Contractor costs in California
Regional labor cost ranges for common DIY projects in California. These are estimates for planning purposes - always get multiple quotes from licensed local contractors.
Construction labor wages in California
Official BLS data · OEWS 2024The actual pay range for 20 building trades in California — 10th percentile, median, and 90th percentile hourly wages straight from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is the verified labor-cost floor behind the project estimates below, not a national average.
| Trade | 10th %ile | Median /hr | 90th %ile | Employed in CA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction supervisors | $29.11 | $46.67 | $73.96 | 72,660 |
| Carpenters | $22.68 | $35.97 | $57.30 | 106,500 |
| Cement masons & concrete finishers | $21.82 | $30.90 | $48.60 | 29,030 |
| Drywall & ceiling-tile installers | $22.09 | $31.67 | $58.72 | 27,350 |
| Tapers | $21.49 | $33.49 | $53.39 | 3,790 |
| Tile & stone setters | $19.00 | $27.65 | $38.71 | 7,250 |
| Floor layers (non-carpet) | $19.26 | $29.22 | $57.16 | 6,360 |
| Floor sanders & finishers | $19.10 | $21.72 | $40.73 | — |
| Carpet installers | $17.04 | $26.36 | $37.77 | 2,600 |
| Painters | $20.30 | $27.62 | $43.21 | 37,780 |
| Glaziers | $23.00 | $31.66 | $57.16 | 7,880 |
| Insulation workers | $17.77 | $21.45 | $37.70 | 2,190 |
| Plasterers & stucco masons | $20.09 | $29.03 | $47.22 | 8,370 |
| Brickmasons & blockmasons | $23.06 | $31.93 | $51.68 | 3,480 |
| Roofers | $22.64 | $30.31 | $45.71 | 21,110 |
| Electricians | $22.42 | $36.80 | $65.73 | 73,420 |
| Plumbers & pipefitters | $21.87 | $32.88 | $60.96 | 45,460 |
| HVAC technicians | $22.59 | $31.39 | $51.73 | 34,020 |
| Equipment operators | $26.31 | $42.85 | $63.08 | 36,040 |
| Construction laborers | $20.39 | $29.11 | $45.29 | 85,370 |
How building-trade pay has moved since 2019
Median hourly wage by year for California's headline trades — a 6-year OEWS series (2019–2024) that deepens with each annual BLS release.
$28.22 in 2019 → $35.97 in 2024
$31.06 in 2019 → $36.80 in 2024
$27.72 in 2019 → $32.88 in 2024
$21.83 in 2019 → $29.11 in 2024
State-specific BLS wage signals
These comparisons are calculated from the same official OEWS 2024 rows above, so they vary by California's actual trade mix instead of repeating a national average. These are worker wages, not contractor billing rates - a contractor's quote adds overhead, insurance, equipment, and margin.
Highest median wage in state
Construction supervisors
$46.67/hr
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Largest reported construction trade
Carpenters
106,500 employed
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Biggest premium vs trade median
Equipment operators
+$13.98/hr vs $28.87
Median across states with this BLS trade row, OEWS 2024
Fastest median-wage growth
Construction laborers
+ 33% since 2019
Source: BLS OEWS 2019-2024
Pending wage detail pages for review
These generated detail pages are noindex and excluded from sitemap until the YMYL data audit approves them.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS 2019–2024. These are worker wages, not contractor billing rates — a contractor's quote adds overhead, insurance, equipment, and margin (commonly 1.5–3× the base wage).
Notes for California
California labor costs are among the highest in the US due to prevailing wage laws and high cost of living. Contractors require C-8 or C-29 license for concrete work.
Source: https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/faq_minimumwage.htm (verified 2026-Q2)
Find a contractor in California
When a project is beyond DIY scale, get quotes from licensed local contractors. Always verify contractor license status with California's contractor licensing board.