What do construction trades earn per hour in Austin, TX?
Toshikatsu Oga / September 27, 2026Six trades, one public source, one loading. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes what each trade is paid in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metropolitan area (BLS OEWS, May 2025), and the Texas Department of Transportation publishes what a contractor may add on top of wages for labor markup, insurance and taxes (TxDOT Item 9: 25% plus 55%, a loading of 1.80). Multiply the two and you have a loaded crew hour to hold a quote against: roofers $43.34 to $59.83, painters $40.66 to $51.89, carpenters $46.60 to $60.75, electricians $52.65 to $68.22, plumbers $55.17 to $70.02 and HVAC mechanics $55.33 to $79.78, from the mean wage to the 90th percentile. These are references, not rates a contractor must charge; the table below shows where they come from.
The table
Hourly wages are from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics for May 2025, metropolitan area 12420 (BLS OEWS tables; the data file is oesm25ma.zip). The loaded columns multiply the mean and the 90th percentile by 1.80, which is the TxDOT allowance of 25% for labor markup and 55% for insurance and taxes, both on base wages (TxDOT 2024 Standard Specifications, Item 9, 9.7.1.1 and 9.7.1.2). Employment is the BLS estimate of people in that occupation in the metro area.
| Trade (SOC) | 10th | Median | Mean | 90th | Loaded mean | Loaded 90th | Jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers (47-2181) | $17.37 | $22.76 | $24.08 | $33.24 | $43.34 | $59.83 | 480 |
| Painters (47-2141) | $18.83 | $22.38 | $22.59 | $28.83 | $40.66 | $51.89 | 1,860 |
| Carpenters (47-2031) | $19.04 | $24.16 | $25.89 | $33.75 | $46.60 | $60.75 | 2,540 |
| Electricians (47-2111) | $18.87 | $29.03 | $29.25 | $37.90 | $52.65 | $68.22 | 7,340 |
| Plumbers and pipefitters (47-2152) | $19.62 | $30.20 | $30.65 | $38.90 | $55.17 | $70.02 | 5,260 |
| HVAC mechanics and installers (49-9021) | $21.17 | $29.24 | $30.74 | $44.32 | $55.33 | $79.78 | 3,140 |
| Painters' helpers (47-3014) | $16.74 | $18.23 | $18.26 | $19.71 | $32.87 | $35.48 | 120 |
Source for every wage cell: BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan areas, public domain. Loaded cells are computed on this page: wage x 1.80 (TxDOT).
What a BLS wage is, and what it is not
The OEWS figure is the wage paid to employees in that occupation across all industries in the metro area, estimated from a survey of employers. It is the number on the worker's pay stub before anything else. It is not what a self-employed tradesperson charges, it is not a union scale, and it is not what a contractor bills you per hour. That is why the loaded columns exist: a contractor pays payroll taxes and workers' compensation on the wage, supervises the crew, carries insurance and expects a profit, and the TxDOT allowance is a public statement of how much of that a Texas agency accepts on force-account work.
The loading is a Texas rule for public works. A residential contractor's real overhead may be higher or lower, and the loaded number is a reference to hold the quote against, not a ceiling. What the reference does is give you a specific question when a quote's implied hourly rate is far above the 90th percentile column: what is in the rate that a loaded wage does not cover? Travel, a small specialised crew, a steep or hazardous job and a warranty are all fair answers. "That's our rate" is not.
How to use the table on a quote
- Find the crew size and days, or the hours, behind the labor line. If the quote gives neither, ask; the arithmetic cannot start without them.
- Multiply crew hours by the loaded mean and by the loaded 90th percentile for the trade. A two-painter crew for four eight-hour days is 64 hours, so $2,602 to $3,321 for painters (BLS, TxDOT).
- Compare to the labor line. Inside the range: nothing to ask. Above the 90th percentile figure: ask what the rate includes. Far below: ask who is doing the work and whether they are insured, because a rate below the loaded mean does not cover a legally employed crew.
- Check that materials are not inside the labor line. A "labor and materials" lump sum cannot be tested; ask for the split.
- Check for a separate overhead and profit line. If one is added on top of labor that is already at or above the loaded rate, the same costs are being recovered twice; see overhead and profit on a contractor quote.
Electricians, plumbers and HVAC: why the hourly rate is only part of the check
The three licensed trades sit at the top of the table, and their quotes are more often priced per job than per hour: a panel upgrade, a water heater, a condenser replacement. The loaded hourly reference still applies, because a per-job price is hours times a rate plus parts, and a contractor can tell you both. What the reference does not cover is the equipment: a heat pump or a water heater has a model number and a list price you can look up, and it should appear on the quote as its own line with the model stated. A quote that gives one number for "replace water heater" is asking you to trust it; a quote that gives the model, the hours and the permit fee is asking you to check it.
Texas licenses electricians and air conditioning contractors through the Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR license search) and plumbers through a separate state board, and the licence number belongs on the quote. Roofers and painters have no state licence in Texas (RCAT), so for those two the document to ask for is the insurance certificate.
Other metro areas
The BLS publishes the same table for every metropolitan area in the country, and our reports pull the metro that matches your ZIP code; where a ZIP is outside any metro, the state figure is used and the report says so. The 1.80 loading is Texas only. For other states the report shows the wage without a loading and states that no public loading rule was found for that state, rather than borrowing a Texas rule. If you want the arithmetic done for your own quote, with the source and formula printed beside each number, upload it: a Quote Check is $39 per quote and the Quick Estimate is free. We are paid by homeowners only and take no fee from contractors.
Questions
What is a loaded hourly rate?
The wage the worker is paid plus what the employer pays on top of it: payroll taxes, insurance, supervision and profit. This page uses the Texas Department of Transportation allowance of 25% for labor markup and 55% for insurance and taxes on base wages, a factor of 1.80.
How much does an electrician cost per hour in Austin, TX?
The BLS May 2025 mean wage for electricians in the Austin metro area is $29.25 and the 90th percentile is $37.90. Loaded with the TxDOT factor of 1.80 that is $52.65 to $68.22 per crew hour, a reference for the labor part of a quote, not a billing rate.
How much does a plumber cost per hour in Austin, TX?
Mean $30.65 and 90th percentile $38.90 in the BLS May 2025 metro data, or $55.17 to $70.02 per loaded crew hour with the TxDOT factor of 1.80. Parts and equipment are separate lines.
How much does a painter cost per hour in Austin, TX?
Mean $22.59 and 90th percentile $28.83, or $40.66 to $51.89 per loaded crew hour. A two-painter crew for four days is 64 hours, or $2,602 to $3,321 of labor reference.
Why is the loaded rate not a fair price?
Because it is built from a survey wage and a public-works allowance, and a residential contractor's overhead, travel and risk differ from job to job. It tells you when a rate needs an explanation; the explanation is the contractor's to give.
Sources
Every figure above links to the public record it comes from. The wage, import, margin and markup figures are the ones our reports use, published as USCCDB v1.0 under CC BY 4.0. Statutes and city pages are quoted as published on September 27, 2026; check the source for changes.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, metropolitan areas (Roofers, SOC 47-2181, Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX)
- Texas Department of Transportation, Standard Specifications 2024, Item 9, Articles 9.7.1.1 to 9.7.1.3
- Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, license search (electricians, air conditioning and refrigeration contractors)
- Roofing Contractors Association of Texas, Become a Licensed Roofer in Texas (voluntary program; TDLR does not license roofers)
- United States Construction Cost Database (USCCDB) v1.0, doi:10.5281/zenodo.22979157, CC BY 4.0
Related guides
- Is my roofing quote too high?
- Overhead and profit on a contractor quote: how much is normal?
- How much should a roof replacement cost in Austin, TX?
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