Estimated — not yet source-verified.Estimated - not yet source-verified. This cost range is a general knowledge estimate we have not yet confirmed against current regional pricing data. Treat it as a rough guide only and get local contractor quotes.
Contractor costs in New Jersey
Regional labor cost ranges for common DIY projects in New Jersey. These are estimates for planning purposes - always get multiple quotes from licensed local contractors.
Construction labor wages in New Jersey
Official BLS data · OEWS 2024The actual pay range for 19 building trades in New Jersey — 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 NJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction supervisors | $30.04 | $49.93 | $72.61 | 15,670 |
| Carpenters | $19.27 | $29.75 | $58.83 | 12,930 |
| Cement masons & concrete finishers | $21.87 | $30.49 | $53.72 | 3,800 |
| Drywall & ceiling-tile installers | $18.50 | $31.22 | $37.05 | 650 |
| Tapers | $45.65 | $46.32 | $50.22 | 40 |
| Tile & stone setters | $17.79 | $28.25 | $54.23 | 810 |
| Floor layers (non-carpet) | $19.52 | $28.25 | $59.62 | 860 |
| Carpet installers | $21.19 | $51.85 | $64.33 | 450 |
| Painters | $18.76 | $28.99 | $46.34 | 4,230 |
| Glaziers | $19.30 | $32.55 | $51.85 | 1,270 |
| Insulation workers | $18.85 | $26.81 | $55.28 | 1,060 |
| Plasterers & stucco masons | $25.16 | $45.21 | $52.19 | — |
| Brickmasons & blockmasons | $24.82 | $36.20 | $55.75 | 940 |
| Roofers | $18.81 | $35.29 | $49.03 | 1,870 |
| Electricians | $18.49 | $35.14 | $62.11 | 15,230 |
| Plumbers & pipefitters | $24.24 | $37.10 | $64.07 | 9,840 |
| HVAC technicians | $22.08 | $33.56 | $49.06 | 10,680 |
| Equipment operators | $26.39 | $40.47 | $62.55 | 6,450 |
| Construction laborers | $20.46 | $30.38 | $50.68 | 20,720 |
How building-trade pay has moved since 2019
Median hourly wage by year for New Jersey's headline trades — a 6-year OEWS series (2019–2024) that deepens with each annual BLS release.
$28.72 in 2019 → $29.75 in 2024
$32.36 in 2019 → $35.14 in 2024
$32.61 in 2019 → $37.10 in 2024
$23.70 in 2019 → $30.38 in 2024
State-specific BLS wage signals
These comparisons are calculated from the same official OEWS 2024 rows above, so they vary by New Jersey'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
Carpet installers
$51.85/hr
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Largest reported construction trade
Construction laborers
20,720 employed
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Biggest premium vs trade median
Carpet installers
+$29.12/hr vs $22.73
Median across states with this BLS trade row, OEWS 2024
Fastest median-wage growth
Carpet installers
+ 137% 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).
Find a contractor in New Jersey
When a project is beyond DIY scale, get quotes from licensed local contractors. Always verify contractor license status with New Jersey's contractor licensing board.