What do the trades pay in Alabama?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$26.78/hrAlabama median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$28.21/hrAlabama median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$23.26/hrAlabama median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$21.96/hrAlabama median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$30.83/hrAlabama median, construction supervisors
Is there work in Alabama?
Construction jobs in Alabama, September 2026: 113,100, up 2.5% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in Alabama, September 2026: 1,558, down 17.2% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026Who licenses contractors in Alabama?
Alabama licenses general contractors and the electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing trades at the state level.2
- ElectricalState licenseElectrical Contractors Board
- PlumbingState licensePlumbers and Gas Fitters Examiners Board
- HVACState licenseBoard of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors
- RoofingState licenseHome Builders Licensure Board
- General contractorState licenseLicensing Board for General Contractors
Check an Alabama contractor
Enter the license number or business name. We read it from the state board's own file.
Training near you
Apprentices are hired first and paid while they learn on the job and in class. Trade school comes first and charges tuition.
Where to train and find work near you
Union locals take apprenticeship applications and send members out to union contractors. Open-shop chapters run apprenticeship classes for the people their member contractors hire.
IBEW union locals
- IBEW Local 136Birmingham(205) 833-0909
- IBEW Local 443Montgomery(334) 272-8830
- IBEW Local 505Mobile(251) 476-0275
- IBEW Local 558Sheffield(256) 383-2279
- IBEW Local 175Office in Chattanooga, TN(423) 894-3557
- IBEW Local 613Office in Atlanta, GA(404) 523-8107
1 more IBEW locals
- IBEW Local 917Office in Meridian, MS(601) 483-0486
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- Birmingham Electrical JATC5000 East Lake Blvd., Birmingham(205) 849-5522
- Mobile Electricians JATC2244 Halls Mill Road, Mobile(251) 478-4918
- Montgomery Electrical JATC1469 Jean Street, Montgomery(334) 272-8830
- North Alabama Electrical JATCP.O. Box 141, 1805 E. 17th Street, Sheffield(256) 383-9507
IEC chapters (open shop)
- IEC Central AlabamaPO Box 130098 Birmingham(205) 956-0146
UA union locals
- UA Local 52Montgomery(334) 272-9500
- UA Local 91Birmingham(205) 591-2721
- UA Local 119Mobile(251) 476-0625
- UA Local 372Duncanville(205) 758-6236
- UA Local 548Prattville(334) 309-4563
- UA Local 760Muscle Shoals(256) 383-7900
Training
UA apprenticeships run through a joint committee of the local and union contractors. Call the local for the next application date.
PHCC chapters
- PHCC of AlabamaPO Box 36972, Birmingham(205) 892-3888
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 48Birmingham(205) 322-9016
- SMART Local 441Mobile(251) 476-1900
Sheet metal training centers
- SMW of Birmingham Alabama & Surrounding Counties1108 29th Street North, Birmingham(205) 381-7996
- SMWIA Local 441 JJ&A Trust2459 Eslava Creek Parkway, Mobile(251) 476-6473
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of AlabamaPO Box 36972, Birmingham(205) 892-3888
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Alabama.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 318Pelham
- Carpenters Local 1192Birmingham
- Carpenters Local 1209Florence
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- HBA of AlabamaPO Box 241305, Montgomery(334) 834-3006
- HBA of Marshall County428 E N Carlisle St, Albertville(256) 891-7061
- HBA of Greater Calhoun Cty.PO Box 2549, Anniston(256) 237-5266
- Athens Limestone HBA106 Cloverleaf Dr, Athens(256) 998-5399
- Lee Cty. HBA744 N Cary Dr, Auburn(334) 319-2555
- Association of Home Builders of Greater Birmingham2401 International Park Dr Ste 200, Birmingham(205) 912-7000
21 more chapters
- Chilton County HBAPO Box 1625, Clanton(205) 755-1927
- Cullman County HBAPO Box 1033, Cullman(256) 739-5110
- The Greater Morgan County BAPO Box 2623, Decatur(256) 350-4894
- HBA of Dothan & Wiregrass AreaPO Box 9791, Dothan(334) 793-6696
- Enterprise HBAPO BOX 310861, Enterprise(334) 406-5675
- Baldwin County HBA916 Plantation Blvd, Fairhope(251) 928-9927
- HBA of The Muscle Shoals AreaPO Box 419, Florence(256) 766-9110
- Dekalb County HBA213 Grand Ave SW, Fort Payne(256) 845-1530
- Greater Gadsden HBAPO Box 1135, Gadsden
- South Alabama HBAPO Box 219, Greenville(334) 382-0880
- Huntsville/Madison County BA2804 Bob Wallace Ave SW, Huntsville(256) 536-2602
- Tallapoosa Cty HBA706 Point Cloxson Cir, Jacksons Gap(256) 212-2418
- Walker County HBA29 Maple Rd, Jasper(205) 522-5776
- HBA of Metro Mobile Inc1613 University Blvd S, Mobile(251) 661-6523
- Greater Montgomery HBA7013 Potsdam Court, Montgomery(334) 277-7766
- Blount County HBAPO Box 571, Oneonta(205) 274-9803
- HBA of St. Clair Cty.PO Box 543, Pell City(205) 884-0838
- HBA of Phenix City1808 Opelika Rd, Phenix City(334) 298-7778
- Jackson County HBAPO Box 130, Scottsboro(334) 382-0880
- HBA of Tuscaloosa2009 Paul W Bryant Dr, Tuscaloosa(205) 345-7253
- HBA of Northwest AlabamaPO Box 308, Winfield(205) 495-5666
Roofers union locals
No Roofers local has its office in Alabama. Search the Roofers union website.
Training
Roofers locals run their apprenticeship through a joint committee with union contractors.
Contractor associations
The national trade group for roofing contractors is the National Roofing Contractors Association.
Trade schools: where to apply
- J F Ingram State Technical College5375 Ingram Rd, DeatsvilleElectrical programPlumbing programHVAC program
- Bevill State Community College1411 Indiana Avenue, Jasper
- Northwest Shoals Community College800 George Wallace Blvd, Muscle Shoals
- Shelton State Community College9500 Old Greensboro Rd, TuscaloosaElectrical program
- Fortis College-Montgomery3736 Atlanta Hwy, MontgomeryHVAC program
- Fortis Institute-Birmingham100 London Pkwy, BirminghamElectrical programHVAC program
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Alabama, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- Licensing Board for General Contractors (genconbd.alabama.gov)
- Alabama lien law: Ala. Code 35-11-213 and 35-11-215 (alison.legislature.state.al.us)
- Alabama lien law: Ala. Code 35-11-221 and 35-11-220 (alison.legislature.state.al.us)
- U.S. Department of Labor, apprenticeship.gov registered apprenticeship partners (apprenticeship.gov)
- U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (field of study and institution data) (collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026 (bls.gov)
- Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026 (census.gov)
- FEMA disaster declarations, Oct 9, 2026 (fema.gov)
- LBGC license roster (Licensing Board for General Contractors (LBGC)) (licensesearch.alabama.gov, Oct 29, 2026)
- Home Builders Licensure Board (hblb.alabama.gov)
- Electrical Contractors Board (aecb.alabama.gov)
- Plumbers and Gas Fitters Examiners Board (pgfb.alabama.gov)
- Board of Heating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors (hacr.alabama.gov)