What do the trades pay in New Jersey?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$37.14/hrNew Jersey median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$37.61/hrNew Jersey median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$35.79/hrNew Jersey median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$36.83/hrNew Jersey median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$50.73/hrNew Jersey median, construction supervisors
Is there work in New Jersey?
Construction jobs in New Jersey, September 2026: 163,000, down 1.9% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in New Jersey, September 2026: 1,990, down 19.6% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026Who licenses contractors in New Jersey?
New Jersey licenses electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors at the state level. Roofers register with the state. General contractors need no state license.2
- ElectricalState licenseBoard of Examiners of Electrical Contractors
- PlumbingState licenseState Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers
- HVACState licenseNJ HVACR Contractors Board
- RoofingState registrationNJ Division of Consumer Affairs
- General contractorNo state license
Check a New Jersey contractor
Enter the license number. We read it from the state board's own file.
Miss a date, lose the lien
The lien claim form is lodged for record in the county within 90 days after the last work, services, material or equipment was provided. On a residential construction contract it is lodged within 120 days after the last work and no later than 10 days after the claimant receives the arbitrator's determination. Warranty or service calls after the contract ends do not extend the date.3
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 102Paterson(973) 887-1718
- IBEW Local 164Jersey City(201) 265-1700
- IBEW Local 269Trenton(609) 394-8129
- IBEW Local 351Folsom(609) 704-8351
- IBEW Local 400Asbury Park(732) 681-7111
- IBEW Local 456New Brunswick(732) 246-2122
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- IBEW Local 351 JATC1125 Black Horse Pike, Folsom(609) 561-8515
- IBEW LU 456 JATC1295 Livingston Avenue, North Brunswick(732) 246-2122
- Jersey City Electrical JATC65 West Century, Paramus(201) 265-7273
- IBEW Local 102 JATC50 Parsippany Road, Parsippany(973) 428-2848
- IBEW Local Union 269 JATC676 Whitehead Road, Trenton(609) 394-1337
- Asbury Park Area Elec. JATCP.O. Box 1256, 3301 Highway 138, Wall(732) 280-7703
IEC chapters (open shop)
- New Jersey IEC21 Commerce Drive, Suite 202 Cranford(732) 276-2295
UA union locals
- UA Local 9Englishtown(732) 792-0999
- UA Local 24West Caldwell(973) 521-7058
- UA Local 274Parsippany(201) 943-4700
- UA Local 322Winslow(609) 567-3322
- UA Local 475Warren(908) 754-1030
- UA Local 696Millburn(973) 379-7446
1 more UA locals
- UA Local 855Somerville(908) 450-7620
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 New Jersey189 East Bergen Place, Red Bank(800) 652-7422
- PHCC of South Jersey10000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite 201, Marlton
- Mercer County PHCCc/o Stephen Dzieminski Plumbing, PO Box 9597, Trenton(609) 316-3117
- Essex County PHCC31 Nance Rd, West Orange(973) 731-6420
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 25Carlstadt(201) 507-0330
- SMART Local 27Farmingdale(732) 919-1999
- SMART Local 209Office in Blackwood, MN(331) 826-7462
- SMART Local 396Clark(732) 887-6337
Sheet metal training centers
- Sheet Metal Workers Local 25 JATC440 Barell Ave, Carlstadt(201) 507-0330
- Sheet Metal Workers Local 27 JATC322 Squankum-Yellow Brook Road, Farmingdale
- Sheet Metal Workers Local 22 JATC700 Swenson Drive, Kenilworth(908) 931-1798
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of New Jersey189 East Bergen Place, Red Bank(800) 652-7422
- PHCC of South Jersey10000 Lincoln Drive East, Suite 201, Marlton
- Mercer County PHCCc/o Stephen Dzieminski Plumbing, PO Box 9597, Trenton(609) 316-3117
- Essex County PHCC31 Nance Rd, West Orange(973) 731-6420
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in New Jersey.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 251Edison
- Carpenters Local 252Atlantic City
- Carpenters Local 253Edison
- Carpenters Local 254Edison
- Carpenters Local 255Mullica Twp
- Carpenters Local 715Cranford
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- New Jersey BA101 Crawfords Corner Rd Ste 4116, Holmdel(609) 587-5577
- Builders League of South Jersey114 Haddontowne Court, Cherry Hill(856) 616-8460
- Shore BA of Central New Jersey190 Oberlin Ave N, Lakewood(732) 364-2828
- Builders Association of Northern New JerseyPO Box 1236, Maywood(201) 843-6868
- Metropolitan Builders & Contractors Association of NJ39 E Hanover Ave Ste B4, Morris Plains(973) 887-2888
Roofers union locals
- Roofers Local 4Parsippany
- Roofers Local 10Haledon
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
- Lincoln Technical Institute-Union2299 Vauxhall Rd, UnionElectrical program
- Pennco Tech-Blackwood99 Erial Road, Blackwood
- Lincoln Technical Institute-Mahwah70 McKee Dr, MahwahElectrical program
- Hohokus School of Trade and Technical Sciences634 Market Street, Paterson
- Adult and Continuing Education-BCTS190 Hackensack Avenue, Hackensack
- Rowan University201 Mullica Hill Road, Glassboro
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, New Jersey, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- NJ Division of Consumer Affairs - Home Improvement Contractor registration (njconsumeraffairs.gov)
- New Jersey lien law: N.J.S.A. 2A:44A-6 (lis.njleg.state.nj.us)
- 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)
- Consumer Affairs facility license file (Division of Consumer Affairs) (njconsumeraffairs.gov, Oct 1, 2026)
- Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (njconsumeraffairs.gov)
- State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers (njconsumeraffairs.gov)
- NJ HVACR Contractors Board (njconsumeraffairs.gov)