Contractor costs in New York
Regional labor cost ranges for common DIY projects in New York. These are estimates for planning purposes - always get multiple quotes from licensed local contractors.
Construction labor wages in New York
Official BLS data · OEWS 2024The actual pay range for 20 building trades in New York — 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 NY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction supervisors | $27.30 | $45.83 | $70.18 | 32,810 |
| Carpenters | $21.25 | $30.61 | $58.74 | 44,500 |
| Cement masons & concrete finishers | $22.67 | $30.30 | $51.64 | 9,960 |
| Drywall & ceiling-tile installers | $21.44 | $28.83 | $48.58 | 2,940 |
| Tapers | $27.82 | $33.72 | $52.22 | — |
| Tile & stone setters | $18.87 | $30.39 | $55.71 | 3,140 |
| Floor layers (non-carpet) | $22.76 | $27.75 | $54.66 | 770 |
| Floor sanders & finishers | $18.46 | $24.26 | $39.72 | — |
| Carpet installers | $16.72 | $24.48 | $35.96 | 650 |
| Painters | $17.06 | $26.93 | $46.32 | 14,670 |
| Glaziers | $20.55 | $28.84 | $51.53 | 2,610 |
| Insulation workers | $22.03 | $30.53 | $70.01 | 1,890 |
| Plasterers & stucco masons | $24.00 | $35.55 | $79.53 | 830 |
| Brickmasons & blockmasons | $22.91 | $37.31 | $60.04 | 2,280 |
| Roofers | $17.36 | $30.46 | $55.50 | 4,430 |
| Electricians | $22.66 | $37.24 | $63.68 | 40,380 |
| Plumbers & pipefitters | $22.14 | $37.72 | $61.80 | 22,630 |
| HVAC technicians | $22.84 | $32.05 | $47.37 | 22,710 |
| Equipment operators | $23.68 | $38.59 | $75.91 | 14,700 |
| Construction laborers | $18.15 | $27.73 | $47.85 | 49,890 |
How building-trade pay has moved since 2019
Median hourly wage by year for New York's headline trades — a 6-year OEWS series (2019–2024) that deepens with each annual BLS release.
$27.65 in 2019 → $30.61 in 2024
$34.44 in 2019 → $37.24 in 2024
$31.72 in 2019 → $37.72 in 2024
$22.39 in 2019 → $27.73 in 2024
State-specific BLS wage signals
These comparisons are calculated from the same official OEWS 2024 rows above, so they vary by New York'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
$45.83/hr
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Largest reported construction trade
Construction laborers
49,890 employed
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Biggest premium vs trade median
Equipment operators
+$9.72/hr vs $28.87
Median across states with this BLS trade row, OEWS 2024
Fastest median-wage growth
Floor sanders & finishers
+ 69% 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 New York
New York City and Long Island have significantly higher labor costs than upstate NY. NYC requires Home Improvement Contractor (HIC) license.
Source: https://nyc-business.nyc.gov/nycbusiness/description/home-improvement-contractor-license (verified 2026-Q2)
Find a contractor in New York
When a project is beyond DIY scale, get quotes from licensed local contractors. Always verify contractor license status with New York's contractor licensing board.