Construction Labor Costs in New Hampshire by Trade
The labor part of a home project is the part that changes from town to town. This site measures it with one public number per trade: the median hourly wage published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the wage area the town's county belongs to, divided by the US median.
New Hampshire's five wage areas
- Manchester-Nashua, NH: Hillsborough County
- Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH: Rockingham, Strafford counties
- Central New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area: Belknap, Merrimack counties
- Northern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area: Carroll, Coos, Grafton counties
- Southwestern New Hampshire nonmetropolitan area: Cheshire, Sullivan counties
Median hourly wage by trade
| Trade | US | NH | Manchester-Nashua | Boston-Cambridge-Newton | Central NH | Northern NH | Southwestern NH |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roofers | $26.65 | $28.76 | $27.68 | $31.90 | $29.81 | — | — |
| Carpenters | $29.12 | $29.42 | $29.47 | $36.16 | $29.49 | $29.48 | $28.82 |
| Construction laborers | $22.66 | $24.03 | $22.84 | $30.49 | $24.06 | $23.65 | $23.57 |
| Paving, surfacing and tamping equipment operators | $25.64 | $29.85 | $29.88 | $32.94 | $29.84 | — | — |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers | $27.41 | $26.06 | $27.38 | $30.23 | $26.89 | $24.25 | $23.74 |
| HVAC mechanics and installers | $29.33 | $35.51 | $35.14 | $37.75 | $30.52 | $34.87 | $30.43 |
A dash means BLS did not publish that estimate. This site then uses the statewide median.
The widest gap is for HVAC installers: New Hampshire's median of $35.51 is +21.1% against the US, which is why heat pump installation costs more here than national guides suggest. Cement masons are the exception, with a statewide median −4.9% against the US.
How much the index moves a price
Only labor moves. A trade index of +20% on a job that is half labor raises the total by about 10%. The roof guide works through a full example, and every town page lists the index for all six trades.
Sources
- O*NET OnLine, Roofers (47-2181.00), New Hampshire local wages
- O*NET OnLine, Carpenters (47-2031.00), New Hampshire local wages
- O*NET OnLine, Construction Laborers (47-2061.00), New Hampshire local wages
- O*NET OnLine, Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (47-2071.00), New Hampshire local wages
- O*NET OnLine, Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers (47-2051.00), New Hampshire local wages
- O*NET OnLine, Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (49-9021.00), New Hampshire local wages
- BLS, May 2025 Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Area Definitions
Questions
Are construction wages higher in New Hampshire than nationally?
For most trades, yes. In BLS 2025 wage data the New Hampshire median is above the US median for roofers, carpenters, laborers, paving operators and HVAC installers, and below it for cement masons.
Why is the Seacoast labor index so high?
BLS places Rockingham and Strafford counties in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton wage area, which is mostly Massachusetts, so its medians reflect Greater Boston.