Minnesota vs Pennsylvania: contractor markets, side by side
Minnesota has 16,763 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Pennsylvania has 9,064: about 1.8× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Minnesota | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 16,763 | 9,064 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 29.4 | 6.5 |
| Residents | 5,695,830 | 13,983,292 |
| Households | 2,494,239 | 6,205,690 |
| Median household income | $88,902 | $78,687 |
| Building permits (2025) | 20,947 | 25,709 |
| Top city by licenses | Minneapolis | — |
Minnesota is the denser market: 29.4 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 Minnesota: $88,902 median against $78,687 in Pennsylvania, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Minnesota | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,064 | 1,773 |
| Plumbers | 1,900 | 684 |
| HVAC Contractors | 4,744 | 246 |
| General Contractors | 14,925 | 6,042 |
| Roofing Contractors | 175 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 119 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 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?
Minnesota vs Pennsylvania: common questions
Does Minnesota or Pennsylvania have more licensed contractors?
Minnesota has more: 16,763 active licensed contractors against 9,064 in Pennsylvania, about 1.8× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits.
Which has the denser contractor market, Minnesota or Pennsylvania?
Minnesota is denser: 29.4 active licenses per 10k residents against 6.5 in Pennsylvania.
Where does household income run higher, Minnesota or Pennsylvania?
Minnesota: $88,902 median household income against $78,687 in Pennsylvania, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Minnesota vs Pennsylvania comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.