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Skilled Trade Salary in the United States

How much does a Skilled Trade make in the United States?

As of September 01, 2026, the average salary for a Skilled Trade in the United States is $75,152 per year, which breaks down to an hourly rate of $36.

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

  • Top Earners (90th percentile): $86,373
  • Majority Range (25th-75th percentile): $70,854 to $81,025
  • Entry-Level (10th percentile): $66,941
Salary Factors Salary-Boosting Skills Salary by Experience Related Job Salaries Top Paying Cities Explore Related Jobs

Key Factors That Influence Skilled Trade Salaries

A Skilled Trade'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 Skilled Trade Salaries?

Experience is a primary driver of a Skilled Trade'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): $63,708
  • Early Career (1-2 years): $76,047
  • Mid-Level (2-4 years): $97,050
  • Senior-Level (5-8 years): $120,298
  • Expert (over 8 years): $162,124
Levels Salary
Competiti... Level Skilled Trade$63,708
Skilled T... Level Skilled Trade$76,047
Competiti... Level Skilled Trade$97,050
Competiti... Level Skilled Trade$120,298
Competiti... Level Skilled Trade$162,124
View as Graph

How Do Skilled Trade 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 Skilled Trades. For example, consider the average annual salaries in these key locations:
  • District of Columbia: $83,208.
  • California: $82,892.
  • Massachusetts: $81,788.

Top Paying Cities for Skilled Trades

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: $94,789
  • San Francisco: $93,751
  • Oakland: $91,775

What Skills Can Increase a Skilled Trade's Salary?

Demanded Skills for the Role:

  • Analysis (Mentioned in 7.97% Job Postings): Analysis is the process of considering something carefully or using statistical methods in order to understand it or explain it.
  • RFP (Mentioned in 1.33% Job Postings): A request for proposal (RFP) is a business document that announces a project, describes it, and solicits bids from qualified contractors to complete it.
  • Business Development (Mentioned in 0.93% Job Postings): Business development entails tasks and processes to develop and implement growth opportunities within and between organizations. It is a subset of the fields of business, commerce and organizational theory. Business development is the creation of long-term value for an organization from customers, markets, and relationships. Business development can be taken to mean any activity by either a small or large organization, non-profit or for-profit enterprise which serves the purpose of ‘developing’ the business in some way. In addition, business development activities can be done internally or externally by a business development consultant. External business development can be facilitated through Planning Systems, which are put in place by governments to help small businesses. In addition, reputation building has also proven to help facilitate business development.
Skills Demand Percentage
Analysis 7.97%
RFP 1.33%
Business Development 0.93%
See More Skills

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 Skilled Trade's salary.

  • Capital Market: Can increase your salary by up to 4%.
  • Business Strategy: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
  • Tableau: Can increase your salary by up to 3%.
Skill Salary Salary % Increase
Capital Market $78,158
4%
Business Strategy $77,406
3%
Tableau $77,406
3%
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Skilled Trade Salary by Industry: Top Paying Sectors

For Skilled Trade roles, the industry you choose can affect earning potential by as much as 69% (the gap between the highest and lowest paying industries). Data shows that the Software & Networking and Insurance sectors offer the strongest compensation, at 50% above the average. In contrast, Skilled Trade positions in Transportation or Telecom typically offer lower base pay, as these industries often view Skilled Trade as a support function rather than a direct revenue driver.

The top paying industries for a Skilled Trade

Industry Sector Average Annual Salary Average Hourly Rate Pay vs.Avg
Software & Networking$112,728$54.050%
Insurance$86,424$42.015%
Biotechnology$82,667$40.010%
Internet$81,164$39.08%
Chemicals$78,909$38.05%

How Education impacts a Skilled Trade's Salary?

Your level of education can impact your salary potential. While many Skilled Trades 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 Skilled Trade with a Bachelor's Degree is between $72,865 and $77,233).

Skilled Trade Salaries by Degree Level

Typical Education for Skilled Trade
Degree Level % of user with this level of education
No Diploma 0.2%
High School 4.9%
Associates 3.5%
Bachelors 55.0%
Masters 35.7%
Doctorate 0.5%
View as Graph

Skilled Trade Salary: Hourly Rate, Weekly Pay, and Monthly Pay

Understanding how a Skilled Trade'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 September 01, 2026
$70,854
Average $75,152/year
$81,025
$5,904
Average $6,263/month
$6,752
$1,363
Average $1,445/week
$1,558
$34
Average $36/hour
$39
Annual Salary Monthly Pay Weekly Pay Hourly Wage
75th Percentile $81,025 $6,752 $1,558 $39
Average $75,152 $6,263 $1,445 $36
25th Percentile $70,854 $5,904 $1,363 $34

Most common benefits for Skilled Trade

  • Social Security
  • 401 (k)
  • Disability
  • Healthcare
  • Pension
  • Time Off (days)

Common company salaries for Skilled Trade

Here are companies hiring for Skilled Trade and their salaries, click below for more details.

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FAQ about Skilled Trade

1. What industry pays the highest salary for Skilled Trade?

The Software & Networking industry offers the highest average compensation for Skilled Trade roles, with salaries approximately 50% above the market median.

Where Does Our Salary Data Come From?

Salary.com provides salary estimates, histograms, trends, and comparisons using data from employer job postings and third-party sources.

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.)

With the most extensive online, real-time compensation data available, Salary.com helps you pinpoint your exact pay target.

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