What the Trades Pay
Behind the panel What the Trades Pay · series F, By the Numbers.
This panel is an infographic. Its bars show median annual wages for selected occupations from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics program (May 2024 estimates), rounded to the nearest thousand. The median for all occupations was about $49,500.
How to read a median
The median wage is the point at which half of workers earn more and half earn less. It is not a starting wage. New workers and apprentices typically earn less; experienced, licensed and supervisory workers earn more. BLS also publishes the 10th and 90th percentiles, which show the spread; the reading room keeps the full table.
What the chart does not show
- Geography. The same trade pays very differently in Tampa, Baltimore and San Francisco. BLS publishes state and metropolitan estimates.
- Hours and overtime. Many trades work overtime, shift premiums or seasonal peaks.
- Benefits. Union and public-sector jobs often carry pensions and health plans worth thousands more.
- Self-employment. BLS wage data covers employees; contractors who own businesses are not included.
- Cost of training. The companion panel, Degree vs Credential: The Cost, sets pay against training cost and time.
Updating the panel
Wage estimates are released every spring. Before printing, the museum refreshes every bar from the latest BLS release and changes the date line on the panel. Students in the Data Science & Analytics program do the update as a class exercise and keep the data file in the museum's archive.
Sources
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2024; Occupational Outlook Handbook, current edition (bls.gov/ooh).
