State of general contracting, 2026
What general contractors earn in every state, where the jobs are, how fast the work is projected to grow, which states license it and what typical general contracting jobs cost. Every figure comes from a public dataset or a koira.ai cost guide, with the method below and a CSV of the full table.
The short version
- The national median for general contractors is $55.28 an hour ($114,990 a year). Pay runs from $41.50 in Arkansas to $74.69 in New York. BLS has no wage series of its own for general contractors; these are its figures for construction managers, the closest group.
- Texas has the most general contractors on payrolls, 59,060. See general contractor pay in every state.
- State labor offices project +4.5% more jobs nationally from 2022 to 2032, with about 38,700 openings a year. Utah leads at +38.7%.
- 18 of the 48 states koira.ai has checked require a state license for general contractor work, 19 license part of it and 11 leave it to cities and counties. The general contractor license guide has each state's steps.
- A typical home addition is about $51,000 nationally in Koira's home addition cost guide. By state, the Koira estimate runs from $45,139 in Arkansas to $60,806 in Hawaii.
What general contractors earn
Median hourly wage by state, May 2025, the ten highest paying states. BLS published a median for 51 of the 50 states and DC.
The five lowest: Arkansas $41.50, Wyoming $44.39, West Virginia $46.03, Alabama $46.61 and Kentucky $46.64.
| Percentile | Hourly |
|---|---|
| 10th | $33.50 |
| 25th | $42.57 |
| Median | $55.28 |
| 75th | $72.91 |
| 90th | $91.08 |
What that wage means for a price
A wage is not a rate. Using the starting numbers of the free labor rate calculator (40 hour weeks, 10 paid days off, 2 unbilled hours a day, 7.65% payroll taxes, $90,000 a year of overhead and a 15% profit), a business paying the national median has to bill about $167.67 an hour to cover it.
| Where | Median wage | Rate to bill |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $55.28 | $167.67 |
| New York, highest median | $74.69 | $201.76 |
| Arkansas, lowest median | $41.50 | $143.47 |
Change any of those numbers in the calculator to see your own rate. The CSV has the rate for every state.
Where the work is
The ten states with the most general contractors employed, May 2025.
Where the trade is most concentrated
General Contractors per 1,000 jobs of every kind in the state. A high number means the trade is a bigger share of local work than it is nationally.
Jobs outlook
State labor market offices project construction managers jobs nationally to go from 505,800 in 2022 to 528,700 in 2032, a change of +4.5%, with about 38,700 openings a year from growth, retirements and people leaving the trade.
The BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, on a newer base, projects 9% growth for construction managers from 2025 to 2035, about 49,700 openings a year.
The ten states with the fastest projected growth, 2022 to 2032. Projections exist for 49 states.
Slowest: Maine -0.8%, Michigan +1.6% and New York +3.1%. The path into the trade, state by state, is in how to become a general contractor.
Licensing
Does the state require a state license for general contractor work? Each answer comes from the state's own board or statute.
- State license: 18 states: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Carolina, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
- Partly licensed (residential only, above a dollar amount, or a registration): 19. Local only: 11. Not checked yet: 3.
- 38 of the 48 checked states put an insurance or bond rule in the license itself.
What general contracting jobs cost
National price ranges from Koira's cost guides. Each guide takes the low, average and high figures of two or more published cost guides and shows them.
| Job | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home inspection | $300 | $400 | $500 |
| Asbestos testing | $240 | $490 | $760 |
| Mold inspection | $370 | $580 | $910 |
| Radon mitigation | $780 | $1,000 | $1,250 |
| Oil tank removal | $500 | $1,400 | $2,600 |
| Siding repair | $820 | $1,400 | $1,950 |
| Blown-in insulation | $990 | $1,650 | $2,350 |
| Stucco repair | $750 | $1,650 | $2,800 |
| Deck repair | $700 | $1,850 | $3,350 |
| Soundproofing a room | $1,000 | $1,950 | $3,350 |
| Asbestos removal | $1,200 | $2,200 | $3,200 |
| Mold remediation | $1,200 | $2,350 | $3,750 |
| Attic insulation | $1,700 | $2,500 | $3,250 |
| Wheelchair ramp | $1,400 | $2,650 | $4,300 |
| Custom closet | $1,800 | $2,800 | $4,100 |
| Interior demolition | $1,050 | $2,800 | $5,050 |
| Staircase remodel | $1,500 | $2,800 | $4,100 |
| Awning installation | $1,150 | $2,850 | $4,350 |
| Built-in shelves | $1,300 | $2,850 | $4,950 |
| Spray foam insulation | $1,450 | $2,900 | $4,350 |
| Water damage restoration | $1,300 | $3,650 | $6,000 |
| Coffered ceiling installation | $3,250 | $4,400 | $6,000 |
| Pergola | $2,000 | $4,400 | $6,450 |
| Storage shed | $1,550 | $4,500 | $7,650 |
| Stair lift installation | $2,300 | $6,000 | $20,000 |
| Earthquake retrofit | $4,250 | $6,550 | $9,350 |
| Gazebo | $4,550 | $6,750 | $9,000 |
| Composite deck | $4,500 | $7,000 | $9,650 |
| Carport | $2,550 | $7,400 | $9,850 |
| Lead paint removal | $5,750 | $9,250 | $18,000 |
| Greenhouse | $3,050 | $9,650 | $20,000 |
| Board and batten siding | $7,500 | $10,500 | $23,000 |
| Deck building | $6,650 | $11,000 | $16,500 |
| Siding replacement | $5,550 | $11,500 | $17,500 |
| Vinyl siding installation | $6,200 | $12,000 | $21,000 |
| Covered patio | $6,100 | $13,000 | $19,000 |
| Wood siding installation | $8,000 | $13,000 | $28,000 |
| House demolition | $5,250 | $14,000 | $20,000 |
| Fiber cement siding installation | $7,300 | $15,000 | $25,000 |
| Garage conversion | $6,000 | $16,000 | $27,000 |
| Outdoor kitchen | $6,150 | $16,500 | $28,500 |
| Dormer installation | $9,000 | $18,000 | $27,500 |
| Fire damage restoration | $3,050 | $19,500 | $46,000 |
| Stone veneer siding | $21,500 | $27,000 | $38,500 |
| Backyard basketball court | $19,500 | $41,000 | $51,000 |
| Detached garage | $23,500 | $41,000 | $51,000 |
| Home addition | $22,000 | $51,000 | $100,000 |
| Sunroom addition | $28,000 | $51,000 | $71,500 |
One job, state by state
Koira estimates of a typical home addition in the ten most expensive states. Only the labor share of the price moves with the state's BLS wage; materials do not.
Every state
| State | Median hourly | Employed | Jobs 2022 to 2032 | State license | Typical home addition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | $55.28 | 380,360 | +4.5% | 18 states | $51,000 |
| Alabama | $46.61 | 8,560 | +9.0% | Partly | $45,977 |
| Alaska | $66.92 | 1,720 | +8.9% | Yes | $57,885 |
| Arizona | $55.14 | 9,910 | +11.9% | Yes | $50,350 |
| Arkansas | $41.50 | 2,280 | +8.3% | Yes | $45,139 |
| California | $64.02 | 34,750 | +11.2% | Yes | $56,193 |
| Colorado | $60.02 | 12,550 | +16.8% | No, local only | $51,704 |
| Connecticut | $60.19 | 3,620 | +13.1% | Partly | $56,175 |
| Delaware | $63.53 | 610 | +8.5% | Partly | $50,920 |
| District of Columbia | $60.78 | 1,250 | +10.1% | Yes | $55,525 |
| Florida | $54.39 | 34,010 | +15.8% | Yes | $46,636 |
| Georgia | $53.27 | 10,740 | +11.0% | Yes | $46,823 |
| Hawaii | $61.98 | 2,890 | Not published | Yes | $60,806 |
| Idaho | $50.29 | 2,280 | +30.9% | Partly | $49,548 |
| Illinois | $52.48 | 19,160 | +4.1% | No, local only | $60,005 |
| Indiana | $51.15 | 5,450 | +4.6% | No, local only | $51,989 |
| Iowa | $47.73 | 3,070 | +14.4% | Partly | $50,964 |
| Kansas | $58.08 | 2,960 | +7.3% | No, local only | $49,041 |
| Kentucky | $46.64 | 2,990 | Not published | Not checked yet | $48,257 |
| Louisiana | $52.89 | 5,530 | +15.5% | Yes | $46,885 |
| Maine | $52.92 | 1,460 | -0.8% | No, local only | $51,330 |
| Maryland | $61.70 | 5,770 | +9.2% | Partly | $51,143 |
| Massachusetts | $69.71 | 9,870 | +7.7% | Yes | $58,678 |
| Michigan | $49.63 | 9,620 | +1.6% | Partly | $51,704 |
| Minnesota | $59.33 | 5,800 | +6.3% | Partly | $56,585 |
| Mississippi | $47.85 | 1,640 | +12.8% | Partly | $45,540 |
| Missouri | $53.96 | 3,680 | +8.2% | Not checked yet | $51,935 |
| Montana | $50.23 | 2,140 | +19.4% | Partly | $51,606 |
| Nebraska | $48.47 | 3,430 | +10.3% | Partly | $48,533 |
| Nevada | $55.41 | 4,460 | +17.6% | Yes | $51,935 |
| New Hampshire | $62.15 | 660 | +10.9% | No, local only | $51,232 |
| New Jersey | $66.46 | 6,910 | +7.3% | Partly | $56,959 |
| New Mexico | $50.26 | 2,480 | +14.4% | Yes | $46,867 |
| New York | $74.69 | 10,280 | +3.1% | No, local only | $55,649 |
| North Carolina | $51.27 | 16,310 | +11.9% | Partly | $46,654 |
| North Dakota | $49.07 | 1,450 | +13.5% | Yes | $51,695 |
| Ohio | $49.03 | 16,130 | +4.4% | No, local only | $52,113 |
| Oklahoma | $48.41 | 1,980 | +9.2% | No, local only | $46,324 |
| Oregon | $63.18 | 4,300 | +15.8% | Yes | $53,815 |
| Pennsylvania | $52.04 | 6,840 | +4.5% | Partly | $51,419 |
| Rhode Island | $50.00 | 450 | +14.6% | Partly | $52,496 |
| South Carolina | $51.98 | 5,620 | +6.5% | Yes | $46,725 |
| South Dakota | $56.91 | 1,070 | +12.7% | No, local only | $46,965 |
| Tennessee | $52.98 | 5,860 | +22.5% | Partly | $47,134 |
| Texas | $48.78 | 59,060 | +15.0% | No, local only | $46,556 |
| Utah | $50.58 | Not published | +38.7% | Yes | $49,976 |
| Vermont | $49.74 | 930 | +9.6% | Partly | $51,080 |
| Virginia | $57.26 | 7,290 | +8.2% | Yes | $49,673 |
| Washington | $74.55 | 6,010 | +18.0% | Partly | $57,831 |
| West Virginia | $46.03 | 600 | +13.0% | Yes | $50,172 |
| Wisconsin | $54.90 | 6,080 | +17.0% | Partly | $52,755 |
| Wyoming | $44.39 | Not published | +17.6% | Not checked yet | $51,089 |
How this report is made
Pay and employment are cells from the BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics files for May 2025 (state file, national file), occupation code 11-9021, all industries. They count people on a payroll; owner-operators are not in them. A cell BLS did not publish reads "Not published" and is empty in the CSV. BLS has no wage series of its own for general contractors; these are its figures for construction managers, the closest group.
The rate to bill is the labor rate calculator's formula with its starting assumptions listed above and only the wage changed: the yearly cost of the worker plus overhead, spread over the billable hours, then a profit margin on top.
Job projections are each state labor market office's long-term projection for 2022 to 2032, published together by Projections Central. A state missing from that file has no figure here. The national outlook line quotes the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Licensing counts only rows of the general contractor license guide that an official board or statute page confirmed. States not checked yet are shown that way, never guessed. This is not legal advice.
Job prices come from the koira.ai cost guides. The national band is worked out from the published guides each one lists. State prices are Koira estimates: the labor share of the band is scaled by the state's BLS median wage for the work over the national median, held to 0.7 to 1.4. See the job prices by state report for the same method across trades.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, Construction Managers; Projections Central, long-term occupational projections 2022 to 2032 (state labor market offices); Fixr, home inspection cost; HomeAdvisor, home inspection cost; Today's Homeowner, home inspection cost; BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (state and national files); Fixr, asbestos testing cost; HomeAdvisor, asbestos testing cost; Fixr, mold inspection cost; Bob Vila, mold inspection cost; HomeAdvisor, radon mitigation cost; Bob Vila, radon mitigation cost; HomeAdvisor, oil tank removal cost; Bob Vila, oil tank removal cost; Fixr, siding repair cost; HomeAdvisor, siding repair cost; Bob Vila, siding repair cost; Fixr, blown-in insulation cost; HomeAdvisor, blown-in insulation cost; Bob Vila, blown-in insulation cost; Fixr, stucco repair cost; Bob Vila, stucco repair cost; Fixr, deck repair cost; HomeAdvisor, deck repair cost; Bob Vila, deck repair cost; Fixr, soundproofing a room cost; HomeAdvisor, soundproofing a room cost; Bob Vila, soundproofing a room cost; HomeAdvisor, asbestos removal cost; Bob Vila, asbestos removal cost; This Old House, asbestos removal cost; Fixr, asbestos removal cost; Fixr, mold remediation cost; HomeAdvisor, mold remediation cost; Bob Vila, mold remediation cost; This Old House, mold remediation cost; Fixr, attic insulation cost; HomeAdvisor, attic insulation cost; Bob Vila, attic insulation cost; Fixr, wheelchair ramp cost; HomeAdvisor, wheelchair ramp cost; Fixr, custom closet cost; HomeAdvisor, custom closet cost; Bob Vila, custom closet cost; Fixr, interior demolition cost; HomeAdvisor, interior demolition cost; Fixr, staircase remodel cost; HomeAdvisor, staircase remodel cost; Bob Vila, staircase remodel cost; Fixr, awning installation cost; HomeAdvisor, awning installation cost; Fixr, built-in shelves cost; HomeAdvisor, built-in shelves cost; Bob Vila, built-in shelves cost; Fixr, spray foam insulation cost; Bob Vila, spray foam insulation cost; Today's Homeowner, spray foam insulation cost; Fixr, water damage restoration cost; HomeAdvisor, water damage restoration cost; Bob Vila, water damage restoration cost; Today's Homeowner, water damage restoration cost; Fixr, coffered ceiling installation cost; HomeAdvisor, coffered ceiling installation cost; Fixr, pergola cost; HomeAdvisor, pergola cost; Fixr, storage shed cost; HomeAdvisor, storage shed cost; Fixr, stair lift installation cost; HomeAdvisor, stair lift installation cost; Bob Vila, stair lift installation cost; Fixr, earthquake retrofit cost; HomeAdvisor, earthquake retrofit cost; Fixr, gazebo cost; HomeAdvisor, gazebo cost; HomeAdvisor, composite deck cost; Bob Vila, composite deck cost; Fixr, carport cost; HomeAdvisor, carport cost; Bob Vila, carport cost; Fixr, lead paint removal cost; HomeAdvisor, lead paint removal cost; Bob Vila, lead paint removal cost; Fixr, greenhouse cost; HomeAdvisor, greenhouse cost; Bob Vila, greenhouse cost; Fixr, board and batten siding cost; HomeAdvisor, board and batten siding cost; Bob Vila, board and batten siding cost; Fixr, deck building cost; HomeAdvisor, deck building cost; Bob Vila, deck building cost; Fixr, siding replacement cost; HomeAdvisor, siding replacement cost; Bob Vila, siding replacement cost; Today's Homeowner, siding replacement cost; Fixr, vinyl siding installation cost; HomeAdvisor, vinyl siding installation cost; Bob Vila, vinyl siding installation cost; Today's Homeowner, vinyl siding installation cost; Fixr, covered patio cost; Bob Vila, covered patio cost; Fixr, wood siding installation cost; HomeAdvisor, wood siding installation cost; Bob Vila, wood siding installation cost; Fixr, house demolition cost; Bob Vila, house demolition cost; Fixr, fiber cement siding installation cost; HomeAdvisor, fiber cement siding installation cost; Bob Vila, fiber cement siding installation cost; Fixr, garage conversion cost; HomeAdvisor, garage conversion cost; Bob Vila, garage conversion cost; Fixr, outdoor kitchen cost; HomeAdvisor, outdoor kitchen cost; HomeAdvisor, dormer installation cost; Today's Homeowner, dormer installation cost; Fixr, fire damage restoration cost; HomeAdvisor, fire damage restoration cost; Fixr, stone veneer siding cost; HomeAdvisor, stone veneer siding cost; Fixr, backyard basketball court cost; HomeAdvisor, backyard basketball court cost; Fixr, detached garage cost; HomeAdvisor, detached garage cost; Fixr, home addition cost; HomeAdvisor, home addition cost; Bob Vila, home addition cost; Fixr, sunroom addition cost; Bob Vila, sunroom addition cost.
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Data as of: BLS wages and employment, May 2025. Job projections, 2022 to 2032 (Projections Central). License rows checked October 8, 2026. Cost guides checked October 9, 2026. All reports.