Highest-paying trades in the District of Columbia
Updated September 27, 2026
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers are the highest-paying skilled trade in the District of Columbia, with a median of $122,570 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. 5 of the 35 trades ranked here pay more than the $91,540 median for all jobs in the District of Columbia.
All 35 trades by median pay in the District of Columbia
| # | Trade | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator and escalator installers and repairers+12% vs U.S. | $122,570$58.93/hr |
| 2 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers150 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $101,240$48.67/hr |
| 3 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters1,010 jobs · +58% vs U.S. | $101,020$48.57/hr |
| 4 | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door50 jobs · +33% vs U.S. | $98,810$47.50/hr |
| 5 | Telecommunications line installers and repairers500 jobs · +31% vs U.S. | $97,600$46.92/hr |
| 6 | Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators70 jobs · +71% vs U.S. | $91,280$43.88/hr |
| 7 | Industrial machinery mechanics200 jobs · +36% vs U.S. | $87,670$42.15/hr |
| 8 | Construction and building inspectors370 jobs · +15% vs U.S. | $86,200$41.44/hr |
| 9 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers400 jobs · +38% vs U.S. | $84,390$40.57/hr |
| 10 | Electricians2,440 jobs · +25% vs U.S. | $78,970$37.97/hr |
| 11 | Glaziers200 jobs · +37% vs U.S. | $78,390$37.69/hr |
| 12 | Locksmiths and safe repairers+50% vs U.S. | $76,740$36.89/hr |
| 13 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators620 jobs · +25% vs U.S. | $74,610$35.87/hr |
| 14 | Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers300 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $73,130$35.16/hr |
| 15 | Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines130 jobs · +8% vs U.S. | $70,780$34.03/hr |
| 16 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics310 jobs · +36% vs U.S. | $68,660$33.01/hr |
| 17 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists110 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $65,200$31.34/hr |
| 18 | Brickmasons and blockmasons200 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $64,450$30.98/hr |
| 19 | Automotive body and related repairers30 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $62,640$30.11/hr |
| 20 | Maintenance workers, machinery80 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $62,520$30.06/hr |
| 21 | Roofers100 jobs · +11% vs U.S. | $61,750$29.69/hr |
| 22 | Carpenters1,540 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $61,710$29.67/hr |
| 23 | Cement masons and concrete finishers320 jobs · +8% vs U.S. | $61,680$29.65/hr |
| 24 | Structural iron and steel workers210 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $61,240$29.44/hr |
| 25 | Maintenance and repair workers, general4,860 jobs · +22% vs U.S. | $60,310$29.00/hr |
| 26 | Hazardous materials removal workers50 jobs · +22% vs U.S. | $60,240$28.96/hr |
| 27 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers280 jobs · +12% vs U.S. | $60,180$28.93/hr |
| 28 | Medical equipment repairers130 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $59,780$28.74/hr |
| 29 | Painters, construction and maintenance500 jobs · +20% vs U.S. | $59,520$28.61/hr |
| 30 | Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other130 jobs · +20% vs U.S. | $59,320$28.52/hr |
| 31 | Security and fire alarm systems installers210 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $58,460$28.11/hr |
| 32 | Audiovisual equipment installers and repairers+10% vs U.S. | $57,620$27.70/hr |
| 33 | Pipelayers110 jobs · +13% vs U.S. | $55,470$26.67/hr |
| 34 | Construction laborers2,090 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $50,020$24.05/hr |
| 35 | Bicycle repairers+10% vs U.S. | $46,860$22.53/hr |
Linked trades have full District of Columbia 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 the District of Columbia, 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 District of Columbia median for 53 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 the District of Columbia?
- Elevator and escalator installers and repairers, with a median of $122,570 a year ($58.93 an hour) in the District of Columbia, per May 2025 BLS data.
- Which trades pay over $100,000 in the District of Columbia?
- 3 trades have a median of $100,000 or more in the District of Columbia: elevator and escalator installers and repairers ($122,570), electrical power-line installers and repairers ($101,240), plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters ($101,020).
- How many trades pay more than the typical job in the District of Columbia?
- 5 of the 35 trades ranked here have a median above $91,540, the median for all occupations in the District of Columbia.
- Do trades pay more in the District of Columbia than in the rest of the U.S.?
- 32 of the 35 trades have a higher median in the District of Columbia than nationally. The biggest gap is paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators: $91,280, 71% above the U.S. median of $53,340.
- Which trade employs the most people in the District of Columbia?
- Maintenance and repair workers, general, with about 4,860 jobs and a median of $60,310 a year.