See how much plumbers, HVAC technicians, and electricians are paid in Maryland

The United States is currently in the throes of a skilled trades worker shortage. Across the board, the country doesn’t have enough qualified electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, and carpenters to meet the demand. One recent study found that many of the most in-demand jobs remain unfilled for at least a month. This comes as millions of Americans who were laid off during the early days of the coronavirus are looking for work.

That being said, not all job markets are the same. While it should be fairly easy to find work in all 50 states, how much that work pays is different depending on the state. To find the states where home service workers are paid the most, ServiceTitan analyzed June 2020 data from Payscale. The average salary of a home service worker was calculated by averaging the pay of entry-, intermediate-, and senior-level workers in each state. HVAC technicians, plumbers, and electricians were all included in the dataset, which can be seen nationally here.

Maryland by the numbers

- Average yearly salary: $56,400 ($27.12 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $55,533 ($26.70 hourly)
--- Plumber pay increase from entry to senior level: $14,200 ($6.83 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $56,133 ($26.99 hourly)
--- HVAC technician pay increase from entry to senior level: $16,700 ($8.03 hourly)
--- Electrician: $57,533 ($27.66 hourly)
--- Electrician pay increase from entry to senior level: $17,300 ($8.32 hourly)

Shortages of home service workers in Maryland go back to the of Great Recession of 2008, when many of the state’s plumbing, electric, and HVAC businesses folded under the economic downturn and never came back. Supply that doesn’t meet demand can be a good thing for workers in these fields, who can charge at premium rates and be choosier about which projects they take on.

As recovery from the coronavirus begins, there is currently a record high number of job openings in the state. So where should home service workers look to live in order to get paid the most? Reported salaries show HVAC technicians make significantly more money in Columbia, Maryland than in other places in the state, while plumbers make the most in Beltsville, Maryland. The state’s proximity to the D.C. area results in high employment levels of workers across all three fields.

Check the statistics below to discover where your talents are valued the most and least, and to get a better handle on whether or not making a move for your career would be worth it.

States that pay home service workers the most

#1. Alaska: $61,156 average yearly salary ($29.40 hourly)
#2. Massachusetts: $59,700 average yearly salary ($28.70 hourly)
#3. California: $59,511 average yearly salary ($28.61 hourly)

States that pay home service workers the least

#1. Arkansas: $47,944 average yearly salary ($23.05 hourly)
#2. West Virginia: $48,178 average yearly salary ($23.16 hourly)
#3. Idaho: $49,433 average yearly salary ($23.77 hourly)

This story originally appeared on ServiceTitan and was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.