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- Average yearly salary: $54,744 ($26.32 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $53,533 ($25.74 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $54,433 ($26.17 hourly)
--- Electrician: $56,267 ($27.05 hourly)

Like many other states, Kansas is currently experiencing a shortage of home service workers. Kansas has historically struggled to fill jobs  that require skilled workers, while restaurant and other hospitality industries to find enough workers.

Kansas has the  in the U.S. as of quarter one of 2021, which means salaries high and low go farther here than other states. Home service professionals should look to Overland Park, Lenexa, Kansas City, and Wichita, which are among the highest-paying cities in Kansas for these three professions.

- Average yearly salary: $54,800 ($26.35 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $53,567 ($25.75 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $54,500 ($26.20 hourly)
--- Electrician: $56,333 ($27.08 hourly)

On the flip side, Oregon has a high cost of living. It is the in the nation, costing than the national average. As a result, these trade workers' salaries, while high, don't stretch as far as they do in other states. Portland is especially expensive, with a cost of living so much higher than the rest of the state that Oregon's than in rural counties where the cost of living is considerably less. Plumbers, HVAC technicians, and electricians—like workers in many other sectors—should consider this large discrepancy in the cost of living across the state when deciding where to settle.

Still, home service workers do well in Oregon compared to other states. Oregon is the fifth-highest paying in the U.S. for electricians, , while the Central Oregon region for plumbers' pay. Central Oregon and the East Cascades regions are also projected to see huge increases in the number of electrician jobs available——making them smart places to look as salaries may be even higher due to demand.

- Average yearly salary: $55,856 ($26.85 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $54,633 ($26.27 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $55,567 ($26.71 hourly)
--- Electrician: $57,367 ($27.58 hourly)

Officially  in the United States, prices for things like grocery staples in Hawaii are nearly twice what they are in Kansas and Indiana. On the other hand, the number of jobs in Hawaii far outweighs the number of potential workers, as there are on the islands at any given time.

Typical salaries for trade workers are not that far off the average salary in the state, falling . The Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks the Kauai nonmetropolitan area, specifically, as the in the nation, while pay for  and  in the Kauai nonmetropolitan area fall in the top five highest-earning spots among nonmetropolitan areas. The job outlook is growing for each professions in Hawaii. 

- Average yearly salary: $56,400 ($27.12 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $55,200 ($26.54 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $56,200 ($27.02 hourly)
--- Electrician: $57,800 ($27.79 hourly)

Many in Maine. The state doesn't honor out-of-state licenses for electricians and instead requires even the most experienced workers to go back to school for a considerable length of time in order to earn a new, state-approved license. One unexpected result of this is that some companies are forced to shut down shop when the one or two master electricians retire, and the business can't find experienced electricians with the proper state certification to replace them.

The good news for those who can obtain a Maine license is that wages are high because demand is high. This is especially true for experienced tradespeople, who can expect to earn upward of . Plumbers, HVAC technicians, and electricians all fall of high-wage, in-demand jobs in Maine. The cost-of-living in the state  in the nation, a factor to consider in addition to the higher-than-average wages. The Southwest Maine nonmetropolitan area is the third-highest nonmetropolitan area in the nation in terms of HVAC technician employment, .

- Average yearly salary: $56,400 ($27.12 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $55,533 ($26.70 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $56,133 ($26.99 hourly)
--- Electrician: $57,533 ($27.66 hourly)

Shortages of home service workers in Maryland go back to the of  of 2008, when many of the state's plumbing, electric, and HVAC businesses folded under the economic downturn and never came back. Supply that doesn't meet demand can be a good thing for workers in these fields, who can charge at premium rates and be choosier about which projects they take on.

As recovery from the coronavirus begins, there is currently a in the state. So where should home service workers look to live in order to get paid the most? Reported salaries show HVAC technicians make significantly more money in , Maryland than in other places in the state, while plumbers make the most in . The state's proximity to the D.C. area results in high employment levels of workers across .

- Average yearly salary: $57,056 ($27.43 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $53,867 ($25.90 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $55,967 ($26.91 hourly)
--- Electrician: $61,333 ($29.49 hourly)

Like many states, Minnesota has been struggling with . Many millennials, who now make up , were raised to believe that four-year degrees and the jobs requiring them were the only paths to prosperity. As a result, fewer younger workers are entering the trades, creating a shortage as baby boomer workers retire without a new cohort to replace them. This means that electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technician salaries are high in Minnesota.

Between 2013 and 2018, electrician salaries grew here —more than anywhere else in the country. Electricians, plumbers, or HVAC technicians make the top of with only vocational training required, meaning future workers in these sectors don't have to take on the average debt load of those seeking jobs requiring four-year degrees. The Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul, specifically, is the 10th-highest metropolitan area , while the Northeast Minnesota nonmetropolitan area is a top-paying nonmetropolitan area , according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

- Average yearly salary: $57,067 ($27.44 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $55,800 ($26.83 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $56,767 ($27.29 hourly)
--- Electrician: $58,633 ($28.19 hourly)

In Washington, in particular, tradespeople earn higher salaries because of . One plumbing company owner told a local news station that finding qualified, able employees has gotten more difficult since the onset of the coronavirus despite the fact that his company provides on-the-job training and requires no previous work experience. Plumbers aren't the only home service professionals who fare well in the state, either: the projects that HVAC technician jobs will increase by 15.6%, or 1,130 openings each year, over the next decade.

While the cost of living in the state is in the , HVAC technicians in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue area are  of any metropolitan area in the U.S. and electricians in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes area are . Mukilteo, Everet, and Tacoma are particularly good places for HVAC technicians, as demonstrated by their , which are well above $30. Similarly, Kent and Renton, Washington, are offering for electricians, with the ability to earn up to $10,000 a year in overtime.

- Average yearly salary: $57,289 ($27.54 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $56,100 ($26.97 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $57,067 ($27.44 hourly)
--- Electrician: $58,700 ($28.22 hourly)

The average age for a skilled trade worker in New Hampshire , a number that's inching closer to retirement age every year. And with few young people coming in to take over the roles and businesses, the potential for earning only increases for those who are interested and willing to enter the fields. Electricians and plumbers fare well in New Hampshire's , which all but guarantee higher incomes post-apprenticeship. There are areas where salaries are higher, based on increased demand and living costs.

Electricians can earn more than $39 an hour in both , New Hampshire. HVAC technicians can bring in $38 in , and plumbers can take home a whopping $46 in . The cost of living in New Hampshire falls among the overall state ranking—notable for an East Coast state and relevant for workers whose salaries go farther than they do in surrounding states.

- Average yearly salary: $57,367 ($27.58 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $56,167 ($27 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $57,133 ($27.47 hourly)
--- Electrician: $58,800 ($28.27 hourly)

Rhode Island residents report that good jobs can be hard to come by in the state, which, coupled with and high taxes, results in . But while the cost of living is high, both the minimum wage and median wage in the state than national averages. Still, recruiting young workers for home service jobs has proven to be more difficult than for corporate ones in Rhode Island.

The struggle to find and keep electricians, HVAC technicians, and plumbers is one reason why salaries for these jobs are so high. If you're looking to make even more than the state average, cities like , typically pay north of $35 per hour.

- Average yearly salary: $57,744 ($27.76 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $55,833 ($26.84 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $58,300 ($28.03 hourly)
--- Electrician: $59,100 ($28.41 hourly)

New York is a state where trade and construction industries are , and these unions are a major reason why salaries are so high. Strong unions have long negotiated for higher pay for skilled workers, although the  due to the coronavirus have resulted in some unions agreeing to reduced pay in exchange for increased work and more contracts. It's possible that salaries for trade workers might see a slight decline in the coming years as the economy regains its footing—or doesn't. Still, the sheer concentration in and around New York City explains why the Bureau of Labor Statistics ranks the New York-Newark-Jersey City area as the metropolitan area with the highest employment level in the nation for , , and . 

New York is also the state with the , meaning even higher-than-average salaries due to strong union bargaining won't go as far for workers living in the city. The cost of living in New York City is significantly greater than other areas in the state, with Nerd Wallet estimating it is  than in Albany and  than in Buffalo. But salaries are lower outside the New York-Newark-Jersey City metropolitan area. Home service workers looking to strike a balance between good wages and decent cost of living should look to smaller cities like .

- Average yearly salary: $59,067 ($28.40 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $57,767 ($27.77 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $58,700 ($28.22 hourly)
--- Electrician: $60,733 ($29.20 hourly)

Neighboring New Jersey's proximity to and relationship with New York City results in high pay for home service workers, with the New York-Newark-Jersey City area ranking as the highest concentration of employment levels in the U.S. for , , and  affecting the outlook for the whole state. Taxes in New Jersey are among the highest in the country and are set to rise, which has necessitated higher wages that make it possible for people to afford to remain in the area. Trenton, New Jersey is the second-highest paying metropolitan area in the nation.

- Average yearly salary: $59,178 ($28.45 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $57,867 ($27.82 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $58,933 ($28.33 hourly)
--- Electrician: $60,733 ($29.20 hourly)

By 2026, the demand for skilled tradespeople is in Connecticut. For those in the home service industry, this all but ensures salaries will rise as demand goes up. Another good indicator that the densely populated state intends to invest in these industries and their employees is that on growing this sector of the workforce, starting with making training and education more accessible.

Alongside the high hourly wages, overtime can hit for electricians and HVAC technicians can earn up to . Cities in Connecticut like Hartford and Windsor rank among the best for earning potential. However, Connecticut for cost of living, meaning even those attractive salaries won't go as far here as in other states.

- Average yearly salary: $59,511 ($28.61 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $58,400 ($28.08 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $59,433 ($28.57 hourly)
--- Electrician: $60,700 ($29.18 hourly)

There's a gap between knowing an industry needs workers and actually getting workers into the industry. California is  into the improvement of the delivery of vocational education—education that can add tens of thousands of dollars to an average trade worker's salary. However, the sheer size of California means that not all metro areas are created equal for home service workers. The San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metropolitan area is the highest-paying in the nation for both and , and fourth-highest for .

The San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and Merced areas, meanwhile, are also in the top 10 metros in the nation for electricians, while San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara ranks high for plumbers, and HVAC techs fare well in the Napa, Santa Cruz-Watsonville, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, and Santa Maria-Santa Barbara metros. Plus, the overall state employment for plumbers is  by 2028. But it's not all rosy: The premium placed on home service workers' pay is partially explained by the fact that California has the nation's . 

- Average yearly salary: $59,700 ($28.70 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $58,733 ($28.24 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $60,100 ($28.89 hourly)
--- Electrician: $60,267 ($28.97 hourly)

Like many Eastern seaboard states, Massachusetts is not an inexpensive place to live, in cost of living across the U.S. The median household income , and income inequality is enormous. So while home service jobs pay very well here, cost of living is a factor to consider. 

The Boston-Cambridge-Nashua metro area has among the highest employment levels for electricians, who earn an of $70,860. And in more suburban areas of Boston, like Wakefield and Wilmington, hourly .

- Average yearly salary: $61,156 ($29.40 hourly)
--- Plumbers: $59,833 ($28.77 hourly)
--- HVAC technician: $60,833 ($29.25 hourly)
--- Electrician: $62,800 ($30.19 hourly)

Alaska's remoteness contributes to the state's higher salaries, as there are fewer experienced tradespeople willing to move to the state. But those who are willing to relocate fare well, especially  and , as Alaska is the highest paying in the country for those jobs.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, most of the best-paying jobs for electricians, plumbers, and HVAC technicians are found in Anchorage and Kodiak, Alaska, according to Indeed. The population of Alaska has been on the decline over recent years, which means salaries may go down if demand decreases. The cost of living is also high in the remote state, coming in .

This story originally appeared on  and was produced and distributed in partnership with Â鶹ԭ´´ Studio.