Highest-paying trades in Connecticut
Updated September 27, 2026
Electrical power-line installers and repairers are the highest-paying skilled trade in Connecticut, with a median of $126,850 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. 44 of the 69 trades ranked here pay more than the $59,690 median for all jobs in Connecticut.
All 69 trades by median pay in Connecticut
| # | Trade | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers940 jobs · +33% vs U.S. | $126,850$60.99/hr |
| 2 | Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay210 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $109,610$52.70/hr |
| 3 | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door360 jobs · +41% vs U.S. | $104,690$50.33/hr |
| 4 | Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers+59% vs U.S. | $100,890$48.50/hr |
| 5 | Construction and building inspectors1,430 jobs · +32% vs U.S. | $98,670$47.44/hr |
| 6 | Telecommunications line installers and repairers500 jobs · +31% vs U.S. | $97,140$46.70/hr |
| 7 | Aircraft mechanics and service technicians1,430 jobs · +21% vs U.S. | $96,830$46.55/hr |
| 8 | Boilermakers50 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $80,360$38.64/hr |
| 9 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators2,860 jobs · +32% vs U.S. | $78,750$37.86/hr |
| 10 | Sheet metal workers1,480 jobs · +27% vs U.S. | $78,750$37.86/hr |
| 11 | Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines1,080 jobs · +19% vs U.S. | $78,190$37.59/hr |
| 12 | Electricians7,710 jobs · +23% vs U.S. | $77,540$37.28/hr |
| 13 | Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators+45% vs U.S. | $77,480$37.25/hr |
| 14 | Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment430 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $77,290$37.16/hr |
| 15 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters5,410 jobs · +21% vs U.S. | $77,280$37.16/hr |
| 16 | Millwrights110 jobs · +17% vs U.S. | $76,810$36.93/hr |
| 17 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers3,800 jobs · +26% vs U.S. | $76,610$36.83/hr |
| 18 | Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other160 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $76,230$36.65/hr |
| 19 | Security and fire alarm systems installers540 jobs · +26% vs U.S. | $75,410$36.26/hr |
| 20 | Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers1,910 jobs · +18% vs U.S. | $75,200$36.15/hr |
| 21 | Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers+42% vs U.S. | $74,890$36.01/hr |
| 22 | Medical equipment repairers1,060 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $71,220$34.24/hr |
| 23 | Industrial machinery mechanics2,360 jobs · +8% vs U.S. | $69,950$33.63/hr |
| 24 | Locksmiths and safe repairers120 jobs · +35% vs U.S. | $69,280$33.31/hr |
| 25 | Brickmasons and blockmasons480 jobs · +9% vs U.S. | $67,960$32.67/hr |
| 26 | Riggers350 jobs · +8% vs U.S. | $67,560$32.48/hr |
| 27 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists2,860 jobs · +9% vs U.S. | $67,300$32.36/hr |
| 28 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers1,790 jobs · +21% vs U.S. | $64,880$31.19/hr |
| 29 | Highway maintenance workers2,130 jobs · +29% vs U.S. | $64,870$31.19/hr |
| 30 | Carpenters5,160 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $64,060$30.80/hr |
| 31 | Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers180 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $63,970$30.76/hr |
| 32 | Automotive glass installers and repairers80 jobs · +34% vs U.S. | $63,880$30.71/hr |
| 33 | Glaziers690 jobs · +12% vs U.S. | $63,840$30.69/hr |
| 34 | Tapers80 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $63,600$30.58/hr |
| 35 | Motorboat mechanics and service technicians560 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $63,480$30.52/hr |
| 36 | Maintenance workers, machinery410 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $63,250$30.41/hr |
| 37 | Tile and stone setters230 jobs · +13% vs U.S. | $63,150$30.36/hr |
| 38 | Structural iron and steel workers330 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $62,400$30.00/hr |
| 39 | Home appliance repairers380 jobs · +22% vs U.S. | $62,380$29.99/hr |
| 40 | Roofers790 jobs · +12% vs U.S. | $62,070$29.84/hr |
| 41 | Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers380 jobs · +28% vs U.S. | $61,190$29.42/hr |
| 42 | Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners280 jobs · +22% vs U.S. | $60,700$29.18/hr |
| 43 | Drywall and ceiling tile installers300 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $60,480$29.08/hr |
| 44 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics6,960 jobs · +19% vs U.S. | $60,220$28.95/hr |
| 45 | Commercial divers120 jobs · −18% vs U.S. | $59,690$28.70/hr |
| 46 | Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians70 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $58,690$28.22/hr |
| 47 | Cement masons and concrete finishers610 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $58,640$28.19/hr |
| 48 | Painters, construction and maintenance2,230 jobs · +18% vs U.S. | $58,480$28.12/hr |
| 49 | Construction laborers7,360 jobs · +24% vs U.S. | $58,290$28.03/hr |
| 50 | Automotive body and related repairers1,850 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $58,220$27.99/hr |
| 51 | Electrical and electronics installers and repairers, transportation equipment60 jobs · −32% vs U.S. | $58,120$27.94/hr |
| 52 | Maintenance and repair workers, general11,700 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $57,620$27.70/hr |
| 53 | Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics560 jobs · +18% vs U.S. | $56,680$27.25/hr |
| 54 | Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other2,490 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $56,110$26.98/hr |
| 55 | Solar photovoltaic installers+5% vs U.S. | $55,590$26.73/hr |
| 56 | Fence erectors300 jobs · +11% vs U.S. | $53,180$25.57/hr |
| 57 | Musical instrument repairers and tuners40 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $52,940$25.45/hr |
| 58 | Motorcycle mechanics100 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $51,970$24.99/hr |
| 59 | Recreational vehicle service technicians30 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $51,460$24.74/hr |
| 60 | Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers170 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $50,120$24.09/hr |
| 61 | Miscellaneous construction and related workers500 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $49,380$23.74/hr |
| 62 | Carpet installers40 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $49,230$23.67/hr |
| 63 | Mechanical door repairers460 jobs · −13% vs U.S. | $48,630$23.38/hr |
| 64 | Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall300 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $48,550$23.34/hr |
| 65 | Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles110 jobs · −16% vs U.S. | $47,210$22.70/hr |
| 66 | Hazardous materials removal workers750 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $47,090$22.64/hr |
| 67 | Bicycle repairers330 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $45,630$21.94/hr |
| 68 | Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles90 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $44,980$21.63/hr |
| 69 | Tire repairers and changers740 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $35,760$17.19/hr |
Linked trades have full Connecticut 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 Connecticut, 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 Connecticut median for 19 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 Connecticut?
- Electrical power-line installers and repairers, with a median of $126,850 a year ($60.99 an hour) in Connecticut, per May 2025 BLS data.
- Which trades pay over $100,000 in Connecticut?
- 4 trades have a median of $100,000 or more in Connecticut: electrical power-line installers and repairers ($126,850), electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay ($109,610), control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door ($104,690), radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers ($100,890).
- How many trades pay more than the typical job in Connecticut?
- 44 of the 69 trades ranked here have a median above $59,690, the median for all occupations in Connecticut.
- Do trades pay more in Connecticut than in the rest of the U.S.?
- 56 of the 69 trades have a higher median in Connecticut than nationally. The biggest gap is radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers: $100,890, 59% above the U.S. median of $63,520.
- Which trade employs the most people in Connecticut?
- Maintenance and repair workers, general, with about 11,700 jobs and a median of $57,620 a year.