USOctober 2026 edition
Skilled-trades hiring activity for October 2026, computed from the job postings published on Tradesppl during the month.
New jobs posted
5,925
Jobs that showed pay
9.6%
569 of 5,925 ads named a wage
Busiest trade
Electricians
1,433 jobs
Most hiring
Texas
664 jobs
The numbers that matter — October 2026
- In the October 2026 edition, the Tradesppl Hiring Index counted 5,925 new skilled-trades jobs posted in the United States.
- 9.6% of the skilled-trades jobs tracked in October 2026 said what they pay (569 of 5,925).
- In October 2026, the busiest trade was electricians with 1,433 jobs posted, and the most hiring was in Texas with 664 jobs.
- Best-paying trade tracked in October 2026, by typical advertised pay: HVAC technicians at $99,800 USD a year (from 107 ads).
Postings by trade
Fig. 1 · n=5,925Jobs posted in October 2026. Each job is counted once, under its main trade.
What the jobs pay
Table 1What the job ads actually offered, for the 9.6% that named a wage. Hourly rates are shown as a year's pay at full-time hours. All figures are in USD. A blank means fewer than 8 ads named a wage, which is too few to trust.
| Trade | Typical pay (USD/yr) |
|---|---|
| Electricians | $67,600$60,200–$79,000 · from 172 ads |
| Heavy equipment operators | $65,500$59,300–$72,500 · from 42 ads |
| HVAC technicians | $99,800$78,000–$113,900 · from 107 ads |
| Mechanics | $65,500$62,700–$73,300 · from 18 ads |
| Welders | $70,700$63,400–$88,400 · from 21 ads |
| Plumbers | $65,500$54,100–$82,200 · from 65 ads |
| Carpenters | $65,000$56,200–$71,500 · from 38 ads |
| Sheet metal workers | $72,800$29,100–$81,100 · from 15 ads |
| Roofers | $0$0–$0 · from 24 ads |
| Pipefitters | $77,000$65,500–$94,600 · from 9 ads |
The big number is typical pay — half the jobs pay more, half pay less. Below it is the range the middle half of jobs fall in, and how many ads that figure is based on.
Where the jobs are
Fig. 2States, by how many trades jobs were posted in October 2026.
Full-time, part-time or contract
Based on 5,925 jobs posted on Tradesppl in October 2026 (24 put up by employers here, 5,901 taken straight from employer career sites and public job services, 0 from the job feeds we carry). See how we work these numbers out before you quote them. Free to use anywhere, as long as you credit Tradesppl and link back to this page.