Pennsylvania vs Texas: contractor markets, side by side
Pennsylvania has 8,539 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Texas has 10,207 — about 1.2× fewer licensed contractors. Counts come from the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Pennsylvania | Texas | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 8,539 | 10,207 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 6.1 | 3.5 |
| Residents | 13,983,292 | 29,242,689 |
| Households | 6,205,690 | 11,654,379 |
| Median household income | $78,687 | $78,473 |
| Building permits (2025) | 25,709 | 210,217 |
| Top city by licenses | — | Houston |
Pennsylvania is the denser market: 6.1 active licenses per 10k residents against 3.5 in Texas. 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 $78,473 in Texas — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Pennsylvania | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 1,707 | 11,230 |
| Plumbers | 663 | — |
| HVAC Contractors | 238 | — |
| General Contractors | 5,654 | — |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 114 | — |
| Excavating Contractors | 163 | — |
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.