What do the trades pay in Colorado?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$29.92/hrColorado median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$30.40/hrColorado median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$31.35/hrColorado median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$24.88/hrColorado median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$39.05/hrColorado median, construction supervisors
Is there work in Colorado?
Construction jobs in Colorado, September 2026: 190,000, up 3.2% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in Colorado, September 2026: 1,949, down 18.4% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026Who licenses contractors in Colorado?
Colorado licenses electrical and plumbing contractors at the state level. Cities and counties license general contractors, HVAC contractors and roofers.2
State board Division of Professions and Occupations
- ElectricalState license
- PlumbingState license
- HVACLicensed by cities or counties
- RoofingLicensed by cities or counties
- General contractorLicensed by cities or counties
Check a Colorado contractor
Enter the license number or business name. We read it from the state board's own file.
Colorado doesn't license general contractors, roofers or HVAC contractors statewide, so they aren't in the DORA 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 12Pueblo(719) 561-8000
- IBEW Local 68Denver(303) 297-0229
- IBEW Local 111Denver(303) 744-7171
- IBEW Local 113Colorado Springs(719) 633-3872
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- Colorado Springs Electrical JATC414 West Pikes Peak Avenue, Colorado Springs(719) 473-1781
- Denver Area Electrical JATC5610 N. Logan Street, Denver(303) 295-1903
- Western Colorado JATC786 Valley Ct, Grand Junction(303) 295-1903
- Pueblo Electrical JATC2924 Graneros Lane, Pueblo(719) 561-8000
IEC chapters (open shop)
- IEC Rocky Mountain11429 Pearl St. Northglenn(303) 853-4886
- IEC Southern Colorado2345 N. Academy Blvd. Colorado Springs(719) 596-3688
- Western Colorado IECP.O. Box 1052 Glenwood Springs(970) 945-1079
UA union locals
- UA Local 3Aurora(303) 739-9300
- UA Local 58Colorado Springs(719) 633-4052
- UA Local 145Grand Junction(970) 245-2012
- UA Local 208Denver(303) 428-4380
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 Colorado7173 S Havana St, Suite 600-113, Centennial(303) 758-9616
SMART union locals
Sheet metal training centers
- Colorado Springs Sheet Metal JATC4003 N. Weber St., Colorado Springs(719) 822-2036
- Denver Sheet Metal Workers Training Institute1515 W 47th Ave., Denver(720) 855-0305
- Grand Junction Sheet Metal Workers Training Institute2980 Gunnison Avenue, Grand Junction(970) 623-5463
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of Colorado7173 S Havana St, Suite 600-113, Centennial(303) 758-9616
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Colorado.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 555Denver
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- Colorado Association of Home Builders9033 E. Easter Pl, Centennial(303) 551-6712
- HBA of Metro Denver9033 E. Easter Place, Centennial(303) 551-6712
- Housing & Building Association of Colorado Springs4585 Hilton Parkway, Colorado Springs(719) 592-1800
- Four Corners BAPO Box Tl, Cortez(970) 565-1771
- HBA of Southwest Colorado1075 Main Ave Ste 219, Durango(970) 382-0082
- Summit County BAPO Box 2245, Frisco(970) 668-6013
4 more chapters
- Grand County BAPO Box 185, Granby(970) 364-0177
- Housing and Building Assn of Western Colorado569 S Westgate Dr Unit 3, Grand Junction(970) 245-0253
- Home Builders Association of Northern ColoradoPO Box 7254, Loveland(970) 686-2798
- Pueblo Association of Home BuildersPO Box 1348, Pueblo(719) 545-9484
Roofers union locals
- Roofers Local 58Colorado Springs
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
- Trinidad State College600 Prospect Street, Trinidad
- Intellitec College-Colorado Springs2315 East Pikes Peak Avenue, Colorado SpringsElectrical programHVAC program
- Colorado Mesa University1100 North Avenue, Grand JunctionElectrical program
- Intellitec College-Grand Junction772 Horizon Dr., Grand JunctionElectrical programHVAC program
- Emily Griffith Technical College1860 Lincoln Street, DenverElectrical programPlumbing programHVAC program
- Red Rocks Community College13300 W Sixth Ave, LakewoodElectrical programHVAC programConstruction program
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Colorado, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- Division of Professions and Occupations - Electrical Board (dpo.colorado.gov)
- Colorado lien law: C.R.S. 38-22-109(1),(4),(5),(8),(10) (leg.colorado.gov)
- 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)
- DORA professional and occupational licenses (Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), electrical and plumbing licensing) (data.colorado.gov, Oct 29, 2026)
- Division of Professions and Occupations - Plumbing Board (dpo.colorado.gov)