Cheapest State to Hire a Contractor in 2026 — Ranked by Trade Across US, UK & Australia
Which state has the cheapest plumbers, electricians, and painters? We ranked every state across the US, UK, and Australia by contractor cost using verified pricing data.
Where are contractors cheapest?
Whether you're planning a renovation, budgeting for repairs, or just curious — contractor costs vary enormously by location. The cheapest US state for a plumber is 50% less than the most expensive.
We ranked states across the US, UK, and Australia by average contractor cost for common jobs.
Cheapest US states for contractors (2026)
Plumber hourly rate
| Rank | State | Hourly Rate | vs. National Avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | $55–$110 | -24% |
| 2 | North Carolina | $55–$115 | -22% |
| 3 | Texas | $60–$120 | -17% |
| 4 | Georgia | $60–$120 | -17% |
| 5 | Florida | $65–$130 | -10% |
| 6 | Pennsylvania | $65–$130 | -10% |
| 7 | Illinois | $70–$140 | -3% |
| 8 | Washington | $80–$150 | +4% |
| 9 | California | $95–$160 | +17% |
| 10 | New York | $100–$180 | +28% |
Ohio and North Carolina are consistently the cheapest for plumbing across all service types.
Electrician hourly rate
| Rank | State | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | $50–$100 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $50–$105 |
| 3 | Texas | $55–$110 |
| 4 | Georgia | $55–$110 |
| 5 | Florida | $60–$120 |
| ... | ... | ... |
| 9 | California | $80–$150 |
| 10 | New York | $85–$160 |
Same pattern — Midwest and Southeast states are cheapest, coastal metros are priciest.
Painter (interior, per sqm)
| Rank | State | Per SQM |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ohio | $15–$30 |
| 2 | North Carolina | $15–$32 |
| 3 | Texas | $18–$35 |
| 4 | Georgia | $18–$35 |
| 5 | Florida | $18–$38 |
| ... | ... | ... |
| 9 | California | $22–$45 |
| 10 | New York | $25–$50 |
Cheapest UK regions for contractors
| Rank | Region | Plumber/hr | Electrician/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Ireland | £30–£55 | £30–£50 |
| 2 | Wales | £35–£60 | £30–£55 |
| 3 | Scotland | £35–£65 | £35–£60 |
| 4 | England | £45–£80 | £40–£70 |
Northern Ireland is consistently 30–40% cheaper than England for all trades. The gap is driven by lower cost of living and less demand pressure.
Cheapest Australian states for contractors
| Rank | State | Plumber/hr | Electrician/hr |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | TAS | $70–$115 | $60–$105 |
| 2 | SA | $75–$125 | $65–$115 |
| 3 | QLD | $80–$130 | $70–$120 |
| 4 | VIC | $85–$140 | $75–$130 |
| 5 | WA | $85–$140 | $75–$130 |
| 6 | NSW | $90–$150 | $80–$140 |
| 7 | ACT | $85–$145 | $75–$135 |
| 8 | NT | $90–$155 | $80–$140 |
Tasmania and South Australia are the cheapest. Sydney (NSW) and Darwin (NT) are the most expensive.
Why the huge difference?
- Cost of living — higher rent and expenses mean tradespeople charge more
- Demand — capital cities have more work but also more competition
- Licensing costs — some states have higher licensing and insurance requirements
- Travel time — regional areas may be cheaper per hour but add travel charges
- Union presence — stronger union states tend to have higher minimum rates
The API behind this data
Every number in this article comes from the Aristocles Trade Pricing API. You can query it directly:
# Find cheapest US state for plumber hourly rate
curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" \
"https://api.aristocles.com.au/v1/trades/plumber/cheapest-location?service=hourly-rate&country=US"Returns all states ranked by average price. 10 trades, 30+ services, 700+ price records across AU, US, UK, CA, NZ.