Insight
The 10 Highest-Paying Trades Right Now, by State
Which trades actually pay the most in 2026, and how the answer changes from one state to another. Pulled from anonymous submissions, not employer surveys.
Generic "best trades" lists repeat the same ranking every year — elevator mechanics, power-line installers, the same handful of high-license trades on top. The actual answer is more interesting because it varies sharply by state. A welder in North Dakota and a welder in Mississippi are not in the same labor market.
The trades that consistently top the list
Across most states with enough data, the same four trades land in the top tier: elevator mechanics, power-line technicians, pipefitters/steamfitters, and master electricians with industrial experience. They share three things — heavy licensing, dangerous working conditions, and strong union representation where they dominate.
Where the rankings diverge
Geography changes the answer fast. In Texas and Louisiana, oilfield-adjacent trades (welders, instrument techs, pipeline) outpace almost everything else. In the Pacific Northwest, marine and aerospace welders. In the Northeast, unionized building trades push the rankings up. State-by-state pay variance for the same trade can run 40-60% — much wider than for white-collar roles.
How to find your slice
Open the search page and pick your role family.
Select your state and a years-of-experience band.
If the slice has 5+ submissions, you get a median and percentile spread. If not, you get "insufficient data" — submit yours to help fill it.
The more trades workers contribute, the sharper the state-by-state comparisons get. Add your numbers if your trade or state is underrepresented.