California vs Pennsylvania: contractor markets, side by side
California has 223,427 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Pennsylvania has 9,064: about 25× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| California | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 223,427 | 9,064 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 54.8 | 6.5 |
| Residents | 40,805,409 | 13,983,292 |
| Households | 14,984,242 | 6,205,690 |
| Median household income | $97,970 | $78,687 |
| Building permits (2025) | 103,856 | 25,709 |
| Top city by licenses | Los Angeles | — |
California is the denser market: 54.8 active licenses per 10k residents against 6.5 in Pennsylvania. Density cuts both ways: more contractors to sell to per square mile, and more competition per job for the contractors themselves.
Household income runs higher in California: $97,970 median against $78,687 in Pennsylvania, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | California | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 29,398 | 1,773 |
| Plumbers | 18,345 | 684 |
| HVAC Contractors | 12,372 | 246 |
| General Contractors | 120,055 | 6,042 |
| Roofing Contractors | 5,811 | — |
| Solar Contractors | 1,224 | — |
| Landscape Contractors | 12,792 | — |
| Pool Contractors | 3,000 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 2,305 | 119 |
| Carpenters | 1,096 | — |
| Concrete Contractors | 5,766 | — |
| Masons | 2,178 | — |
| Drywall Contractors | 3,389 | — |
| Tile Contractors | 6,551 | — |
| Excavating Contractors | 2,547 | 182 |
| Painters | 16,506 | — |
| Flooring Contractors | 7,230 | — |
Counts are active licenses only, from each state's license board. A “—” means that board doesn't issue a statewide license for the trade, not that the trade doesn't exist there.
Working one of these markets?
California vs Pennsylvania: common questions
Does California or Pennsylvania have more licensed contractors?
California has more: 223,427 active licensed contractors against 9,064 in Pennsylvania, about 25× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits.
Which has the denser contractor market, California or Pennsylvania?
California is denser: 54.8 active licenses per 10k residents against 6.5 in Pennsylvania.
Where does household income run higher, California or Pennsylvania?
California: $97,970 median household income against $78,687 in Pennsylvania, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this California vs Pennsylvania comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the California Contractors State License Board (CSLB) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.