What do the trades pay in Massachusetts?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$38.18/hrMassachusetts median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$45.14/hrMassachusetts median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$37.16/hrMassachusetts median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$34.98/hrMassachusetts median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$47.04/hrMassachusetts median, construction supervisors
Is there work in Massachusetts?
Construction jobs in Massachusetts, September 2026: 167,500, up 1.1% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in Massachusetts, September 2026: 1,515, down 4.2% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in Massachusetts: 59,750.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts licenses electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors at the state level. General contractors and roofers register with the state.2
- ElectricalState licenseBoard of State Examiners of Electricians
- PlumbingState licenseBoard of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters
- HVACState licenseSheet metal / HVAC licensing (DPL)
- RoofingState registrationOffice of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
- General contractorState registrationOffice of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation
Check a Massachusetts 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.
Apprenticeships in Massachusetts
Trade schools in Massachusetts
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 7Springfield(413) 734-7137
- IBEW Local 96Worcester(508) 753-8635
- IBEW Local 103Boston(617) 436-3710
- IBEW Local 104Boston(508) 660-3900
- IBEW Local 223Brockton(508) 880-2690
- IBEW Local 1040Worcester
2 more IBEW locals
- IBEW Local 42Office in Hartford, CT(860) 646-7297
- IBEW Local 99Office in Providence, RI(401) 946-9900
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- Boston Elec. JATC194 Freeport Street, Dorchester(617) 436-0980
- Springfield JATC95 Liberty Street, Suite 1, Springfield(413) 737-2253
- Brockton Electricians JATC475 Myles Standish Blvd, Taunton(508) 880-2693
- Worcester Electricians JATC242 Mill Street, Worcester(508) 753-8635
IEC chapters (open shop)
No IEC chapter lists an office in Massachusetts. Chapters cover several states; the finder shows each one's area. IEC chapter finder
UA union locals
- UA Local 4West Boylston(508) 835-1150
- UA Local 12Boston(617) 288-6200
- UA Local 104Holyoke(413) 594-5152
- UA Local 537Dorchester(617) 787-5370
- UA Local 550Boston(617) 323-0474
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 Massachusetts400 Washington St Ste 401, Braintree(781) 843-3800
- PHCC of 495 Northc/o John The Plumber, 135 Cambridge St, Burlington
- PHCC of Mystic Valley534 Franklin Street, Melrose
- PHCC of Charles River9 Prospect Street, Needham
- Plymouth Rock19 Milford St, Plymouth
- PHCC of Southeast Mass7 Arborview Terrace, West Bridgewater(781) 982-9981
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 139Saugus
Sheet metal training centers
- Boston Area Sheet Metal Local 17 JATC1181 Adams Street, Dorchester(617) 298-0850
- Sheet Metal Workers Local 63 JATC32 Stevens Street, Springfield(413) 747-1808
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of Massachusetts400 Washington St Ste 401, Braintree(781) 843-3800
- PHCC of 495 Northc/o John The Plumber, 135 Cambridge St, Burlington
- PHCC of Mystic Valley534 Franklin Street, Melrose
- PHCC of Charles River9 Prospect Street, Needham
- Plymouth Rock19 Milford St, Plymouth
- PHCC of Southeast Mass7 Arborview Terrace, West Bridgewater(781) 982-9981
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Massachusetts.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 51Boston
- Carpenters Local 56Dorchester
- Carpenters Local 327Dorchester
- Carpenters Local 328Cambridge
- Carpenters Local 336Worcester
- Carpenters Local 339Wilmington
4 more Carpenters locals
- Carpenters Local 346Boston
- Carpenters Local 723Boston
- Carpenters Local 1121Boston
- Carpenters Local 2168Boston
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Massachusetts60 Hickory Dr Ste 6100, Waltham(781) 439-6166
- Builders & Remodelers Association of Greater Boston45 Dan Road, Canton(781) 890-2439
- Home Builders & Remodelers Association of Central Massachusetts45 Dan Rd Ste 8, Canton(508) 791-5595
- Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Western Massachusetts821 E Main St Ste 3, Chicopee(413) 733-3126
- Northeast Builders & Remodelers Assn. of Massachusetts170 Main St, Tewksbury(978) 858-3555
- Home Builders & Remodelers Assn. of Cape Cod349 Route 28 Ste E, West Yarmouth(508) 360-9074
Roofers union locals
- Roofers Local 33Stoughton
- Roofers Local 248Chicopee
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
- Benjamin Franklin Cummings Institute of Technology41 Berkeley St, Boston
- Wentworth Institute of Technology550 Huntington Ave, BostonConstruction program
- Motoring Technical Training Institute1241 Fall River Avenue, SeekonkElectrical programHVAC program
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Massachusetts1600 Osgood Street, North AndoverHVAC program
- Southeastern Technical Institute250 Foundry St, South Easton
- Springfield Technical Community College1 Armory Sq, Springfield
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Massachusetts, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation - Home Improvement Contractor (mass.gov)
- Massachusetts lien law: M.G.L. c. 254, s. 2 and s. 4 (malegislature.gov)
- Massachusetts lien law: M.G.L. c. 254, s. 2, s. 4 and s. 8 (malegislature.gov)
- Massachusetts lien law: M.G.L. c. 254, s. 11 and s. 5 (malegislature.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)
- Board of Building Regulations and Standards - Construction Supervisor License (mass.gov)
- Board of State Examiners of Electricians (mass.gov)
- Board of State Examiners of Plumbers and Gas Fitters (mass.gov)
- Sheet metal / HVAC licensing (DPL) (mass.gov)