Highest-paying trades in Vermont
Updated September 27, 2026
Electrical power-line installers and repairers are the highest-paying skilled trade in Vermont, with a median of $108,520 a year, according to May 2025 BLS data. 33 of the 53 trades ranked here pay more than the $56,390 median for all jobs in Vermont.
All 53 trades by median pay in Vermont
| # | Trade | Median a year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Electrical power-line installers and repairers270 jobs · +14% vs U.S. | $108,520$52.17/hr |
| 2 | Electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay30 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $105,640$50.79/hr |
| 3 | Commercial divers80 jobs · +18% vs U.S. | $85,780$41.24/hr |
| 4 | Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door40 jobs · +10% vs U.S. | $82,010$39.43/hr |
| 5 | Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers310 jobs · +28% vs U.S. | $81,800$39.33/hr |
| 6 | Aircraft mechanics and service technicians160 jobs · −4% vs U.S. | $76,370$36.72/hr |
| 7 | Electrical and electronics repairers, commercial and industrial equipment110 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $74,000$35.58/hr |
| 8 | Motorboat mechanics and service technicians50 jobs · +26% vs U.S. | $72,350$34.78/hr |
| 9 | Construction and building inspectors120 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $66,580$32.01/hr |
| 10 | Stonemasons80 jobs · +15% vs U.S. | $65,950$31.71/hr |
| 11 | Millwrights60 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $64,180$30.86/hr |
| 12 | Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines350 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $64,020$30.78/hr |
| 13 | Electricians1,270 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $63,430$30.49/hr |
| 14 | Industrial machinery mechanics700 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $63,180$30.37/hr |
| 15 | Carpenters3,080 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $62,400$30.00/hr |
| 16 | Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters980 jobs · −3% vs U.S. | $62,170$29.89/hr |
| 17 | Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers970 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $62,150$29.88/hr |
| 18 | Telecommunications line installers and repairers310 jobs · −17% vs U.S. | $61,970$29.79/hr |
| 19 | Cement masons and concrete finishers270 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $61,160$29.40/hr |
| 20 | Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers340 jobs · +13% vs U.S. | $60,890$29.27/hr |
| 21 | Medical equipment repairers70 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $60,680$29.17/hr |
| 22 | Glaziers110 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $60,390$29.04/hr |
| 23 | Security and fire alarm systems installers110 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $60,080$28.89/hr |
| 24 | Drywall and ceiling tile installers90 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $59,820$28.76/hr |
| 25 | Brickmasons and blockmasons100 jobs · −4% vs U.S. | $59,590$28.65/hr |
| 26 | Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists550 jobs · −4% vs U.S. | $59,390$28.55/hr |
| 27 | Radio, cellular, and tower equipment installers and repairers60 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $59,290$28.50/hr |
| 28 | Roofers210 jobs · +6% vs U.S. | $59,040$28.39/hr |
| 29 | Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators1,280 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $58,870$28.30/hr |
| 30 | Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians130 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $58,750$28.25/hr |
| 31 | Home appliance repairers60 jobs · +15% vs U.S. | $58,750$28.25/hr |
| 32 | Highway maintenance workers1,170 jobs · +16% vs U.S. | $58,460$28.11/hr |
| 33 | Sheet metal workers370 jobs · −6% vs U.S. | $58,250$28.00/hr |
| 34 | Tile and stone setters140 jobs · 0% vs U.S. | $55,890$26.87/hr |
| 35 | Structural iron and steel workers50 jobs · −11% vs U.S. | $55,640$26.75/hr |
| 36 | Maintenance and repair workers, general2,610 jobs · +12% vs U.S. | $55,510$26.69/hr |
| 37 | Carpet installers30 jobs · +9% vs U.S. | $54,830$26.36/hr |
| 38 | Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators70 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $54,830$26.36/hr |
| 39 | Computer, automated teller, and office machine repairers80 jobs · +12% vs U.S. | $53,610$25.77/hr |
| 40 | Insulation workers, floor, ceiling, and wall110 jobs · +9% vs U.S. | $53,570$25.76/hr |
| 41 | Painters, construction and maintenance550 jobs · +8% vs U.S. | $53,120$25.54/hr |
| 42 | Automotive service technicians and mechanics1,610 jobs · +2% vs U.S. | $51,630$24.82/hr |
| 43 | Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics110 jobs · +7% vs U.S. | $51,250$24.64/hr |
| 44 | Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles60 jobs · −9% vs U.S. | $51,200$24.62/hr |
| 45 | Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other580 jobs · +4% vs U.S. | $51,030$24.53/hr |
| 46 | Automotive body and related repairers320 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $50,900$24.47/hr |
| 47 | Solar photovoltaic installers250 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $49,490$23.79/hr |
| 48 | Miscellaneous construction and related workers120 jobs · −2% vs U.S. | $49,110$23.61/hr |
| 49 | Motorcycle mechanics60 jobs · +1% vs U.S. | $48,970$23.54/hr |
| 50 | Construction laborers1,430 jobs · +3% vs U.S. | $48,580$23.36/hr |
| 51 | Hazardous materials removal workers70 jobs · −5% vs U.S. | $46,780$22.49/hr |
| 52 | Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners140 jobs · −7% vs U.S. | $46,140$22.19/hr |
| 53 | Tire repairers and changers120 jobs · +18% vs U.S. | $44,480$21.39/hr |
Linked trades have full Vermont 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 Vermont, 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 Vermont median for 35 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 Vermont?
- Electrical power-line installers and repairers, with a median of $108,520 a year ($52.17 an hour) in Vermont, per May 2025 BLS data.
- Which trades pay over $100,000 in Vermont?
- 2 trades have a median of $100,000 or more in Vermont: electrical power-line installers and repairers ($108,520), electrical and electronics repairers, powerhouse, substation, and relay ($105,640).
- How many trades pay more than the typical job in Vermont?
- 33 of the 53 trades ranked here have a median above $56,390, the median for all occupations in Vermont.
- Do trades pay more in Vermont than in the rest of the U.S.?
- 29 of the 53 trades have a higher median in Vermont than nationally. The biggest gap is telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers: $81,800, 28% above the U.S. median of $63,890.
- Which trade employs the most people in Vermont?
- Carpenters, with about 3,080 jobs and a median of $62,400 a year.