What do the trades pay in Rhode Island?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$35.62/hrRhode Island median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$36.77/hrRhode Island median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$32.39/hrRhode Island median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$29.63/hrRhode Island median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$47.40/hrRhode Island median, construction supervisors
Is there work in Rhode Island?
Construction jobs in Rhode Island, September 2026: 22,800, up 1.3% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in Rhode Island, September 2026: 166, down 9.3% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in Rhode Island: 8,110.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island licenses electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors at the state level. General contractors and roofers register with the state.2
- ElectricalState licenseRI DBR
- PlumbingState licenseRI DBR
- HVACState licenseRI DBR
- RoofingState registrationRI Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRB)
- General contractorState registrationRI Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRB)
Check a Rhode Island contractor
Search the license on the board's own site.
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 Rhode Island
Trade schools in Rhode Island
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 99Providence(401) 946-9900
- IBEW Local 104Office in Boston, MA(508) 660-3900
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- IBEW Local 99 JATC40 Western Industrial Drive, Cranston(401) 946-9908
IEC chapters (open shop)
No IEC chapter lists an office in Rhode Island. Chapters cover several states; the finder shows each one's area. IEC chapter finder
UA union locals
- UA Local 51East Providence(401) 943-3033
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 Rhode Island15 New England Way, Warwick(401) 644-8435
SMART union locals
No SMART local has its office in Rhode Island. Search the SMART local union directory.
Sheet metal training centers
- Local 17 Sheet Metal Apprenticeship Fund of Rhode Island175 Ridge Street, Providence(401) 330-8673
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of Rhode Island15 New England Way, Warwick(401) 644-8435
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Rhode Island.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 330Warwick
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- Rhode Island Builders Association450 Veterans Memorial Pkwy Ste 301, East Providence
Roofers union locals
No Roofers local has its office in Rhode Island. 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
- New England Tractor Trailer Training School of Rhode Island600 Moshassuck Valley Industrial Hwy, PawtucketHVAC program
- MotoRing Technical Training Institute54 Water Street, East ProvidenceElectrical program
- New England Institute of TechnologyOne New England Tech Boulevard, East Greenwich
- Roger Williams UniversityOne Old Ferry Road, Bristol
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Rhode Island, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- RI Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRB) (crb.ri.gov)
- Rhode Island lien law: R.I. Gen. Laws s. 34-28-4, s. 34-28-5 and s. 34-28-9 (webserver.rilegislature.gov)
- Rhode Island lien law: R.I. Gen. Laws s. 34-28-10 (webserver.rilegislature.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)
- RI DBR - Division of Professional Regulation (electrical, plumbing, mechanical) (dbr.ri.gov)