Skilled Trades Jobs in the Phoenix Metro: 250 Openings and a $25/Hour Median

Skilled trades are one of the few fields where the Phoenix metro has more open roles than qualified applicants, and it shows in what employers are willing to publish.

There are currently 250 open trades and technician positions on this board, and 114 of them publish a wage — a much higher share than most fields. The median advertised rate is $25 an hour.

Which employers hire tradespeople in the Valley?

Trades hiring is spread across sectors that do not obviously look like trades employers.

Hospital systems run large facilities operations. Banner Health and Phoenix Children's hire plant mechanics, HVAC technicians, electricians, and biomedical equipment techs to keep buildings and equipment running around the clock.

Cities and counties operate water and wastewater plants, vehicle fleets, streets, and parks. This is steady, unglamorous, well-benefited work that a lot of tradespeople never think to look for. See the government jobs guide for how that hiring works.

Property management companies hire maintenance technicians across the Valley's large apartment inventory — one of the most consistent sources of entry-level trades work in the metro.

Federal installations — Luke Air Force Base, Davis-Monthan, and VA facilities — hire aircraft mechanics, electricians, and maintenance staff as federal employees. Those roles are covered in the federal jobs guide.

Browse the full set in Home Services & Trades.

Which trades pay best in Phoenix?

Among listings that publish rates, the strongest tend to be:

• Industrial and plant maintenance — mechanics and operators keeping hospital or utility infrastructure running
• HVAC, where Arizona's climate makes the work non-optional and year-round
• Electrical, especially industrial and controls work
• Water and wastewater treatment operations, where state certification tiers create a clear pay ladder
• Biomedical equipment repair, which sits between trades and healthcare and pays like healthcare

Apartment and general facilities maintenance sits lower on the wage scale but is the most accessible entry point, and many technicians use it to earn certifications on the job.

Why does the certification ladder matter so much?

More than most fields, trades pay tracks credentials rather than years served.

Water and wastewater operator grades, EPA 608 refrigerant certification, journeyman licensure, and manufacturer-specific certifications each move you into a different pay band. Municipal postings state the required grade explicitly and pay by it.

If you are early in a trade, the highest-return move is usually the next certification rather than the next employer.

Is Phoenix a good market for trades work?

Structurally, yes. The metro has grown for years, which means new construction, new infrastructure, and a growing stock of buildings that need maintaining. Heat also drives constant HVAC and mechanical demand that colder markets do not have.

The counterweight is that construction-side work is cyclical. Facilities, utility, and institutional maintenance roles are far less exposed to a downturn than new-build construction — worth weighing if stability matters to you.

Do you need a license to start?

Depends on the trade. Apartment maintenance and general facilities work typically require no license to enter, and employers often pay for certifications once you are hired. Electrical and plumbing work at journeyman level requires licensure. Water treatment requires state operator certification, with entry-level grades achievable relatively quickly.

Where to start

Browse Home Services & Trades for everything currently open, or search by city — Phoenix and Mesa carry the highest volume.

If you are comparing a private offer against a municipal one, read the pay carefully first: our guide to reading pay on a job posting covers why a lower base with a pension can beat a higher hourly rate.

Job counts and wage figures reflect active listings on Sonoran Jobs at the time of publication.