Fence Erectors
Fence Erectors (SOC 47-4031) earn a median $47,980 a year ($23.07 an hour) in the United States, with 24,480 employed as of May 2025; the highest-paying state is Alaska.
What fence erectors do
Fence erectors put up and repair fences and gates with hand and power tools. They establish the location for a fence and gather information to make sure there are no electric cables or water lines in the area, then measure and lay out fence lines and mark posthole positions from instructions, drawings or specifications. Postholes are dug with spades, posthole diggers or power-driven augers. Metal or wooden posts are set upright in the holes and aligned by line or sighting, with vertical alignment checked using plumb bobs or spirit levels. Rails or tension wire are attached along the bottoms of posts to form fencing frames, and fence rail supports are attached to posts with hammers and pliers. Gates are assembled and fastened into position with hand tools. Fence installer, fence builder and chain link fence installer are among the listed titles. The work differs from general construction labor (47-2061), where digging is one of many site tasks.
Typical entry: Most workers in this occupation report a high school diploma or equivalent as their level of education, according to O*NET.
Also called: Chain Link Fence Installer, Fence Builder, Fence Contractor, Fence Erector, Fence Installer.
National wage percentiles, May 2025
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||
| United States | Hourly | $17.22 | $19.43 | $23.07 | $28.18 | $33.66 | $24.29 | 24,480 |
| Annual | $35,810 | $40,400 | $47,980 | $58,610 | $70,010 | $50,530 | ||
Employment per 1,000 jobs and the location quotient are area measures; they appear in the state and metro tables below. To see what a wage in this range leaves after tax, use FastCalc's take-home pay calculator.
Where fence erectors earn and work most
Five highest-paying states
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Alaska | Hourly | $22.31 | $22.49 | $31.06 | $39.09 | $39.09 | $30.77 | 40 | 0.14 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $46,400 | $46,780 | $64,600 | $81,300 | $81,310 | $64,000 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $19.29 | $22.62 | $28.17 | $34.94 | $37.31 | $28.06 | 1,150 | 0.19 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $40,120 | $47,050 | $58,600 | $72,670 | $77,610 | $58,360 | ||||
| Minnesota | Hourly | $22.89 | $23.08 | $27.53 | $28.80 | $33.88 | $26.59 | ** | ** | ** |
| Annual | $47,610 | $48,000 | $57,260 | $59,900 | $70,470 | $55,300 | ||||
| New Jersey | Hourly | $22.76 | $23.87 | $27.26 | $29.26 | $33.66 | $27.12 | 910 | 0.21 | 1.35 |
| Annual | $47,340 | $49,640 | $56,690 | $60,860 | $70,010 | $56,410 | ||||
| California | Hourly | $19.35 | $22.47 | $26.95 | $33.50 | $37.93 | $28.07 | 3,150 | 0.17 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $40,260 | $46,740 | $56,060 | $69,690 | $78,900 | $58,390 | ||||
Five states with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| California | Hourly | $19.35 | $22.47 | $26.95 | $33.50 | $37.93 | $28.07 | 3,150 | 0.17 | 1.10 |
| Annual | $40,260 | $46,740 | $56,060 | $69,690 | $78,900 | $58,390 | ||||
| Florida | Hourly | $15.31 | $18.18 | $21.90 | $26.36 | $30.29 | $21.99 | 2,020 | 0.20 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $31,840 | $37,810 | $45,550 | $54,820 | $63,000 | $45,750 | ||||
| Texas | Hourly | $14.63 | $16.41 | $17.92 | $22.01 | $24.23 | $19.01 | 1,800 | 0.13 | 0.81 |
| Annual | $30,420 | $34,140 | $37,270 | $45,780 | $50,410 | $39,530 | ||||
| Washington | Hourly | $21.25 | $23.04 | $24.93 | $28.66 | $35.27 | $26.65 | 1,450 | 0.41 | 2.59 |
| Annual | $44,200 | $47,930 | $51,860 | $59,610 | $73,370 | $55,440 | ||||
| Pennsylvania | Hourly | $19.29 | $22.62 | $28.17 | $34.94 | $37.31 | $28.06 | 1,150 | 0.19 | 1.20 |
| Annual | $40,120 | $47,050 | $58,600 | $72,670 | $77,610 | $58,360 | ||||
Five highest-paying metropolitan areas
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| Anchorage, AK | Hourly | $22.49 | $22.49 | $31.06 | $39.09 | $39.09 | $30.85 | 40 | 0.22 | 1.41 |
| Annual | $46,780 | $46,780 | $64,600 | $81,300 | $81,310 | $64,170 | ||||
| New Haven, CT | Hourly | $19.90 | $21.00 | $29.00 | $35.00 | $36.30 | $27.59 | 60 | 0.22 | 1.40 |
| Annual | $41,380 | $43,680 | $60,310 | $72,800 | $75,510 | $57,380 | ||||
| Modesto, CA | Hourly | $19.42 | $22.57 | $28.65 | $29.96 | $41.03 | $28.40 | 40 | 0.20 | 1.29 |
| Annual | $40,390 | $46,940 | $59,600 | $62,310 | $85,340 | $59,060 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $20.87 | $23.09 | $28.62 | $32.69 | $37.67 | $28.67 | 570 | 0.20 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $43,400 | $48,020 | $59,530 | $67,990 | $78,350 | $59,630 | ||||
| Stockton-Lodi, CA | Hourly | $19.13 | $22.87 | $28.24 | $36.90 | $36.91 | $29.83 | 150 | 0.50 | 3.20 |
| Annual | $39,790 | $47,560 | $58,750 | $76,760 | $76,760 | $62,040 | ||||
Five metropolitan areas with the most jobs
| Area | Basis | Percentile wage | Mean | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10th | 25th | Median | 75th | 90th | ||||||
| New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ | Hourly | $16.72 | $23.08 | $24.81 | $29.26 | $33.66 | $25.68 | 1,290 | 0.14 | 0.86 |
| Annual | $34,780 | $48,000 | $51,600 | $60,860 | $70,010 | $53,410 | ||||
| Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA | Hourly | $23.04 | $23.34 | $26.65 | $29.33 | $37.18 | $28.13 | 730 | 0.35 | 2.22 |
| Annual | $47,930 | $48,540 | $55,440 | $61,010 | $77,320 | $58,500 | ||||
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA | Hourly | $19.19 | $22.55 | $24.18 | $34.37 | $41.01 | $28.00 | 710 | 0.11 | 0.72 |
| Annual | $39,920 | $46,900 | $50,290 | $71,490 | $85,290 | $58,240 | ||||
| Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD | Hourly | $20.87 | $23.09 | $28.62 | $32.69 | $37.67 | $28.67 | 570 | 0.20 | 1.26 |
| Annual | $43,400 | $48,020 | $59,530 | $67,990 | $78,350 | $59,630 | ||||
| Providence-Warwick, RI-MA | Hourly | $22.00 | $22.00 | $22.33 | $25.90 | $29.00 | $24.22 | 450 | 0.63 | 3.98 |
| Annual | $45,760 | $45,760 | $46,450 | $53,870 | $60,320 | $50,390 | ||||
Top industries employing fence erectors
Other Specialty Trade Contractors employ 80.6% of fence erectors nationally (19,730 jobs) at a median $48,140 a year ($23.14 an hour), followed by Building Material and Supplies Dealers (4.0%) and Employment Services (1.9%).
| Industry | Employment | Share of occupation | Median annual | Median hourly |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other Specialty Trade Contractors NAICS 238900 | 19,730 | 80.6% | $48,140 | $23.14 |
| Building Material and Supplies Dealers NAICS 444100 | 980 | 4.0% | $45,550 | $21.90 |
| Employment Services NAICS 561300 | 470 | 1.9% | $31,840 | $15.31 |
| Rental and Leasing Services (5322, 5323, and 5324 only) NAICS 5320A1 | 410 | 1.7% | $49,140 | $23.63 |
| Building Equipment Contractors NAICS 238200 | 370 | 1.5% | $50,070 | $24.07 |
Share is the industry's employment over the occupation's national employment (24,480). Industries whose employment BLS withheld are not ranked.
Published medians, May 2021 to May 2025
BLS published a median annual wage of $37,700 for fence erectors in May 2021 and $47,980 in May 2025, with employment of 24,470 and 24,480.
| Release | Median annual | Median hourly | Employment |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 2021 | $37,700 | $18.12 | 24,470 |
| May 2022 | $39,840 | $19.16 | 27,060 |
| May 2023 | $44,410 | $21.35 | 21,470 |
| May 2024 | $46,940 | $22.57 | 22,640 |
| May 2025 | $47,980 | $23.07 | 24,480 |
BLS does not design OEWS as a time series: each release pools three years of samples, and occupational classifications, area definitions and estimation methods change between releases, so a difference between two releases is not a measure of change over time. The figures are shown as published, side by side, and nothing is computed from them. See how often OEWS is updated.
Every state, by median wage
45 states and DC publish a row for this occupation. A linked state has its own page with the within-state metro table and comparison; the others appear here only.
| Rank | State | Median hourly | Median annual | 10th pct (annual) | 90th pct (annual) | Employment | Jobs per 1,000 | Location quotient |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alaska profile | $31.06 | $64,600 | $46,400 | $81,310 | 40 | 0.14 | 0.86 |
| 2 | Pennsylvania profile | $28.17 | $58,600 | $40,120 | $77,610 | 1,150 | 0.19 | 1.20 |
| 3 | Minnesota profile | $27.53 | $57,260 | $47,610 | $70,470 | ** | ** | ** |
| 4 | New Jersey profile | $27.26 | $56,690 | $47,340 | $70,010 | 910 | 0.21 | 1.35 |
| 5 | California profile | $26.95 | $56,060 | $40,260 | $78,900 | 3,150 | 0.17 | 1.10 |
| 6 | Montana profile | $26.79 | $55,720 | $39,470 | $68,200 | 680 | 1.33 | 8.42 |
| 7 | Connecticut profile | $25.57 | $53,180 | $40,800 | $74,450 | 300 | 0.18 | 1.11 |
| 8 | Iowa profile | $25.25 | $52,510 | $44,230 | $61,100 | 290 | 0.19 | 1.19 |
| 9 | Washington profile | $24.93 | $51,860 | $44,200 | $73,370 | 1,450 | 0.41 | 2.59 |
| 10 | Louisiana profile | $24.89 | $51,770 | $18,580 | $60,700 | 120 | 0.06 | 0.39 |
| 11 | Wisconsin profile | $24.72 | $51,410 | $39,200 | $87,360 | 200 | 0.07 | 0.42 |
| 12 | New Hampshire profile | $24.45 | $50,850 | $41,460 | $60,150 | 160 | 0.23 | 1.48 |
| 13 | Illinois profile | $24.38 | $50,710 | $38,250 | $81,310 | 690 | 0.11 | 0.72 |
| 14 | Delaware profile | $24.34 | $50,630 | $43,510 | $62,400 | ** | ** | ** |
| 15 | Nebraska profile | $24.10 | $50,120 | $46,430 | $108,000 | 190 | 0.19 | 1.18 |
| 16 | North Dakota profile | $23.71 | $49,310 | $44,620 | $49,940 | 190 | 0.44 | 2.77 |
| 17 | Utah profile | $23.42 | $48,720 | $25,820 | $66,660 | 440 | 0.25 | 1.59 |
| 18 | Massachusetts profile | $23.28 | $48,430 | $42,960 | $77,420 | ** | ** | ** |
| 19 | Colorado profile | $23.26 | $48,380 | $38,560 | $61,520 | 270 | 0.09 | 0.60 |
| 20 | South Dakota profile | $23.26 | $48,380 | $35,220 | $62,330 | 170 | 0.36 | 2.30 |
| 21 | New York profile | $23.08 | $48,000 | $32,240 | $69,590 | 1,010 | 0.11 | 0.66 |
| 22 | Ohio profile | $23.02 | $47,870 | $43,650 | $62,410 | 950 | 0.17 | 1.08 |
| 23 | Indiana profile | $22.84 | $47,520 | $37,860 | $74,410 | 540 | 0.17 | 1.06 |
| 24 | Kansas profile | $22.66 | $47,130 | $40,100 | $58,950 | 80 | 0.06 | 0.36 |
| 25 | Nevada profile | $22.57 | $46,940 | $44,820 | $62,900 | 210 | 0.14 | 0.87 |
| 26 | Rhode Island profile | $22.33 | $46,450 | $45,760 | $60,320 | ** | ** | ** |
| 27 | Arizona profile | $22.24 | $46,270 | $40,040 | $57,590 | ** | ** | ** |
| 28 | Arkansas profile | $22.19 | $46,150 | $34,520 | $49,740 | 270 | 0.21 | 1.30 |
| 29 | Michigan profile | $22.02 | $45,800 | $37,960 | $49,380 | 460 | 0.11 | 0.67 |
| 30 | Florida profile | $21.90 | $45,550 | $31,840 | $63,000 | 2,020 | 0.20 | 1.29 |
| 31 | Tennessee profile | $21.79 | $45,330 | $36,410 | $55,080 | 550 | 0.17 | 1.07 |
| 32 | Maine profile | $21.78 | $45,310 | $36,270 | $60,310 | 160 | 0.25 | 1.56 |
| 33 | West Virginia profile | $21.65 | $45,040 | $30,700 | $82,960 | 170 | 0.25 | 1.58 |
| 34 | Oregon profile | $21.43 | $44,580 | $41,130 | $49,320 | ** | ** | ** |
| 35 | New Mexico profile | $21.37 | $44,450 | $36,850 | $50,070 | 270 | 0.31 | 1.95 |
| 36 | Missouri profile | $20.81 | $43,290 | $35,090 | $60,070 | 640 | 0.22 | 1.39 |
| 37 | Virginia profile | $19.26 | $40,050 | $33,870 | $82,140 | ** | ** | ** |
| 38 | Alabama profile | $19.15 | $39,820 | $36,980 | $54,170 | ** | ** | ** |
| 39 | Wyoming profile | $19.11 | $39,750 | $34,060 | $58,810 | ** | ** | ** |
| 40 | North Carolina profile | $18.80 | $39,100 | $34,480 | $59,850 | 670 | 0.14 | 0.86 |
| 41 | Mississippi profile | $18.61 | $38,700 | $30,600 | $47,520 | 150 | 0.13 | 0.80 |
| 42 | South Carolina profile | $18.25 | $37,960 | $34,300 | $49,480 | ** | ** | ** |
| 43 | Oklahoma profile | $18.21 | $37,870 | $28,060 | $68,940 | 250 | 0.15 | 0.94 |
| 44 | Texas profile | $17.92 | $37,270 | $30,420 | $50,410 | 1,800 | 0.13 | 0.81 |
| 45 | Georgia profile | $17.78 | $36,990 | $25,470 | $55,570 | 500 | 0.10 | 0.65 |
Part of Construction and Extraction Occupations. Compare any area in the wage explorer.
Source and notes
Data: BLS OEWS May 2025, released 2026-05-15. Cross-industry estimates, all ownerships. BLS page: OEWS 47-4031 Fence Erectors.
**- Employment estimate not available.
- Annual wages assume 2,080 hours a year at the hourly rate; occupations BLS publishes on one basis only show an en dash (–) on the other.
- Employment is rounded to the nearest 10 by BLS. Where BLS withholds a cell, nothing is estimated in its place.
- Top industries: nat4d_M2025_dl.xlsx in oesm25in4.zip (BLS OEWS May 2025, national, 4-digit NAICS, cross-ownership). Employment is the industry's rounded total for this occupation; industries whose employment BLS withheld (**) are not ranked.
- Published medians: national_M2021_dl.xlsx to national_M2024_dl.xlsx in oesm21nat.zip to oesm24nat.zip (BLS OEWS May 2021 to May 2024, national, cross-industry, all ownerships) and the May 2025 spine. Each release is shown as published; nothing is computed between them.
Sources
- BLS Standard Occupational Classification 2018, definition of 47-4031, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- O*NET 30.1 Database, 47-4031.00, National Center for O*NET Development, USDOL/ETA (CC BY 4.0).
- OEWS May 2025 national industry-specific estimates, 4-digit NAICS (oesm25in4.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2021 national estimates (oesm21nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2022 national estimates (oesm22nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2023 national estimates (oesm23nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2024 national estimates (oesm24nat.zip), US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
- OEWS May 2025 national estimates (oesm25nat.zip), the site's data spine, US Bureau of Labor Statistics (public domain).
Includes information from O*NET 30.1 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration, used under the CC BY 4.0 license.
Description written 2026-10-17 in our own words from the sources above.