Pennsylvania vs Utah: contractor markets, side by side
Pennsylvania has 8,539 active licensed contractors across the trades we cover; Utah has 4,281 — about 2× more licensed contractors. Counts come from the Philadelphia L&I + Pittsburgh Permits and the Utah Division of Professional Licensing (DOPL); market figures are U.S. Census aggregates.
| Pennsylvania | Utah | |
|---|---|---|
| Active licensed contractors | 8,539 | 4,281 |
| Licenses per 10k residents | 6.1 | 13.0 |
| Residents | 13,983,292 | 3,282,203 |
| Households | 6,205,690 | 1,160,621 |
| Median household income | $78,687 | $90,304 |
| Building permits (2025) | 25,709 | 26,775 |
| Top city by licenses | — | Salt Lake City |
Utah is the denser market: 13.0 active licenses per 10k residents against 6.1 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 Utah — $90,304 median against $78,687 in Pennsylvania — which generally shows up in project budgets and ticket sizes.
Trade by trade
| Trade | Pennsylvania | Utah |
|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 1,707 | 251 |
| Plumbers | 663 | 214 |
| HVAC Contractors | 238 | 440 |
| General Contractors | 5,654 | 2,708 |
| Roofing Contractors | — | 142 |
| Solar Contractors | — | 24 |
| Fire-Protection Contractors | 114 | — |
| Carpenters | — | 584 |
| Concrete Contractors | — | 362 |
| Masons | — | 392 |
| Drywall Contractors | — | 457 |
| Tile Contractors | — | 392 |
| Excavating Contractors | 163 | 236 |
| Painters | — | 457 |
| Flooring Contractors | — | 584 |
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.