Promote the Skilled Trades with New State-Specific Salary Data
NAHB has updated its state-specific salary data for the most popular construction trades to help HBAs and members promote the value of pursuing a skilled trades career in their local areas.
The updated data include the average state wages for 19 construction specialty trade contractors, based on 2020 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (member login required).
Visit NAHB’s Workforce Development Resources to access additional tools you can use in your community, including brochures, posters, videos, customizable op-eds and social media posts.
And, start planning now Careers in Construction Month in October. This annual celebration helps to increase public awareness of the opportunities available in construction trades professions. For ideas on how to reach individuals in your community to promote a career in the trades, consult NAHB's Careers in Construction toolkit for a variety of in-person and virtual event suggestions.
For more information, contact Greg Zick.
Latest from NAHBNow
Design | IBS
Jan 09, 2026
From Décor to Resiliency, IBS Design Central Covers It AllAt the 2026 NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) in Orlando Fla., there will be education sessions centered on design. Design Central will offer engaging presentations led by some of the industry’s top professionals, covering everything from décor to sustainability. Here are the Design Central presentations, all taking place at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC).
IBS
Jan 09, 2026
Final Touches Underway at The New American Home 2026Watching a new home come to life in the final stages of construction is a satisfying experience—not just for the owners, but for the builder as well. That feeling is only amplified when the home is a focal point of the International Builders’ Show (IBS)—the industry’s largest trade show.
Latest Economic News
Economics
Jan 09, 2026
Townhouse Construction Share Gains ContinueAccording to NAHB analysis of the most recent Census data of Starts and Completions by Purpose and Design, during the third quarter of 2025, single-family attached starts totaled 46,000. Over the last four quarters, townhouse construction starts totaled a strong 179,000 homes, which is 1% higher than the prior four-quarter period (177,000). Townhouses made almost 20% all of single-family housing starts for the third quarter of the year.
Economics
Jan 09, 2026
Job Growth Slowed as 2025 EndedJob growth continued to slow at the end of the year, reinforcing signs of a cooling labor market. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 50,000 jobs in December, while the unemployment rate edged down slightly to 4.4%.
Economics
Jan 09, 2026
Residential Construction Softens Amid Ongoing Housing Market HeadwindsThe latest residential housing market report, delayed by the federal government shutdown last fall, indicates that builders have faced significant headwinds in recent months. Elevated mortgage rates earlier in the year have restrained buyer demand and weighed on home building activity, alongside persistently high construction costs.