Craft labor pay insights — Atlanta Q3 ‘24
Key Findings
$27.35 – Average Base Pay: The average base hourly wage for craft workers in Atlanta is $27.35, reflecting the core compensation across various skilled trades.
$29.14 – Average Desired Pay: Craft workers in the area are looking for a slightly higher wage, with the desired average hourly rate being $29.14.
$1.79 – Desired Hourly Pay Increase: Workers are seeking a modest increase of $1.79 per hour over their current pay to align with market expectations and cost of living adjustments.
24.8% – Will Accept Lower Pay for the Right Job: Nearly a quarter of craft workers (24.8%) indicate they are open to accepting a lower pay rate if the job offers other desirable benefits or aligns with their personal or professional goals.
Training & Upskilling – The Most Valued Non-Cash Benefit: Beyond monetary compensation, training and upskilling opportunities are the most valued form of non-cash benefits for craft workers.
Every week, thousands of craft workers across the U.S. join the Skillit platform to connect with many of the nation’s best and biggest employers in Atlanta. This generates millions of proprietary data points which we anonymize and structure into labor intelligence to help craft labor decision-makers and recruiters better understand how to source, hire and retain skilled labor.
Topics we nail in every report:
✓ Base pay, desired pay, benefits
✓ Skills, trade experience
✓ Certifications, OSHA
✓ Employers, work authorization
✓ Union membership
✓ Gender, language, communications
✓ Commute distance, migration patterns
Current craft pay in Atlanta
Atlanta’s craft worker wages are largely competitive with the national average, with slight variations depending on the trade. For construction employers in Atlanta, maintaining competitive pay—especially in roles where Atlanta lags slightly behind—may be key to attracting and retaining top talent. Additionally, trades like Electricians and Laborers in Atlanta are already positioned competitively.
Electricians and Laborers in Atlanta are paid more than the national average. Electricians in Atlanta earn $29.13/hour, compared to $29.36/hour nationally, and Laborers earn $24.43/hour, slightly above the national $24.11/hour.
Concrete Workers in Atlanta also see slightly higher wages ($26.27/hour) compared to the national average ($25.94/hour).
For Carpenters, HEOs (Heavy Equipment Operators), and Pipefitters, the national average exceeds Atlanta’s hourly wages. For example, Carpenters nationally earn $26.93/hour versus $26.72/hour in Atlanta.
Welders show a national pay of $28.66/hour, while in Atlanta it’s $28.30/hour.
Drywallers, Plumbers, and Pipelayers show very close pay rates between Atlanta and the national average, with differences typically within $0.50/hour. This suggests these trades are seeing a more standardized pay rate across regions.
Across most trades, the pay difference between Atlanta and the national average is minimal, indicating that Atlanta’s labor market is fairly aligned with the national averages for craft workers. However, Atlanta is slightly below the national average in a few areas, particularly for highly skilled trades like Welders and Pipefitters.
Craft pay expectations in Atlanta
Craft workers in Atlanta have slightly lower overall desired pay compared to national averages, particularly for trades like Electricians, Carpenters, and Plumbers. However, some trades like Laborers and Concrete Workers are more aligned with national pay expectations.
Electricians in Atlanta are requesting lower hourly pay compared to the national average: $31.89 vs. $32.73. This indicates that while electricians are a high-demand trade, they may have slightly lower pay expectations in Atlanta.
Carpenters in Atlanta have a lower desired pay of $28.48/hour, compared to the national average of $29.72/hour. This is a notable gap, indicating that carpenters in Atlanta might be more willing to accept lower pay than the national average.
Concrete Workers in Atlanta desire $25.52/hour, close to the national average of $25.74/hour.
Laborers in Atlanta are also quite close, requesting $28.00/hour, compared to $28.07/hour nationally. This suggests these roles have aligned pay expectations regardless of location.
Nationally, Plumbers and Welders have higher desired pay than those in Atlanta. Plumbers nationally desire $31.60/hour, while in Atlanta they are seeking $29.11/hour. Similarly, Welders nationally expect $32.06/hour compared to $30.44/hour in Atlanta.
HEOs in Atlanta expect a slightly lower hourly rate ($29.41/hour) than their national counterparts ($29.98/hour), but the gap is minimal.
For Pipelayers, there is little difference between Atlanta and national desired pay, with Atlanta workers expecting $29.93/hour, while nationally the desired rate is $30.66/hour.
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Craft compensation flexibility in Atlanta
Craft workers in Atlanta, particularly in trades like Pipelayers, Electricians, and Laborers, are more likely to be open to accepting lower pay for the right job compared to national averages. This could provide opportunities for employers to negotiate compensation based on job conditions rather than purely on wages. However, certain trades like Welders and Plumbers are less likely to compromise, both in Atlanta and nationally.
Across several trades, craft workers in Atlanta are more willing to accept lower pay for the right job compared to their national counterparts. This is especially notable for Pipefitters and Pipelayers, where 43% of Pipelayers in Atlanta are open to lower pay versus 33% nationally.
Electricians and Laborers in Atlanta are also more willing to accept lower pay at 24% and 23%, compared to 15% and 21% nationally, respectively.
Pipelayers in Atlanta show the largest gap, with 43% willing to accept lower pay, a significant difference compared to the national average of 33%. This suggests there could be less pressure on pay expectations in this trade in Atlanta.
Nationally, most trades have fewer workers willing to accept lower pay, with Electricians and Plumbers showing the least flexibility, at 15% and 17%, respectively. This highlights a stronger desire to maintain expected compensation levels across regions.
For Pipefitters, there is an even 33% of workers both nationally and in Atlanta who would accept lower pay for the right job. This suggests similar pay flexibility across this trade.
Plumbers, Welders, and HEOs (Heavy Equipment Operators) in Atlanta are less likely to accept lower pay than other trades. For Plumbers, the rate is 21%, while nationally it is 17%, indicating some flexibility but less willingness compared to other roles.
Non-financial compensation trends in Atlanta
Training & Upskilling and Benefits are the dominant non-financial motivators for craft workers in Atlanta across nearly all trades. Employers looking to attract or retain talent should prioritize offering comprehensive training programs and robust benefits packages. Additionally, while Career Mobility remains important, the low prioritization of Women-Friendly environments suggests that there may be an opportunity to enhance inclusivity efforts, particularly for hiring more women into these roles.
Across most trades, Training & Upskilling is the leading non-financial motivator for craft workers, consistently around the 40% mark. This highlights the high value workers place on opportunities for personal and professional development, regardless of their trade. It’s particularly significant for trades like Carpenters, Drywallers, and Welders.
Benefits (represented by the orange triangles) also rank highly as a motivating factor, often closely following Training & Upskilling, fluctuating between 30-40% across the trades. Concrete Workers and Pipefitters show the highest emphasis on benefits, which suggests that strong benefits packages can play a critical role in attracting these workers.
Career Mobility (indicated by the blue diamonds) is a moderate factor, with 20-25% of craft workers in all trades valuing the opportunity for upward movement or progression. This consistency suggests that while it’s not the top motivator, career advancement remains a significant consideration.
Women-Friendly environments (represented by the red circles) rank quite low as a motivator, staying under 10% across most trades. While still important, it appears to be a lesser priority for the overall workforce. However, this metric may be more critical in certain contexts or for specific hiring initiatives aimed at improving gender diversity in the trades.
While most non-financial motivators are fairly consistent across trades, Pipefitters and Pipelayers seem to have slightly higher values for both Benefits and Training & Upskilling, indicating these trades may be particularly responsive to those incentives.
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