Full base + bonus benchmarks, sign-on and retention norms, and hiring playbooks for the highest-leverage seats in commercial mechanical construction.
Each row is the spread across every metro guide we publish for that seat. The national anchor is the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS median for the closest matching occupation, adjusted by a local wage index and checked against offers we see in the field.
| Trade & role | Typical mid-level | Full range | Highest metro | BLS anchor | Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical Project Manager | $111,500 | $90,500 to $226,500 | San Francisco, CA to $226,500 | Construction Managers (11-9021) · $104,900 | 38 metro guides |
| HVAC Project Manager | $111,500 | $90,500 to $233,500 | San Francisco, CA to $233,500 | Construction Managers (11-9021) · $104,900 | 38 metro guides |
| Plumbing Project Manager | $111,500 | $90,500 to $226,500 | San Francisco, CA to $226,500 | Construction Managers (11-9021) · $104,900 | 35 metro guides |
| Building Automation Controls Engineer | $103,500 | $81,500 to $208,000 | San Francisco, CA to $208,000 | Engineers, All Other (Controls / BAS) (17-2199) · $99,500 | 35 metro guides |
| Mechanical Superintendent | $97,000 | $77,000 to $202,000 | San Francisco, CA to $202,000 | First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades (47-1011) · $76,760 | 38 metro guides |
| Piping Superintendent | $93,500 | $73,500 to $191,500 | San Francisco, CA to $191,500 | First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades (47-1011) · $76,760 | 36 metro guides |
| Mechanical Estimator | $87,000 | $68,000 to $186,500 | San Francisco, CA to $186,500 | Cost Estimators (13-1051) · $74,740 | 36 metro guides |
| VDC BIM Coordinator | $80,000 | $63,500 to $160,500 | San Francisco, CA to $160,500 | Mechanical Drafters (VDC / BIM) (17-3013) · $70,000 | 35 metro guides |
| Sheet Metal Detailer | $70,500 | $56,000 to $139,500 | San Francisco, CA to $139,500 | Mechanical Drafters (17-3013) · $64,680 | 35 metro guides |
| Plumbing Lead Service Technician | $70,000 | $56,000 to $141,500 | San Francisco, CA to $141,500 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) · $61,550 | 38 metro guides |
| HVAC Lead Service Technician | $65,000 | $52,000 to $131,500 | San Francisco, CA to $131,500 | HVACR Mechanics and Installers (49-9021) · $57,300 | 38 metro guides |
| Electrical Journeyman Electrician | $64,000 | $50,500 to $129,000 | San Francisco, CA to $129,000 | Electricians (47-2111) · $61,590 | 38 metro guides |
| Plumbing Journeyman Plumber | $64,000 | $50,500 to $129,000 | San Francisco, CA to $129,000 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters (47-2152) · $61,550 | 38 metro guides |
| HVAC Service Technician | $59,500 | $47,000 to $120,000 | San Francisco, CA to $120,000 | HVACR Mechanics and Installers (49-9021) · $57,300 | 35 metro guides |
| Carpentry Carpenter | $58,500 | $46,000 to $118,000 | San Francisco, CA to $118,000 | Carpenters (47-2031) · $56,350 | 38 metro guides |
Salaried ranges are base pay before bonus, vehicle allowance, or per diem. They are market ranges, not offers.
Field pay in most of these markets is set by a local's published wage sheet, not by a salary survey. We hold 560 published journeyman sheets across 51 states.
Rates are the journeyman base hourly figure on each local's most recent published wage sheet, excluding fringe benefits. Check the local's page for the effective date and source document.