Report: Phoenix construction workers earn adjusted $55k per year, below national median

Despite rising material costs, a tight labor market, and stubborn inflation, construction workers’ wages are climbing faster than most industries—a 15% pay boost in just two years, more than double the increase across all occupations.

But in 2025, where workers live makes a big difference not just in how much they earn, but how far those earnings go. The latest edition of Construction Coverage’s Best-Paying Cities for Construction Workers report ranks metros and states by the median annual wage, adjusted for cost of living, to identify where workers in the building trades can live most comfortably.

Highlights for Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ

• Construction Wages in Phoenix Metro: Construction workers in the Phoenix metro earn a median $58,500 annually, compared to the national median of $58,360. Meanwhile, the median wage for all Phoenix metro workers is $49,840.

• Adjusted Earnings Dip Slightly Due to Higher COL: After accounting for the Phoenix metro’s 5.5% higher cost of living, its median wage for construction workers is equivalent to $55,438 annually.

Source: Construction Coverage analysis of BLS & BEA data

Image Credit: Construction Coverage

The full report covers more than 350 U.S. metropolitan areas and the 49 states with available data, providing a detailed breakdown of adjusted and unadjusted construction wages, cost of living differences, total construction employment, and comparisons to overall median wages in each area. https://constructioncoverage.com/research/best-paying-cities-for-construction-workers

Credit: Construction Coverage’s Best-Paying Cities for Construction Workers report