What do the trades pay in Georgia?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$28.04/hrGeorgia median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$27.50/hrGeorgia median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$27.11/hrGeorgia median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$22.57/hrGeorgia median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$37.71/hrGeorgia median, construction supervisors
Is there work in Georgia?
Construction jobs in Georgia, September 2026: 231,800, down 2.1% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in Georgia, September 2026: 5,038, down 1.9% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in Georgia: 71,800.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in Georgia?
Georgia licenses general, electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors at the state level. Cities and counties license roofers.2
- ElectricalState licenseState Construction Industry Licensing Board
- PlumbingState licenseState Construction Industry Licensing Board
- HVACState licenseState Construction Industry Licensing Board
- RoofingLicensed by cities or countiesCity or county
- General contractorState licenseState Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (SOS)
Check a Georgia contractor
Search the license on the board's own site.
Miss a date, lose the lien
- Notice: a separate deadline, usually early in the job, in states that require one.
- Lien filing: counted from your last work or from completion of the project.
- Suit to enforce: a second deadline, counted from the lien filing or your last work.
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 84Atlanta(770) 801-5352
- IBEW Local 508Savannah(912) 964-5080
- IBEW Local 613Atlanta(404) 523-8107
- IBEW Local 1193Conyers
- IBEW Local 1316Macon(478) 743-7017
- IBEW Local 1531Albany(229) 436-2417
5 more IBEW locals
- IBEW Local 1579Augusta(706) 722-6357
- IBEW Local 175Office in Chattanooga, TN(423) 894-3557
- IBEW Local 177Office in Jacksonville, FL(904) 355-4569
- IBEW Local 379Office in Charlotte, NC(704) 455-4595
- IBEW Local 1205Office in Gainesville, FL(352) 376-7701
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- Albany Electrical JATCP.O. Box 916, Albany(229) 436-2417
- Macon Electrical JATC1046 Patterson Street, Macon(478) 743-7017
- CSRA Electrical JATC403 Beverly Road, Martinez(706) 722-4100
- Atlanta Electrical JATC6601 Bay Circle, Norcross(404) 523-5400
- Savannah Electrical Training Alliance1526 Dean Forest Road, Savannah(912) 964-1989
IEC chapters (open shop)
- Atlanta IEC330 Research Ct, Peachtree Corners(770) 242-9277
- IEC Georgia330 Research Ct, Peachtree Corners(770) 242-9277
UA union locals
- UA Local 72Atlanta(404) 373-5778
- UA Local 150Augusta(706) 724-8846
- UA Local 177Brunswick(912) 265-1890
- UA Local 188Savannah(912) 354-5520
- UA Local 473Jesup(912) 321-2919
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 Georgia101 Pilgrim Village Dr Ste 200, Cumming(678) 947-3473
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 85Atlanta(404) 758-2689
Sheet metal training centers
- Georgia Sheet Metal JATC4830 Mendel Court SW, Atlanta(404) 753-6466
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of Georgia101 Pilgrim Village Dr Ste 200, Cumming(678) 947-3473
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Georgia.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 225Atlanta
- Carpenters Local 256Garden City
- Carpenters Local 283Augusta
- Carpenters Local 1263Kennesaw
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- HBA of Georgia887 W Marietta St NW Ste T105, Atlanta
- HBA of Southwest GeorgiaPO Box 70423, Albany(229) 869-1903
- Greater Atlanta HBA925 N Point Pkwy Ste 300, Alpharetta(770) 938-9900
- Home Builders of Greater Aiken Augusta Region3732 Executive Center Drive, Augusta(706) 860-2371
- Home Builders Association of Middle GeorgiaPO Box 999, Byron(478) 733-3453
- Gordon Bartow HBA612 Pisgah Way, Calhoun(706) 280-4921
17 more chapters
- Georgia Mountain HBAPO Box 626, Clayton(706) 782-9260
- Greater Columbus HBA6432 Bradley Park Dr, Columbus(706) 322-8590
- The HBA of DaltonPO Box 1466, Dalton(706) 278-4223
- Westside HBAPO Box 1272, Douglasville(770) 652-6162
- Georgia High Country Builders AssociationPO Box 1781, Ellijay(706) 276-0515
- HBA of North GeorgiaPO Box 631, Gainesville(770) 536-8282
- Lake Oconee Area BA1041 Village Park Dr Ste 102, Greensboro(706) 999-1591
- Jackson County BAPO Box 189, Jefferson(706) 367-0611
- Home Builders Association of Camden CountyPO BOX 789, Kingsland(912) 388-6975
- HBA of Midwest GeorgiaPO Box 72641, Newnan(770) 716-7109
- Rome HBAPO BOX 1286, Rome(706) 236-3552
- Coastal Georgia HBA11 Gruber Ln Ste 264, Saint Simons Island(912) 596-5929
- HBA of Greater Savannah7116 Hodgson Memorial Drive, Savannah(912) 354-6193
- Statesboro HBA1223 Merchants Way, Statesboro(912) 489-8887
- HBA of South GeorgiaPO Box 2950, Valdosta(229) 247-8422
- Athens Area HBA1651 MERIWEATHER DR, Watkinsville(706) 543-5760
- Barrow Cty. BAPO Box 959, Winder(678) 988-5687
Roofers union locals
- Roofers Local 136Atlanta
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
- Central Georgia Technical College80 Cohen Walker Drive, Warner RobinsPlumbing programHVAC programConstruction program
- Atlanta Technical College1560 Metropolitan Pkwy SW, Atlanta
- Augusta Technical College3200 Augusta Tech Drive, AugustaElectrical program
- Athens Technical College800 U.S. Hwy 29 North, AthensElectrical programHVAC program
- Chattahoochee Technical College980 S Cobb Drive Dr SE, MariettaHVAC programConstruction program
- North Georgia Technical College1500 Georgia Hwy 197 N, ClarkesvilleElectrical programHVAC program
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Georgia, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- State Licensing Board for Residential and General Contractors (SOS) (sos.ga.gov)
- Georgia lien statute (lexisnexis.com)
- 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)
- State Construction Industry Licensing Board - Conditioned Air Contractors (sos.ga.gov)
- State Construction Industry Licensing Board - Master/Journeyman Plumbers (sos.ga.gov)
- State Construction Industry Licensing Board - Electrical Contractors (rules.sos.ga.gov)