New Jersey is the #5 highest paying state for plumbers, HVAC technicians, and electricians

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.

New Jersey by the numbers

- Average yearly salary: $59,067 ($28.40 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $57,767 ($27.77 hourly)
--- Plumber pay increase from entry to senior level: $15,000 ($7.21 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $58,700 ($28.22 hourly)
--- HVAC technician pay increase from entry to senior level: $17,500 ($8.41 hourly)
--- Electrician: $60,733 ($29.20 hourly)
--- Electrician pay increase from entry to senior level: $18,400 ($8.85 hourly)

Neighboring New Jersey’s proximity to and relationship with New York City results in high pay for home service workers, with the New York-Newark-Jersey City area ranking as the highest concentration of employment levels in the U.S. for plumbers, HVAC technicians, and electricians affecting the outlook for the whole state. Taxes in New Jersey are among the highest in the country and are set to rise, which has necessitated higher wages that make it possible for people to afford to remain in the area. Trenton, New Jersey is the second-highest paying metropolitan area for electricians in the nation.

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.