The Same Labour Line Moves 44% Between States, and Which Trade You Hire Changes How Much
This is a wage analysis, not a cost guide.
The spread by trade
| Trade | Cheapest state | Most expensive state | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drywall installers | Mississippi $37,310 | Hawaii $104,830 | 2.81x |
| Floor layers | Montana $37,710 | Alaska $92,860 | 2.46x |
| Cement masons | Mississippi $43,980 | Hawaii $95,890 | 2.18x |
| Laborers | Alabama $36,900 | Hawaii $77,110 | 2.09x |
| Plumbers | Arkansas $48,660 | District of Columbia $101,020 | 2.08x |
| Tile setters | Arkansas $38,980 | Massachusetts $81,150 | 2.08x |
| Electricians | Arkansas $49,070 | Oregon $101,310 | 2.06x |
| Carpenters | Oklahoma $46,910 | Hawaii $85,280 | 1.82x |
| Roofers | Oklahoma $43,680 | Illinois $77,900 | 1.78x |
| Painters | Arkansas $40,090 | Hawaii $68,220 | 1.70x |
Floor layers and drywall installers show the widest spread, and that is partly a data artefact: those trades are reported in fewer states, so the extremes are thinner.
The trades with full 51-state coverage — roofers, carpenters, electricians, plumbers, painters, labourers — are the ones to trust the spread on.
What a 2x spread does to a bill
If labour is 45% of the bill and the wage doubles, the bill rises by 45%. If labour is 65%, the bill rises by 65%.
That is why painting and roofing feel so different depending on where you are, and why electrical work feels more consistent — not because electricians are paid the same, but because the material share of an electrical job is high enough to absorb the difference.
Why a national average is still useful
It is the right starting point and the wrong answer. Use it to sanity-check a quote, then apply your state.
Our calculators do exactly that: published national ranges, then the labour line moved by the state factor.
Frequently asked
Which trade should I price first?
The one with the largest labour share. On this site that is painting at 65%, then kitchens at 55%, then flooring and bathrooms at 50%.
Are these spreads stable year to year?
Roughly. State rankings move slowly because they reflect local labour markets, but they do move. Every figure here is a single year's snapshot.
Updated October 2026