Despite cooling demand in U.S. construction—with spending down in interest-rate-sensitive sectors like housing and commercial development, and nearly 80% of contractors reporting hiring challenges—the industry’s labor gap remains significant: the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) estimates a shortfall of 439,000 workers in 2025.

Amid these labor market pressures, construction wages are rising, but not as much as one might expect—and gains vary by state and occupation. In North Carolina, the fastest increases cluster in specific trades, while others have seen far less progress.

In the 2025 edition of their Construction Jobs With the Fastest-Growing Wages report, researchers at Construction Coverage analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics to identify how w

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