Contractor costs in Texas
Regional labor cost ranges for common DIY projects in Texas. These are estimates for planning purposes - always get multiple quotes from licensed local contractors.
Construction labor wages in Texas
Official BLS data · OEWS 2024The actual pay range for 20 building trades in Texas — 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 TX |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction supervisors | $23.12 | $35.30 | $52.30 | 89,960 |
| Carpenters | $17.08 | $23.15 | $29.99 | 34,400 |
| Cement masons & concrete finishers | $17.38 | $22.47 | $28.26 | 23,820 |
| Drywall & ceiling-tile installers | $17.28 | $24.10 | $29.41 | 6,300 |
| Tapers | $17.14 | $21.65 | $29.49 | 450 |
| Tile & stone setters | $15.12 | $20.93 | $25.02 | 1,780 |
| Floor layers (non-carpet) | $14.98 | $20.62 | $26.93 | 1,510 |
| Floor sanders & finishers | $17.32 | $24.49 | $26.60 | — |
| Carpet installers | $11.85 | $22.64 | $40.57 | 1,010 |
| Painters | $17.01 | $21.23 | $26.68 | 18,700 |
| Glaziers | $16.86 | $22.28 | $28.44 | 6,370 |
| Insulation workers | $15.71 | $23.08 | $29.29 | 5,830 |
| Plasterers & stucco masons | $16.71 | $22.35 | $26.85 | 780 |
| Brickmasons & blockmasons | $18.18 | $24.53 | $29.24 | 4,440 |
| Roofers | $17.35 | $21.85 | $30.24 | 6,240 |
| Electricians | $17.87 | $27.36 | $37.55 | 71,880 |
| Plumbers & pipefitters | $17.94 | $28.15 | $39.19 | 42,290 |
| HVAC technicians | $17.93 | $25.99 | $39.84 | 32,070 |
| Equipment operators | $18.39 | $23.87 | $31.60 | 55,290 |
| Construction laborers | $14.74 | $18.36 | $24.25 | 117,580 |
How building-trade pay has moved since 2019
Median hourly wage by year for Texas's headline trades — a 6-year OEWS series (2019–2024) that deepens with each annual BLS release.
$19.36 in 2019 → $23.15 in 2024
$24.58 in 2019 → $27.36 in 2024
$24.41 in 2019 → $28.15 in 2024
$15.66 in 2019 → $18.36 in 2024
State-specific BLS wage signals
These comparisons are calculated from the same official OEWS 2024 rows above, so they vary by Texas'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
$35.30/hr
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Largest reported construction trade
Construction laborers
117,580 employed
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Biggest premium vs trade median
Floor sanders & finishers
+$0.85/hr vs $23.64
Median across states with this BLS trade row, OEWS 2024
Fastest median-wage growth
Carpet installers
+ 43% 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 Texas
Texas has no state income tax which keeps contractor overhead lower. No state-level contractor license required for most trades; check city/county requirements.
Source: https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/ (verified 2026-Q2)
Find a contractor in Texas
When a project is beyond DIY scale, get quotes from licensed local contractors. Always verify contractor license status with Texas's contractor licensing board.