Skilled trade workers keep our country running, and new data highlights the cities where they're thriving the most. Using metrics like income, job openings, and worker representation, our researchers ranked U.S. cities based on how supportive they are for tradespeople, including a look at where women in the trades are gaining ground.
This ranking reflects trends in workforce demand, compensation, and gender equity in industrial roles like safety managers, facility leads, and maintenance pros. Our analysis reveals insights that can impact recruitment, training, and long-term staffing strategies.
Key Takeaways
- Arlington, Texas; Mesa, Arizona; and Irving, Texas, are the best cities for trade workers.
- Anchorage, Alaska (2,276 per capita); Arlington, Texas (2,194); and Corpus Christi, Texas (2,129), have the most employed trade workers per capita.
- Chula Vista, California ($78,581); Anchorage, Alaska ($70,873); and Seattle, Washington ($65,957), have the highest median income for trade workers.
- Atlanta, Georgia; Chandler, Arizona; and Lexington, Kentucky, are the best cities for female trade workers.
Where Trade Workers Are Earning and Thriving
Some cities stand out for offering solid job opportunities and competitive wages to tradespeople. From Alaska to Arizona, here's where the numbers speak for themselves.
Arlington, Texas; Mesa, Arizona; and Irving, Texas, are the best cities for trade workers based on all metrics combined.
Anchorage, Alaska, tops the list with 2,276 employed trade workers per capita, followed by Arlington, Texas (2,194) and Corpus Christi, Texas (2,129). These cities are building strong blue-collar economies that rely on skilled labor.
Top Cities by Number of Trade Workers per Capita
- Anchorage, Alaska: 2,276
- Arlington, Texas: 2,194
- Corpus Christi, Texas: 2,129
- Cape Coral, Florida: 2,074
- Glendale, Arizona: 2,016
The city offering the most take-home pay is Chula Vista, California, leading with a median income of $78,581 for trade workers. Anchorage ranks highly again with $70,873, and Seattle follows closely at $65,957. That's well above the national median and reflects the value placed on specialized industrial skills in high-demand markets.
Top Cities by Trade Working Median Income
- Chula Vista, California: $78,581
- Anchorage, Alaska: $70,873
- Seattle, Washington: $65,957
- Boston, Massachusetts: $63,153
- Gilbert, Arizona: $62,275
Job openings are another key metric. Irving, Texas, tops this list with 2,675 trade-related job listings, with Houston (2,575) and Arlington (2,475) close behind. If you're looking to staff a shop or scale your team, these cities could offer a strong labor pipeline.
Top Cities by Trade Working Job Openings
- Irving, Texas: 2,675
- Houston, Texas: 2,575
- Arlington, Texas: 2,475
- Scottsdale, Arizona: 2,150 (tied)
- Mesa, Arizona: 2,150 (tied)
On the digital front, Atlanta, Georgia, shows the highest search demand for trade work, with 21,208 queries per capita. Cities like Cleveland and Orlando also show strong interest, indicating where future talent may be concentrated.
Top Cities by Trade Working Search Demand per Capita
- Atlanta, Georgia: 21,208
- Cleveland, Ohio: 18,308
- Orlando, Florida: 16,776
- St. Louis, Missouri: 16,155
- Cincinnati, Ohio: 14,954
Cities Leading the Way for Women in the Trades
The gender gap in trade jobs is narrowing, and some cities are leading the charge toward greater representation and higher earnings for women. We ranked them based on number of employed family trade workers, how much they earn (and how those earnings compared to those of their male counterparts), and female representation in the industry (based on the trades workforce percentage comprised of women).
Atlanta, Georgia; Chandler, Arizona; and Lexington, Kentucky, are the best cities for female trade workers based on all metrics combined.
Port St. Lucie, Florida, has the most female trade workers per capita at 291, followed by Chandler, Arizona (286) and Atlanta, Georgia (195). Anchorage and Huntsville also rank in the top five, showing that opportunity isn't just limited to big metro areas.
Top Cities by Number of Female Trade Workers per Capita
- Port St. Lucie, Florida: 291
- Chandler, Arizona: 286
- Atlanta, Georgia: 195
- Anchorage, Alaska: 173
- Huntsville, Alabama: 168
In terms of representation, Atlanta stands out with women making up 35.9% of the trade workforce — significantly higher than the national average. Port St. Lucie comes next at 19%, followed by Chula Vista and Raleigh at 14.8%.
Top Cities by Share of Female Trade Workers (Female Representation)
- Atlanta, Georgia: 35.9%
- Port St. Lucie, Florida: 19%
- Chula Vista, California: 14.8% (tied)
- Raleigh, North Carolina: 14.8% (tied)
- Chandler, Arizona: 14.5%
Boston offers the highest median income for female tradespeople, coming in at $93,214, with Los Angeles and Mesa also reporting strong numbers. In fact, Mesa's $82,711 median for women puts it among the top five for income and representation alike.
Top Cities by Female Trade Working Median Income
- Boston, Massachusetts: $93,214
- Los Angeles, California: $87,898
- Mesa, Arizona: $82,711
- Detroit, Michigan: $80,059
- Lexington, Kentucky: $75,060
Lexington, Kentucky, has the highest gender pay disparity (211.8% in favor of women), showing how market dynamics can shift when skills meet demand. Los Angeles, Detroit, Atlanta, and Mesa also show significant gains for women's earnings in the trades.
Top Cities by Gender Pay Disparity (Favoring Women)
- Lexington, Kentucky: 211.8%
- Los Angeles, California: 185.9%
- Detroit, Michigan: 185.4%
- Atlanta, Georgia: 153.4%
- Mesa, Arizona: 150%
Methodology
For this study, we used the Census, Indeed, and Google Search Trends to identify the top cities for trade working in the US and the top cities for female trade working in the US.
We analyzed the following data among the 100 most populous cities in the US to generate each ranking:
- Number of trade working employees
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Overall and Female
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Overall and Female
- Median trade working income
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Overall, Female, and Male (to compare with Female to calculate disparity)
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Overall, Female, and Male (to compare with Female to calculate disparity)
- Number of job openings
- Search volume for trade-working needs
About Tradesafe
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