Highest Paying Trade Careers in 2026: Best-Paying Skilled Trades, Salaries & Demand

Originally published: September 24, 2021. Last updated: September 16, 2026.

Many skilled trades offer strong earning potential without requiring a four-year bachelor’s degree, although pay varies significantly by occupation, location, experience, licensing, specialization, overtime, and career path. This guide uses the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ most current wage data (May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, the newest full dataset available at the time of writing) and its 2025 to 2035 Employment Projections to compare the trades that combine strong pay with a realistic path in, not just whichever single occupation happens to post the highest number on paper.

Quick Answer: What Is the Highest-Paying Trade/Job?

There’s no single correct answer, because “highest paying” changes depending on how you measure it, but here’s the short version:

• By median wage across all workers: Elevator and escalator installers and repairers have the highest BLS-reported median wage of any trade covered in this article, $109,910 a year in May 2025, though it’s also one of the smallest occupations on this list, so openings are limited.
• By combination of high pay and a larger job market: Electrical power-line installers and repairers (“lineworkers”) median $95,320, with a widely available apprenticeship path and strong projected demand tied to grid maintenance and expansion.
• By combination of six-figure ceiling, high volume of jobs, and manageable training time: Electricians and plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters both post medians in the low $60,000s, both have tens of thousands of projected annual openings, and both show a well-established path from median pay to six-figure pay for experienced, licensed, or specialized workers.

Every number above is a median. Half of workers in the occupation earn more, half earn less, and location, union status, overtime, and years of experience can swing individual pay by tens of thousands of dollars in either direction. BLS wage data also does not include self-employed workers, a point that matters later in this article when we discuss business ownership.

Comparison Table: Highest Paying Trades at a Glance

Sorted by 2025 national median annual wage, highest to lowest. All wage and outlook data below is from BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook profiles using May 2025 OEWS wages and 2025 to 2035 Employment Projections, unless otherwise noted.

Sources: BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook and OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035. This table ranks by median wage only. It is a pay ranking, not a ranking of the “best” career; see the sections below on demand, six-figure potential, and accessibility for a fuller picture.

A trade can have six-figure earning potential without a six-figure median wage. Higher individual earnings are generally associated with experience, specialization, geographic location, industry, overtime, additional licensing, supervisory responsibility, union compensation, or self-employment. These are factors that can raise pay, not a guarantee, and BLS wage data does not tell us exactly which of these factors explains any individual worker’s position in the wage distribution.

1. Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers

What They Do: They install, maintain, and repair elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other vertical-transportation equipment in commercial and residential buildings.

Salary: The median annual wage for elevator and escalator installers and repairers was $109,910 in May 2025, the highest of any trade covered in this article. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $59,270, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $158,890. It is a relatively small occupation, which is part of why competition for training slots is high.

Job Outlook: BLS projects 6 percent employment growth from 2025 to 2035, faster than average, with about 1,900 openings projected each year, mostly from the need to replace retiring workers.

How to Become One: Nearly all elevator and escalator installers and repairers enter through a formal apprenticeship, typically about 4 years, combining classroom instruction with paid on-the-job training under a licensed mechanic.

Apprenticeship: Standard, and in practice close to universal. Many apprenticeships are sponsored through the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) in partnership with the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP), though non-union training paths exist in some markets.

Licensing and Certification: Most states require a license to work as an elevator mechanic, and requirements, including continuing education, vary by state. Check your state’s licensing board directly.

Work Environment: Confined machine rooms, elevator shafts, and work at height are routine. Repairers are frequently on call, including nights and weekends, since a stuck elevator is generally treated as an emergency call.

• Pros: Highest median wage of any trade in this comparison. Strong wage scales where apprenticeship programs are well established. Steady, largely non-seasonal demand tied to building maintenance contracts.
• Cons: This is one of the more competitive entry paths on this list, since training slots through apprenticeship programs are limited relative to demand. Confined-space and height work is a real requirement, not a preference.

How to Get Started

1. Research apprenticeship openings through IUEC/NEIEP or independent elevator contractors in your area; they are posted periodically rather than continuously.
2. Build relevant experience beforehand, such as electrical, mechanical, or hydraulic work, since applicant pools are competitive.
3. Confirm your state’s licensing requirements early, since some states require an exam even after apprenticeship completion.

2. Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers (Lineworkers)

What They Do: Lineworkers install, maintain, and repair the cables and equipment that carry electricity from power plants and substations to homes and businesses. Distribution lineworkers handle lower-voltage neighborhood lines; transmission lineworkers handle higher-voltage, longer-distance lines and are typically the higher-paid specialty.

Salary: The median annual wage was $95,320 in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $51,470, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $128,690. Utilities employ a large share of lineworkers, and pay is strongly shaped by union status and by overtime during storm and emergency restoration work.

Job Outlook: BLS projects 10 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 10,900 openings projected each year, driven by an aging grid that needs both maintenance and expansion, along with retirements among current lineworkers. Employment stood at roughly 131,900 in 2025.

How to Become One: Most lineworkers start with a pre-apprenticeship or lineworker training program, often at a community college, then enter a multi-year apprenticeship, commonly sponsored by a utility, an electrical contractor, or an IBEW/NECA joint program, combining paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction.

Apprenticeship: Common, typically running 3 to 4 years and registered through Apprenticeship.gov or a sponsoring utility or union local.

Licensing and Certification: There is no universal state license for lineworkers, but a Commercial Driver’s License is commonly required, along with employer- or union-administered climbing and safety certifications.

Work Environment: Genuinely hazardous, physically demanding work: high-voltage electricity, significant heights, and outdoor exposure to extreme weather, especially during storm response, when overtime can be extensive but conditions are difficult. BLS notes that work at heights and with high-voltage electricity is common, and that storm and emergency restoration can require long hours and travel.

• Pros: Strong median pay without a four-year degree. Heavy union presence in many markets. Demand tied to grid maintenance rather than construction cycles.
• Cons: Real physical risk. On-call storm work can mean extended time away from home. Physically demanding career to sustain over decades.

How to Get Started

1. Research lineworker pre-apprenticeship programs at community colleges in your region.
2. Apply to utility or IBEW/NECA apprenticeship programs; a CDL and clean driving record help.
3. Complete the multi-year paid apprenticeship while progressing toward journeyman lineworker status.

3. Aircraft and Avionics Equipment Mechanics and Technicians

This occupation is a hands-on technical career that generally does not require a bachelor’s degree, but it is a distinct, FAA-regulated field rather than a construction or building trade, and its training and certification pathway is different from the other occupations in this article. We include it because readers researching high-paying technical careers without a four-year degree frequently compare it against the building trades, but it should not be read as identical to them.

What They Do: Aircraft mechanics and service technicians inspect, test, adjust, and repair aircraft engines and mechanical systems. Avionics technicians work specifically on electronic instruments and communication, navigation, and radar systems.

Salary: The combined median annual wage was $80,180 in May 2025. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians had a median of $79,870, and avionics technicians had a median of $82,280.

Job Outlook: BLS projects 6 percent combined growth from 2025 to 2035, faster than average, with about 13,100 openings projected each year.

How to Become One: Most aircraft mechanics complete an FAA-certificated Aviation Maintenance Technician school, a postsecondary nondegree program. Avionics technicians often complete similar postsecondary training with an electronics focus.

Apprenticeship: Less common as a formal registered apprenticeship compared with the building trades; the standard path runs through FAA-certificated school plus employer on-the-job training rather than a multi-year union apprenticeship.

Licensing and Certification: The FAA requires certification (an Airframe and Powerplant certificate, commonly called an A&P) for most maintenance work performed on civil aircraft. This is a federal certification requirement specific to aviation, distinct from the state licensing seen in trades like electrical or plumbing work.

Work Environment: Hangar and shop-based work, sometimes outdoors on the flight line in variable weather; strict adherence to FAA-mandated procedures and documentation is a defining feature of the job.

• Pros: Strong pay relative to training length; federal certification is portable across employers and, to a degree, across the country.
• Cons: FAA certification requirements add real up-front time and cost; this is a narrower, more specialized field than general construction or building trades, with fewer employers (chiefly airlines, MROs, and general aviation operators).

How to Get Started

1. Research FAA-certificated Aviation Maintenance Technician schools in your region.
2. Decide whether to pursue the Airframe, Powerplant, or combined A&P certification track based on your interests.
3. Target employers such as airlines, maintenance and repair organizations, or general aviation operators once certified.

4. Boilermakers

This occupation is included with an important caveat: BLS projects its employment to decline, not grow, over the next decade. We keep it in this comparison because its median wage remains one of the highest of any trade tracked here, and because it illustrates a genuine tradeoff between high pay and a shrinking number of positions, an honest data point rather than a reason to remove it.

What They Do: Boilermakers assemble, install, maintain, and repair boilers, closed vats, and other large vessels or containers that hold liquids and gases.

Salary: The median annual wage was $76,410 in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $50,490, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $110,370.

Job Outlook: BLS projects a 2 percent decline in employment from 2025 to 2035, driven largely by the shift away from coal-fired electricity generation, which reduces demand for boiler maintenance. Despite the decline, about 700 openings are still projected each year, entirely from the need to replace workers who retire or transfer to other occupations.

How to Become One: Most boilermakers learn their trade through a roughly 4-year apprenticeship, sponsored by unions or contractor associations. Applicants with prior welding or related experience, including military experience, may have priority or qualify for a shortened apprenticeship.

Apprenticeship: Standard entry path.

Licensing and Certification: Some states require a license; requirements vary by state and typically include work experience and a passing exam. Employers may also require or prefer professional certification.

Work Environment: Physically demanding work in cramped, often dark, noisy, poorly ventilated spaces inside boilers, vats, or tanks, frequently combined with outdoor work at significant heights. Contract-based field work can mean periods of unemployment between projects, offset by extended overtime during shutdowns.

• Pros: One of the higher median wages of any trade in this article. Apprentices receive pay increases as they progress.
• Cons: Declining occupation with a small number of annual openings. Physically demanding, sometimes dangerous work with variable, contract-driven scheduling.

How to Get Started

1. Gain welding or related metalworking experience first, since it improves your chances in a competitive, shrinking applicant pool.
2. Contact local union apprenticeship committees or boiler construction contractors, or search Apprenticeship.gov.
3. Complete the roughly 4-year apprenticeship to reach journey-level status.

5. Wind Turbine Service Technicians

What They Do: “Windtechs” inspect, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair the turbines that generate wind power, working at height inside and on top of the nacelle, the housing atop the tower.

Salary: The median annual wage was $64,120 in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $49,230, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $92,460.

Job Outlook: BLS projects 30 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 1,500 openings projected each year. It’s worth being precise here: wind turbine technician is no longer BLS’s single fastest-growing occupation of any kind. That distinction currently belongs to nurse practitioners (41 percent projected growth), and solar photovoltaic installers, arguably a trade in their own right, are also projected to grow faster than wind turbine technicians (37 percent). Wind turbine technician remains, however, one of the fastest-growing occupations BLS tracks in any field, and likely the fastest-growing occupation among the traditional trades covered in this article.

How to Become One: Most windtechs complete a postsecondary, non-degree technical certificate or associate degree in wind energy technology, often at a community college with an on-site turbine, paired with employer- or manufacturer-provided on-the-job training once hired.

Apprenticeship: Less standardized than in the building trades. A postsecondary certificate followed by employer training is currently the more common path than a formal registered apprenticeship, though apprenticeship options exist in some regions.

Licensing and Certification: No universal state license. Professional certification, such as workplace electrical safety, tower climbing, and self-rescue credentials, is common and often required by employers, though not mandatory nationwide.

Work Environment: Outdoor work at significant height, sometimes in the confined space of the nacelle, in variable weather. Offshore wind work can require being away from home for days or weeks at a time.

• Pros: Fastest-growing outlook of any traditional trade on this list. Expanding wind capacity suggests durable long-term demand for maintenance work on existing turbines even if new construction slows.
• Cons: A small occupation in absolute job-opening terms. Heavily concentrated in specific wind-resource regions, which can mean relocating for work.

How to Get Started

1. Enroll in a wind-energy technician certificate or associate degree program, commonly available at community colleges in wind-heavy states.
2. Confirm your comfort with height and confined-space work early; some programs include a tower-climb assessment for exactly this reason.
3. Target employers in states with the heaviest wind-capacity buildout, since jobs cluster geographically.

6. Industrial Machinery Mechanics, Machinery Maintenance Workers, and Millwrights

What They Do: These workers install, maintain, and repair the machinery that runs factories and industrial plants, everything from conveyor systems to production-line equipment. Millwrights specifically handle heavy equipment installation and precision alignment.

Salary: The median annual wage for this combined occupational group was $64,100 in May 2025. Within the group, millwrights had a median of $65,700, industrial machinery mechanics had a median of $64,520, and machinery maintenance workers had a median of $60,850. The highest 10 percent across the combined occupation earned more than $94,530.

Job Outlook: BLS projects 14 percent growth from 2025 to 2035 for the combined occupation, much faster than average, with about 51,900 openings projected each year, one of the strongest demand outlooks of any trade in this article. Within the group, the industrial machinery mechanics component specifically shows even faster projected growth (18 percent) on BLS’s fastest-growing occupations list, reflecting how the combined figure blends somewhat different growth rates across the three related job titles.

How to Become One: Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers typically need only a high school diploma plus on-the-job training. Millwrights most often complete a formal apprenticeship that can run up to 4 years.

Apprenticeship: Standard for millwrights specifically, often through the United Brotherhood of Carpenters or independent industrial contractors. Less universal for the broader industrial machinery mechanic and machinery maintenance worker roles, which more often rely on structured on-the-job training.

Licensing and Certification: No universal license is required. Employer-specific and equipment-manufacturer certifications on particular production or automation systems are common and can meaningfully affect pay.

Work Environment: Manufacturing-floor conditions with required personal protective equipment. On-call and off-hours shifts are common, since production lines that go down often need immediate repair.

• Pros: One of the strongest growth outlooks of any trade in this article. Relatively faster entry compared with multi-year union apprenticeships in the building trades, for the mechanic and maintenance-worker roles specifically.
• Cons: Overtime and off-hours call-outs can be significant. Demand is tied to the health of domestic manufacturing in a given region.

How to Get Started

1. Look for manufacturing employers offering paid on-the-job training or apprenticeship-style maintenance mechanic tracks.
2. If pursuing the millwright specialty specifically, apply to a union or independent millwright apprenticeship.
3. Stack equipment- and automation-specific certifications once employed; that is generally where the bigger pay increases come from.

7. Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters

What They Do: Plumbers install and repair residential and commercial water, drainage, and gas piping systems. Pipefitters and steamfitters do related work on higher-pressure industrial and commercial piping systems, often in power plants, refineries, and manufacturing facilities.

Salary: The median annual wage for this combined occupational group was $63,800 in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,150, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $108,420.

Job Outlook: BLS projects 7 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, faster than average, with about 42,000 openings projected each year, primarily from the need to replace workers.

How to Become One: Most plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters learn through a multi-year paid apprenticeship, sometimes preceded by a vocational-technical school program.

Apprenticeship: Standard, typically 4 to 5 years, often sponsored through a local plumbers’ union (UA) or independent contractor associations.

Licensing and Certification: Most states require plumbers to be licensed. Steamfitters and pipefitters may face separate credentialing depending on the systems they work on.

Work Environment: Plumbers are frequently on call for emergency repairs, so evening and weekend work is common. Pipefitters and steamfitters more often work scheduled shifts in industrial settings.

• Pros: Steady, largely recession-resistant demand. A well-established path to business ownership.
• Cons: Emergency on-call work can be unpredictable. Industrial pipefitting can involve significant travel for large projects.

How to Get Started

1. Apply to a UA-affiliated or independent contractor apprenticeship program.
2. Consider a vocational program first if you want a head start on trade math and code knowledge.
3. Track your state’s licensing exam requirements as you accumulate apprenticeship hours.

8. Electricians

What They Do: Electricians install, maintain, and repair electrical power, lighting, communications, and control systems in homes, businesses, and industrial facilities.

Source: LightField Studios/Shutterstock.com

Salary: The median annual wage for electricians was $63,190 in May 2025, about 24 percent above the median for all U.S. occupations. The lowest 10 percent earned less than roughly $42,640, while the highest 10 percent earned more than roughly $108,510. Workers with greater experience, specialized skills, additional licensing, supervisory responsibilities, or higher-paying industry and location combinations may earn substantially more than the median, but BLS wage percentile data does not itself identify each individual worker’s specific credentials or career path; it only describes the shape of the wage distribution.

Job Outlook: BLS projects 9 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 72,700 openings projected annually, mostly from the need to replace retiring or transferring workers rather than pure job growth.

How to Become One: Most electricians enter through a registered apprenticeship, commonly sponsored by IBEW/NECA, ABC, or independent contractors, typically running 4 to 5 years and combining paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Some attend a trade school or community college electrical program first, which can shorten the required on-the-job hours.

Apprenticeship: Standard and widely available; check Apprenticeship.gov and your state’s apprenticeship agency for registered programs near you.

Licensing and Certification: Most states require electricians to be licensed, typically at journeyman and master levels, but exact requirements, including exams, logged hours, and continuing education, vary by state and sometimes by municipality.

Work Environment: Indoor and outdoor work depending on specialty; evening and weekend work is common, and overtime is routine, especially for service and industrial electricians on call for emergencies.

• Pros: A large, well-established apprenticeship system. A genuine path to business ownership as a licensed contractor. Work that is difficult to automate or offshore.
• Cons: Electrical work carries real safety risk if codes aren’t followed precisely. Licensing exams and continuing education requirements add ongoing overhead.

Earning Potential: Moving from apprentice to journeyman to master electrician is the main driver of pay growth, along with moving into industrial or commercial specialties, supervisory roles, or business ownership. These are factors associated with higher pay, not guarantees, and moving into business ownership shifts income from a stable wage to variable self-employment earnings that BLS wage data does not capture.

How to Get Started

1. Complete high school with strong math coursework; many apprenticeship programs test basic algebra.
2. Apply to a registered apprenticeship through IBEW/NECA, ABC, or an independent electrical contractor.
3. Progress from apprentice to journeyman, generally by passing a state licensing exam, then optionally to master electrician.

9. Diesel Service Technicians and Mechanics

What They Do: Diesel technicians inspect, maintain, and repair buses, trucks, and other diesel-powered vehicles and equipment.

Salary: The median annual wage was $61,770 in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $44,530, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $88,740.

Job Outlook: BLS projects 4 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, about as fast as the average for all occupations, with about 24,400 openings projected each year. BLS also notes that some demand may be reduced as more firms move toward vehicles that require less maintenance, such as electric delivery trucks, even as continued freight and aging-fleet needs support ongoing demand.

How to Become One: Most diesel technicians still learn primarily on the job after a high school education, but employers increasingly prefer applicants who have completed a postsecondary diesel technology program.

Apprenticeship: Less formalized than in the building trades. On-the-job training and postsecondary certificate programs are more common entry paths than a registered multi-year apprenticeship, though some large fleet employers run structured apprentice-style programs.

Licensing and Certification: No state license is required, but ASE (Automotive Service Excellence) certifications in diesel systems are widely valued by employers and can affect pay. This is an employer-valued professional certification, not a legal licensing requirement. A commercial driver’s license may be needed to test-drive buses and large trucks.

Work Environment: Mostly indoor, well-ventilated repair shops, with occasional roadside or worksite repairs. Evening shifts and overtime are common, particularly for fleet and commercial trucking employers.

• Pros: Comparatively fast entry. Diesel expertise transfers across trucking, construction, agriculture, and marine sectors.
• Cons: Slower projected growth than most other trades on this list. Some long-term uncertainty as certain vehicle segments shift toward electrification, though this has not materially changed near-term diesel fleet demand.

How to Get Started

1. Consider a postsecondary diesel technology certificate program to stand out to employers.
2. Pursue ASE certifications once working; these are the primary lever for pay growth in this trade.
3. Target fleet, dealership, or heavy-equipment employers based on your region’s dominant industries.

10. HVAC/R Technicians (Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers)

What They Do: HVAC/R technicians install, maintain, and repair heating, cooling, and refrigeration systems in homes and businesses.

Salary: The median annual wage was $61,010 in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $40,050, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $95,210.

Job Outlook: BLS projects 11 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, much faster than average, with about 40,600 openings projected each year.

How to Become One: Typical entry-level education is a postsecondary nondegree award, though some enter with less formal education. Training can run from about 6 months to 2 years of postsecondary instruction, and apprenticeships also exist in this field.

Apprenticeship: Common, though less universally standardized than in the building-trades unions; many technicians combine a postsecondary certificate with employer-based on-the-job training rather than a single formal apprenticeship track.

Licensing and Certification: Technicians who perform covered work involving refrigerants generally must hold EPA Section 608 certification under the Clean Air Act. EPA rules provide an exemption for apprentices who are closely and continually supervised by a certified technician, so it is not accurate to say every technician must hold this certification before beginning training. Some states and localities also require a separate HVAC license, which is a different requirement from EPA certification.

Work Environment: A mix of indoor and outdoor work, including attics, crawl spaces, and rooftops. Emergency service calls during extreme heat or cold are physically demanding and common during peak seasons.

• Pros: Strong demand tied to both new construction and the ongoing need to repair or replace existing systems. EPA certification is a relatively low-cost, high-value credential.
• Cons: Seasonal call volume spikes can mean long hours during peak periods. Refrigerant regulation changes require ongoing training to stay current.

How to Get Started

1. Enroll in a postsecondary HVAC/R certificate or associate degree program.
2. Work toward EPA Section 608 certification, keeping in mind the supervised-apprentice exemption if you are still training.
3. Enter an apprenticeship or structured on-the-job training track with an HVAC/R contractor, and check your state and local licensing requirements.

11. Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers

What They Do: These workers use hand-held or remotely controlled equipment to join, repair, or cut metal parts and products, across specialties including general welding, cutting, soldering, and brazing.

Salary: The median annual wage was $53,750 in May 2025. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $39,240, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $77,530.

Job Outlook: BLS projects 2 percent growth from 2025 to 2035, slower than the average for all occupations, with about 40,300 openings projected each year, mostly from replacement needs.

How to Become One: Most welders need a high school diploma or equivalent combined with technical and on-the-job training, available through high school technical education, vocational-technical institutes, community colleges, or private welding schools.

Apprenticeship: Less common as a formal registered apprenticeship than in the building trades, though employer-based apprenticeships exist for both entry-level workers and those who have completed a vocational welding program.

Licensing and Certification: Some states and localities require welders to be licensed; requirements vary. More commonly, professional organizations offer certification programs, and employers may require specific certifications for particular jobs. This is largely a certification-based field rather than a licensed one.

Work Environment: Outdoor work in all types of weather, or indoor work sometimes in a confined area designed to contain sparks and glare. Work may involve scaffolds or platforms at height, heavy lifting, and awkward positions.

• Pros: Relatively fast entry with technical training. Skills transfer across manufacturing, construction, and infrastructure work.
• Cons: Lower median wage than most other trades in this comparison, and slower projected growth. Specialization is generally required to reach the higher end of the pay range; it is an example of how specialization and industry affect earning potential, not a guarantee of a particular salary. Underwater welding and other specialized niches are sometimes cited as high-paying examples, but should be understood that way, as illustrations of how specialization can raise pay, not as typical or guaranteed outcomes.

How to Get Started

1. Complete a vocational-technical welding program or high school technical education coursework.
2. Complete required OSHA electrical safety training and pursue relevant certifications through organizations recognized by CareerOneStop.
3. Consider an employer-based apprenticeship, particularly if you want to specialize in a higher-paying niche such as structural, pipeline, or industrial welding.

Starting a Trade Business: The Highest-Ceiling Career Path

Many experienced tradespeople eventually become electrical contractors, plumbing contractors, HVAC contractors, general contractors, or other specialty contractors. This is a genuinely different path from the wage-earning occupations above, and it should not be compared to them using the same wage data.

BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data does not include self-employed workers, so there is no national occupational median wage for “contractor” as a business-owner category the way there is for electricians or plumbers as employees. Business revenue is also not the same as personal income. A contracting business carries labor costs, equipment costs, insurance, licensing fees, vehicle costs, taxes, materials, overhead, and the risk of unpaid invoices or bad debt, all of which come out of revenue before anything reaches the owner’s pocket.

Business ownership can provide a higher earning ceiling than employee wages, but it also introduces substantially greater financial and operational risk. It is not accurate to describe contractor income as an “uncapped salary.” It is closer to uncapped business revenue with uncapped downside risk attached.

Note on Construction Managers: This path is genuinely different from a construction manager, a distinct BLS-tracked occupation. Construction managers typically need a bachelor’s degree and had a median annual wage of $114,990 in May 2025, with about 609,100 workers employed and 9 percent projected growth from 2025 to 2035. If your goal is trade-based entrepreneurship without a four-year degree, “contractor” is the relevant search term. If you are aiming for a corporate construction-management career track, that is a separate, degree-gated path.

Licensing: Nearly every state requires a contractor to hold a specific license, typically involving documented industry experience, a passing exam score, and a surety bond or insurance, but requirements differ significantly state to state, and in some cases county to county. Some trades, such as electrical and plumbing, are often licensed separately from general contracting. Check your specific state’s contractor licensing board rather than assuming a single national standard applies.

• Pros: A higher earning ceiling than most wage-based trade careers; direct control over which jobs to take and how to price them; a natural next step after several years in a trade.
• Cons: Real business risk, including cash flow, liability, insurance, and hiring; income is variable and not comparable to a guaranteed hourly wage; business failure is a genuine possibility, not merely a hypothetical.

Highest-Paying Trades That Are Also in Demand

Pay and demand do not always move together, and conflating the two produces bad advice. A few distinctions worth keeping straight, using the current 2025 to 2035 BLS projections:

• Fastest-growing (by percentage) does not mean the most job opportunities. Wind turbine service technician remains one of the fastest-growing occupations tracked by BLS in percentage terms (30 percent), but because the occupation is small, that translates to only about 1,500 projected annual openings. Electricians grow at a more modest 9 percent, but because the occupation is far larger, that percentage translates into roughly 72,700 annual openings, dramatically more actual opportunities.
• Largest occupation does not mean highest pay. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers make up a large workforce (about 437,700 workers) but have one of the lower medians on this list ($53,750) and slower projected growth (2 percent).
• Highest pay does not automatically mean the best overall opportunity for most people. Elevator and escalator installers have the highest median wage here, but it is a small occupation with a genuinely competitive entry path centered on apprenticeship programs, a great outcome for those who get in, but a harder one to break into than, say, electrical or HVAC work.

If you are optimizing for a realistic combination of strong pay, a large number of actual openings, and an accessible, if still competitive, training path, electricians, plumbers/pipefitters/steamfitters, HVAC/R technicians, and industrial machinery mechanics/millwrights offer a strong combination of pay, projected demand, and accessible entry paths for many readers. Elevator and escalator installers and electrical power-line installers offer higher median wages, but their work environments and entry requirements may make them a less suitable fit for some readers.

Which Trade Jobs Can Pay $100,000 or More?

Six-figure trade income is real, but it is not the median outcome in almost any of these occupations. Using May 2025 BLS 90th-percentile data where available, the highest-paid 10 percent of workers earned more than the following amounts:

• Elevator and escalator installers and repairers: more than $158,890
• Electrical power-line installers and repairers: more than $128,690
• Boilermakers: more than $110,370
• Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters: more than $108,420
• Electricians: more than roughly $108,510
• HVAC/R mechanics and installers: more than $95,210
• Wind turbine service technicians: more than $92,460
• Diesel service technicians and mechanics: more than $88,740
• Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers: more than $77,530

These are 90th-percentile wages, meaning only about 1 in 10 workers in each occupation reaches that level. They are not the typical or median outcome. Workers commonly reach the higher end of the range through some combination of the following factors, none of which guarantees a specific income:

• Overtime, especially in emergency-service trades and manufacturing maintenance roles with off-hours call-outs.
• Geographic location. Wages can vary substantially by state and metropolitan area; readers should check BLS state and local wage data, or CareerOneStop’s local wage tools, before assuming the national median applies to their location.
• Union membership, particularly in electrical, plumbing, and elevator trades.
• Specialization, such as industrial pipefitting or specialized industrial electrical work, which can command a premium over general residential or light-commercial work in the same trade.
• Supervisory or estimator roles, which typically add a pay step without requiring a college degree.
• Business ownership, the highest-ceiling and highest-risk path discussed above, since income becomes business revenue rather than a wage and is not captured in BLS employee wage data.
• Years of experience, which is largely what separates median pay from 90th-percentile pay in every trade above.

To be direct about what this does not mean: it does not mean the typical electrician, plumber, or HVAC technician earns six figures. The median figures earlier in this article represent the middle of the pay distribution, and reaching the top generally requires several of the factors above working together over a period of years.

Highest-Paying Trade Apprenticeships

Registered Apprenticeships generally combine paid on-the-job training with related technical instruction, but program costs, wages, and requirements can vary by sponsor, occupation, and state. Apprentice pay is normally lower than fully qualified worker pay and rises as the apprentice progresses through the program; boilermaker apprentices, for example, receive pay increases as they learn more skills, according to BLS.

Several trades in this article rely heavily on apprenticeship as the standard entry path:

• Elevator and escalator installers and repairers: Nearly all workers enter through an apprenticeship, commonly around 4 years, often through IUEC/NEIEP.
• Electrical power-line installers and repairers: Apprenticeships are common, typically 3 to 4 years, often sponsored by utilities or IBEW/NECA.
• Electricians: Apprenticeship is the standard path, typically 4 to 5 years, sponsored by IBEW/NECA, ABC, or independent contractors.
• Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters: Apprenticeship is the standard path, typically 4 to 5 years, often through the UA or independent contractor associations.
• Boilermakers: Apprenticeship is the standard path, typically about 4 years, sponsored by unions or contractor associations.
• Millwrights: Apprenticeship is common, running up to about 4 years, often through the United Brotherhood of Carpenters or independent industrial contractors.

We do not rank apprentice wages by trade here, because consistent, current, occupation-specific apprentice wage data across sponsors and states is not something BLS or Apprenticeship.gov publishes in a directly comparable format. What can be said reliably is that these apprenticeships combine a paid wage from day one with progressive raises tied to skill milestones, structured technical instruction alongside on-the-job training, and, in most of these trades, a licensing exam at the end of the process. For specific program listings, wages, and requirements in your area, search Apprenticeship.gov directly.

Highest Paying Trades Without a College Degree

None of the trades in this article require a four-year bachelor’s degree, and that is a large part of their appeal relative to the time and cost of a traditional degree. But “does not typically require a four-year bachelor’s degree” is not the same as “no education required,” and it is worth being precise about what training each path actually involves:

• High school diploma plus on-the-job training: Some entry points, such as certain diesel technician and industrial machinery mechanic roles, start with on-the-job training after a high school diploma, though employers increasingly prefer some postsecondary coursework even here.
• Postsecondary certificate or nondegree award: HVAC/R, wind turbine technology, and aircraft maintenance training typically run several months to two years at a trade school, community college, or FAA-certificated school, and are the fastest formal-credential route into those fields.
• Apprenticeship, generally paid, on-the-job, and 3 to 5 years: Electricians, plumbers/pipefitters/steamfitters, elevator/escalator installers, lineworkers, and millwrights most commonly enter through registered apprenticeships. Apprentices are paid a wage from day one, with scheduled raises as they progress, while also completing required classroom or technical hours.
• Licensing exam or certification: Most of the trades above require passing at least one state licensing exam, an EPA certification, an FAA certification, or an industry certification after training is complete. This is a real requirement, not a formality, and failing it can delay independent work or full pay.

If your goal is specifically to avoid both a four-year degree and its associated debt, a registered apprenticeship is generally the strongest option, since you earn a wage throughout training rather than paying tuition, and you graduate with a credential employers already recognize.

Trade School vs. Apprenticeship

Trade school generally gets you into an entry-level job faster, but you are paying, or borrowing, for it, and typically still need on-the-job experience afterward to reach full competency and pay. Apprenticeship takes longer to complete but you earn throughout, and you finish with both the credential and years of real job experience already logged, which is part of why the building trades unions have relied on this model for generations. Many people also combine the two: a short certificate program followed by entry into an apprenticeship, using the certificate to strengthen an apprenticeship application.

How to Choose the Best Trade for You

There is no universally “best” trade. The right fit depends on how you weigh a handful of real tradeoffs:

• Income goals and timeline. Are you optimizing for the fastest path to a paycheck (certificate programs), or the highest long-term ceiling (apprenticeship-gated trades plus eventual licensing or ownership)?
• Physical demands and environment. Comfort with heights and confined spaces is a hard requirement for lineworkers, elevator mechanics, boilermakers, and wind turbine technicians, not a preference. Indoor shop-based work, such as diesel or some industrial maintenance, suits people who want to avoid extreme weather exposure.
• On-call and overtime tolerance. Emergency-service trades, including plumbing, HVAC, lineworker storm response, and elevator repair, offer overtime-driven upside at the cost of unpredictable schedules.
• Entrepreneurial interest. If owning a business is part of your long-term plan, trades with a clear licensed-contractor path, such as electrical, plumbing, and HVAC, make that transition more straightforward than trades without an equivalent independent-business track, such as lineworker or industrial millwright work.
• Local demand and union presence. Apprenticeship availability, union wage scales, and even which trades are “in demand” vary by region; a trade that is hard to break into in one metro area may have more openings in another.
• Willingness to relocate. Wind energy jobs cluster heavily in a handful of high-wind-resource states; some trades are far more geographically portable than others.

For many readers, electricians, plumbers/pipefitters/steamfitters, HVAC/R technicians, and industrial machinery mechanics/millwrights offer a strong combination of pay, projected demand, and accessible entry paths. For readers prioritizing a higher median wage and comfortable with a more competitive or specialized entry process, elevator and escalator installers and electrical power-line installers are worth serious consideration.

Methodology

The rankings and comparisons in this article are based on:

• BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS), May 2025, the most current full national wage dataset available at the time of publication, for median, percentile, and industry wage figures. https://www.bls.gov/oes/
• BLS Employment Projections, 2025 to 2035, for growth percentages and projected annual openings. https://www.bls.gov/emp/
• BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook, for typical entry-level education, on-the-job training norms, and licensing overviews per occupation. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
• BLS Fastest Growing Occupations list, for cross-checking growth-rate claims against BLS’s own current ranking. https://www.bls.gov/ooh/fastest-growing.htm
• Supplementary context from Apprenticeship.gov for the structure of Registered Apprenticeships, the EPA for Section 608 refrigerant certification requirements, and CareerOneStop for state and local wage and licensing guidance.

“Highest paying” in this article reflects national median wage data, a straightforward, verifiable measure, but not a complete picture of any individual’s earning potential, which is shaped heavily by state, metro area, union status, years of experience, and whether someone stays an employee or becomes a business owner. Occupations were selected for inclusion based on a combination of wage level, meeting the common-sense definition of a skilled trade requiring hands-on technical training rather than primarily a bachelor’s-degree management track, and having a genuine, checkable BLS occupational profile. Boilermakers are included despite a declining employment projection because their wage data remains among the highest on this list, and construction contractor business ownership is discussed separately from the wage-based occupations because BLS wage data does not cover self-employed workers.

Recommended Post: https://www.exploreinsiders.com/best-trade-jobs-to-get-into-in/

The Bottom Line

Skilled trades genuinely offer some of the strongest pay-to-training-cost ratios in the U.S. labor market, and several, including lineworker, elevator and escalator installer, and electrician, regularly clear six figures for experienced, licensed, or specialized workers. But there is real variation underneath the “trades pay well” headline. Growth outlooks range from a projected 30 percent expansion for wind turbine technicians to a 2 percent decline for boilermakers. Entry paths range from a several-month certificate to a 4 to 5 year union apprenticeship. And in every single trade covered here, the jump from median pay to the highest-paid 10 percent is driven by years of experience, licensing, specialization, or ownership, not by the job title alone. Use the comparison table and demand analysis above to weigh pay against realistic entry difficulty for your own situation, not just the headline wage number.

Frequently Asked Questions

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