Florida vs Washington: contractor markets, side by side
Florida has 110,411 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Washington has 70,520: about 1.6× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Florida | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 110,411 | 70,520 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 51.0 | 83.7 |
| Residents | 21,634,506 | 8,422,710 |
| Households | 9,915,946 | 3,540,228 |
| Median household income | $71,602 | $95,237 |
| Building permits (2025) | 178,297 | 34,913 |
| Top city by licenses | Miami | Seattle |
Washington is the denser market: 83.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 51.0 in Florida. 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 Washington: $95,237 median against $71,602 in Florida, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Florida | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 14,039 | — |
| Plumbers | 8,367 | 539 |
| HVAC Contractors | 13,726 | 844 |
| General Contractors | 58,802 | 59,229 |
| Roofing Contractors | 10,034 | 673 |
| Solar Contractors | 430 | — |
| Landscape Contractors | — | 1,788 |
| Pool Contractors | 4,666 | 72 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 121 |
| Carpenters | — | 1,422 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 905 |
| Masons | — | 372 |
| Drywall Contractors | — | 455 |
| Tile Contractors | — | 1,238 |
| Excavating Contractors | 2,614 | 423 |
| Painters | — | 2,812 |
| Flooring Contractors | — | 2,312 |
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 Washington: common questions
Does Florida or Washington have more licensed contractors?
Florida has more: 110,411 active licensed contractors against 70,520 in Washington, about 1.6× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I).
Which has the denser contractor market, Florida or Washington?
Washington is denser: 83.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 51.0 in Florida.
Where does household income run higher, Florida or Washington?
Washington: $95,237 median household income against $71,602 in Florida, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Florida vs Washington comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.