BLS benchmark
Career hub →Electrician
Median pay$63,190
Growth+9%
Top 10%$108,510
Openings / yr72.7K
Career comparison engine
Compare Skilled Trades Before You Commit.
Put pay, growth, annual openings, training routes and work style on the same screen. Then use your state and personal goals to decide what deserves a closer look.
A detailed side-by-side guide is available for this pair.
BLS benchmark
Career hub →Plumber / Pipefitter
Median pay$63,800
Growth+7%
Top 10%$108,420
Openings / yr42K
Popular head-to-head searches
Compare the career decisions people actually wrestle with.
Each comparison keeps national BLS benchmarks separate from personal fit and local licensing so the answer does not collapse into a misleading “winner.”
Career comparisonCompare side by side Career comparisonCompare side by side Career comparisonCompare side by side Career comparisonCompare side by side
Electrician vs Plumber
Median pay$63,190 vs $63,800
Growth+9% vs +7%
Electrician vs HVAC Tech
Median pay$63,190 vs $61,010
Growth+9% vs +11%
Plumber vs HVAC Tech
Median pay$63,800 vs $61,010
Growth+7% vs +11%
Electrician vs Welder
Median pay$63,190 vs $53,750
Growth+9% vs +2%
Compare more than salary
The best-paying trade is not automatically the best trade for you.
Use salary as one filter. Then compare the training route, licensing burden, schedule, work environment, physical demands and the kind of problems you want to solve every day.
Find My Best Trade FreeTraining route
Paid apprenticeship, technical school, employer training and certification routes can lead to very different first-year experiences.
Local licensing
A national comparison cannot replace the state or local rules that determine which credential you actually need.
Work rhythm
Emergency service, construction schedules, seasonal peaks and industrial shifts can matter as much as the wage headline.
Career ceiling
Specialization, union access, supervisory work, contracting and location can change long-term earnings dramatically.