The Highest Paying Trade Jobs

The United States job market includes more than 11 million skilled trade workers, with experts expecting the need for more workers to grow through 2028. According to a report from Jobs for the Future (JFF), a national nonprofit organization focusing on education for a changing workforce, the skilled trade market will have 1.3 million additional jobs every year through 2028 [1]. 

Explore some in-demand and high-paying trade careers you might consider and how to receive the necessary training.  

What is a trade job?

Trade jobs require skills and expertise you obtain through training rather than a degree program. While some trades may have college classes you can take, these jobs typically don't require a four-year degree. Instead, you can learn the skills and abilities by completing programs at a vocational school, an apprenticeship, or specialized, on-the-job training.

Depending on the job, you might also complete a certificate program or get a two-year degree. Because training programs for trade jobs typically take anywhere from six months to two years to complete, these roles can be easier (and faster) to enter compared to jobs that require four years or more of education. Additionally, trades offer high-earning potential, with many in-demand trade careers.

Some common trade careers include advanced manufacturing, carpentry, and various construction careers, from welding to masonry, electrical, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC), plumbing, and transportation mechanics and repair. High-paying trade jobs include various professions, ranging from construction manager to medical technologist, providing multiple options to suit your skills and interests. 

What are the highest-paying trade jobs from job search websites?

Indeed’s list of the top 12 highest paying trade jobs prominently features building trades and health care roles [2]. Some roles to consider from their list include licensed practical nurses, respiratory therapists, construction managers, and dental hygienists. Other occupations listed include ultrasonographer, solar installer, real estate appraiser, and electrician.

While construction and health care are popular in the list, technology careers also offer various opportunities, many of which you can enter after teaching yourself the skills, taking online courses, and completing trade education. However, roles such as website developers can also pursue training in a traditional college setting. Two-year degrees and graduate programs both exist in website development and applications. 

Other in-demand trade careers offer an opportunity to continue your education later to advance. For example, a licensed practical nurse may decide to enroll in a bachelor’s degree program to become a registered nurse, which can take an additional two to four years of study.

Salaries of 12 trade jobs from Indeed:

Indeed mentions the following 12 high-paying trade jobs. The median salaries of each include:

(All salary information below is the median salary from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) as of May 2024) 

• Licensed practical nurse: $59,730 per year 

• Respiratory therapist: $77,960 per year 

• Construction manager: $104,900 per year 

• Dental hygienist: $87,530 per year 

• Radiation therapist: $98,300 per year 

• Aircraft mechanic: $75,400 per year 

• Electrician: $61,590 per year 

• Ultrasonographer: $80,850 per year

• Cable technician: $85,420 per year

• Industrial mechanic: $61,170 per year

• Solar installer: $48,800 per year

• Real estate appraiser: $61,630 per year

• Wind turbine technician: $61,770 per year

What are the highest-paid trade jobs based on BLS data by education level?

Job search websites are one of many options for finding more information about salaries and education requirements for the job you’re considering pursuing. The BLS Occupation Finder [3] allows you to search by education level, level of on-the-job training, number of new jobs expected, and average wages. The BLS website also offers in-depth details about the type of education and experience needed for job roles, making it an excellent resource when deciding on a career path.

A search for high-paying jobs requiring only a high school diploma with job growth projected to remain steady or increase yields several options. Some of the in-demand trade careers to consider, along with the median salaries of each, include:

(All salary information below is the median salary from the BLS as of May 2024) 

• Detectives: $74,910 per year

• Signal and track switch repairers: $82,710 per year

• Subway and streetcar operators: $84,270 per year

• Transportation, storage, and distribution managers: $99,200 per year

• Telecommunications line installers and repairers: $64,640 per year

• Sales representatives: $65,630 per year

• Flight attendants: $68,370 per year

• Real estate brokers: $63,060 per year

• Locomotive engineers: $74,770 per year]

Where can you get training? 

You have many potential resources to explore. You can obtain free or low-cost training and education from vocational trade schools and community colleges. Trade schools have been around for decades and often partner with high schools to train learners in conjunction with the general high school curriculum, similar to advanced placement (AP) classes. College-bound students may earn credit toward their degrees, and learners may obtain certifications to help fast-track their careers. 

JFF advocates for more education, beginning at the high school level. As the US infrastructure continues aging and expanding, and the workforce continues aging, the demand for skilled trade workers will continue growing. Trades power the entire country, installing and maintaining electric and HVAC systems, powering factories and manufacturing complexes, aiding in patient care in various health settings, and transporting goods. Building and maintaining the pipeline of skilled workers using hands-on, practical learning is essential. 

For instance, Bronx Community College in New York City offers a variety of certificate programs and associate degrees that can lead to a skilled trade job within two years or less [4]. Sample certificate programs include licensed practical nursing, bilingual care, and automotive mechanics. Sample skilled trades associate degrees include media and digital production, medical lab technician, and environmental technology. Community colleges often offer cheaper options than for-profit schools if interested in pursuing a two-year degree. 

Popular options to get relevant trade-related training include:

• Career colleges and training centers

• Vocational or trade schools

• Technical institutes

• Community colleges

• Vocational programs offered by the US military

Next steps

Pursuing a career in trades comes with several benefits. Alongside the high earning potential of these positions, working in trades also provides you with affordable and efficient training options, in addition to your skills being in high demand. 

You can also explore various fields to see if you find a match for your interest. For example, you could complete Electrical Power Generation: An Industrial Outlook from L&T EduTech to learn more about the power generation industry. You could also delve into web development with Meta’s Front-End Developer Professional Certificate.  

It’s also notable that many trade workers go on to run their own businesses or work on a contractual basis. If that’s the direction you want to take your career, consider taking Content, Advertising & Social IMC, a course offered by Northwestern University on Coursera.