Oregon vs Pennsylvania: contractor markets, side by side
Oregon has 32,286 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Pennsylvania has 9,064: about 4× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Oregon | Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 32,286 | 9,064 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 76.3 | 6.5 |
| Residents | 4,229,341 | 13,983,292 |
| Households | 1,818,529 | 6,205,690 |
| Median household income | $80,169 | $78,687 |
| Building permits (2025) | 14,679 | 25,709 |
| Top city by licenses | Portland | Pittsburgh |
Oregon is the denser market: 76.3 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 Oregon: $80,169 median against $78,687 in Pennsylvania, which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Oregon | Pennsylvania |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 1,191 | 1,795 |
| Plumbers | 1,933 | 693 |
| HVAC Contractors | 458 | 252 |
| General Contractors | 30,673 | 6,207 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | — | 120 |
| Excavating Contractors | — | 185 |
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?
Oregon vs Pennsylvania: common questions
Does Oregon or Pennsylvania have more licensed contractors?
Oregon has more: 32,286 active licensed contractors against 9,064 in Pennsylvania, about 4× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits.
Which has the denser contractor market, Oregon or Pennsylvania?
Oregon is denser: 76.3 active licenses per 10k residents against 6.5 in Pennsylvania.
Where does household income run higher, Oregon or Pennsylvania?
Oregon: $80,169 median household income against $78,687 in Pennsylvania, per U.S. Census aggregates.
Where does this Oregon vs Pennsylvania comparison data come from?
License counts come straight from the Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB) and the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits; population, household, income, and permit figures are U.S. Census aggregates. Only active licenses are counted.