Trades
Pick your trade
National median pay (BLS, May 2025), projected growth to 2034, and how many states require a license.
Elevator Technician$109,910 /yr medianHome Inspector$74,690 /yr medianPlumber$63,800 /yr medianElectrician$63,190 /yr medianDiesel Mechanic$61,770 /yr medianHVAC Technician$61,010 /yr medianCarpenter$60,580 /yr medianCDL Truck Driver$58,640 /yr medianWelder$53,750 /yr medianSolar PV Installer$53,140 /yr medianCNC Machinist$50,690 /yr medianAuto Mechanic$50,620 /yr median
Compare states, not just trades
Requirements differ more between states than most people expect. These tables put every state side by side, with each figure sourced to the board that publishes it:
- Journeyman electrician hours in every state
- Journeyman plumber hours in every state
- HVAC technician hour requirements by state
- Electrician license reciprocity: which states accept which
- Plumber license reciprocity by state
- HVAC license reciprocity by state
- Do welders need a license? By state
- Do auto mechanics need a license?
- Do diesel mechanics need a license?
- Where HVAC licensing is required
Pay pages go deeper than the national medians above: see electrician pay in Texas for percentiles, metro breakdowns and the four-year trend. To put two trades against each other in one state rather than reading them one at a time, use the trade salary comparison; to price the licensing paperwork, the license cost estimator totals what each board publishes.
Source: BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034 · state licensing boards, verified July 2026