Highest-paying trades in Delaware
Updated September 27, 2026
Electrical power-line installers and repairers are the highest-paying skilled trade in Delaware, with a median of $97,180 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. 39 of the 56 trades ranked here pay more than the $52,190 median for all jobs in Delaware.
All 56 trades by median pay in Delaware
| # | Trade | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers330 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $97,180$46.72/hr |
| 2 | Telecommunications line installers and repairers310 jobs · +26% vs U.S. | $93,850$45.12/hr |
| 3 | Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment160 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $86,290$41.48/hr |
| 4 | Aircraft mechanics and service technicians240 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $83,550$40.17/hr |
| 5 | Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other90 jobs · +19% vs U.S. | $82,200$39.52/hr |
| 6 | Rail-Track laying and maintenance equipment operators130 jobs · +15% vs U.S. | $80,610$38.75/hr |
| 7 | Rail car repairers130 jobs · +17% vs U.S. | $78,900$37.93/hr |
| 8 | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door150 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $75,720$36.40/hr |
| 9 | Construction and building inspectors570 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $72,700$34.95/hr |
| 10 | Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers+33% vs U.S. | $69,990$33.65/hr |
| 11 | Industrial machinery mechanics890 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $67,320$32.37/hr |
| 12 | Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines540 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $67,010$32.22/hr |
| 13 | Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers440 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $66,670$32.05/hr |
| 14 | Brickmasons and blockmasons200 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $66,550$32.00/hr |
| 15 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters1,590 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $64,720$31.11/hr |
| 16 | Electricians2,260 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $63,700$30.63/hr |
| 17 | Locksmiths and safe repairers50 jobs · +24% vs U.S. | $63,640$30.60/hr |
| 18 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists670 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $63,590$30.57/hr |
| 19 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers1,730 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $62,320$29.96/hr |
| 20 | Medical equipment repairers300 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $62,260$29.93/hr |
| 21 | Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians70 jobs · +9% vs U.S. | $61,850$29.73/hr |
| 22 | Sheet metal workers440 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $61,460$29.55/hr |
| 23 | Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers40 jobs · −4% vs U.S. | $60,740$29.20/hr |
| 24 | Motorboat mechanics and service technicians130 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $60,230$28.96/hr |
| 25 | Structural iron and steel workers90 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $59,820$28.76/hr |
| 26 | Security and fire alarm systems installers160 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $59,680$28.69/hr |
| 27 | Roofers230 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $59,440$28.58/hr |
| 28 | Carpenters2,250 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $59,200$28.46/hr |
| 29 | Millwrights90 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $58,770$28.25/hr |
| 30 | Painters, construction and maintenance480 jobs · +18% vs U.S. | $58,530$28.14/hr |
| 31 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics1,910 jobs · +15% vs U.S. | $58,410$28.08/hr |
| 32 | Pipelayers+19% vs U.S. | $58,240$28.00/hr |
| 33 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators1,230 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $58,020$27.89/hr |
| 34 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers600 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $57,270$27.54/hr |
| 35 | Cement masons and concrete finishers400 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $57,030$27.42/hr |
| 36 | Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics80 jobs · +13% vs U.S. | $54,230$26.07/hr |
| 37 | Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators150 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $54,020$25.97/hr |
| 38 | Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall280 jobs · +9% vs U.S. | $53,570$25.75/hr |
| 39 | Home appliance repairers60 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $53,390$25.67/hr |
| 40 | Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers250 jobs · +8% vs U.S. | $51,550$24.78/hr |
| 41 | Fence erectors+6% vs U.S. | $50,630$24.34/hr |
| 42 | Carpet installers70 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $50,350$24.21/hr |
| 43 | Drywall and ceiling tile installers350 jobs · −15% vs U.S. | $50,170$24.12/hr |
| 44 | Maintenance and repair workers, general3,310 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $50,150$24.11/hr |
| 45 | Automotive body and related repairers340 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $48,780$23.45/hr |
| 46 | Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners30 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $48,440$23.29/hr |
| 47 | Coin, vending, and amusement machine servicers and repairers+2% vs U.S. | $48,350$23.25/hr |
| 48 | Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other510 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $48,310$23.23/hr |
| 49 | Tire repairers and changers230 jobs · +24% vs U.S. | $46,630$22.42/hr |
| 50 | Construction laborers3,240 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $45,550$21.90/hr |
| 51 | Highway maintenance workers90 jobs · −10% vs U.S. | $45,450$21.85/hr |
| 52 | Insulation workers, mechanical340 jobs · −23% vs U.S. | $44,850$21.56/hr |
| 53 | Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers30 jobs · −21% vs U.S. | $44,290$21.29/hr |
| 54 | Hazardous materials removal workers−11% vs U.S. | $44,250$21.28/hr |
| 55 | Miscellaneous construction and related workers330 jobs · −14% vs U.S. | $43,060$20.70/hr |
| 56 | Bicycle repairers30 jobs · −17% vs U.S. | $35,650$17.14/hr |
Linked trades have full Delaware 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 Delaware, 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 Delaware median for 32 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 Delaware?
- Electrical power-line installers and repairers, with a median of $97,180 a year ($46.72 an hour) in Delaware, per May 2025 BLS data.
- Which trades pay over $100,000 in Delaware?
- No trade has a median of $100,000 or more in Delaware; the highest is electrical power-line installers and repairers at $97,180. Top earners in many trades pass $100,000.
- How many trades pay more than the typical job in Delaware?
- 39 of the 56 trades ranked here have a median above $52,190, the median for all occupations in Delaware.
- Do trades pay more in Delaware than in the rest of the U.S.?
- 35 of the 56 trades have a higher median in Delaware than nationally. The biggest gap is audiovisual equipment installers and repairers: $69,990, 33% above the U.S. median of $52,600.
- Which trade employs the most people in Delaware?
- Maintenance and repair workers, general, with about 3,310 jobs and a median of $50,150 a year.