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Specialty Trade Contractors (NAICS 238) by the Numbers: BLS Labor and Wage Requirements

By QuickBidSetup Editorial Team · Published October 29, 2026 · Sources linked below

NAICS 238 Specialty Trade Contractor Data: BLS Wage Guide
Photo: "Construction worker measuring framing at hollywoodHUB, Portland, Oregon" by PortlandAppraisalBlog, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (cropped).

Estimating commercial and residential subcontracts requires a concrete baseline of labor availability, weekly schedule demands, and market wages. Data published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics for Specialty Trade Contractors (NAICS 238) details workforce headcounts, hourly earnings, weekly hours, and injury rates across specialty operations. Whether an estimator is pricing finish packages or coordinating crews, understanding these federal benchmarks helps prevent underestimating field costs on bid day.

1. Scope and Classification Requirements Under NAICS 238

The specialty trade contractors subsector covers establishments whose primary activity is performing specific trade activities involved in building construction or similar activities across construction types, without carrying responsibility for the complete project. Production work is commonly subcontracted from general contractor establishments or operative builders, though remodeling and repair contracts may be contracted directly with property owners. Specialty contractors conduct most production work at the construction site, but establishments may also operate fabrication shops.

NAICS 238 is divided into four distinct industry groups:

2. Total Workforce and Field Headcount Requirements

Tracking aggregate workforce levels allows trade contractors to gauge labor availability when planning multi-month project schedules. According to the BLS Specialty Trade Contractors summary, overall subsector employment stood at 5,253.1 thousand workers in June 2026, rising to 5,266.8 thousand in July 2026, 5,275.5 thousand in August 2026, and reaching a preliminary 5,279.9 thousand in September 2026.

Field production and nonsupervisory personnel account for the vast majority of this payroll volume. In June 2026, production and nonsupervisory workers totaled 4,038.3 thousand. This figure expanded to 4,072.3 thousand in July 2026 and hit a preliminary 4,084.1 thousand in August 2026. When estimators calculate workforce staffing plans, matching labor requirements against broad trade employment helps align production capacity with schedule deadlines.

3. Hourly Earnings and Average Schedule Hours

Accurate crew rates rely on tracking actual earnings rather than outdated historical figures. In May 2026, average hourly earnings across all employees in NAICS 238 were $39.95, increasing to $40.09 in June 2026, $40.28 in July 2026, and reaching a preliminary $40.50 in August 2026. During this same window, average weekly hours for all employees shifted from 39.1 hours in May 2026 to 39.3 in June 2026, 39.1 in July 2026, and 39.2 hours in August 2026.

For production and nonsupervisory workers specifically, hourly pay and weekly commitments showed steady upward movement:

Understanding these schedules helps contractors project overtime exposures and calibrate their Labor Burden: How to Calculate Your True Hourly Labor Cost.

4. Trade-Specific Wage Benchmarks for Key Occupations

Estimating specific trade packages requires granular wage visibility. In 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data for NAICS 238, key field roles demonstrated the following employment counts, hourly rates, and annual compensation levels:

5. Safety Compliance and Recordable Incident Rates

Safety obligations directly influence general conditions and field support budgets. BLS safety records for NAICS 238 note 658 workplace fatalities in 2021 and 608 fatalities in 2022. For 2024, the rate of total recordable injury and illness cases was 2.3 per 100 full-time workers.

When evaluated by case severity in 2024, the subsector recorded a rate of 1.4 cases per 100 full-time workers involving days away from work, job restriction, or transfer. Specifically, cases involving days away from work occurred at a rate of 1.0 per 100 full-time workers, while cases involving days of job transfer or restriction registered at 0.5 per 100 full-time workers. Factoring safety training and protective oversight directly into bids mitigates field disruption.

6. Subcontractor Establishment Growth and Market Density

The specialty contracting sector features high business density. Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages data reveals that private industry establishments grew from 591,053 in the 2nd quarter of 2025 to 594,209 in the 3rd quarter of 2025, 597,027 in the 4th quarter of 2025, and a preliminary 597,918 in the 1st quarter of 2026. Public sector specialty trade establishments remain smaller in number, with local government establishments moving from 74 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2025 to 75 in the 4th quarter and a preliminary 76 in the 1st quarter of 2026. State government establishments numbered 6 in the 2nd and 3rd quarters of 2025 and 5 in the 4th quarter of 2025 and 1st quarter of 2026.

Sources

Specialty Trade Contractors: NAICS 238 : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Published October 29, 2026. No affiliate links on this page. Facts come from the sources linked above; check them for updates.