National Salary Info » Construction Trades Workers

Highest Paying Industries for Construction Trades Workers

The top 100 highest paying industries for construction trades workers (ranked by average annual salary) are listed in Table 1. The entry level salary (as measured by the salary of the lowest 10% paid earners) and the number of employment in those industries are also shown. As shown in the table, with an average annual salary of $69,940, tobacco manufacturing is the highest paying industry for construction trades workers. It is followed by colleges, universities, and professional schools - local government owned industry (average annual salary $69,920). The salary and employment information is computed from data published by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics in May 2015 [1]. For more information about salaries of construction trades workers in a specific industry, use the links in the table.

Table 1. 100 Highest Paying Industries for Construction Trades Workers

Rank	Industry	Average Salary i	Entry Level Salary i	# of Empl. i
1	Tobacco Manufacturing	$69,940	$41,360	460
2	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Local government owned	$69,920	$40,570	180
3	Scheduled Air Transportation	$69,240	$44,310	n/a
4	Air Transportation	$68,910	$41,000	n/a
5	Grocery and Related Product Merchant Wholesalers	$68,380	$34,550	70
6	Motor Vehicle Manufacturing	$68,320	$54,130	6,060
7	Labor Unions and Similar Labor Organizations	$67,900	$41,450	60
8	Monetary Authorities-Central Bank	$67,150	$51,220	50
9	Automotive Mechanical and Electrical Repair and Maintenance	$67,090	$34,740	40
10	Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging	$67,010	$32,750	50
11	Accounting, Tax Preparation, Bookkeeping, and Payroll Services	$66,140	$27,860	1,780
12	Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing	$65,540	$38,380	1,220
13	Motor Vehicle Parts Manufacturing	$65,470	$41,470	5,670
14	Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution	$65,280	$38,260	9,840
15	Beverage Manufacturing	$64,500	$36,370	760
16	Specialty hospitals - Privately owned	$64,100	$39,610	250
17	Pharmaceutical and Medicine Manufacturing	$63,530	$36,640	810
18	Insurance Carriers	$62,780	$46,640	90
19	Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences	$62,740	$31,990	1,570
20	Scientific Research and Development Services	$62,740	$31,990	1,570
21	Securities, Commodity Contracts, and Other Financial Investments and Related Activities	$62,520	$29,880	50
22	Resin, Synthetic Rubber, and Artificial Synthetic Fibers and Filaments Manufacturing	$61,450	$33,370	1,010
23	Direct Insurance (except Life, Health, and Medical) Carriers	$61,130	$50,170	50
24	Semiconductor and Other Electronic Component Manufacturing	$61,030	$36,080	190
25	Natural Gas Distribution	$60,520	$35,970	8,940
26	Publishing Industries (except Internet)	$60,250	$41,130	210
27	Motion Picture and Video Industries	$60,110	$31,410	5,020
28	Motion Picture and Sound Recording Industries	$60,110	$31,410	5,020
29	Newspaper Publishers	$59,910	$40,670	200
30	Pulp, Paper, and Paperboard Mills	$59,900	$40,210	2,150
31	Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers	$59,880	$40,930	210
32	Spectator Sports	$59,280	$34,950	660
33	Utilities	$59,180	$31,750	22,880
34	Turned Product and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing	$58,730	$27,370	340
35	Postal Service (federal government)	$58,020	$58,010	160
36	Paper Manufacturing	$57,990	$40,220	2,990
37	Rail Transportation	$57,960	$41,320	6,170
38	Finance and Insurance	$57,910	$31,360	260
39	Information	$57,740	$31,450	6,720
40	Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals	$57,500	$39,700	380
41	Insurance Carriers and Related Activities	$57,390	$32,680	130
42	Household Appliance Manufacturing	$57,290	$26,990	710
43	Animal Food Manufacturing	$57,230	$35,040	200
44	Chemical Manufacturing	$57,160	$33,720	4,080
45	Cutlery and Handtool Manufacturing	$56,490	$35,490	110
46	Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing	$56,460	$32,200	4,270
47	Hospitals - Local government owned	$56,270	$34,460	1,380
48	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Local government owned	$56,170	$34,440	1,370
49	Iron and Steel Mills and Ferroalloy Manufacturing	$56,160	$36,310	4,920
50	Security Systems Services	$55,890	$27,510	1,170
51	Grain and Oilseed Milling	$55,870	$37,950	460
52	Investigation and Security Services	$55,730	$27,480	1,180
53	Soap, Cleaning Compound, and Toilet Preparation Manufacturing	$55,690	$38,300	260
54	Deep Sea, Coastal, and Great Lakes Water Transportation	$55,550	$39,400	70
55	Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing	$55,150	$35,260	80
56	Converted Paper Product Manufacturing	$54,930	$40,240	850
57	Department Stores	$54,830	$33,160	90
58	General Merchandise Stores	$54,830	$33,160	90
59	Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing	$54,530	$39,790	540
60	Bakeries and Tortilla Manufacturing	$54,430	$38,340	360
61	Casino Hotels	$54,190	$36,030	1,740
62	Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing	$53,860	$39,920	410
63	Rubber Product Manufacturing	$53,820	$39,870	1,050
64	Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing	$53,800	$35,070	260
65	Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events	$53,660	$30,470	1,490
66	Basic Chemical Manufacturing	$53,630	$32,650	1,320
67	Specialty hospitals - State government owned	$53,360	$39,830	130
68	Federal government, including USPS	$53,320	$44,160	23,170
69	Federal Executive Branch (OES Designation)	$53,310	$44,130	23,020
70	Elementary and Secondary Schools - Privately owned	$53,250	$32,910	440
71	Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing	$53,080	$36,220	1,070
72	Transportation and Warehousing	$53,040	$28,800	13,260
73	Other Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing	$52,860	$30,400	4,410
74	Primary Metal Manufacturing	$52,810	$34,940	9,750
75	Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$52,710	$32,120	37,630
76	Other Food Manufacturing	$52,590	$32,760	400
77	Educational Services - Privately owned	$52,340	$32,180	7,320
78	Colleges, universities, and professional schools - Privately owned	$51,940	$32,360	6,220
79	Coal Mining	$51,810	$29,990	14,300
80	Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing	$51,790	$31,410	860
81	Other Chemical Product and Preparation Manufacturing	$51,720	$29,880	330
82	Food Manufacturing	$51,600	$33,620	4,270
83	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals	$51,580	$34,540	10,150
84	Hospitals - Privately owned	$51,510	$34,770	8,610
85	Hospitals (including private, state, and local government hospitals)	$51,460	$34,280	11,300
86	Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries	$51,440	$28,240	5,110
87	General Medical and Surgical Hospitals - Privately owned	$51,330	$34,650	8,250
88	Printing and Related Support Activities	$51,180	$36,460	330
89	Other Transportation Equipment Manufacturing	$51,070	$26,270	350
90	Educational Support Services - Local government owned	$51,040	$32,580	550
91	Automobile Dealers	$50,950	$26,080	n/a
92	Educational Support Services	$50,920	$32,570	590
93	Dairy Product Manufacturing	$50,820	$35,480	370
94	Other Amusement and Recreation Industries	$50,790	$23,720	1,350
95	Petroleum and Coal Products Manufacturing	$50,420	$26,590	5,650
96	Alumina and Aluminum Production and Processing	$50,280	$35,040	1,330
97	Offices of Physicians	$50,270	$31,440	120
98	Plastics and Rubber Products Manufacturing	$50,230	$29,220	3,230
99	Pipeline Transportation of Crude Oil	$50,150	$30,670	230
100	Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing	$50,110	$29,550	580