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Trade Wage Intelligence for Specialty Contractors

BLS data breakdowns, hiring cost analysis, and compensation strategy for HVAC, electrical, plumbing, and welding contractors.

Electrical How to Use BLS & O*NET Data Salary Bands & Offers Hiring & Compensation Strategy Trade Wage Guides State & Metro Wage Guides Tools & Software Comparisons

Trade Wage Guides· 9 min read

Trade Wage Data Hub: Every Trade, State, and Metro in One Place

One page to find what to pay any trade, in any market we cover. Browse by occupation, state, or metro.

Hiring & Compensation Strategy· 10 min read

Wage Benchmarking for Industrial Maintenance Contractors

You share a SOC taxonomy with construction trades - and the same wage-benchmarking problem. Here's how to solve it.

Hiring & Compensation Strategy· 10 min read

Comparing Wages Across Multiple Trades (For Multi-Trade Contractors)

When you hire across welders, pipefitters, and operators, you need one view of where each sits. Here's how to compare.

Hiring & Compensation Strategy· 9 min read

Wage Benchmarking for Owner-Operators (No HR Department Required)

You're the estimator, the dispatcher, and the HR department. Here's the fastest way to price a trade offer right.

Tools & Software Comparisons· 9 min read

O*NET OnLine vs a Wage Tool: Profiles Without the Pay Picture

O*NET tells you what the job is; it won't tell you what to pay. Joined to BLS, the two finally talk to each other.

Tools & Software Comparisons· 10 min read

Generalist HR Suites vs a Trade Wage Tool: Why You Might Need Both

Your HR suite is great at a lot of things - but benchmarking a journeyman electrician isn't one of them. Here's the fit.

Tools & Software Comparisons· 14 min read

Enterprise Comp Platforms vs SMB Trade Wage Tools: Bridging the Gap

There's a wide gap between free-but-unusable government data and enterprise-priced platforms. Here's what fits a 40-person shop.

Tools & Software Comparisons· 12 min read

Free BLS Data vs a Wage Tool: When the Spreadsheet Stops Paying Off

The data is free; your time isn't. Here's the honest math on DIY BLS lookups versus a wage tool built for trades.

State & Metro Wage Guides· 8 min read

Skilled Trades Wages in Phoenix, AZ: What Employers Are Paying

Phoenix's heat keeps HVAC demand year-round. Here's the metro wage picture, by trade and percentile.

State & Metro Wage Guides· 10 min read

Skilled Trades Wages in Atlanta, GA: What Employers Are Paying

Atlanta's rapid growth keeps trade hiring competitive. Here's the metro wage picture, by trade and percentile.

State & Metro Wage Guides· 10 min read

Skilled Trades Wages in Chicago, IL: What Employers Are Paying

Chicago's strong union market lifts trade pay. Here's the metro wage picture, by trade and percentile.

State & Metro Wage Guides· 10 min read

Skilled Trades Wages in Dallas-Fort Worth, TX: What Employers Are Paying

DFW's growth keeps trade demand strong. Here's the metro wage picture, by trade and percentile.

State & Metro Wage Guides· 10 min read

Skilled Trades Wages in Houston, TX: What Employers Are Paying

Houston's industrial base reshapes trade pay - especially for welders and pipefitters. Here's the metro picture by percentile.

State & Metro Wage Guides· 10 min read

Skilled Trades Wages in Illinois: What Employers Are Paying

Illinois trade pay is anchored by Chicago's strong union market. Here's the statewide picture, by trade and percentile.

State & Metro Wage Guides· 11 min read

Skilled Trades Wages in New York: What Employers Are Paying

New York pays a premium for trades - especially downstate. Here's the statewide picture, by trade and percentile.

State & Metro Wage Guides· 10 min read

Skilled Trades Wages in Florida: What Employers Are Paying

Florida's building boom keeps trade demand high. Here's the statewide wage picture, by trade and percentile.

State & Metro Wage Guides· 11 min read

Skilled Trades Wages in California: What Employers Are Paying

California's metros run hot on trade pay. Here's the statewide picture, by trade and percentile, with metro context.

State & Metro Wage Guides· 12 min read

Skilled Trades Wages in Texas: What Employers Are Paying

Texas trade wages vary widely from Houston to the Rio Grande Valley. Here's the statewide picture, by trade and percentile.

Trade Wage Guides· 9 min read

Heavy Equipment Operator Salary Guide for Employers (SOC 47-2073)

Operators keep the site moving. Here's what the market pays them, by percentile, with the full O*NET profile.

Trade Wage Guides· 10 min read

Structural Iron & Steel Worker Salary Guide for Employers (SOC 47-2221)

Ironwork is demanding, dangerous, and well-paid. Here's what the market pays, by percentile, with the O*NET profile.

Trade Wage Guides· 10 min read

Sheet Metal Worker Salary Guide for Employers (SOC 47-2211)

Sheet metal work sits at the heart of HVAC fabrication. Here's what the market pays, by percentile.

Trade Wage Guides· 11 min read

Pipefitter & Steamfitter Salary Guide for Employers (47-2152)

Pipefitting is high-skill, high-demand work. Here's what the market pays - by percentile, with the O*NET profile.

Trade Wage Guides· 10 min read

Brickmason & Blockmason Salary Guide for Employers (SOC 47-2021)

Masonry is skilled, seasonal, and regional. Here's what the market pays - by percentile, with the O*NET profile.

Trade Wage Guides· 9 min read

Carpenter Salary Guide for Employers (SOC 47-2031)

From framing to finish, here's what the market pays carpenters, by percentile, with the full O*NET profile.

Trade Wage Guides· 10 min read

Welder, Cutter & Solderer Salary Guide for Employers (SOC 51-4121)

Pipe welders and structural welders aren't paid the same. Here's the market by percentile, with the O*NET profile.

Trade Wage Guides· 11 min read

HVAC Technician Salary Guide for Employers (SOC 49-9021)

HVAC demand is climbing fast. Here's what the market pays techs, by percentile, with the full O*NET picture.

Trade Wage Guides· 12 min read

Plumber, Pipefitter & Steamfitter Salary Guide for Employers (SOC 47-2152)

Plumbers and pipefitters share a SOC code but not always a market. Here's what to pay them, by percentile.

Trade Wage Guides· 10 min read

Electrician Salary Guide for Employers (SOC 47-2111)

From apprentice to master, here's what the market pays electricians - by percentile, with the full O*NET profile.

Hiring & Compensation Strategy· 9 min read

The Skilled Trades Labor Shortage in 2026: What It Means for Your Pay

When demand outruns supply, wages move. Here's how the 2026 trade shortage is rewriting the offer.

Hiring & Compensation Strategy· 11 min read

How to Set Up an Apprenticeship Program for Your Trade Business

Apprenticeships solve your pipeline problem - if you have a structured wage progression to back them. Here's the step-by-step.

Hiring & Compensation Strategy· 10 min read

Tracking Year-Over-Year Trade Wage Changes (and Why It Matters)

Wages don't sit still. The year-over-year change tells you whether your pay schedule is keeping up - or falling behind.

Hiring & Compensation Strategy· 10 min read

Why Skilled Tradespeople Quit (and How Pay Fits In)

People rarely quit over one paycheck - they quit when the market moved and you didn't. Here's how to stay ahead.

Hiring & Compensation Strategy· 10 min read

Why Trade Hiring Takes 56 Days - and How to Shorten It

Every day a trade role sits open burns money. Knowing your market rate up front cuts the back-and-forth that drags out the hire.

Hiring & Compensation Strategy· 11 min read

The Real Cost of a Bad Skilled Trades Hire

A bad trade hire isn't a $0 mistake. Between re-recruiting, overtime, and turnover, it can cost more than a year of wage data.

Salary Bands & Offers· 10 min read

How to Write Trade Job Descriptions Using O*NET (Skills, Tasks, Pay Range)

A vague job post attracts vague applicants. O*NET hands you the skills and tasks; BLS hands you the pay range.

Salary Bands & Offers· 9 min read

How to Write a Competitive Trade Job Offer (That Doesn't Get Countered)

The candidate just countered. Here's how to build offers that land the first time - backed by data, not a hunch.

Salary Bands & Offers· 10 min read

Apprentice, Journeyman, Master: Building Multi-Level Trade Pay Bands

Your crew isn't one wage - it's a ladder. Here's how to set apprentice, journeyman, and master bands from a single occupation.

Salary Bands & Offers· 9 min read

Setting Your Spread Buffer: How Wide Should a Trade Pay Band Be?

Too narrow and good candidates fall outside; too wide and the band means nothing. Here's how to set the spread.

Salary Bands & Offers· 10 min read

Which Wage Percentile Should You Pay? Choosing Your Market Anchor

The percentile you anchor to is a strategy decision, not a math one. Here's how to choose for your shop and your market.

Salary Bands & Offers· 14 min read

How to Build a Salary Band for a Trade Role (Min, Midpoint, Max)

A salary band is just a smart range around a market number. Here's how to build one in minutes from BLS data.

How to Use BLS & O*NET Data· 8 min read

When Does BLS Release New Wage Data? The 2026 OEWS Schedule

Wages move every year. If your numbers are from last release, your offer may already be behind the market.

How to Use BLS & O*NET Data· 7 min read

Mean vs Median Wage: Which One Should Drive Your Trade Offer?

Mean and median aren't the same number - and using the wrong one can quietly inflate or deflate your offer.

How to Use BLS & O*NET Data· 10 min read

What Is an MSA, and Why Metro Wage Data Beats State Averages

Paying the California average to a Bay Area electrician is a fast way to lose them. Metro data is the fix.

How to Use BLS & O*NET Data· 9 min read

O*NET-SOC vs BLS SOC Codes: How the Two Datasets Connect

47-2111 or 47-2111.00? Here's why both exist and how joining them gives you wages plus the full job profile in one place.

How to Use BLS & O*NET Data· 10 min read

What's in an O*NET Occupational Profile - and Why It Matters for Hiring Trades

O*NET describes what a trade job actually involves. Pair it with wage data and your job descriptions write themselves.

How to Use BLS & O*NET Data· 9 min read

O*NET Job Zones Explained: How to Read the Experience Level of Any Trade

O*NET's Job Zones rank how much preparation a job takes. For trades, that maps neatly to apprentice, journeyman, and master.

How to Use BLS & O*NET Data· 9 min read

Wage Percentiles Explained: 10th to 90th, and What Each Means for Your Offer

Percentiles sound like a math class flashback. Here's what each one tells you about the market - and where to anchor your offer.

How to Use BLS & O*NET Data· 9 min read

What Is a SOC Code? A Trade Employer's Plain-English Guide

Every trade occupation has a SOC code - and it's the secret handshake for pulling the right BLS wage data. Here's how it works.

How to Use BLS & O*NET Data· 12 min read

How to Read BLS OES Data for Your Trade Business (Without a Spreadsheet Headache)

BLS data is free and authoritative - but buried in tab-delimited CSVs. Here's exactly how to find the right number for a trade hire.

How to Use BLS & O*NET Data· 18 min read

The Complete Guide to Benchmarking Skilled Trades Wages (BLS + O*NET) in 2026

A plain-English, end-to-end guide to figuring out what to pay electricians, plumbers, welders, and HVAC techs - using the same free government data the pros rely on.

Electrical· 7 min read

Electrician Salary by State in 2026: BLS Data for Employers

The BLS May 2024 OEWS release shows median electrician wages ranging from $46,580 in Mississippi to $99,440 in Illinois. Here's the state-by-state breakdown every electrical contractor needs.