The workers who install and repair elevators and escalators can earn the most money from their jobs in the Buffalo-Niagara region, earning a median wage of $58.45 per hour, which translates to $121,580 a year. That is also higher than the national median for such jobs, at $106,580.

That’s according to a new report by Construction Coverage, an online research firm for the construction industry, which analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics across 46 occupations in 400 cities and 49 states to compile its 2025 Best-Paying Construction Jobs report. Colorado did not have enough data to include.

Reinforcing iron and rebar workers came in a distant second, at $39.24 per hour, or $81,630, followed by first-line construction supervisors at $38.84 per hour, or $80,780 per year.

Electricians – considered one of the most common high-paying fields, and one that is also the fastest-growing – are fourth locally, earning $37.78 per hour, or $78,590, followed by brickmasons and blockmasons, at $37.36 per hour, or $77,720 a year.

They are followed by construction and building inspectors, structural iron and steel workers, pipelayers, plumbers, sheet metal workers, mechanical insulation workers, operating engineers, roofers, glaziers, tile and stone setters, cement masons and concrete finishers, carpenters, other insulation workers and hazardous materials workers.

The study focused on employment in the trades, as such careers are gaining more attention nationally as alternatives to college or white-collar fields. Employment in the trades is expected to grow nearly 40% faster than the average for all jobs during the next 10 years, the firm noted.

Nationwide, workers in construction and related fields earn a median hourly salary of $28.06, or $58,360 annually. That is more than many other jobs that require the same or less formal education, and almost as much as those with associates degrees, but the trades are projected to grow 5.6% by 2033, compared to just 4% across all fields, Construction Coverage noted. And nearly 14% of construction workers are self-employed, allowing for more freedom and entrepreneurship.

A pair of foreclosed apartment buildings with 20 units on Bailey Avenue in Buffalo have new local owners, who are planning a renovation of the properties into new housing and retail for the East Side neighborhood.

Courtney and Tina Allen, through Open Door Properties, paid $1.175 million to buy the buildings at 3382 and 3394 Bailey from an affiliate of Flatiron Realty Capital, which owned the formerly distressed properties following a foreclosure. The 13,959-square-foot building at 3382 Bailey has 10 apartments and two commercial storefronts, while the other building, with 11,481 square feet of space, has another 10 apartments.

The Allens already have a construction loan for their renovation, said Renee Moran, broker-owner of Red Door Real Estate, who handled the deal for Flatiron.

“These improvements will be a great boost for the surrounding neighborhood and local economy,” Moran said.

Canine care in East Aurora

East Aurora is going to the dogs – at least on Olean Road.

Robert and Rachel Weiner want to convert a 3,640-square-foot warehouse and office building at 691 Olean into a “comprehensive canine care center,” offering dog-grooming, daycare, boarding and training, according to their application to the Town of Aurora Planning Board for a special-use permit.

The new R&R K9 Canine Center would feature a grooming salon that offers bathing and haircuts, a daycare for up to 25 dogs and overnight boarding for up to 30 dogs. The site will include a fenced 1,200-square-foot outdoor area. The business would employ up to six workers.

The 1.89-acre property, located near Cazenovia Creek, is owned by Engasser Construction Corp., which would lease it to the Weiners. It is already zoned commercial.

Separately, in Cheektowaga, the town Planning Board is considering a site plan application and variance request to demolish a one-story storage unit at 550 Cayuga Road, to be replaced by construction of a two-story, 31,478-square-foot climate-controlled storage facility.

THE LATEST

KeyBank CEO Chris Gorman doesn’t ‘see a recession in the near future.’

SUNY Buffalo State University’s structural deficit is growing again.

Pyramid Management Group has won its fight to remain property manager of the Walden Galleria.

Buffalo Urban Development Corp. is looking for a restaurant to replace Manna at Northland Central.

NBT Bank says it is seeing growth opportunities from its acquisition of Evans Bank.

43North startup competition is seeing fewer – but still a strong field – of applicants.

KeyBank has reupped its agreement with the Sabres for naming rights of the arena for the next 10 years.

The Buffalo Bills say they have invested more than $3.6 million as part of community initiatives.

Lake Shore Bank‘s parent company raised $49.5 million in capital, as it completed its conversion to a fully publicly traded company.

BFC Partners and St. John Baptist Church won the city’s final approval for project expansion at the stub corner of McCarley Gardens.

An Elma developer wants tax breaks for an apartment complex project in Clarence.

What is salting, and why do union organizers think it’s a valuable tool? And why do companies hate it?

There hasn’t been much development near the Buffalo Bills stadium over the years, but the one project that has been proposed is stalled by a lawsuit.

The Buffalo Next team gives you the big picture on the region’s economic revitalization. Email tips to buffalonext@buffnews.com or reach Buffalo Next Editor David Robinson at 716-849-4435.