Best cities for a builder
The best cities for builders are Sacramento, CA, Chula Vista, CA, and Stockton, CA, based on factors like average salary and job availability per capita. Jobs and pay for builders vary across the country, but we've determined the ten best cities for builders in the U.S.
Whether you're starting your career as a builder or considering a move, this list of the best cities for builders to live in will help you decide. These aren't just the best-paying cities for builders. We also consider how easy it is to find work as a builder. While the absolute best city for builders is Sacramento, CA, there are plenty of other great places to consider.
Keep reading to learn more about the best cities for builders in 2024.
If you're looking for a builder job, here are five companies hiring now:
10 best cities for builders in 2025
1. Sacramento, CA
Total builder jobs: 8 Average annual salary: $48,522 Lowest 10 percent warn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location quotient: 1.62 2. Chula Vista, CA
Total builder jobs: 3 Average annual salary: $46,201 Lowest 10 percent warn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location quotient: 8.77 3. Stockton, CA
Total builder jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $48,341 Lowest 10 percent warn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location quotient: 1.19 4. Fort Wayne, IN
Total builder jobs: 2 Average annual salary: $32,543 Lowest 10 percent warn: $24,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $43,000 Location quotient: 1.45 5. Santa Ana, CA
Total builder jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $46,605 Lowest 10 percent warn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location quotient: 0.84 6. Anaheim, CA
Total builder jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $46,629 Lowest 10 percent warn: $34,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $62,000 Location quotient: 0.83 7. Minneapolis, MN
Total builder jobs: 4 Average annual salary: $41,042 Lowest 10 percent warn: $31,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $53,000 Location quotient: 0.45 8. Cincinnati, OH
Total builder jobs: 10 Average annual salary: $30,801 Lowest 10 percent warn: $22,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $42,000 Location quotient: 1.95 9. Louisville, KY
Total builder jobs: 11 Average annual salary: $30,424 Lowest 10 percent warn: $22,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $41,000 Location quotient: 2.63 10. Oakland, CA
Total builder jobs: 1 Average annual salary: $48,518 Lowest 10 percent warn: $36,000 Highest 10 percent earn: $64,000 Location quotient: 0.44
Choose from 10+ customizable builder resume templates
Choose from a variety of easy-to-use builder resume templates and get expert advice from Zippia’s AI resume writer along the way. Using pre-approved templates, you can rest assured that the structure and format of your builder resume is top notch. Choose a template with the colors, fonts & text sizes that are appropriate for your industry.
Best cities for builders
- Sacramento, CA
- Chula Vista, CA
- Stockton, CA
- Fort Wayne, IN
- Santa Ana, CA
- Anaheim, CA
- Minneapolis, MN
- Cincinnati, OH
- Louisville, KY
- Oakland, CA
- (8 builder jobs)
- (3 builder jobs)
- (1 builder jobs)
- (2 builder jobs)
- (1 builder jobs)
- (1 builder jobs)
- (4 builder jobs)
- (10 builder jobs)
- (11 builder jobs)
- (1 builder jobs)
Detailed list of the best cities for a builder
| Rank | City | Average salary | Lowest 10% Earn | Population | Job count |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sacramento, CA | $48,522 | $36,000 | 495,234 | 8 |
| 2 | Chula Vista, CA | $46,201 | $34,000 | 267,172 | 3 |
| 3 | Stockton, CA | $48,341 | $36,000 | 307,072 | 1 |
| 4 | Fort Wayne, IN | $32,543 | $24,000 | 264,488 | 2 |
| 5 | Santa Ana, CA | $46,605 | $34,000 | 334,217 | 1 |
| 6 | Anaheim, CA | $46,629 | $34,000 | 351,043 | 1 |
| 7 | Minneapolis, MN | $41,042 | $31,000 | 413,651 | 4 |
| 8 | Cincinnati, OH | $30,801 | $22,000 | 298,800 | 10 |
| 9 | Louisville, KY | $30,424 | $22,000 | 597,337 | 11 |
| 10 | Oakland, CA | $48,518 | $36,000 | 420,005 | 1 |
| 11 | Las Vegas, NV | $33,886 | $25,000 | 632,912 | 8 |
| 12 | Reno, NV | $35,533 | $26,000 | 245,255 | 2 |
| 13 | Seattle, WA | $47,882 | $38,000 | 704,352 | 8 |
| 14 | Kansas City, MO | $35,151 | $26,000 | 481,420 | 6 |
| 15 | Anchorage, AK | $40,178 | $36,000 | 298,192 | 1 |
| 16 | Buffalo, NY | $37,933 | $28,000 | 256,902 | 8 |
| 17 | Aurora, CO | $37,082 | $27,000 | 361,710 | 4 |
| 18 | Cleveland, OH | $31,631 | $23,000 | 385,809 | 4 |
| 19 | Tulsa, OK | $29,146 | $21,000 | 403,090 | 4 |
| 20 | Wichita, KS | $28,922 | $21,000 | 389,902 | 5 |
| 21 | San Francisco, CA | $48,570 | $36,000 | 870,887 | 3 |
| 22 | Chicago, IL | $37,142 | $27,000 | 2,704,958 | 13 |
| 23 | Indianapolis, IN | $32,024 | $23,000 | 855,164 | 10 |
| 24 | Lexington, KY | $30,303 | $22,000 | 318,449 | 2 |
| 25 | Denver, CO | $37,125 | $27,000 | 693,060 | 20 |
| 26 | Los Angeles, CA | $46,815 | $34,000 | 3,976,322 | 5 |
| 27 | San Jose, CA | $48,334 | $36,000 | 1,025,350 | 2 |
| 28 | Nashville, TN | $28,788 | $20,000 | 660,388 | 9 |
| 29 | Fremont, CA | $48,407 | $36,000 | 233,136 | - |
| 30 | San Diego, CA | $46,238 | $34,000 | 1,406,630 | 4 |
| 31 | Saint Paul, MN | $41,021 | $31,000 | 302,398 | - |
| 32 | Glendale, AZ | $28,925 | $21,000 | 245,895 | 3 |
| 33 | Long Beach, CA | $46,719 | $34,000 | 470,130 | - |
| 34 | Madison, WI | $36,458 | $27,000 | 252,551 | - |
| 35 | Fresno, CA | $47,674 | $35,000 | 522,053 | - |
| 36 | Irvine, CA | $46,561 | $34,000 | 266,122 | - |
| 37 | Portland, OR | $38,526 | $30,000 | 639,863 | 3 |
| 38 | Bakersfield, CA | $47,149 | $35,000 | 376,380 | - |
| 39 | Riverside, CA | $46,438 | $34,000 | 324,722 | - |
| 40 | Oklahoma City, OK | $29,020 | $21,000 | 638,367 | 5 |
| 41 | Milwaukee, WI | $36,299 | $27,000 | 595,047 | - |
| 42 | Memphis, TN | $28,447 | $20,000 | 652,717 | 5 |
| 43 | Columbus, OH | $31,147 | $22,000 | 860,090 | 4 |
| 44 | Detroit, MI | $32,964 | $24,000 | 672,795 | 1 |
| 45 | Omaha, NE | $30,823 | $23,000 | 446,970 | 4 |
| 46 | Toledo, OH | $31,832 | $23,000 | 278,508 | - |
| 47 | Plano, TX | $28,932 | $21,000 | 286,057 | 6 |
| 48 | Saint Louis, MO | $34,368 | $25,000 | 311,404 | 1 |
| 49 | North Las Vegas, NV | $33,859 | $25,000 | 238,702 | - |
| 50 | Henderson, NV | $33,785 | $25,000 | 292,969 | - |
Highest paying cities for builders
| Rank | City | Avg. builder salary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Francisco, CA | $48,570 |
| 2 | Seattle, WA | $47,882 |
| 3 | Austin, MN | $40,904 |
| 4 | Buffalo, NY | $37,933 |
| 5 | Elk Grove Village, IL | $37,237 |
| 6 | Brighton, CO | $37,219 |
| 7 | Sparks, NV | $35,516 |
| 8 | Kansas City, MO | $35,151 |
| 9 | Macomb, MI | $32,993 |
| 10 | West Lafayette, IN | $32,392 |
| 11 | York, PA | $32,150 |
| 12 | Salt Lake City, UT | $31,950 |
| 13 | Richmond, VA | $31,524 |
| 14 | Akron, OH | $31,497 |
| 15 | Fremont, NE | $30,916 |
| 16 | Kingman, AZ | $29,664 |
| 17 | Tulsa, OK | $29,146 |
| 18 | Plano, TX | $28,932 |
| 19 | Cary, NC | $27,139 |
| 20 | Greenville, SC | $26,590 |
Builder best cities FAQs
Have more questions? See all answers to common construction and extraction questions.
Search for builder jobs
Updated January 8, 2025