By KEN SIMONSON

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The median wage of payroll workers in construction was $61,370 in 2025, with the top 25 percent earning at least $83,480, according to the National Association of Home Builders in a June 4 report.

In comparison, the U.S. median annual wage was $50,980, while workers in the top quartile (the highest paid 25 percent) earned at least $80,520.

These estimates come from the latest release of the [BLS] Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and do not include premium pay (stock and year-end bonuses, overtime pay, weekend premium pay, etc.)

The highest-paid managers in the industry were architectural and engineering managers, with half earning more than $163,290. Among construction trades, elevator installers and repairers remained at the top of the median-wage list, with half earning more than $113,710 a year. This is the only construction trade that made the industry’s overall top 20 highest-paid occupations list. First-line supervisors of construction trades are next on the trade list with a median wage of $80,000, the NAHB says.

In general, construction trades that require more years of formal education tend to offer higher annual wages. Carpenters are one of the most prevalent skilled trades in the construction industry. The occupation typically requires less formal education than many other professions, yet carpenters working in construction still earn wages well above the national median for all occupations. In 2025, half of carpenters earned more than $60,950. Plumbers [median: $63,270] and electricians [median: $61,800], trades that typically require specialized training and licensing, had even higher annual wages, according to the association’s analysis.

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