Highest-paying trades in Hawaii
Updated September 27, 2026
Electrical power-line installers and repairers are the highest-paying skilled trade in Hawaii, with a median of $134,340 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. 50 of the 58 trades ranked here pay more than the $56,320 median for all jobs in Hawaii.
All 58 trades by median pay in Hawaii
| # | Trade | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers600 jobs · +41% vs U.S. | $134,340$64.59/hr |
| 2 | Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay70 jobs · +24% vs U.S. | $127,330$61.22/hr |
| 3 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators2,380 jobs · +94% vs U.S. | $115,860$55.70/hr |
| 4 | Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators+109% vs U.S. | $111,360$53.54/hr |
| 5 | Drywall and ceiling tile installers800 jobs · +78% vs U.S. | $104,830$50.40/hr |
| 6 | Plasterers and stucco masons110 jobs · +81% vs U.S. | $104,260$50.13/hr |
| 7 | Structural iron and steel workers290 jobs · +59% vs U.S. | $99,860$48.01/hr |
| 8 | Electricians3,070 jobs · +53% vs U.S. | $96,460$46.38/hr |
| 9 | Sheet metal workers490 jobs · +56% vs U.S. | $96,350$46.32/hr |
| 10 | Cement masons and concrete finishers650 jobs · +68% vs U.S. | $95,890$46.10/hr |
| 11 | Commercial divers70 jobs · +31% vs U.S. | $95,750$46.04/hr |
| 12 | Tapers170 jobs · +40% vs U.S. | $95,490$45.91/hr |
| 13 | Aircraft mechanics and service technicians1,150 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $90,830$43.67/hr |
| 14 | Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other180 jobs · +28% vs U.S. | $88,580$42.59/hr |
| 15 | Insulation workers, mechanical+50% vs U.S. | $87,570$42.10/hr |
| 16 | Avionics technicians90 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $86,260$41.47/hr |
| 17 | Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment400 jobs · +15% vs U.S. | $85,420$41.07/hr |
| 18 | Carpenters4,810 jobs · +41% vs U.S. | $85,280$41.00/hr |
| 19 | Riggers170 jobs · +35% vs U.S. | $84,410$40.58/hr |
| 20 | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door110 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $81,850$39.35/hr |
| 21 | Glaziers280 jobs · +42% vs U.S. | $80,800$38.85/hr |
| 22 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists690 jobs · +30% vs U.S. | $80,080$38.50/hr |
| 23 | Telecommunications line installers and repairers680 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $79,880$38.40/hr |
| 24 | Construction and building inspectors710 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $79,320$38.14/hr |
| 25 | Tile and stone setters440 jobs · +42% vs U.S. | $79,270$38.11/hr |
| 26 | Brickmasons and blockmasons120 jobs · +28% vs U.S. | $79,250$38.10/hr |
| 27 | Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers760 jobs · +24% vs U.S. | $79,250$38.10/hr |
| 28 | Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines530 jobs · +21% vs U.S. | $79,170$38.06/hr |
| 29 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers520 jobs · +47% vs U.S. | $79,000$37.98/hr |
| 30 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters2,500 jobs · +22% vs U.S. | $78,060$37.53/hr |
| 31 | Motorboat mechanics and service technicians150 jobs · +35% vs U.S. | $77,740$37.38/hr |
| 32 | Industrial machinery mechanics910 jobs · +20% vs U.S. | $77,330$37.18/hr |
| 33 | Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles210 jobs · +37% vs U.S. | $77,280$37.15/hr |
| 34 | Construction laborers4,580 jobs · +64% vs U.S. | $77,110$37.07/hr |
| 35 | Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other970 jobs · +51% vs U.S. | $74,260$35.70/hr |
| 36 | Medical equipment repairers290 jobs · +17% vs U.S. | $72,360$34.79/hr |
| 37 | Solar photovoltaic installers420 jobs · +32% vs U.S. | $70,370$33.83/hr |
| 38 | Painters, construction and maintenance1,900 jobs · +38% vs U.S. | $68,220$32.80/hr |
| 39 | Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers70 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $65,970$31.71/hr |
| 40 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers1,300 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $65,450$31.47/hr |
| 41 | Miscellaneous construction and related workers80 jobs · +30% vs U.S. | $64,960$31.23/hr |
| 42 | Locksmiths and safe repairers50 jobs · +26% vs U.S. | $64,490$31.00/hr |
| 43 | Security and fire alarm systems installers380 jobs · +5% vs U.S. | $63,140$30.36/hr |
| 44 | Automotive body and related repairers450 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $60,540$29.11/hr |
| 45 | Roofers1,110 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $59,580$28.64/hr |
| 46 | Carpet installers+17% vs U.S. | $58,710$28.23/hr |
| 47 | Hazardous materials removal workers340 jobs · +18% vs U.S. | $58,440$28.10/hr |
| 48 | Home appliance repairers240 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $58,300$28.03/hr |
| 49 | Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics210 jobs · +21% vs U.S. | $58,110$27.94/hr |
| 50 | Maintenance and repair workers, general8,030 jobs · +17% vs U.S. | $57,960$27.86/hr |
| 51 | Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners80 jobs · +9% vs U.S. | $54,530$26.22/hr |
| 52 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics2,710 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $52,160$25.08/hr |
| 53 | Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians40 jobs · −12% vs U.S. | $49,990$24.03/hr |
| 54 | Automotive glass installers and repairers50 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $49,410$23.75/hr |
| 55 | Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers110 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $49,270$23.69/hr |
| 56 | Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles70 jobs · −1% vs U.S. | $47,780$22.97/hr |
| 57 | Motorcycle mechanics30 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $46,390$22.30/hr |
| 58 | Tire repairers and changers220 jobs · +21% vs U.S. | $45,760$22.00/hr |
Linked trades have full Hawaii 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 Hawaii, 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 Hawaii median for 30 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 Hawaii?
- Electrical power-line installers and repairers, with a median of $134,340 a year ($64.59 an hour) in Hawaii, per May 2025 BLS data.
- Which trades pay over $100,000 in Hawaii?
- 6 trades have a median of $100,000 or more in Hawaii: electrical power-line installers and repairers ($134,340), electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay ($127,330), operating engineers and other construction equipment operators ($115,860), paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators ($111,360), drywall and ceiling tile installers ($104,830), plasterers and stucco masons ($104,260).
- How many trades pay more than the typical job in Hawaii?
- 50 of the 58 trades ranked here have a median above $56,320, the median for all occupations in Hawaii.
- Do trades pay more in Hawaii than in the rest of the U.S.?
- 55 of the 58 trades have a higher median in Hawaii than nationally. The biggest gap is paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators: $111,360, 109% above the U.S. median of $53,340.
- Which trade employs the most people in Hawaii?
- Maintenance and repair workers, general, with about 8,030 jobs and a median of $57,960 a year.