High paying construction jobs in Texas with no experience

The best paid construction occupations in Texas that require neither a degree nor prior experience in a related job. This is the narrowest cut on the site, so it is also the shortest list: where a field has only two or three such occupations, there is no page at all rather than a page pretending otherwise.

Cost of living: prices in Texas run 2.9% below the national average (2024), so a Texas salary is worth about 1.03× its face value in national terms. That scales every wage here by the same factor — it changes what the numbers mean, not their order. To see where a job pays a real premium, use jobs that pay more in Texas.

Wages: BLS OEWS, May 2025 · Cost of living: BEA regional price parities, 2024

Find construction jobs in Texas

OccupationMedian, Texas · Employed

1Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$59,840
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,270 – $81,89044,090
2Electricians$58,570
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,920 – $80,30076,770
3Sheet Metal Workers$54,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,010 – $78,4009,540
4Structural Iron and Steel Workers$52,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$42,160 – $77,5209,700
5Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment Operators$50,460
High school diploma or equivalent
$38,900 – $70,01055,540
6Carpenters$48,900
High school diploma or equivalent
$36,980 – $65,92033,540
7Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall$48,740
No formal educational credential
$36,250 – $63,2407,120
8Solar Photovoltaic Installers$48,240
High school diploma or equivalent
$37,660 – $73,6905,270
9Glaziers$47,730
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,500 – $59,9905,850
10Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers$47,590
No formal educational credential
$35,260 – $61,0305,760
11Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers$47,500
No formal educational credential
$36,360 – $60,77026,430
12Roofers$46,030
No formal educational credential
$34,120 – $61,5605,740
13Roustabouts, Oil and Gas$45,950
No formal educational credential
$35,840 – $60,47024,430
14Pipelayers$45,620
No formal educational credential
$37,030 – $56,7305,010
15Highway Maintenance Workers$45,540
High school diploma or equivalent
$32,410 – $58,9906,630
16Painters, Construction and Maintenance$45,460
No formal educational credential
$35,870 – $58,91018,330
17Helpers--Electricians$44,360
High school diploma or equivalent
$34,900 – $57,5407,320
18Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters$41,950
High school diploma or equivalent
$35,030 – $54,1807,210
19Construction Laborers$40,620
No formal educational credential
$32,560 – $56,930123,250
20Helpers, Construction Trades, All Other$40,610
No formal educational credential
$33,770 – $49,1505,060

Bars run from the 10th to the 90th percentile; the middle half is shaded darker, and the tick is the median.

#	Occupation	MedianTexas	10th–90th percentilemiddle half shaded darker	Employed
1	Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$59,840	$38,270 – $81,890	44,090
2	ElectriciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$58,570	$37,920 – $80,300	76,770
3	Sheet Metal WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$54,240	$37,010 – $78,400	9,540
4	Structural Iron and Steel WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$52,240	$42,160 – $77,520	9,700
5	Operating Engineers and Other Construction Equipment OperatorsHigh school diploma or equivalent	$50,460	$38,900 – $70,010	55,540
6	CarpentersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,900	$36,980 – $65,920	33,540
7	Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and WallNo formal educational credential	$48,740	$36,250 – $63,240	7,120
8	Solar Photovoltaic InstallersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$48,240	$37,660 – $73,690	5,270
9	GlaziersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$47,730	$35,500 – $59,990	5,850
10	Drywall and Ceiling Tile InstallersNo formal educational credential	$47,590	$35,260 – $61,030	5,760
11	Cement Masons and Concrete FinishersNo formal educational credential	$47,500	$36,360 – $60,770	26,430
12	RoofersNo formal educational credential	$46,030	$34,120 – $61,560	5,740
13	Roustabouts, Oil and GasNo formal educational credential	$45,950	$35,840 – $60,470	24,430
14	PipelayersNo formal educational credential	$45,620	$37,030 – $56,730	5,010
15	Highway Maintenance WorkersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$45,540	$32,410 – $58,990	6,630
16	Painters, Construction and MaintenanceNo formal educational credential	$45,460	$35,870 – $58,910	18,330
17	Helpers--ElectriciansHigh school diploma or equivalent	$44,360	$34,900 – $57,540	7,320
18	Helpers--Pipelayers, Plumbers, Pipefitters, and SteamfittersHigh school diploma or equivalent	$41,950	$35,030 – $54,180	7,210
19	Construction LaborersNo formal educational credential	$40,620	$32,560 – $56,930	123,250
20	Helpers, Construction Trades, All OtherNo formal educational credential	$40,610	$33,770 – $49,150	5,060

Ranked among the occupations common enough to employ roughly one in every three thousand workers in Texas. The rarer ones are real jobs — but a 1,190-person occupation at the top of a list answers a different question than the one most readers are asking.

More for Texas

Metro areas in Texas

Pay varies more between metros than between states — the spread inside one state is often wider than the gap between two.

By field in Texas

Without a degree

The same fields, narrowed to what you can enter without one. Fields missing here have too few such occupations in Texas to rank honestly.

High paying construction jobs in Texas with no experience

More for Texas

Metro areas in Texas

By field in Texas

Without a degree

High paying construction jobs in each state with no experience