Florida vs Pennsylvania: contractor markets, side by side
Florida has 110,411 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Pennsylvania has 9,064: about 12× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Florida | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 110,411 | 9,064 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 51.0 | 6.5 |
| Residents | 21,634,506 | 13,983,292 |
| Households | 9,915,946 | 6,205,690 |
| Median household income | $71,602 | $78,687 |
| Building permits (2025) | 178,297 | 25,709 |
| Top city by licenses | Miami | — |
Florida is the denser market: 51.0 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 Pennsylvania: $78,687 median against $71,602 in Florida, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Florida | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 14,039 | 1,773 |
| Plumbers | 8,367 | 684 |
| HVAC Contractors | 13,726 | 246 |
| General Contractors | 58,802 | 6,042 |
| Roofing Contractors | 10,034 | — |
| Solar Contractors | 430 | — |
| Pool Contractors | 4,666 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 119 |
| Excavating Contractors | 2,614 | 182 |
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?
Florida vs Pennsylvania: common questions
Does Florida or Pennsylvania have more licensed contractors?
Florida has more: 110,411 active licensed contractors against 9,064 in Pennsylvania, about 12× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits.
Which has the denser contractor market, Florida or Pennsylvania?
Florida is denser: 51.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 6.5 in Pennsylvania.
Where does household income run higher, Florida or Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania: $78,687 median household income against $71,602 in Florida, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Florida vs Pennsylvania comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.