Nevada vs Washington: contractor markets, side by side
Nevada has 15,178 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Washington has 70,774 — about 5× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Nevada State Contractors Board (NSCB) and the Washington Labor & Industries (L&I); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Nevada | Washington | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 15,178 | 70,774 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 40.4 | 84.0 |
| Residents | 3,752,362 | 8,422,710 |
| Households | 1,578,064 | 3,540,228 |
| Median household income | $71,790 | $95,237 |
| Building permits (2025) | 18,628 | 34,913 |
| Top city by licenses | Las Vegas | Seattle |
Washington is the denser market: 84.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 40.4 in Nevada. 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 $71,790 in Nevada — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Nevada | Washington |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 2,207 | — |
| Plumbers | 1,019 | 539 |
| HVAC Contractors | 1,217 | 821 |
| General Contractors | 4,047 | 57,282 |
| Roofing Contractors | 420 | 639 |
| Solar Contractors | 24 | — |
| Landscape Contractors | 742 | 1,739 |
| Pool Contractors | 214 | 71 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 142 | 117 |
| Carpenters | 1,482 | 1,371 |
| Concrete Contractors | 730 | 870 |
| Masons | 376 | 364 |
| Drywall Contractors | 327 | 437 |
| Tile Contractors | 407 | 1,209 |
| Excavating Contractors | 368 | 409 |
| Painters | 985 | 2,702 |
| Flooring Contractors | 678 | 2,256 |
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.