Average annual salaries for craft professionals ranged from $47,700 to $92,500 in 2018, according to a new NCCER survey representing more than 130 U.S. commercial and industrial construction firms. The most significant pay increase was for HVAC technicians, up 20 percent from previous years, with sheet metal workers coming in a close second at an 18 percent increase.
Project supervisors and program managers topped the list, earning more than $88,000 and $92,500, respectively. Other trades earning more than $65,000 included boilermakers, mobile crane operators, tower crane operators, millwrights, industrial electricians, power line workers, pipe welders, instrumentation technicians and combo welders. Another seven craft areas made more than $60,000 per year.
Because many craft professionals receive additional incentives, their take-home pay is typically much greater than the incomes reflected in the survey.
