Nevada vs Pennsylvania: contractor markets, side by side
Nevada has 15,384 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Pennsylvania has 9,064: about 1.7× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Nevada | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 15,384 | 9,064 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 41.0 | 6.5 |
| Residents | 3,752,362 | 13,983,292 |
| Households | 1,578,064 | 6,205,690 |
| Median household income | $71,790 | $78,687 |
| Building permits (2025) | 18,628 | 25,709 |
| Top city by licenses | Las Vegas | — |
Nevada is the denser market: 41.0 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 $71,790 in Nevada, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Nevada | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 2,237 | 1,773 |
| Plumbers | 1,035 | 684 |
| HVAC Contractors | 1,236 | 246 |
| General Contractors | 4,097 | 6,042 |
| Roofing Contractors | 425 | — |
| Solar Contractors | 24 | — |
| Landscape Contractors | 753 | — |
| Pool Contractors | 216 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 143 | 119 |
| Carpenters | 1,504 | — |
| Concrete Contractors | 737 | — |
| Masons | 379 | — |
| Drywall Contractors | 330 | — |
| Tile Contractors | 413 | — |
| Excavating Contractors | 381 | 182 |
| Painters | 996 | — |
| Flooring Contractors | 687 | — |
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?
Nevada vs Pennsylvania: common questions
Does Nevada or Pennsylvania have more licensed contractors?
Nevada has more: 15,384 active licensed contractors against 9,064 in Pennsylvania, about 1.7× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits.
Which has the denser contractor market, Nevada or Pennsylvania?
Nevada is denser: 41.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 6.5 in Pennsylvania.
Where does household income run higher, Nevada or Pennsylvania?
Pennsylvania: $78,687 median household income against $71,790 in Nevada, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Nevada vs Pennsylvania comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.