November 10, 2025
Under the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS), Specialty trade contractors is a subsector of the Construction sector, the top employer of registered apprentices in the state, with around 12,800 registered apprentices within the subsector. This industry typically consists of subcontractors that primarily perform specific building construction work, specializing in certain parts of the building process. Some of these trades include plumbing, painting, roofing, heating and cooling, electrical work, and building preparation.
As reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, private businesses in the Specialty trade contractors sector employed approximately 120,000 workers, representing 3.2 percent of all private employment in Michigan in March 2025. The industry accounted for 3.9 percent of all private workers in the nation. In total, this industry’s Michigan workforce grew by an additional 2,600 employees between March 2024 and March 2025, a 2.2 percent increase. At $28.94, the industry’s hourly median wage in Michigan is slightly higher than the national median of $28.40.
In 2025, Michigan’s Specialty trade contractors subsector comprised approximately 14,300 private establishments. Small establishments with fewer than 50 employees accounted for about 13,900 establishments and 68,000 workers or 57.0 percent of the total employment in the industry. Medium-sized firms, with 50 to 499 employees, totaled roughly 400 establishments and employed 43,000 employees, representing 36.0 percent. In contrast, 12 large firms with 500 or more employees employed 8,400 individuals, comprising 7.0 percent of the subsector’s workforce.
Top Detailed Sectors with the most Employees as of March 2025
Most Prevalent Occupations with the Most Workers in 2024
Private employment in Michigan’s Specialty trade contractors industry is projected to expand 1.0 percent between 2022 and 2032, an addition of roughly 1,200 jobs. This represents an annual growth rate of 0.1 percent, higher than its broader Construction sector total projected rate of 0.2 percent (0.0 percent annually) and slightly above the overall statewide industry average of 0.6 percent total growth (0.1 percent annually). However, the industry has surpassed its 2032 projected employment numbers, reflecting faster growth than initially expected in the past few years.
Source: 2022-2032 Michigan Long-Term Employment Projections, Michigan Center for Data and Analytics; Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
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