2026 Comp Reports & Hiring Playbooks

Full base + bonus benchmarks, sign-on and retention norms, and hiring playbooks for the highest-leverage seats in commercial mechanical construction.

What each mechanical trade role pays

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 – $226,500	San Francisco, CA to $226,500	Construction Managers (11-9021) · $104,900	38 metro guides
HVAC Project Manager	$111,500	$90,500 – $233,500	San Francisco, CA to $233,500	Construction Managers (11-9021) · $104,900	38 metro guides
Plumbing Project Manager	$111,500	$90,500 – $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 – $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 – $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 – $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 – $186,500	San Francisco, CA to $186,500	Cost Estimators (13-1051) · $74,740	36 metro guides
VDC BIM Coordinator	$80,000	$63,500 – $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 – $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 – $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 – $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 – $129,000	San Francisco, CA to $129,000	Electricians (47-2111) · $61,590	38 metro guides
Plumbing Journeyman Plumber	$64,000	$50,500 – $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 – $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 – $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.

Union scale behind the salaried ranges

Field pay in most of these markets is set by a local's published wage sheet, not by a salary survey. We hold 468 published journeyman sheets across 50 states.

California union rates — $45.66/hr to $95.75/hr journeyman base, median $58.28/hr across 46 locals
Ohio union rates — $34/hr to $53.29/hr journeyman base, median $43.06/hr across 30 locals
New York union rates — $35.30/hr to $76.30/hr journeyman base, median $47/hr across 27 locals
Illinois union rates — $36/hr to $67.09/hr journeyman base, median $51.87/hr across 26 locals
Pennsylvania union rates — $33.62/hr to $73.73/hr journeyman base, median $46.80/hr across 23 locals
Michigan union rates — $37.10/hr to $56.07/hr journeyman base, median $42.75/hr across 22 locals
Texas union rates — $29.41/hr to $41.28/hr journeyman base, median $36.18/hr across 20 locals
Wisconsin union rates — $41.76/hr to $64.48/hr journeyman base, median $50.50/hr across 16 locals
Indiana union rates — $36.37/hr to $57.53/hr journeyman base, median $47.68/hr across 16 locals
Florida union rates — $25/hr to $43.38/hr journeyman base, median $33.50/hr across 16 locals
Tennessee union rates — $25.60/hr to $43.84/hr journeyman base, median $36/hr across 14 locals
Missouri union rates — $32.25/hr to $59.09/hr journeyman base, median $48.68/hr across 13 locals

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.

Salary guides by state

Florida — 60 salary guides, mid-level median $74,000, top of range $173,000 · union scale $25/hr–$43.38/hr across 16 locals · Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tampa
Texas — 60 salary guides, mid-level median $79,000, top of range $181,500 · union scale $29.41/hr–$41.28/hr across 20 locals · Austin, Dallas, Houston, San Antonio
California — 54 salary guides, mid-level median $101,000, top of range $233,500 · union scale $45.66/hr–$95.75/hr across 46 locals · Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose
Ohio — 45 salary guides, mid-level median $76,000, top of range $164,500 · union scale $34/hr–$53.29/hr across 30 locals · Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus
Missouri — 30 salary guides, mid-level median $76,000, top of range $164,500 · union scale $32.25/hr–$59.09/hr across 13 locals · Kansas City, St. Louis
North Carolina — 30 salary guides, mid-level median $79,000, top of range $171,500 · union scale $26.70/hr–$33.83/hr across 5 locals · Charlotte, Raleigh
Pennsylvania — 30 salary guides, mid-level median $76,500, top of range $181,500 · union scale $33.62/hr–$73.73/hr across 23 locals · Philadelphia, Pittsburgh
Colorado — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $87,000, top of range $187,000 · union scale $31.90/hr–$49.35/hr across 7 locals · Denver
District of Columbia — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $96,500, top of range $207,500 · Washington DC
Georgia — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $78,500, top of range $168,000 · union scale $30/hr–$41.18/hr across 9 locals · Atlanta
Illinois — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $84,500, top of range $181,500 · union scale $36/hr–$67.09/hr across 26 locals · Chicago
Indiana — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $76,500, top of range $164,500 · union scale $36.37/hr–$57.53/hr across 16 locals · Indianapolis
Maryland — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $84,500, top of range $181,500 · union scale $34.03/hr–$60.67/hr across 6 locals · Baltimore
Massachusetts — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $98,500, top of range $211,000 · union scale $46.05/hr–$70.80/hr across 9 locals · Boston
Michigan — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $79,000, top of range $169,500 · union scale $37.10/hr–$56.07/hr across 22 locals · Detroit
Minnesota — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $84,500, top of range $181,500 · union scale $40.10/hr–$62/hr across 13 locals · Minneapolis
New York — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $105,000, top of range $225,000 · union scale $35.30/hr–$76.30/hr across 27 locals · New York
Oregon — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $88,500, top of range $190,500 · union scale $45.58/hr–$65.50/hr across 6 locals · Portland
Tennessee — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $79,000, top of range $169,500 · union scale $25.60/hr–$43.84/hr across 14 locals · Nashville
Utah — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $79,000, top of range $169,500 · union scale $46.22/hr–$46.79/hr across 3 locals · Salt Lake City
Virginia — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $95,000, top of range $204,000 · union scale $30.55/hr–$39.35/hr across 5 locals · Northern Virginia
Washington — 15 salary guides, mid-level median $98,500, top of range $211,000 · union scale $42.23/hr–$76.95/hr across 11 locals · Seattle
Hawaii — 9 salary guides, mid-level median $85,000, top of range $207,500 · union scale $49.85/hr–$56.55/hr across 2 locals · Honolulu
Arizona — 8 salary guides, mid-level median $66,000, top of range $173,000 · union scale $32/hr–$60.32/hr across 6 locals · Phoenix