Contractor costs in Washington
Regional labor cost ranges for common DIY projects in Washington. These are estimates for planning purposes - always get multiple quotes from licensed local contractors.
Construction labor wages in Washington
Official BLS data · OEWS 2024The actual pay range for 20 building trades in Washington — 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 WA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Construction supervisors | $32.85 | $49.66 | $77.64 | 21,080 |
| Carpenters | $24.31 | $35.22 | $53.77 | 26,340 |
| Cement masons & concrete finishers | $24.00 | $34.53 | $59.72 | 5,000 |
| Drywall & ceiling-tile installers | $24.70 | $33.80 | $53.29 | 3,710 |
| Tapers | $23.66 | $33.93 | $52.58 | 1,510 |
| Tile & stone setters | $23.67 | $29.91 | $47.17 | 1,030 |
| Floor layers (non-carpet) | $18.67 | $23.71 | $38.82 | 750 |
| Floor sanders & finishers | $26.62 | $35.16 | $41.16 | — |
| Carpet installers | $19.05 | $28.88 | $71.18 | 580 |
| Painters | $21.11 | $28.13 | $38.23 | 8,820 |
| Glaziers | $24.04 | $33.13 | $61.50 | 1,750 |
| Insulation workers | $18.31 | $23.92 | $35.53 | 1,070 |
| Plasterers & stucco masons | $20.00 | $28.56 | $42.90 | 330 |
| Brickmasons & blockmasons | $28.36 | $44.67 | $53.09 | 750 |
| Roofers | $22.45 | $29.01 | $47.78 | 4,840 |
| Electricians | $26.35 | $46.41 | $64.09 | 18,380 |
| Plumbers & pipefitters | $22.87 | $38.02 | $66.96 | 12,210 |
| HVAC technicians | $22.65 | $32.51 | $52.31 | 7,090 |
| Equipment operators | $26.24 | $38.07 | $59.18 | 9,070 |
| Construction laborers | $19.19 | $27.52 | $44.87 | 27,410 |
How building-trade pay has moved since 2019
Median hourly wage by year for Washington's headline trades — a 6-year OEWS series (2019–2024) that deepens with each annual BLS release.
$28.82 in 2019 → $35.22 in 2024
$32.71 in 2019 → $46.41 in 2024
$33.00 in 2019 → $38.02 in 2024
$22.51 in 2019 → $27.52 in 2024
State-specific BLS wage signals
These comparisons are calculated from the same official OEWS 2024 rows above, so they vary by Washington'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
$49.66/hr
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Largest reported construction trade
Construction laborers
27,410 employed
Source: BLS OEWS 2024
Biggest premium vs trade median
Electricians
+$15.85/hr vs $30.56
Median across states with this BLS trade row, OEWS 2024
Fastest median-wage growth
Floor sanders & finishers
+ 66% 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 Washington
Washington requires contractor registration. Seattle metro has higher labor costs than eastern Washington.
Source: https://lni.wa.gov/licensing-permits/contractors/ (verified 2026-Q2)
Find a contractor in Washington
When a project is beyond DIY scale, get quotes from licensed local contractors. Always verify contractor license status with Washington's contractor licensing board.