Authored by Phil Cohen
Nowadays, most people are expected and assumed to go to college after high school. However, typical four-year universities aren’t for everyone. Bluntly put, not everyone loves school enough to attend higher education, or can even afford it.
While a college degree may come in handy when a lawyer or financial adviser is needed, who do you call if you need your toilet fixed, or a new garage built? That’s right—a skilled tradesman.
Skilled trade positions are becoming harder and harder to fill because these types of positions are often overlooked, never even mentioned or explored by people currently out of work or unfit for college. It’s easy to forget about these positions or confuse them as lowbrow because they are the seemingly invisible forces behind operations the rest of us just assume to work—until they don’t.
However, these types of roles are often high-paying and perfect for those who would rather work with their hands or get a little dirty than hit the books or spend their life in a cubicle.
Here’s our list of the highest paid trade workers:
Project/Construction Manager
Average Salary: $80,000-$95,000
Generally, experience in construction is required (as well as some additional certification), however, there’s lots of room for growth in this type of position. If your candidates have good communication skills and like being involved in the overall planning, decision-making and execution of projects, this is a great fit! Do you possess these five characteristics? You could easily be a successful construction manager!
Dental Hygienist
Average Salary: $65,000-$75,000
Forget that whole “windows are the eyes to the soul” thing. If your applicants are passionate about helping people have great smiles and healthy mouths (or maybe even teaching small kids to love the dentist), a dental hygienist role would work well. Additionally, the hours of this role are typically great for having a good work/life balance.
Electrician
Average Salary: $54,000-$70,000
It’s easy to take electricity for granted nowadays and we all know how frustrating it can be when our appliances or other things that involve electricity don’t work. If wires, circuit breakers and figuring out how or why things have power is your niche, definitely think about promoting a career as an electrician.
Construction Worker
Average Salary: $55,000-$80,000
“If you build it, they will come.” Being in construction can mean a wide variety of different positions: from a carpenter to a pipefitter to a millwright, there are many positions to suit different goals and/or desires. If working outdoors or having a position that is more physical is desired, construction is a good option. There are many types of construction jobs, so finding the right one could be a challenge, but at least your candidates will gain experience across the board, which is a great resume builder.
Plumber
Average Salary: $50,000-$65,000
We know—at first crack (sorry, couldn’t help ourselves) this doesn’t seem like the most glamorous job.
However, your applicants won’t be alone: at some point in everyone’s career, we all have to deal with other people’s crap (okay, we’ll stop now). Plumbers are always in demand, therefore, it pays well. Additionally, plumbing is more than just fixing toilets or unclogging drains. Plumbers are necessary for any large-scale construction project, whether commercial or residential, and are often involved in the planning process for any type of water or drainage system.
Want to see more of the highest paid trade workers? Check out byf.org (Build Your Future America) or trade-schools.net to explore other options!
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