The United States is currently suffering from a skills shortage. Overall, there are not enough qualified electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians and carpenters in the country to meet demand. A recent study found that many of the most in-demand positions remain unfilled for at least a month. This comes as millions of Americans laid off in the early days of the coronavirus are looking for work.
However, not all labor markets are the same. While it should be relatively easy to find work in all 50 states, wage levels vary by state. To find out which states pay homeworkers the most, ServiceTitan analyzed Payscale's June 2020 data. The average salary of a homeworker was calculated by averaging the salary of entry-level, mid-level, and senior-level workers in each States were identified. HVAC technicians, plumbers and electricians were all included in the data set, which can be viewed nationwide here.
California in numbers
– Average annual salary: $59,511 ($28.61 per hour)
— Plumber: $58,400 ($28.08 per hour)
—Salary increase for entry-level to senior plumbers: $15,100 ($7.26 per hour)
— HVAC Technician: $59,433 ($28.57 per hour)
— HVAC Technician Salary Increase from Entry Level to Manager Level: $17,800 ($8.56 per hour)
— Electrician: $60,700 ($29.18 per hour)
—Salary increase for entry-level to managerial electricians: $17,900 ($8.61 per hour)
There is a gap between knowing that an industry needs workers and actually absorbing workers into the industry. California is investing $200 million to improve job training – training that can add tens of thousands of dollars to the average trade worker's salary. However, the sheer size of California means that not all metropolitan areas are equally suitable for home workers. THe The San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metropolitan area is the highest paid in the country for both electricians and plumbers and the fourth highest for HVAC technicians.
Meanwhile, the San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and Merced areas are also among the top 10 metros in the country for electricians, while San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ranks top for plumbers and HVAC technicians do well in Napa, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metros. Additionally, the total employment for plumbers in the state is expected growth of 12.4% until 2028. But it's not all rosy: the premium for paying home workers is partly explained by this California has the third highest cost of living in the country.
Check out the statistics below to find out where your talents are most and least valued and to better assess whether or not a move is worth it for your career.
States that pay home workers the most
#1. Alaska: $61,156 average annual salary ($29.40 per hour)
#2. Massachusetts: $59,700 average annual salary ($28.70 per hour)
#3. California: $59,511 average annual salary ($28.61 per hour)
States That Pay Home Workers the Least
#1. Arkansas: $47,944 average annual salary ($23.05 per hour)
#2. West Virginia: $48,178 average annual salary ($23.16 per hour)
#3. Idaho: $49,433 average annual salary ($23.77 per hour)
This story originally appeared on ServiceTitan and was produced and distributed in collaboration with Stacker Studio.
