Highest-paying trades in Alabama
Updated September 27, 2026
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers are the highest-paying skilled trade in Alabama, with a median of $103,700 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. 44 of the 71 trades ranked here pay more than the $45,670 median for all jobs in Alabama.
All 71 trades by median pay in Alabama
| # | Trade | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator and escalator installers and repairers170 jobs · −6% vs U.S. | $103,700$49.86/hr |
| 2 | Avionics technicians910 jobs · +17% vs U.S. | $95,920$46.12/hr |
| 3 | Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay280 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $95,150$45.75/hr |
| 4 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers2,730 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $92,030$44.24/hr |
| 5 | Aircraft mechanics and service technicians4,310 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $82,260$39.55/hr |
| 6 | Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment50 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $75,450$36.27/hr |
| 7 | Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment930 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $65,600$31.54/hr |
| 8 | Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other130 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $64,400$30.96/hr |
| 9 | Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines4,640 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $63,850$30.70/hr |
| 10 | Boilermakers180 jobs · −17% vs U.S. | $63,570$30.56/hr |
| 11 | Industrial machinery mechanics17,850 jobs · −4% vs U.S. | $61,920$29.77/hr |
| 12 | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door430 jobs · −17% vs U.S. | $61,670$29.65/hr |
| 13 | Millwrights1,400 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $61,410$29.52/hr |
| 14 | Construction and building inspectors1,420 jobs · −18% vs U.S. | $61,300$29.47/hr |
| 15 | Telecommunications line installers and repairers1,530 jobs · −18% vs U.S. | $60,890$29.27/hr |
| 16 | Security and fire alarm systems installers1,350 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $60,710$29.19/hr |
| 17 | Maintenance workers, machinery420 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $60,560$29.12/hr |
| 18 | Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers3,200 jobs · −6% vs U.S. | $59,770$28.74/hr |
| 19 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters6,950 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $58,670$28.21/hr |
| 20 | Rail car repairers280 jobs · −14% vs U.S. | $58,080$27.93/hr |
| 21 | Riggers460 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $57,980$27.87/hr |
| 22 | Structural iron and steel workers1,740 jobs · −10% vs U.S. | $56,640$27.23/hr |
| 23 | Electricians10,900 jobs · −12% vs U.S. | $55,690$26.78/hr |
| 24 | Medical equipment repairers1,030 jobs · −14% vs U.S. | $53,140$25.55/hr |
| 25 | Automotive body and related repairers1,810 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $52,040$25.02/hr |
| 26 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists6,130 jobs · −18% vs U.S. | $50,470$24.26/hr |
| 27 | Home appliance repairers280 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $50,190$24.13/hr |
| 28 | Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians680 jobs · −12% vs U.S. | $50,000$24.04/hr |
| 29 | Brickmasons and blockmasons370 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $49,710$23.90/hr |
| 30 | Insulation workers, mechanical−16% vs U.S. | $48,930$23.52/hr |
| 31 | Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall660 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $48,740$23.43/hr |
| 32 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers12,450 jobs · −10% vs U.S. | $48,490$23.31/hr |
| 33 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers8,260 jobs · −21% vs U.S. | $48,370$23.26/hr |
| 34 | Carpenters5,560 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $48,220$23.18/hr |
| 35 | Drywall and ceiling tile installers650 jobs · −19% vs U.S. | $48,000$23.08/hr |
| 36 | Recreational vehicle service technicians370 jobs · −8% vs U.S. | $47,760$22.96/hr |
| 37 | Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons110 jobs · −22% vs U.S. | $47,650$22.91/hr |
| 38 | Sheet metal workers1,450 jobs · −23% vs U.S. | $47,530$22.85/hr |
| 39 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators9,640 jobs · −21% vs U.S. | $47,520$22.84/hr |
| 40 | Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners400 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $47,370$22.78/hr |
| 41 | Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers230 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $46,770$22.49/hr |
| 42 | Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other1,440 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $46,610$22.41/hr |
| 43 | Carpet installers190 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $46,600$22.40/hr |
| 44 | Automotive glass installers and repairers380 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $46,340$22.28/hr |
| 45 | Roofers1,010 jobs · −18% vs U.S. | $45,670$21.96/hr |
| 46 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics9,040 jobs · −10% vs U.S. | $45,640$21.94/hr |
| 47 | Glaziers260 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $45,520$21.89/hr |
| 48 | Motorboat mechanics and service technicians420 jobs · −21% vs U.S. | $45,250$21.76/hr |
| 49 | Tile and stone setters260 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $44,800$21.54/hr |
| 50 | Cement masons and concrete finishers2,110 jobs · −22% vs U.S. | $44,720$21.50/hr |
| 51 | Pipelayers460 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $44,550$21.42/hr |
| 52 | Painters, construction and maintenance1,570 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $43,930$21.12/hr |
| 53 | Reinforcing iron and rebar workers390 jobs · −26% vs U.S. | $43,640$20.98/hr |
| 54 | Maintenance and repair workers, general16,660 jobs · −12% vs U.S. | $43,630$20.97/hr |
| 55 | Locksmiths and safe repairers200 jobs · −16% vs U.S. | $43,340$20.84/hr |
| 56 | Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics400 jobs · −10% vs U.S. | $43,110$20.73/hr |
| 57 | Motorcycle mechanics270 jobs · −12% vs U.S. | $42,670$20.52/hr |
| 58 | Stonemasons90 jobs · −26% vs U.S. | $42,210$20.29/hr |
| 59 | Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators700 jobs · −21% vs U.S. | $41,880$20.14/hr |
| 60 | Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers420 jobs · −14% vs U.S. | $40,670$19.55/hr |
| 61 | Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers930 jobs · −16% vs U.S. | $39,970$19.22/hr |
| 62 | Fence erectors−17% vs U.S. | $39,820$19.15/hr |
| 63 | Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles150 jobs · −31% vs U.S. | $38,730$18.62/hr |
| 64 | Hazardous materials removal workers350 jobs · −22% vs U.S. | $38,610$18.56/hr |
| 65 | Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles70 jobs · −20% vs U.S. | $38,520$18.52/hr |
| 66 | Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers100 jobs · −32% vs U.S. | $38,430$18.47/hr |
| 67 | Mechanical door repairers260 jobs · −33% vs U.S. | $37,440$18.00/hr |
| 68 | Highway maintenance workers2,730 jobs · −26% vs U.S. | $37,430$18.00/hr |
| 69 | Construction laborers18,400 jobs · −22% vs U.S. | $36,900$17.74/hr |
| 70 | Tire repairers and changers2,240 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $35,010$16.83/hr |
| 71 | Manufactured building and mobile home installers40 jobs · −25% vs U.S. | $34,670$16.67/hr |
Linked trades have full Alabama pay pages, with pay in each metro area. See also: highest-paying trades in the U.S.
How we ranked them
Ranked by median annual wage in Alabama, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics state estimates, May 2025. “vs U.S.” compares each trade with its own national median. Which occupations count as trades: Construction occupations and installation, maintenance, and repair occupations (BLS major groups 47 and 49), plus welders, excluding first-line supervisors, helpers, and mining and oil-and-gas extraction occupations. BLS doesn't publish a Alabama median for 17 of the 88 trades in the national ranking, usually because too few people do that work there to estimate; they're left out. Wages exclude self-employed workers. Methodology
Questions
- What is the highest-paying trade in Alabama?
- Elevator and escalator installers and repairers, with a median of $103,700 a year ($49.86 an hour) in Alabama, per May 2025 BLS data.
- Which trades pay over $100,000 in Alabama?
- One trade has a median of $100,000 or more in Alabama: elevator and escalator installers and repairers ($103,700).
- How many trades pay more than the typical job in Alabama?
- 44 of the 71 trades ranked here have a median above $45,670, the median for all occupations in Alabama.
- Do trades pay more in Alabama than in the rest of the U.S.?
- 3 of the 71 trades have a higher median in Alabama than nationally. The biggest gap is avionics technicians: $95,920, 17% above the U.S. median of $82,280.
- Which trade employs the most people in Alabama?
- Construction laborers, with about 18,400 jobs and a median of $36,900 a year.