# What Is The Best Paying Trade In Construction??



## mdshunk

Nathan said:


> So, I wonder what the most profitable trade for business owners is?.


Depends completely on how the business is run. Put two different guys in charge of the same business, and the profit will be worlds apart, no doubt. I think that the profit potential for a business owner is unlimited, regardless of the trade. I do know that if I used the same operational skills that I have now and applied them to an HVAC business, the profit would be double present levels or more. Admittedly, I lack the motivation to give it a shot.


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## Jerrald Hayes

soffit_orlando said:


> Hey, do you guys know what is the best paying trade in construction?
> Exterior i would say roof, but not sure.
> What you guys tell me interior? Drywall, flooring, carpentry, etc...???


Are you talking about which kind of contractor typically has the highest Billig Rate or are you asking which trade has employees with the best wages and benefit packages?

Roofers typically have very high hourly Billing Rates because their insurance (Workers Comp) can be astronomically high along with other capital costs but roofers, the tradespeople actually doing the work, are typically on the lower end of the spectrum.


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## Jerrald Hayes

Nathan said:


> So, I wonder what the most profitable trade for business owners is?


I would say a number of things can contribute to what makes one trade more profitable than another. Profitability (as In Net Profit, not Gross Profit) has a lot to do with the "value added" the person or persons buying the service perceive. If you are doing something that no one else can or will do you can then charge a premium for your service (attaching a higher Net Profit to you price).

We build helical and serpentine curved stair railing parts that allow us to do stair projects other contractors and even many stair companies just don't or wont do and we charge a premium for that capability.

I'm reminded of a great story I first learned about in the book "Selling the Invisible." 

A woman was strolling along a street in Paris when she spotted Picasso sketching at a sidewalk cafe. She asked Picasso to sketch her. 

He obliged and she asked "What do I owe you?" 

"Five thousand francs," Picasso answered. 

"But it only took you three minutes," she said. 

"No," Picasso said. "It took me all my life."


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## Zatol

Paintguy26 said:


> I'm sure being a GC has it's drawbacks--one I can think of is the inability to pay guys on time and correctly, whick results in the stigma that GC's are hard up



Not all of us GC's fit into the mold that you portrayed above. In fact, I'd say most do not fit that mold. The earning potential of a GC would have to be up there with the best of the trades.. 

Above all, however, I would say it is the sales expert who makes the most money for the amount of time, worry and liability.


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## Ron The Plumber

Did someone say plumbers?


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## Richard

Miniroller said:


> I know who should make the most money- the guy who pumps out and cleans the porta-potty.


heh...my bro-in-law works for a sanitiation company--drives the poopsucker truck and mainly does septic work--he gets like $17/hr. and $100 per call when he's on call with the pager--some weeks he'll bring home around 7-800, so for an employee, he does pretty good....


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## El Dorado Wood

Jerrald Hayes said:


> I'm reminded of a great story I first learned about in the book "Selling the Invisible."
> 
> A woman was strolling along a street in Paris when she spotted Picasso sketching at a sidewalk cafe. She asked Picasso to sketch her.
> 
> He obliged and she asked "What do I owe you?"
> 
> "Five thousand francs," Picasso answered.
> 
> "But it only took you three minutes," she said.
> 
> "No," Picasso said. "It took me all my life."


Love that. I'm always explaining to people that they aren't paying me for what I do... they're paying me for what I know how to do.

Some others above mentioned "Concrete guys"... in my local experience... concrete finishers are at the absolute top end of the pay scale, if not the highest. Was kind of surprised when I heard that. I know a specialty concrete contractor that's paying $50 an hour for finishers... and having a hard time keeping guys. Scary. Also... with the new "certification" that CA is requiring for sparky's... the pay rate for them has gone up a lot as well. I'd say they're the top two... with plumbers, pipe fitters, steelworkers, and custom HVAC guys all tied for third.


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## T-KAT

This might be a little off topic seeing as everyone is talking residential, but as far as construction trades go around here, welders are by far at the very top. A journeyman welder ticket is like a license to print money. A B-pressure welder with his own rig can make $200/hr in some cases.


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## AirPro

Most HVAC companies here are billing between $75-$135 hr. and decent techs are making between $20-$26hr. A far cry from 5 years ago ( avg billing $45-$55, avg tech wage $12-$14), but due to material prices doubling and a VERY small labor pool...it is what it is. 
I bid all of my residential changeout jobs at cost/.55 + 30%, RNC.. ...cost/.6 + 40% which usually equals out to around $1750/ton for single system homes. Commercial jobs vary by materials/equipment required . I use a flat rate program for service/parts.

All that said, I think we are about on par with the residential electricians in my area, I think the plumbers still make a little more. The hurricane shutter and pool enclosure industries have boomed BIG TIME in the past two years ,they are charging triple what they were pre hurricanes. I would guess the same goes for roofers here.


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## Teetorbilt

Air, the price of aluminum has nearly doubled too. I'm still waiting for my pool enclosure, wracked during Francis and totaled by Jeanne.


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## King of Crown

Around here, the guys that make the most money in high ends homes are the cabinet guys. in the average home, it would prob be painters or hvac guys. I have a uncle in Denver owns hvac company, 3 houses in Cayman Islands, 8,000 square foot house w/ indoor pool. 18 year old daughter is on her second Porche 911. Makes me sick. I'm pretty sure he doesnt come on here, but if he does, you da man Uncle Gary!


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## AirPro

teetorbilt, I agree...copper and aluminum have both easily doubled, hell I used to be able to get a roll of 7/8"x50' copper for $65 last summer, it cost $144 in november...went down a few bucks this month but not much. Crazy! And try to explain to a customer why they are paying 70% more for a system than you quoted last year. LOL


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## cmwacasey

IMO carpenters SHOULD be at the top of the list.Anyone that can make raw pieces of materials fit beautifully together ,will have no problem with wires and pipes.market does not agree,so this carpenter does electrical and plumbing work also.


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## AirPro

cmwacasey said:


> IMO carpenters SHOULD be at the top of the list.Anyone that can make raw pieces of materials fit beautifully together ,will have no problem with wires and pipes.market does not agree,so this carpenter does electrical and plumbing work also.


 
The same could be said for sheet metal or ductboard, after all they both start as a flat piece of material and end up into some pretty complex fittings. 
I am fairly proficient in both plumbing and electrical work,but I am not licensed in each particular trade,so I choose not to get shut down by working outside the scope of my license. Actually knowledge of both is required in my trade along with basic carpentry,roofing,welding,computer programming,babysitting,psychology etc, etc....lol
I respect all craftsman, whether it be a carpenter,tilesetter,mason,painter or hvac guy(yes some of us are craftsman too!) as long as they have the moral fiber and work ethic of a craftsman. I would not however endeavor into trying to make my own crown molding, thats why you guys get the big bucks.


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## tzzzz216

1. The wife
2. The Kids
3. The Plumber:furious: :laughing:


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## cmwacasey

Airpro,nicely said.I would bet you are a craftsman.


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## AirPro

cmwacasey,
Thank you! :thumbsup:


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## gitnerdun

Seems that a lot of people seem to think plumbers are on top, except plumbers. Some days I hear "You were only here an hour!" and other days it is more like "I don't care what the cost, just get here". Bottom line is we all (in the const. trades) bust our butts and will probably have a sore body when we're old and grey, so we better be makin' hay while the sun shines. I say this with a hurtin' lower back and a wicked case of tennis elbow at 41 yrs. That said I'm off to do some diggin' and playing with someone else's poop. Bob:thumbsup: 

PS I love my job, but can't wait to retire


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## sparkie5

Around here, in commercial/industrial arena, plumber/pipefitter and electricians are high.

At a seminar I was told that 20+ years ago the average electrical contractor's profit margin was about 15%, nowadays 3-4%. Sounds like a big difference.


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## Teetorbilt

Boss.


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## MMC73

Toss up around here - electricians and plumbers...specialty work is also very profitable however. We do a fair amount of restoration work with antique reclaimed tile. The reclamation process can be challenging; not damaging the tile during removal, reclaimation and installation however the folks who want are more than certainly willing and able to pay for it.


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## hbelectric

I noticed a few times when i get the info, the plumbers and Electricians bids are pretty close. The 2 trades take nearly the same time to complete. 

A specialty trade like an Elevator worker, i'm sure pays more. I'd think you would also be more limited to finding work. Depending on your city, there might only be a handful of contractors doing that work.


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## Tom Struble

everybody but me:notworthy


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## Dr Heat

It all depends on what part of the country you work in. Real Tiners make the most in cold weather areas. I think we all can agree that tin knockers have the most difficult of all the trades. We work with razor sharp metal and need to know a little bit about every other trade. We weld do electric gas pipe condensate as well as all the service. Come to think of it why don't all the other trades worship us? I suppose they are just jellos. 

Now maybe I'm wrong about this. Maybe other trades require skill too. Perhaps now just perhaps even electricians have skill. NA


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## pcplumber

*Most profitable Trade*

Being serious, I think all trades make about the same profit when doing remodels, or when working for a general contractor. Most generals don't want the subs to make a profit.

In the repair business, plumbers definitely make the most money. 

Painters have the highest return on their investment, when they pay $300, for paint, and get $7,000 to $10,000, for painting a house. 

Roofing and concrete is too hard on the body.The price, for concrete work, is set in stone and every concrete worker charges almost the exact same price. I recently had 4,000 square feet of concrete laid. When the contractor arrived, I wrote the price, on a piece of paper, and showed it to him, after he quoted his price. He was amazed, but it was too simple. Almost every cement contractor charges $5 per sq. ft. for removal and replacing.


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## mudpad

In Middle Tennessee, according to the Davis Bacon scale (and my experience) the highest paid trade is: Elevator Mechanic. Which IMHOP is as it should be. 

BTW lowest paid is truck driver. however if you own your truck and haul rock for one of the local quarries you get paid by the load, which is a good incentive to drive 90 miles an hour.


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## MALCO.New.York

Architecture and Mechanical/Civil engineering. OP did not specify "Get yer hands Dirty" trade!


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## bill becoat

*roof deshingling*

tearing off a roof with a power electric deshingler (that is lightweight) will save many hours of back breaking labor which dramatically increases ones bottom line of profit. I am a roofer who specializes in tearoffs and i am never out of work.


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## wingman67

*Best paying or most profitable?*

Sometimes the smaller jobs put more on the bottom line.

If your talking strictly salaries, I think the Dept of Commerce keeps those kinds of stats

-Bob


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## Magnettica

soffit_orlando said:


> Hey, do you guys know what is the best paying trade in construction?
> Exterior i would say roof, but not sure.
> What you guys tell me interior? Drywall, flooring, carpentry, etc...???


1) Plumbing
2) Electrical
3) HVAC


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## glassman

Don't forget us glass guys, we are on level with landfill workers,minimum wage and all you can eat.
seriously,scale pay $54.10 includes benny's,non scale $28 to $36/hr.:clap:


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## J F

soffit_orlando said:


> Hey, do you guys know what is the best paying trade in construction?
> Exterior i would say roof, but not sure.
> What you guys tell me interior? Drywall, flooring, carpentry, etc...???



Right about now, probably bankruptcy attorney :whistling


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## WarriorWithWood




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## Micvanlen

I live in Calgary, AB, and without question the best paid trade in this part off the world is an oilfield welder. Risky work considering your hold an ignitor inches from the highly combustable substances that are under pressure for 12 hours a day. Makes sense don't you think? To learn more go to http://www.owsc.ca/


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## BobsLandscaping

Landscapers?


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## Cdat

Street Walker. Not that I would know or anything....


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## naptown CR

With out a doubt the salesman at the various trade contractors.


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## WCSConstruction

that oughta score some points with the subs!!


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## greg24k

Unemployment :thumbsup::laughing:


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## jnimens

Money lending / collecting. Joe Nimens.


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## TheItalian204

We make most money...because we get to set the rate 

When I worked in Calgary I cleared 4700$ every two weeks for about ~60-90 hours.

In comparison,foreman always used to tell me to stick around because he was clearing 5300$...mind you he worked ~20-40h..

I did not want to stick around...On a good month of may,me and one helper can probably clear close to 20k.

Just want to fast forward to May


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## Melissa

This probably isn't answering the question, but lately I'm thinking it's designers and attorneys specializing in construction...


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## stuart45

As trades go plumbers have an advantage in small jobs. If I go and price up a garden wall, the HO can say OK I'll think about it and give you a call after having half a dozen other estimates.
If the same HO has got water pouring down through the ceiling, or his drains are blocked he's normally just glad to get someone round, whatever the price. 
In some of the bigger cities plumbers are going round to a place with a blockage in the U bend under the sink, saying that the drains are blocked and charging about $100 per half hour per man(often there is 2) to use the equipment to clear the drains. They usually make the job last at least over the hour.
A few have been set up and caught on TV programmes.
However all the plumbers I know are decent tradesmen, and this small minority give them a bad name.


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## 3926

I would have to say Birdhouse Building :thumbsup::whistling


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## ohiohomedoctor

I know its not gcs. I pay our electricians the most.


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## TxElectrician

cranbrook2 said:


> I would have to say Birdhouse Building :thumbsup::whistling


But only extreme birdhouses:clap:

I'm ready to see some of your new creations.


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## 3926

TxElectrician said:


> But only extreme birdhouses:clap:
> 
> I'm ready to see some of your new creations.


I just put this 7 fter up a few weeks ago . I started it back in jan 2009

I,ll have a new one done in a few days . It is a 5 1/2 ft bungalow . It is a copy of someones house .


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## stuart45

That's really nice. I've never seen a bird house like that. A friend of mine has started doing thatched roof bird houses as he is short on thatching roof work, but they are not a patch on that one.


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## Metro M & L

cranbrook2 said:


> I just put this 7 fter up a few weeks ago . I started it back in jan 2009
> 
> I,ll have a new one done in a few days . It is a 5 1/2 ft bungalow . It is a copy of someones house .


You worked on one birdhouse for two years. FML


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## 3926

Metro M & L said:


> You worked on one birdhouse for two years. FML


Yes this is the second one that has taken over 2 years to build . 
I usually have other orders to do so some of these big ones get put off for months at a time . These big ones are for my yard so there is no rush to have them done . If it were a customer then i would have them done in 2 or 3 weeks . 

This is another house that took 2 years . It has 103 rooms and weighs about 500 lbs . One of the reasons they take so long is because they are a pita to move around by myself .


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## katoman

All I can say is WOW. What kind of birds nest in there? And how many?

If you have 103 rooms, how many birds can go in there?

Nice work :thumbsup:


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## 3926

Thanks Katoman ! Birds always nest in pairs so 206 birds plus all the babies .They both build the nest too .:hammer:


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## TxElectrician

Great work as always John:thumbsup:


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## Jaws

Those are amazing birdhouses. I applaude your patience and craft skill.


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## 3926

jawtrs said:


> Those are amazing birdhouses. I applaude your patience and craft skill.


Thank you ! I spent 20 years building real houses so this was the next best thing to do when i was forced to retire . The birds sure love them !

Here are a few more


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## ohiohomedoctor

cranbrook2 said:


> Thank you ! I spent 20 years building real houses so this was the next best thing to do when i was forced to retire . The birds sure love them !
> 
> Here are a few more


Thats just amazing to me.


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## Jaws

Can you sell them for enough to compensate all your time? Or just do it for fun?


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## Jaws

Plumbers or electricians. GCs get the shaft...


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## Leo G

Banker.


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## Kent Whitten

Best paying trade? The one that says "**** this ****....I'm outta here" :laughing:


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## WarnerConstInc.

Mine, I break things when no one is looking and then get them with CO after CO.:laughing:


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## Countryboy94

Hyberbaric welding. You get bonuses for depth, I've heard of some of the divers making 100-200 an hour. Seems great until you see some of the affects on the body...

Then again if we were in trades for our bodily health... :laughing:


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## 3926

jawtrs said:


> Can you sell them for enough to compensate all your time? Or just do it for fun?


These large houses were more or less to get everyones attention and then i sell a lot of these smaller houses ranging from $ 100.00 - $500.00through out the year . These houses were all sold this summer plus i did a bunch of large custom houses mainly copies of peoples homes . 

If someone likes one of the large houses in my yard then i make them a copy .
Whatever i make selling birdhouses goes right back into lumber and materials . I have enough lumber to build about 500 more right now .


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## Jaws

That's awesome. I'm impressed


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## Scottyp822

In michigan (if ure workin, at least around detroit) last I heard it was the elevator guys, sprinkler fitters, tin knockers, then pipefitters and sparkies


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