What do the trades pay in Wisconsin?
Median hourly pay, May 20251. Pick a trade for training, pay and the license.
Electrician
Wiring, panels and fixtures
$36.80/hrWisconsin median
Plumber
Water, drain and gas lines
$39.04/hrWisconsin median
HVAC tech
Heating, cooling and ductwork
$29.67/hrWisconsin median
Roofer
New roofs and repairs
$28.54/hrWisconsin median
General contractor
Runs the job and the crews
$41.03/hrWisconsin median, construction supervisors
Is there work in Wisconsin?
Construction jobs in Wisconsin, September 2026: 154,600, up 5.3% from a year earlier.
BLS Current Employment Statistics, Sep 2026New homes permitted in Wisconsin, September 2026: 1,836, down 10.2% from a year earlier.
Census Building Permits Survey, Sep 2026People working in these five trades in Wisconsin: 48,700.
BLS OEWS, May 2025Who licenses contractors in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin licenses general contractors and the electrical, plumbing, HVAC and roofing trades at the state level.2
- ElectricalState licenseDSPS
- PlumbingState licenseDSPS
- HVACState licenseDSPS
- RoofingState licenseWI DSPS
- General contractorState licenseWI DSPS
Check a Wisconsin contractor
Search the license on the board's own site.
Miss a date, lose the lien
A lien claim must be filed with the clerk of circuit court in the county where the land lies within 6 months after the claimant last furnished labor, services or materials, and a copy must be served on the owner within 30 days after filing. At least 30 days before filing, the claimant must serve the owner with a written notice of intent to file a lien claim that describes the claim, its amount and the property.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 14Eau Claire(715) 878-4068
- IBEW Local 127Kenosha(262) 654-0912
- IBEW Local 158Green Bay(920) 432-0158
- IBEW Local 159Madison(608) 255-2989
- IBEW Local 388Stevens Point(715) 341-2696
- IBEW Local 430Racine(262) 633-2844
7 more IBEW locals
- IBEW Local 494Milwaukee(414) 327-5202
- IBEW Local 577Appleton(920) 739-9408
- IBEW Local 890Janesville(608) 752-0321
- IBEW Local 953Eau Claire(715) 834-4911
- IBEW Local 2150Milwaukee(262) 252-2552
- IBEW Local 242Office in Duluth, MN(218) 728-6895
- IBEW Local 704Office in Dubuque, IA(563) 582-5947
Electrical training centers (JATCs)
- Milwaukee Electrical Joint Apprenticeship6300 W Layton Ave, Greenfield(414) 543-9060
- Southcentral WI Area Electrical JATC17 S. River Street, Janesville(608) 752-0321
- Appleton/Osh Kosh Area Electrical JATC2730 Dairy Drive, Suite 102, Madison(608) 221-3321
- Eau Claire Area Electrical JATC2730 Dairy Drive, Suite 102, Madison(608) 221-3321
- Kenosha Area Electrical JATC2730 Dairy Drive, Suite 102, Madison(608) 221-3321
- Madison Area Electrical JATC2730 Dairy Drive, Suite 102, Madison(608) 221-3321
3 more centers
- Northeast WI Area Electrical JATC2730 Dairy Drive, Suite 102, Madison(608) 221-3321
- Racine Area Electrical JATC2730 Dairy Drive, Suite 102, Madison(608) 221-3321
- WI River Valley Area Electrical JATC2730 Dairy Drive, Suite 102, Madison(608) 221-3321
IEC chapters (open shop)
No IEC chapter lists an office in Wisconsin. Chapters cover several states; the finder shows each one's area. IEC chapter finder
UA union locals
- UA Local 75Milwaukee(414) 359-1310
- UA Local 118Kenosha(262) 654-3815
- UA Local 183Menomonee Falls(262) 252-0183
- UA Local 400Kaukauna(920) 462-0400
- UA Local 434Mosinee(715) 692-4341
- UA Local 601Milwaukee(414) 543-0601
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 WisconsinPO Box 833, Germantown(888) 782-6815
- Plumbing Contractors Association of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc.PO Box 833, Germantown
- Madison Association of Plumbing Contractors5940 Seminole Centre Ct Ste 102, Madison(608) 288-1414
- Associated Master Plumbers of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.PO Box 206, Menasha(920) 858-4088
SMART union locals
- SMART Local 18Waukesha(262) 798-1818
- SMART Local 565Madison(608) 257-5757
Sheet metal training centers
- EL & W Training Center650 Tower Drive, Cadott(715) 498-1926
- Fox Valley Sheet Metal JATC1981 American Drive, Neenah(920) 215-6278
- Southeastern Wisconsin Sheet Metal JAC1840 Sycamore Ave. Room 5, Racine(262) 933-1006
- East Central Wisconsin JATC1104 Wisconsin Ave., Sheboygan(920) 458-8491
- Madison Area JATC150 Communications Drive, Sun Prairie(608) 220-4546
- Milwaukee Sheet Metal Workers JATC2201 Springdale Road, Waukesha(262) 798-1812
PHCC chapters (heating, cooling, plumbing)
- PHCC of WisconsinPO Box 833, Germantown(888) 782-6815
- Plumbing Contractors Association of Southeastern Wisconsin, Inc.PO Box 833, Germantown
- Madison Association of Plumbing Contractors5940 Seminole Centre Ct Ste 102, Madison(608) 288-1414
- Associated Master Plumbers of Northeast Wisconsin, Inc.PO Box 206, Menasha(920) 858-4088
ACCA member contractors near you
Pipefitters and HVAC service techs also apprentice through the UA: UA locals in Wisconsin.
Carpenters union locals
- Carpenters Local 741Pewaukee
- Carpenters Local 988Mosinee
- Carpenters Local 1143La Crosse
- Carpenters Local 1781Madison
- Carpenters Local 2096Kaukauna
- Carpenters Local 2945Kaukauna
Training
Union carpentry apprenticeships run through the regional council's training centers. Carpenters regional council finder
Home builder associations
- Wisconsin Builders Association660 John Nolen Dr, Ste 320, Madison(608) 242-5151
- Chippewa Valley HBA4319 Jeffers Rd, Eau Claire(715) 835-2526
- Lakeland Builders AssociationPO Box 856, Elkhorn(262) 723-2908
- Madison Area Builders Association5936 Seminole Centre Ct Ste 203, Fitchburg(608) 288-1135
- Eastern Ridge Home Builders AssociationPO Box 1181, Fond Du Lac(920) 933-0537
- Brown County HBAPO Box 13194, Green Bay(920) 593-7953
15 more chapters
- Northland Area BAPO Box 13145, Hayward(715) 558-2097
- St Croix Valley HBAPO Box 654, Hudson(715) 796-5377
- South Central Wisconsin BA4102 Commercial Dr, Janesville(608) 752-8075
- Manitowoc County HBA115 E Waldo Blvd Ste 3A, Manitowoc(920) 684-6222
- Headwaters BAPO Box 1074, Minocqua(715) 542-3557
- Mid-Shores Home Builders Association, IncPO Box 125, New Holstein(920) 539-9014
- La Crosse Area Builders Association816 2nd Ave S, Onalaska(608) 781-5242
- Winnegamie Home Builders Association4041 State Road 91 Ste A, Oshkosh(920) 235-2962
- Golden Sands HBA3530 Karrington Pl, Plover(715) 341-3536
- Sheboygan County HBA637 WALTON DR, Plymouth(920) 892-6280
- Wolf River Builders AssociationPO Box 595, Shawano(715) 853-2310
- Door County HBAPO Box 112, Sturgeon Bay
- Racine-Kenosha BAPO Box 706, Sturtevant(262) 886-5901
- Metro BA of Gr Milwaukee2120 Pewaukee Rd Ste 103, Waukesha(262) 522-3620
- Wausau Area Builders Assn.801 S 24TH AVE, Wausau(715) 842-9510
Roofers union locals
- Roofers Local 65New Berlin
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
- Milwaukee Area Technical College700 W State St, Milwaukee
- Fox Valley Technical College1825 N Bluemound Dr, AppletonElectrical programPlumbing programConstruction program
- Waukesha County Technical College800 Main Street, PewaukeeElectrical programPlumbing programHVAC program
- Chippewa Valley Technical College620 W Clairemont Ave, Eau ClaireElectrical programPlumbing programHVAC program
- Moraine Park Technical College235 N National Avenue, Fond du LacElectrical programHVAC programConstruction program
- University of Wisconsin-Platteville1 University Plaza, PlattevilleConstruction program
Sources
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, Wisconsin, May 2025 (bls.gov, May 2025)
- WI DSPS - Dwelling Contractor (dsps.wi.gov)
- Wisconsin lien law: Wis. Stat. 779.06(1)-(3) (docs.legis.wisconsin.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)
- DSPS - Electrical / Plumbing / HVAC (dsps.wi.gov)