U.S. skilled trades, by the numbers

$63,800

Plumber median wage — highest of the major trades

$63,190

Electrician median wage (top 10% earn over $108,510)

$61,010

HVAC technician median wage

$101,310

Top state for electricians (Oregon median) — vs ~$49,000 in the lowest

439,000

additional construction workers needed in 2025 (ABC estimate)

~649,300

average annual openings across construction & extraction, 2024–2034 (BLS)

~41%

of the construction workforce nearing retirement by 2031 (NCCER)

26.3%

of construction workers are immigrants — a record high (NAHB, 2024)

2.88M

U.S. construction businesses with no employees (Census, 2022)

~75%

of construction establishments have no employees

90.7%

of construction nonemployers are sole proprietorships (2021)

~18.5%

of all self-employed Americans work in construction — 2nd-largest sector

$5k–$15k+

to replace a home HVAC system (combined AC + furnace ~$13k–$14k)

$7k–$14.5k

for a new asphalt-shingle roof (~$3.50–$6.00 per sq ft)

~$10,000

to rewire a house (most mid-size homes $12k–$18k)

$300–$900

a year for recurring pest control