New York vs Pennsylvania: contractor markets, side by side
New York has 29,413 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Pennsylvania has 9,064: about 3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| New York | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 29,413 | 9,064 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 14.7 | 6.5 |
| Residents | 19,994,326 | 13,983,292 |
| Households | 8,494,175 | 6,205,690 |
| Median household income | $89,542 | $78,687 |
| Building permits (2025) | 38,667 | 25,709 |
| Top city by licenses | Brooklyn | — |
New York is the denser market: 14.7 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 New York: $89,542 median against $78,687 in Pennsylvania, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | New York | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 3,528 | 1,773 |
| Plumbers | 1,152 | 684 |
| HVAC Contractors | 103 | 246 |
| General Contractors | 24,160 | 6,042 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 470 | 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?
New York vs Pennsylvania: common questions
Does New York or Pennsylvania have more licensed contractors?
New York has more: 29,413 active licensed contractors against 9,064 in Pennsylvania, about 3× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits.
Which has the denser contractor market, New York or Pennsylvania?
New York is denser: 14.7 active licenses per 10k residents against 6.5 in Pennsylvania.
Where does household income run higher, New York or Pennsylvania?
New York: $89,542 median household income against $78,687 in Pennsylvania, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this New York vs Pennsylvania comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the NYC Department of Buildings + DCWP and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.