Recently, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released a list of job salaries of 19 construction jobs that only required a high school diploma or equivalent. It was interesting to see the wide range of median pay within that group ($78,620 for elevator Installers and repairmen vs. $30,190 for a general construction laborer and helper), but many of the construction trades were left off of the list. Now, the NCCER has released the results of a 2015 survey, which lists the average salaries of 31 construction trades.
With average salaries of the 31 trades ranging anywhere from $47,166 (scaffold builder) to $88,675 (Project Manager), you’re going to see some different numbers in this list as compared to the one from the BLS. The BLS report used median salary, whereas the NCCER report used the average salary. The NCCER data was also compiled from a survey of 90 construction groups. “Since many craft professionals receive overtime, per diem, project bonuses and other pay incentives, their take-home pay is typically much greater than the salaries listed in this survey,” said the NCCER in a news release.
Below are the top 10 highest paid construction trades. To see the full list of 31 trades, click here to view NCCER’s results.
10. Pipe Welder - $62,509
9. Millwright - $64,062
8. Mobile Crane Operator - $64,843
7. Instrumentation Technician - $67,380
6. Powerline Worker - $70,217
5. Combo Welder - $70,535
4. Power Generation Technician - $70,720
3. Tower Crane Operator - $77,535
2. Project Supervisor - $77,917
1. Project Manager - $88,675
Again, to see the rest of the list, please visit NCCER’s final survey results here.
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