What skilled trades pay in Washington, where the jobs are and how work is changing, from 39 public government sources. The best-paying trade here is elevator installer at a $137,180 median. For every trade and metro, start from the Washington pay page.
How Washington compares
41 of the 42 trades we track in Washington pay more than in a typical U.S. metro. The biggest premiums are for rebar worker (+92%), paving equipment operator (+81%) and ironworker (+68%), and the biggest gaps for plasterer (-12%) and flooring installer (+2%). Prices in Washington's metros run about 2% above the U.S. average, and a typical 1-bedroom rents for $1,230 a month (U.S. metros: $1,097).
Best-paying trades in Washington
Statewide median pay, BLS May 2025. The lowest-paying trade we track here is landscaper at $46,950.
Every trade in Washington
| Trade | Median pay | vs. U.S. | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elevator Installer | $137,180 | +27% | 540 |
| Electrical Lineworker | $133,060 | +37% | 2,340 |
| Construction Supervisor | $109,570 | +42% | 19,550 |
| Rebar Worker | $108,970 | +92% | 130 |
| Ironworker | $107,660 | +68% | 850 |
| Sheet Metal Worker | $98,550 | +60% | 3,440 |
| Building Inspector | $96,140 | +43% | 3,090 |
| Electrician | $95,220 | +52% | 19,380 |
| Paving Equipment Operator | $90,530 | +81% | 530 |
| Brickmason | $83,190 | +32% | 600 |
| Heavy Equipment Operator | $81,700 | +37% | 10,290 |
| Plumber | $81,030 | +32% | 12,470 |
| Tile Setter | $77,920 | +54% | 660 |
| Diesel Mechanic | $77,900 | +29% | 7,410 |
| Telecom Equipment Installer | $77,610 | +25% | 3,210 |
| Concrete Finisher | $77,520 | +35% | 4,440 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $77,220 | +21% | 10,710 |
| Rigger | $77,100 | +28% | 910 |
| Telecom Line Installer | $76,070 | +15% | 1,510 |
| Wind Turbine Technician | $75,880 | +20% | 210 |
| HVAC Technician | $75,660 | +27% | 7,370 |
| Carpenter | $74,190 | +32% | 26,960 |
| Drywall Installer | $73,130 | +36% | 2,670 |
| Insulation Installer | $67,750 | +40% | 2,330 |
| Glazier | $66,860 | +21% | 1,460 |
| Machinist | $66,160 | +16% | 6,880 |
| Septic & Sewer Technician | $63,090 | +24% | 1,600 |
| Welder | $63,020 | +21% | 7,720 |
| Roofer | $60,640 | +21% | 5,890 |
| Hazmat Removal Worker | $60,160 | +25% | 3,250 |
| Painter | $59,650 | +25% | 9,510 |
| Maintenance Technician | $59,160 | +22% | 32,450 |
| Auto Body Repairer | $58,340 | +13% | 2,330 |
| Appliance Repair Technician | $58,110 | +15% | 800 |
| Construction Laborer | $57,720 | +23% | 25,060 |
| Auto Mechanic | $57,270 | +17% | 12,930 |
| Flooring Installer | $56,800 | +2% | 370 |
| Fence Installer | $51,860 | +7% | 1,450 |
| Plasterer | $51,840 | -12% | 440 |
| Pest Control Technician | $51,300 | +15% | 1,430 |
| Landscaper | $46,950 | +25% | 22,550 |
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: 32,450 jobs
- Carpenter: 26,960 jobs
- Construction Laborer: 25,060 jobs
- Landscaper: 22,550 jobs
- Construction Supervisor: 19,550 jobs
Washington metros, best pay first
Ranked by how each metro's trade pay compares with all U.S. metros, averaged across trades.
Construction hiring
- Spokane: +1.8% (13,877 workers)
- Kennewick: +0.2% (10,935 workers)
- Seattle: -1.9% (112,829 workers)
- Olympia: -2.4% (5,918 workers)
- Bellingham: -5.9% (7,652 workers)
Change in private construction jobs from a year earlier, 2026 Q1, metros with at least 5,000 construction workers (BLS QCEW).
Unions
18.0% of Washington workers belong to a union (19.4% are covered by a union contract), compared with about 10% nationally (all jobs, 2025).
Apprenticeships
Registered apprentices in Washington who finished or left a program in FY2020–2024 completed most often in diesel mechanic (90%), insulation installer (90%) and plumber (89%).
Wages and safety
Unpaid wages recovered
Since 2018, the U.S. Labor Department has concluded 176 wage cases against construction employers in Washington, recovering $4,210,191 in back wages for 2,183 workers.
DOL Wage and Hour Division enforcement data, cases concluded 2018–2026. Counts only; employers aren't named here.
Safety inspections
In 2025, Washington's state-run safety program and federal OSHA opened 1,995 inspections of construction worksites in the state. About 43% were set off by a complaint, a referral or an accident (8 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 Washington metros with the most federal major disasters are Seattle (9), Bellingham (7) and Mount Vernon (7) (FEMA).
Veterans
Veterans: train on the job with the GI Bill
In Washington, 375 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 Washington?
Elevator Installer pays the most of the trades we track, with a $137,180 statewide median (BLS, May 2025), followed by electrical lineworker and construction supervisor.
Which trade has the most jobs in Washington?
maintenance technicians, with about 32,450 jobs statewide, followed by carpenters and construction laborers.
Which Washington city pays the trades best?
Seattle, compared with other U.S. metros across the trades we track, followed by Mount Vernon.
Is construction hiring growing in Washington?
In 2026 Q1, private construction jobs were up 1.8% from a year earlier in Spokane, the fastest-changing large market in the state, and down 5.9% in Bellingham.
Part of the State of Trade Pay 2026 report. Cite as “PayByTrade, State of Trade Pay in Washington 2026, payby.trade/report/wa/.”