What do the trades pay in Iowa?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$29.26/hrIowa median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$30.72/hrIowa median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$29.17/hrIowa median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$23.39/hrIowa median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$37.75/hrIowa median, construction supervisors
Is there work in Iowa?
Construction jobs in Iowa, September 2026: 87,900, up 3.9% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in Iowa, September 2026: 1,063, up 19.6% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in Iowa: 30,470.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in Iowa?
Iowa licenses electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors at the state level. General contractors and roofers register with the state.2
- ElectricalState licenseElectrical Examining Board / State Fire Marshal (electrical)
- PlumbingState licenseIowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board
- HVACState licenseIowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board
- RoofingState registrationIowa DIAL
- General contractorState registrationIowa DIAL
Check an Iowa contractor
Search the license on the board's own site.
Miss a date, lose the lien
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 13Burlington(319) 752-0452
- IBEW Local 55Des Moines(515) 265-6193
- IBEW Local 231Sioux City(712) 255-8138
- IBEW Local 288Waterloo(319) 233-8050
- IBEW Local 347Des Moines(515) 243-1924
- IBEW Local 405Cedar Rapids(319) 396-8241
4 more IBEW locals
- IBEW Local 704Dubuque(563) 582-5947
- IBEW Local 14Office in Eau Claire, WI(715) 878-4068
- IBEW Local 22Office in Omaha, NE(402) 331-8147
- IBEW Local 145Office in Rock Island, IL(309) 736-4239
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- Southeast Iowa Electrical JATC1205 N. Central Avenue, Burlington(319) 753-1165
- Cedar Rapids Electrical JATC2300 Johnson Avenue, N.W., Cedar Rapids(319) 654-9238
- Dubuque Electrical JATC1948 NW 92nd Ct, Clive(563) 513-9948
- Sioux City Electrical JATC319 Sergeant Square Drive, Sergeant Bluff(712) 219-5375
- Des Moines Electrical Apprenticeship & Training Trust10700 Justin Drive, Urbandale(515) 224-4349
- Waterloo Electrical JATC1693 Burton Ave, Waterloo(319) 232-5374
IEC chapters (open shop)
No IEC chapter lists an office in Iowa. Chapters cover several states; the finder shows each one's area. IEC chapter finder
UA union locals
- UA Local 33Des Moines(515) 243-3244
- UA Local 125Cedar Rapids(319) 365-0413
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 Iowa1415 28th ST Ste 400, West Des Moines(515) 282-8192
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 45Des Moines(515) 262-7421
- SMART Local 263Cedar Rapids(319) 396-8045
Sheet metal training centers
- Cedar Rapids/Iowa City JATC500 66th Ave. SW Suite #3, Cedar Rapids(319) 540-1933
- Central Iowa & Waterloo, Iowa Sheet Metal Joint Apprenticeship Committee4534 NW 6th Drive, Des Moines(515) 262-7421
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of Iowa1415 28th ST Ste 400, West Des Moines(515) 282-8192
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Iowa.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 4Davenport
- Carpenters Local 106Altoona
- Carpenters Local 308Cedar Rapids
- Carpenters Local 678Dubuque
- Carpenters Local 948Sioux City
- Carpenters Local 1260Iowa City
1 more Carpenters locals
- Carpenters Local 2060Altoona
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- HBA of Iowa400 E Court Ave Ste 240, Des Moines(515) 278-0255
- Ames Home Builders AssociationPO Box 864, Ames(515) 460-5550
- Quad Cities Builders & Remodelers Association3528 Jersey Ridge Rd, Davenport(563) 441-5692
- Greater Cedar Rapids Housing & Building Assn.350 Miller Rd Ste 1, Hiawatha(319) 395-0778
- HBA of Iowa City11 S Gilbert St, Iowa City(319) 351-5333
- HBA of Greater Des Moines6751 Corporate Dr, Johnston(515) 270-8500
2 more chapters
- HBA of Greater Siouxland3900 Stadium Dr, Sioux City(712) 255-3852
- Northwest Iowa HBAPO Box 331, Spirit Lake(712) 336-3901
Roofers union locals
- Roofers Local 142Ankeny
- Roofers Local 182Cedar Rapids
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
- Kirkwood Community College6301 Kirkwood Blvd SW, Cedar RapidsPlumbing programHVAC programConstruction program
- Northwest Iowa Community College603 W Park St, Sheldon
- Marshalltown Community College3700 S Center St, Marshalltown
- Iowa Western Community College2700 College Rd, Council BluffsElectrical programPlumbing programHVAC program
- Western Iowa Tech Community College4647 Stone Ave, Sioux City
- University of Northern Iowa1227 W 27th St, Cedar Falls
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Iowa, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- Iowa DIAL - Contractor Registration (dial.iowa.gov)
- Iowa lien law: Iowa Code 572.13A; 572.13B; 572.13 (legis.iowa.gov)
- Iowa lien law: Iowa Code 572.8; 572.9 (legis.iowa.gov)
- Iowa lien law: Iowa Code 572.27 (legis.iowa.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)
- Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board (dial.iowa.gov)
- Electrical Examining Board / State Fire Marshal (electrical) (dial.iowa.gov)