What Are the Highest Paying Jobs in Construction?
Half of payroll workers in construction earn more than $60,320, and the top 25% make at least $81,510, according to the latest May 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) and analysis by NAHB. In comparison, the U.S. median annual pay is $49,500, while the top quartile (the highest paid 25%) makes at least $78,810.
The OEWS publishes wages for almost 400 occupations in construction. Out of these, only 46 are construction trades. The other construction industry workers are in finance, sales, administration and other off-site activities.
In 2024, the highest paid occupation in construction is lawyers with wages of $180,520 per year and the top 25% making over $238,720. Traditionally, Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) occupy the top paid position in the industry, but in 2024, they are second on the list, with half of CEOs making over $174,030, while the wages of the top quartile remain undisclosed.
Out of the top 20 highest paid occupations in construction, 14 are various managers. The highest paid managers in construction are architectural and engineering managers, with half of them making over $153,510 and the top 25% on the pay scale earning over $181,150 annually.
Among construction trades, elevator installers and repairers top the median wages list with half of them earning over $108,130 a year, and the top 25% making at least $133,370. This is also the only construction trade that made the industry overall top 20 highest paid occupations list.
First-line supervisors of construction trades are next on the trade list; their median wages are $78,900, with the top 25% highest paid supervisors earning more than $100,150.
In general, construction trades that require more years of formal education tend to offer higher annual wages. Median wages of construction and building inspectors are $66,340, and the top quartile is $89,550. This is also the trade with a relatively wide pay scale spread, with the top 25% making at least 74% more than the bottom quartile, potentially reflecting a wider variance in educational attainment, professional responsibilities and expertise of building inspectors.
Natalia Siniavskaia, NAHB AVP of housing policy research, provides a detailed chart of the top 20 occupations overall and within the trades in