.5% (20,794 workers)
- Syracuse: +5.5% (12,488 workers)
- Rochester: +0.6% (21,689 workers)
- Kiryas Joel: -0.7% (12,868 workers)
- Albany: -1.1% (18,601 workers)
- New York: -2.8% (343,663 workers)
Change in private construction jobs from a year earlier, 2026 Q1, metros with at least 5,000 construction workers (BLS QCEW).
Unions
21.3% of New York workers belong to a union (22.5% are covered by a union contract), compared with about 10% nationally (all jobs, 2025).
Wages and safety
Unpaid wages recovered
Since 2018, the U.S. Labor Department has concluded 572 wage cases against construction employers in New York, recovering $16,434,999 in back wages for 5,951 workers.
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 1,377 inspections of construction worksites in the state. About 37% were set off by a complaint, a referral or an accident (37 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 New York metros with the most federal major disasters are New York (12), Syracuse (5) and Binghamton (5) (FEMA).
Veterans
Veterans: train on the job with the GI Bill
In New York, 986 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 New York?
Elevator Installer pays the most of the trades we track, with a $135,720 statewide median (BLS, May 2025), followed by electrical lineworker and plasterer.
Which trade has the most jobs in New York?
maintenance technicians, with about 119,650 jobs statewide, followed by construction laborers and landscapers.
Which New York city pays the trades best?
New York, compared with other U.S. metros across the trades we track, followed by Kiryas Joel.
Is construction hiring growing in New York?
In 2026 Q1, private construction jobs were up 7.5% from a year earlier in Buffalo, the fastest-changing large market in the state, and down 2.8% in New York.
Part of the State of Trade Pay 2026 report. Cite as “PayByTrade, State of Trade Pay in New York 2026, payby.trade/report/ny/.”