What do the trades pay in West Virginia?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$31.16/hrWest Virginia median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$27.39/hrWest Virginia median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$23.49/hrWest Virginia median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$24.60/hrWest Virginia median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$38.49/hrWest Virginia median, construction supervisors
Is there work in West Virginia?
Construction jobs in West Virginia, September 2026: 34,000, down 4.0% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in West Virginia, September 2026: 290, down 32.4% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in West Virginia: 13,630.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in West Virginia?
West Virginia licenses general contractors and the electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing trades at the state level.2
State board West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board
- ElectricalState license
- PlumbingState license
- HVACState license
- RoofingState license
- General contractorState license
Check a West Virginia 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 West Virginia
Trade schools in West Virginia
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 141Wheeling(304) 242-3870
- IBEW Local 317Huntington(304) 429-5013
- IBEW Local 466Charleston(304) 342-0800
- IBEW Local 596Clarksburg(304) 622-0151
- IBEW Local 968Parkersburg(304) 485-7412
- IBEW Local 70Office in Washington, MD(301) 516-7730
3 more IBEW locals
- IBEW Local 71Office in Columbus, OH(614) 539-1394
- IBEW Local 246Office in Steubenville, OH(740) 282-7572
- IBEW Local 307Office in Cumberland, MD(301) 724-3403
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- Charleston Area Elec. JATC810 Indiana Avenue, Charleston(304) 345-5166
- Clarksburg Elec. JATC1001 N.1 2th Street, Clarksburg(304) 622-0151
- Huntington Electrical JATC1816 Madison Avenue, Huntington(304) 429-3841
- Parkersburg Joint App. & Training Committee1845 7th Street, Parkersburg(304) 485-7412
- Wheeling Elec. JATC82 Burkham Court, Wheeling(304) 242-3870
IEC chapters (open shop)
No IEC chapter lists an office in West Virginia. Chapters cover several states; the finder shows each one's area. IEC chapter finder
UA union locals
- UA Local 83Wheeling(304) 233-4445
- UA Local 152Morgantown(304) 292-8818
- UA Local 521Huntington(304) 523-8489
- UA Local 565Parkersburg(304) 485-5202
- UA Local 625Charleston(304) 744-3881
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 West Virginia. PHCC chapter finder
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 462Barboursville
Sheet metal training centers
- West Virginia Sheet Metal Workers #33 JATC4601A Camden Avenue, Parkersburg(304) 422-5549
- SMART 33 Wheeling District JATC56 18th Street, Wheeling(304) 639-2985
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
No PHCC chapter lists an office in West Virginia. ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in West Virginia.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 436Bridgeport
- Carpenters Local 439Charleston
- Carpenters Local 443Parkersburg
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- HBA of West Virginia2050 Cityview Dr, Morgantown(304) 342-5176
- HBA of Southern West VirginiaPO Box 667, Beckley(304) 763-1010
- HBA of North Central West Virginia2050 Cityview Dr, Morgantown(304) 599-0880
- HBA of Mid Ohio ValleyPO Box 556, Parkersburg(304) 428-6321
- HBA of Greater Charleston540 3rd Ave, South Charleston(304) 744-2200
- Northern Panhandle HBAPO Box 3214, Wheeling(304) 342-5176
Roofers union locals
- Roofers Local 185Charleston
- Roofers Local 188Wheeling
- Roofers Local 242Mineral Wells
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
- James Rumsey Technical Institute3274 Hedgesville Road, MartinsburgElectrical programHVAC program
- New River Community and Technical College280 University Drive, Beaver
- Cabell County Career Technology Center1035 Norway Ave, Huntington
- Fayette Institute of Technology300 West Oyler Avenue, Oak Hill
- Fred W Eberle Technical Center208 Morton Ave, BuckhannonElectrical program
- Carver Career Center4799 Midland Dr, Charleston
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, West Virginia, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- West Virginia Contractor Licensing Board (wvclboard.wv.gov)
- West Virginia lien law: W. Va. Code 38-2-9; 38-2-11 (code.wvlegislature.gov)
- West Virginia lien law: W. Va. Code 38-2-7; 38-2-8; 38-2-9; 38-2-10; 38-2-11 (code.wvlegislature.gov)
- West Virginia lien law: W. Va. Code 38-2-34 (code.wvlegislature.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)
- FEMA disaster declarations, Oct 7, 2026 (fema.gov)