Skilled Trades Jobs in Los Angeles, CA

Los Angeles runs on trades work, from the union halls of more than 160,000 Building Trades members to the plant shops at UCLA, Cedars-Sinai and LAUSD. The guides below cover every skilled trades role in Los Angeles, who is hiring, what it pays and how to get in.

Electrician Jobs HVAC Technician Jobs Plumber Jobs

Why Skilled Trades Work Is Different in Los Angeles

Construction in Los Angeles is a union town on public work. The Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council counts 48 local unions and district councils, and big public projects run under project labor agreements with local hire rules. City of Los Angeles projects aim for 30 percent of all hours worked by residents of targeted local zip codes, and LA Metro's construction careers policy has put more than 57 percent of its 37.7 million project hours in the hands of workers from economically disadvantaged areas. For a new worker, that means an apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship is often the front door, not a cold call to a contractor. Construction employment in the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale area held near 148,700 jobs in August 2026, roughly flat from a year earlier, according to BLS.

The second half of the trades economy sits inside institutions that never close. UCLA in Westwood, USC in University Park, Cedars-Sinai in Beverly Grove, LAUSD across the city, LADWP and the City of Los Angeles all keep their own electricians, plumbers and HVAC staff, and they post pay well above the metro median, from about $52 to $58 an hour at UCLA and LAUSD to six-figure civil-service salaries. California also regulates trades workers more than most states: electricians need a state certification card, HVAC techs need EPA 608, and Los Angeles employers ask plumbers for a city or county journeyman credential.

Top Skilled Trades Employers in Los Angeles

These employers have posted electrician, plumber, HVAC or construction trades roles in Los Angeles:

  • UCLA - the Westwood campus facilities shops post electricians and plumbers at $52 to $57 an hour, and UCLA Health hires HVAC operating engineers.
  • Cedars-Sinai - the Beverly Grove medical center hires electricians and plumbers at $40.88 to $65.41 an hour, plus stationary engineers at its Marina del Rey hospital.
  • Los Angeles Unified School District - the district hires plumbers and heating and air conditioning fitters at $57.95 an hour.
  • Los Angeles Department of Water and Power - the city utility hires electrical mechanics and plumbers through civil service, at some of the highest trades pay in the city.
  • City of Los Angeles - the city hires plumbers, building operating engineers, street services workers and construction helpers.
  • USC - the university hires plumbers for University Park and the LA Memorial Coliseum.
  • Mike Diamond Services - the Hollywood-based home services company hires plumbing and HVAC technicians, apprentices and trainees.

Skilled Trades Career Paths in Los Angeles

  • Electrical and mechanical systems - Electrician, HVAC Technician and Sheet Metal Worker. These are the licensed and certified trades that keep buildings powered and cooled, and they lead into the highest-paid in-house plant jobs.
  • Piping and metal - Plumber and Welder. Water, gas and drain systems plus fabrication, with local journeyman credentials and specialty certifications that raise pay.
  • Building construction - Construction Laborer, Carpenter, Concrete Finisher, Mason, Roofer, Painter and Glazier. The structural and finish trades, where most new workers enter through a union apprenticeship or a city local hire program.

How to Start a Skilled Trades Career in Los Angeles

  • California electrician certification - issued by the Electrician Certification Unit of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement; trainees must be enrolled in a state-approved school.
  • EPA Section 608 certification - the federal credential every HVAC and refrigeration tech needs to handle or buy refrigerant.
  • Los Angeles County Journeyman Plumber Certificate - issued by Los Angeles County Public Works and asked for by LAUSD and other employers, alongside the City of Los Angeles journey-level card.
  • Contractor licenses - C-10, C-20, C-36 and other classifications from the Contractors State License Board, needed only to contract on your own.
  • Union apprenticeships - the Electrical Training Institute in Commerce for IBEW Local 11, UA Plumbers Local 78 near Downtown, UA Local 250 in Gardena for HVACR, and the Laborers Training School in Azusa for Laborers Local 300.
  • Los Angeles Trade-Technical College - the downtown campus offers electrical, plumbing, HVAC and refrigeration, carpentry and welding degrees and certificates.
  • Pre-apprenticeship - free Multi-Craft Core Curriculum programs through the Building Trades' Apprenticeship Readiness Fund partners and at LAUSD occupational centers, including East Los Angeles, Harbor and West Valley.

Electrician certification is required by state law for electrical work for a contractor, EPA 608 is required by federal law for refrigerant work, and contractor licenses are required only to run your own business; journeyman plumber cards, apprenticeship completion and pre-apprenticeship certificates are employer requirements or the usual way in, not state licenses.

Skilled Trades Salaries in Los Angeles

  • Entry - about $19 to $28 an hour for laborers, helpers, trainees and first-period apprentices.
  • Mid - about $28 to $36 an hour, the metro medians for construction laborers, plumbers, HVAC technicians, electricians and carpenters.
  • Senior - $49 to $65 an hour and up for journey-level union and in-house roles, and $118,000 to $162,000 a year in City of Los Angeles and LADWP trades classes.

These are estimates from BLS 2025 figures for the Los Angeles metro and pay ranges posted by local employers. Union jobs add health, pension and training contributions on top of the base rate, so a Los Angeles County inside wireman on public works earns a package above $103 an hour. Hospitals, universities and public agencies trade some overtime for steady hours, pensions and full benefits, while residential service companies often add commission.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which skilled trades pay the most in Los Angeles?

Electricians and plumbers have the highest top-end pay among the core trades, with the top tenth of the metro above $60 an hour. The best-paid jobs are union journeyman roles and in-house plant and civil-service jobs at UCLA, LAUSD, LADWP and the City of Los Angeles.

Do I need a license to work in the trades in Los Angeles?

It depends on the trade. Electricians need state certification, HVAC techs need EPA 608, and most Los Angeles employers ask plumbers for a city or county journeyman credential. Laborers need no license, and a contractor license is only for running your own business.

How do I get into a union apprenticeship in Los Angeles?

Each trade runs its own program, such as the Electrical Training Institute for IBEW Local 11 or the Laborers Training School for Local 300. Most require you to be 18 with a diploma or GED, and many open applications in short windows, so a pre-apprenticeship course can help you get ready.

What is the Los Angeles local hire program for construction?

City of Los Angeles projects under its project labor agreement aim for 30 percent of hours worked by residents of targeted local zip codes. LA Metro runs a similar construction careers policy, and both route workers through the unions and job coordinators.

Where can I train for the trades in Los Angeles without going into debt?

Apprenticeships pay you while you learn, starting near $26 an hour in several Los Angeles programs. Los Angeles Trade-Technical College and LAUSD occupational centers offer low-cost certificates, and Multi-Craft Core Curriculum pre-apprenticeship programs are free.

Ready to get started? Browse all current skilled trades job openings in Los Angeles, CA on LocalJobPage.