What are the main factors that influence a Contractor's salary?

The primary factors are: 1) Experience Level, 2) Geographic Location, 3) Education/Skills, 4) Company Size & Industry

How does experience change a Contractor's salary?

A Contractor's salary grows with experience: starting around $65,143 for beginners, reaching about $67,055 at mid-level, and approach $67,475 for experts.

What are the highest paying states for a Contractor?

Contractor salary varies significantly by state. The top 3 highest paying states for Contractor roles are District of Columbia $71,054, California $70,785, Massachusetts $69,841. These tech hubs typically pay 10-15% above the national average.

How much do different types of Contractor roles make?

Salaries for Contractor level roles vary by specialization: Contractor Sales: $101,419; Mechanical Contractor: $96,974; Tile Contractor: $81,026; Builder Contractor: $73,217; engineering contractor: $70,585.

How do different companies affect a Contractor's salary?

Company size, industry, and compensation structure create significant salary variations for Contractor roles. Large, established industry leaders like C R Bard Inc ($128,509) and Henry Schein Canada ($124,697) offer base salaries 35-40% above the national average. In contrast, smaller firms or startups may offer closer to $82,041.

Contractor Salary in the United States

How much does a Contractor make in the United States?

As of January 01, 2026, the average salary for a Contractor in the United States is $64,175 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $31.

However, a Contractor's salary can vary significantly. Here’s a look at the typical salary range:

Top Earners (90th percentile): $74,812
Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $57,203 to $69,743
Entry-Level (10th percentile): $50,856

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Contractor Salaries by Percentile

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$69,743	$5,812	$1,341	$34
Average	$64,175	$5,348	$1,234	$31
25th Percentile	$57,203	$4,767	$1,100	$28

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Key Factors That Influence Contractor Salaries

A Contractor's salary isn't a fixed number. It's shaped by several important factors. Below, we'll explore how your years of experience, geographic location, education and company size can directly affect your earning potential.

How Experience Level Affects Contractor Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Contractor's salary. As you build your skills and take on more complex tasks, your compensation generally increases. Here's how the average salary grows at different career stages:

Entry-Level (less than 1 year): $65,143
Early Career (1-2 years): $65,795
Mid-Level (2-4 years): $67,055
Senior-Level (5-8 years): $67,307
Expert (over 8 years): $67,475

Levels	Salary
Entry Level Contractor	$65,143
Intermediate Level Contractor	$65,795
Senior Level Contractor	$67,055
Specialist Level Contractor	$67,307
Expert Level Contractor	$67,475

View as Graph

What Am I Worth?

How Do Contractor Salaries Vary from State to State?

Your salary can change significantly depending on where you work. States with a higher cost of living and strong industrial sectors often pay more to attract Contractors. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:

District of Columbia: $71,054.
California: $70,785.
Massachusetts: $69,841.

District of Columbia $71,054 California $70,785 Massachusetts $69,841 Washington $69,585 New Jersey $69,559 Alaska $69,469 Connecticut $68,584 New York $68,224

Hawaii $67,075 Rhode Island $66,536 Maryland $66,171 Minnesota $65,670 Colorado $65,477 Illinois $65,413 Oregon $65,169 Delaware $64,990

New Hampshire $64,877 Virginia $64,624 Pennsylvania $63,886 Nevada $63,514 North Dakota $63,392 Michigan $63,199 Wisconsin $63,129 Vermont $62,987

Texas $62,596 Maine $62,570 Arizona $62,532 Ohio $62,487 Georgia $61,896 Indiana $61,601 Wyoming $61,544 Utah $61,454

Iowa $61,415 Kansas $61,107 Louisiana $61,017 North Carolina $60,985 Missouri $60,972 Florida $60,722 Montana $60,587 Nebraska $60,459

Kentucky $60,388 South Carolina $60,132 Tennessee $59,971 Idaho $59,907 New Mexico $59,439 Oklahoma $59,336 Alabama $58,957 South Dakota $58,322

Arkansas $57,975 West Virginia $57,789 Mississippi $57,231

Top Paying Cities for Contractors

Salaries can also vary between different cities. Major metropolitan areas or cities with a high demand for technicians often offer more competitive pay. Here are a few examples of average annual salaries in different U.S. cities:

San Jose: $80,944
San Francisco: $80,148
Oakland: $78,370

San Jose, CA $80,944

San Francisco, CA $80,148

Oakland, CA $78,370

New York, NY $74,372

Queens Village, NY $73,891

Paramus, NJ $73,377

Passaic, NJ $73,313

Bergenfield, NJ $73,249

Stamford, CT $73,153

Huntington, NY $73,089

Newark, NJ $72,671

Bridgeport, CT $72,543

New Brunswick, NJ $72,331

Vallejo, CA $72,197

Middlesex, NJ $72,158

Somerset, NJ $72,100

Petaluma, CA $71,953

Santa Cruz, CA $71,702

Boston, MA $71,574

Monterey, CA $71,253

Fairbanks, AK $71,208

Los Angeles, CA $71,086

Washington, DC $71,054

Seattle, WA $70,939

Santa Rosa, CA $70,926

Juneau, AK $70,740

Orange, CA $70,528

Anchorage, AK $70,412

Anaheim, CA $70,368

Santa Ana, CA $70,271

Nassau, NY $70,233

Long Beach, CA $70,207

Danbury, CT $70,188

Santa Maria, CA $69,970

Everett, WA $69,957

Bremerton, WA $69,642

Trenton, NJ $69,520

Sacramento, CA $69,495

San Diego, CA $69,463

Brockton, MA $69,437

Tacoma, WA $69,411

Santa Barbara, CA $69,322

Lowell, MA $69,065

New Suffolk, NY $69,039

Nashua, NH $68,962

Lompoc, CA $68,859

Ventura, CA $68,795

Stockton, CA $68,776

New Haven, CT $68,648

Atlantic City, NJ $68,481

Hartford, CT $68,340

Modesto, CA $68,308

Poughkeepsie, NY $68,166

New Britain, CT $68,134

Olympia, WA $68,044

Kennewick, WA $68,044

New London, CT $68,032

Norwich, CT $68,012

Lawrence, MA $67,980

Bakersfield, CA $67,801

Riverside, CA $67,711

New Bedford, MA $67,711

Richland, WA $67,647

Portsmouth, NH $67,595

Vineland, NJ $67,582

San Bernardino, CA $67,531

Boulder, CO $67,351

Worcester, MA $67,300

Portland, OR $67,242

Saint Paul, MN $67,165

Minneapolis, MN $67,165

Philadelphia, PA $67,075

Honolulu, HI $66,735

Springfield, MA $66,511

Providence, RI $66,504

Chicago, IL $66,318

Bellingham, WA $66,241

Baltimore, MD $66,171

Chico, CA $66,010

Wilmington, DE $65,901

Pittsfield, MA $65,837

Manchester, NH $65,715

Spokane, WA $65,433

Denver, CO $65,426

Albany, NY $65,124

Troy, NY $65,099

Schenectady, NY $64,964

Burlington, VT $64,823

Portland, ME $64,598

Salem, OR $64,547

Yakima, WA $64,534

Ann Arbor, MI $64,515

Rochester, MN $64,335

Fresno, CA $64,303

Reno, NV $64,303

Milwaukee, WI $64,245

Detroit, MI $64,181

Allentown, PA $64,162

Carson City, NV $64,155

Houston, TX $64,059

Colorado Springs, CO $64,053

Syracuse, NY $64,021

Eugene, OR $63,899

Bismarck, ND $63,822

Gary, IN $63,822

Galveston, TX $63,822

Springfield, OR $63,770

Medford, OR $63,616

Fort Collins, CO $63,591

Austin, TX $63,539

Mesa, AZ $63,405

Phoenix, AZ $63,392

Dallas, TX $63,373

Reading, PA $63,334

Saint Cloud, MN $63,308

Concord, NH $63,251

Madison, WI $63,225

Utica, NY $63,052

Raleigh, NC $63,000

Las Vegas, NV $62,994

Rochester, NY $62,949

Des Moines, IA $62,943

Atlanta, GA $62,840

Battle Creek, MI $62,821

Salt Lake City, UT $62,801

Lancaster, PA $62,705

Champaign, IL $62,692

Harrisburg, PA $62,615

Durham, NC $62,557

Kansas City, MO $62,551

Kansas City, KS $62,538

Fort Worth, TX $62,532

Boca Raton, FL $62,506

Cleveland, OH $62,500

Columbus, OH $62,487

Pittsburgh, PA $62,480

Richmond, VA $62,455

Indianapolis, IN $62,442

Cincinnati, OH $62,359

Petersburg, VA $62,262

Billings, MT $62,121

Lansing, MI $62,121

Huntsville, AL $62,121

Lebanon, PA $62,115

Dayton, OH $62,108

Pueblo, CO $62,108

Appleton, WI $62,089

Buffalo, NY $62,063

Racine, WI $62,031

Charlotte, NC $62,025

Saint Louis, MO $62,006

Springfield, IL $61,980

Elkhart, IN $61,967

York, PA $61,967

Gastonia, NC $61,961

Benton Harbor, MI $61,961

Beaumont, TX $61,922

Lorain, OH $61,909

Toledo, OH $61,884

Binghamton, NY $61,852

Rock Hill, SC $61,845

Rockford, IL $61,813

Fargo, ND $61,781

Elyria, OH $61,781

Flagstaff, AZ $61,736

Fort Lauderdale, FL $61,698

Miami, FL $61,659

Duluth, MN $61,556

Bangor, ME $61,473

Cedar Rapids, IA $61,402

Louisville, KY $61,370

Grand Rapids, MI $61,357

Hialeah, FL $61,351

Casper, WY $61,261

Scranton, PA $61,184

New Orleans, LA $61,165

Virginia Beach, VA $61,158

Akron, OH $61,126

Peoria, IL $61,043

Sarasota, FL $61,030

Green Bay, WI $60,985

Baton Rouge, LA $60,953

Charleston, SC $60,940

Nashville, TN $60,921

Jamestown, NY $60,908

Davenport, IA $60,908

Tucson, AZ $60,876

Cheyenne, WY $60,857

Saint Petersburg, FL $60,838

Tampa, FL $60,825

Omaha, NE $60,812

Port Arthur, TX $60,786

Evansville, IN $60,786

Bradenton, FL $60,761

Santa Fe, NM $60,645

Orlando, FL $60,581

Clearwater, FL $60,510

Canton, OH $60,376

La Crosse, WI $60,376

Grand Forks, ND $60,356

Albuquerque, NM $60,337

Tulsa, OK $60,337

Newport News, VA $60,331

High Point, NC $60,311

Ogden, UT $60,286

Corpus Christi, TX $60,234

Laramie, WY $60,196

Norfolk, VA $60,196

Rock Island, IL $60,157

Saginaw, MI $60,145

Jacksonville, FL $60,138

Salisbury, NC $60,125

Memphis, TN $60,112

Moline, IL $60,080

Fort Myers, FL $60,061

Waterloo, IA $59,978

Spartanburg, SC $59,913

Lincoln, NE $59,881

Fort Wayne, IN $59,869

Birmingham, AL $59,798

Cedar Falls, IA $59,785

Provo, UT $59,779

Springfield, OH $59,772

San Antonio, TX $59,759

Greensboro, NC $59,734

South Bend, IN $59,727

Winston Salem, NC $59,721

Boise, ID $59,702

Savannah, GA $59,657

Muskegon, MI $59,541

Lima, OH $59,464

Lake Charles, LA $59,439

Anderson, IN $59,426

Lexington, KY $59,407

Augusta, GA $59,387

Greenville, SC $59,387

Wichita, KS $59,330

Tuscaloosa, AL $59,330

Columbia, SC $59,272

Bloomington, IN $59,111

Roanoke, VA $59,073

Asheville, NC $58,989

Knoxville, TN $58,880

Shreveport, LA $58,874

Wilmington, NC $58,790

Frankfort, KY $58,669

Oklahoma City, OK $58,624

Chillicothe, OH $58,598

Longview, TX $58,592

Topeka, KS $58,572

Mobile, AL $58,476

Terre Haute, IN $58,450

Erie, PA $58,444

Altoona, PA $58,412

Melbourne, FL $58,393

Amarillo, TX $58,367

Killeen, TX $58,348

Fayetteville, AR $58,296

Sioux Falls, SD $58,251

Chattanooga, TN $58,213

Idaho Falls, ID $58,206

Gainesville, FL $58,072

Portsmouth, OH $58,040

Little Rock, AR $58,027

Lynchburg, VA $58,027

Lafayette, LA $58,001

Youngstown, OH $58,001

Temple, TX $57,975

Daytona Beach, FL $57,963

Clarksville, TN $57,956

Pensacola, FL $57,950

Hopkinsville, KY $57,757

Charleston, WV $57,751

Florence, SC $57,719

Sioux City, IA $57,680

Macon, GA $57,494

Tallahassee, FL $57,488

Fayetteville, NC $57,475

Waco, TX $57,462

Wichita Falls, TX $57,462

Pine Bluff, AR $57,436

Vincennes, IN $57,314

Lubbock, TX $57,289

Great Falls, MT $57,250

Alamogordo, NM $57,244

Abilene, TX $57,192

Rapid City, SD $57,109

Monroe, LA $57,109

Albany, GA $57,071

Huntington, WV $57,064

Jackson, MS $57,058

Greenville, MS $57,051

Parkersburg, WV $56,987

Montgomery, AL $56,974

Johnstown, PA $56,961

Springfield, MO $56,910

Biloxi, MS $56,878

Sumter, SC $56,743

Columbus, GA $56,737

Twin Falls, ID $56,698

Pascagoula, MS $56,615

Kingsport, TN $56,448

Gulfport, MS $56,429

Alexandria, LA $56,217

Fort Smith, AR $56,057

El Paso, TX $55,883

Helena, MT $55,800

Las Cruces, NM $55,595

Harlingen, TX $55,415

Pocatello, ID $55,357

Florence, AL $55,338

Brownsville, TX $55,325

Dothan, AL $55,222

Mcallen, TX $55,190

Columbus, MS $54,715

Altus, OK $54,420

Lawton, OK $54,298

Pierre, SD $54,067

What Skills Can Increase a Contractor's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

Analysis (Mentioned in 12.49% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
Sales Support (Mentioned in 1.67% Job Postings): The tasks, roles, and technology that exist within our organization to help our sales force close deals.
Supply Chain (Mentioned in 1.16% Job Postings): A supply chain encompasses everything from the delivery of source materials from the supplier to the manufacturer through to its eventual delivery to the end user.

See More Skills

Skills	Demand Percentage
Analysis	12.49%
Sales Support	1.67%
Supply Chain	1.16%

What skills can make your compensation higher?

Mastering certain specialized skills can lead to a significant increase in pay. Here are examples of skills and the potential impact they can have on a Contractor's salary.

Team Operations: Can increase your salary by up to 5%.
Collaboration: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
Commitment: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.

Skill	Salary	Salary % Increase
Team Operations	$67,383	5%
Collaboration	$66,742	4%
Commitment	$66,742	4%
Decision Making	$66,742	4%
Leadership	$66,742	4%
CRM	$66,100	3%

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How Education impacts a Contractor's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Contractors enter the field with a Bachelor's Degree degree, higher education can lead to more specialized and higher-paying roles.

According to our 100% employer-reported salary data, the median salary for a Contractor with a Bachelor's Degree is between $63,032 and $66,981).

Contractor Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Contractor

No Diploma 0.6%

High School 6.8%

Associates 6.8%

Bachelors 69.7%

Masters 15.9%

Doctorate 0.3%

view as table

Degree Level	% of user with this level of education
No Diploma	0.6%
High School	6.8%
Associates	6.8%
Bachelors	69.7%
Masters	15.9%
Doctorate	0.3%

view as graph

Contractor Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Contractor's annual salary breaks down can help with budgeting. Below, you can see the average hourly rate, weekly pay, and monthly pay for this role. Use the buttons to switch between different pay periods.

Last Updated on January 01, 2026

$57,203

Average $64,175/year

$69,743

$4,767

Average $5,348/month

$5,812

$1,100

Average $1,234/week

$1,341

$28

Average $31/hour

$34

	Annual Salary	Monthly Pay	Weekly Pay	Hourly Wage
75th Percentile	$69,743	$5,812	$1,341	$34
Average	$64,175	$5,348	$1,234	$31
25th Percentile	$57,203	$4,767	$1,100	$28

Salaries of jobs related to Contractor

Salary Trends for Contractor

Salaries for a Contractor can change over time, reflecting shifts in market demand and the overall economy. The median salary decreased from $66,306 in 2023 to around $65,905 in 2025, reflecting changes in demand, location, experience, and the wider economy. For a detailed analysis of Contractor salary trends, .

Average Annual Salary of Contractor Over Time

2022

$???

2023

$66,306

2024

$66,676

2025

$65,905

2026

$???

2027

$???

Year	Average Annual Salary
2022	View More
2023	$66,306
2024	$66,676
2025	$65,905
2026	View More
2027	View More

Most common benefits for Contractor

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Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

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We offer detailed salary information across multiple percentiles for your reference. (Click here to learn Why the Salary Midpoint Formula Is Crucial for Achieving Pay Equity.)

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