What do the trades pay in Kentucky?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$28.71/hrKentucky median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$30.84/hrKentucky median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$28.18/hrKentucky median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$22.57/hrKentucky median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$35.33/hrKentucky median, construction supervisors
Is there work in Kentucky?
Construction jobs in Kentucky, September 2026: 92,800, up 0.0% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in Kentucky, September 2026: 1,738, up 34.0% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in Kentucky: 33,190.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in Kentucky?
Kentucky licenses electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors at the state level. Cities and counties license general contractors and roofers.2
- ElectricalState licenseDHBC
- PlumbingState licenseDHBC
- HVACState licenseDept of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC)
- RoofingLicensed by cities or countiesCity or county
- General contractorLicensed by cities or countiesCity or county
Check a Kentucky 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 369Louisville(502) 368-2568
- IBEW Local 816Paducah(270) 898-2456
- IBEW Local 1701Owensboro(270) 684-3058
- IBEW Local 71Office in Columbus, OH(614) 539-1394
- IBEW Local 212Office in Cincinnati, OH(513) 559-0200
- IBEW Local 317Office in Huntington, WV(304) 429-5013
3 more IBEW locals
- IBEW Local 429Office in Nashville, TN(615) 889-4429
- IBEW Local 575Office in Portsmouth, OH(740) 353-8000
- IBEW Local 1925Office in Martin, TN(731) 587-3457
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- Louisville Electrical JATC4315 Preston Highway, Suite 100, Louisville(502) 581-9210
- Owensboro Elec. JATC Trust2911 West Parrish Avenue, Owensboro(270) 684-3058
- Paducah JATCP.O. Box 3085, Paducah(270) 575-9646
IEC chapters (open shop)
- IEC Kentuckiana1810 Plantside Drive Louisville(502) 493-1590
- IEC of the Bluegrass493 Blue Sky Parkway Lexington(859) 266-4968
UA union locals
- UA Local 184Paducah(270) 442-3213
- UA Local 248Ashland(606) 325-2544
- UA Local 452Lexington(859) 252-8337
- UA Local 502Ste A Louisville(502) 361-8492
- UA Local 633Owensboro(270) 683-1587
Training
UA apprenticeships run through a joint committee of the local and union contractors. Call the local for the next application date.
PHCC chapters
No PHCC chapter lists an office in Kentucky. PHCC chapter finder
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 110Louisville(502) 231-2540
- SMART Local 1525Princeton
Sheet metal training centers
- Kentucky Sheet Metal JATC810 N. English Station Rd., Louisville(502) 245-2412
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
No PHCC chapter lists an office in Kentucky. ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Kentucky.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 175Louisville
- Carpenters Local 357Paducah
- Carpenters Local 472Grayson
- Carpenters Local 1650Lexington
- Carpenters Local 2501Louisville
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- HBA of Kentucky1040 Burlington Ln, Frankfort(502) 875-5478
- Builders Association of South Central Kentucky859 Lovers Ln, Bowling Green(270) 781-3375
- HBA of the BluegrassPO Box 1444, Danville(502) 875-5478
- Lincoln Trail HBA911 N Mulberry St Ste A, Elizabethtown(270) 234-1706
- Building Industry Association of Northern Kentucky2751 Circleport Dr, Erlanger(859) 331-9500
- Northeastern Kentucky HBAPO Box 875, Flatwoods(606) 923-6866
12 more chapters
- HBA of Frankfort1040 Burlington Ln, Frankfort(502) 395-1733
- Kentucky River HBAPO Box 1596, Hazard(606) 487-3341
- HBA of HopkinsvillePO BOX 1141, Hopkinsville(270) 885-8319
- Building Industry Association of Greater Louisville1000 N Hurstbourne Pkwy, Louisville(502) 429-6000
- Hopkins County HBAPO Box 1092, Madisonville(270) 841-7728
- Three Rivers HBAPO Box 294, Marion(270) 871-1145
- Green River Building Industry Association3515 Wathens Crossing, Owensboro(270) 688-0353
- HBA of Western KentuckyPO Box 9567, Paducah(270) 331-0240
- HBA of Eastern Kentucky154 Evergreen Ln, Pikeville(606) 432-8754
- Madison County HBA336 Highland Park Dr Ste 2, Richmond(859) 624-0830
- Logan County HBA144 N Main St, Russellville(270) 847-0352
- Lake Cumberland HBAPO Box 794, Somerset(606) 305-5873
Roofers union locals
No Roofers local has its office in Kentucky. 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
- Owensboro Community and Technical College4800 New Hartford Rd, OwensboroElectrical programHVAC program
- Southcentral Kentucky Community and Technical College1845 Loop Dr, Bowling GreenElectrical programHVAC program
- Elizabethtown Community and Technical College600 College Street Rd, ElizabethtownElectrical programHVAC program
- Bluegrass Community and Technical College500 Newtown Pike, LexingtonElectrical programHVAC program
- Gateway Community and Technical College500 Technology Way, FlorenceElectrical programPlumbing programHVAC program
- Big Sandy Community and Technical College1 Bert Combs Dr, PrestonsburgElectrical programHVAC program
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Kentucky, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- Dept of Housing, Buildings and Construction (DHBC) - HVAC (dhbc.ky.gov)
- Kentucky lien law: KRS 376.010(4), (5) (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
- Kentucky lien law: KRS 376.080 (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
- Kentucky lien law: KRS 376.090 (apps.legislature.ky.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)
- DHBC - Electrical (apps.legislature.ky.gov)
- DHBC - Plumbing (dhbc.ky.gov)