Highest paying skilled trades in the US
Ranked by the typical pay shown on each career's own page, so the order here cannot disagree with the pages it links to. Typical means the middle: half earn more, half earn less. Starting pay is lower, and each career page shows the full range and what it takes to get there.
84 careers in the United States
Ranked by typical pay
841General ContractorYou do not swing every hammer. You price the job, hire the trades, hold the schedule, and carry the risk.Typical pay$115kTo qualify4 to 8 yrsDemandVery high2Elevator MechanicBuild and maintain the machines that move millions of people a day, for the best pay in any trade you can enter from high school.Typical pay$110kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandVery high3Makeup ArtistPaint faces for camera, stage, weddings and counters. The film and television side pays well, and getting in takes years of logged days.Typical pay$97kTo qualify1 to 5 yrsDemandVery high4Power Line WorkerBuild and repair the high voltage lines that carry electricity to everyone else. Outdoors, dangerous, and paid like it.Typical pay$95kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandVery high5Avionics TechnicianThe electronics inside an aircraft: radios, radar, navigation and autopilots. High pay for a short path.Typical pay$82kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandVery high6Aircraft MechanicTwo years of school, a federal certificate, and your signature is what puts a plane back in the air.Typical pay$80kTo qualify2 to 3 yrsDemandGood7Construction EstimatorWork out what a building will cost before anybody breaks ground, and put the company's money behind the number.Typical pay$79kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimited8Stationary EngineerRun the boilers, chillers and pumps that keep a hospital, a campus or a factory alive. Learn most of it on the job.Typical pay$79kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModerate9Non-Destructive TesterUse sound, X-rays and magnets to find cracks in pipelines, bridges and aircraft without cutting anything open. High school diploma in, six figures possible.Typical pay$78kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerate10BoilermakerBuild and repair the huge steel vessels that hold steam and pressure, in power plants, refineries and shipyards.Typical pay$76kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandLimited11Tattoo ArtistDraw on skin for a living. An apprenticeship, a state license, and a portfolio that has to be good.Typical pay$75kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandModerate12Building InspectorCheck that buildings are built to code, and sign off before people move in.Typical pay$75kTo qualify2 to 6 yrsDemandLimited13Home InspectorCrawl through a house before someone buys it, then write down everything wrong with it.Typical pay$75kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandLimited14Underground MinerRun loaders and shuttle cars a mile underground. Good money, no degree, real danger.Typical pay$75kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimited15Telecommunications TechnicianInstall and repair the cable and fiber that carry phone calls and internet. Paid from your first week, no degree needed.Typical pay$74kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandLimited16Electronics Service TechnicianFind out why a machine full of electronics stopped working, and get it running again before the shift ends.Typical pay$74kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandLimited17Crane OperatorLift steel, concrete and machinery hundreds of feet in the air. Paid apprenticeship, no tuition, high stakes.Typical pay$68kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModerate18Instrumentation TechnicianKeep the sensors, valves and control systems in a plant telling the truth. Two years of school, industrial pay.Typical pay$68kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandVery high19MillwrightInstall, align and repair the heavy machinery that factories and power plants run on, to tolerances measured in thousandths of an inch.Typical pay$66kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandLimited20Heavy Equipment MechanicKeep excavators, dozers and loaders running. Half diesel engine, half hydraulics, and a laptop plugged into a machine the size of a house.Typical pay$66kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandGood21Wind Turbine TechnicianClimb 250 feet up a tower and fix the machine at the top. One of the fastest growing jobs in the country, and not for anyone afraid of heights.Typical pay$64kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandVery high22Tool and Die MakerBuild the precision tools that stamp, cut and mold every mass-produced part in the country.Typical pay$64kTo qualify2 to 5 yrsDemandLimited23GasfitterRun and test the gas piping behind every furnace, water heater and restaurant range. Get it wrong and a building comes down.Typical pay$64kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandVery high24PlumberInstall and repair the pipes that carry water, gas and waste. Paid from your first day of training.Typical pay$64kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandGood25Sprinkler FitterYou install and test the pipes and sprinkler heads that stop a building fire spreading. Paid apprenticeship, no college debt.Typical pay$64kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandVery high26Steamfitter and PipefitterBuild the high pressure pipe systems inside power plants, refineries and hospitals. Paid from your first day of training.Typical pay$64kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandVery high27ElectricianWire houses, factories and data centers. Get paid from your first week of training and never owe tuition.Typical pay$63kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandVery high28Industrial ElectricianKeep the motors, controls and power systems of a factory or plant running, and get paid while you learn the trade.Typical pay$63kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandVery high29BricklayerLay brick, block and stone into walls that outlast the people who built them.Typical pay$62kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandModerate30Sheet Metal WorkerYou cut, form and hang the metal that moves air through every building. Paid to learn from the first week.Typical pay$62kTo qualify4 to 5 yrsDemandLimited31Diesel MechanicKeep trucks, buses and heavy engines running. Paid to learn, and short of people almost everywhere.Typical pay$62kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandLimited32Driller and BlasterDrill the holes, load the explosives, move the rock. One of the few jobs where a mistake is final.Typical pay$61kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimited33HVAC (Heating and Cooling) TechnicianInstall and fix the furnaces, air conditioners and refrigeration that every building depends on.Typical pay$61kTo qualify1 to 5 yrsDemandVery high34CarpenterFrame houses, build forms, hang doors and trim. You can be paid from your first week and never owe a dollar in tuition.Typical pay$61kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandGood35Security Systems TechnicianInstall and fix alarms, cameras, card readers and fire detection. Low voltage, high responsibility.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandVery high36Water Treatment OperatorRun the plant that makes tap water safe, or the one that cleans what goes down the drain. A licensed job you can start straight from high school.Typical pay$60kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimited37Heavy Equipment OperatorRun excavators, dozers, loaders and graders. Paid to move earth to within an inch of where the drawing says it goes.Typical pay$60kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModerate38IronworkerSteel is the skeleton of everything. You tie it, bolt it, weld it and hang it, usually outdoors and often high up.Typical pay$59kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandModerate39Drywall InstallerHang the boards that make a building into rooms. Paid by the sheet, and fast hands earn the most.Typical pay$59kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandModerate40CNC MachinistSet up and program CNC (computer numerical control) machines that cut metal parts to a thousandth of an inch.Typical pay$59kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandLimited41MachinistCut metal to a thousandth of an inch and make the parts everything else is built from.Typical pay$59kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandLimited42Oil Rig WorkerHard physical work on a drilling or well service rig, two weeks on and two weeks off. No degree needed, and the risk is real.Typical pay$58kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimited43PlastererPut the skin on a building. Interior plaster, exterior stucco, and the decorative work machines cannot do.Typical pay$58kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandModerate44Marine MechanicFix boat engines, outboards and everything wired into them. About a year of training, then work at a marina or your own service truck.Typical pay$58kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandVery high45StonemasonCut and set natural stone into walls, steps and buildings that will still be standing in a hundred years.Typical pay$57kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandLimited46GlazierCut, lift and set the glass in storefronts, skyscrapers and houses. Paid from your first day of training.Typical pay$57kTo qualify3 to 4 yrsDemandModerate47Concrete FinisherPlace and finish the concrete everything else is built on. Paid from your first day, no tuition.Typical pay$57kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandLimited48Tile SetterCut and set tile and stone on floors, walls and showers. Work that people look at every day for thirty years.Typical pay$56kTo qualify2 to 4 yrsDemandGood49RooferTear off, dry in, shingle, flash. Hard money, earned outdoors, from your first week.Typical pay$55kTo qualifyup to 3 yrsDemandVery high50Auto Body RepairerPut wrecked cars back to straight and paint them so nobody can tell. Under a year of school, tools are the real cost.Typical pay$55kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandLimited51WelderJoin metal to metal so it holds. A trade you can learn in under a year, tested by whether the weld passes, not by what you say.Typical pay$54kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimited52Solar Panel InstallerRooftops, racking and wiring. The fastest trade on this site to get into, and the one most tied to policy.Typical pay$53kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandGood53JewelerTiny work with gold, stones and fire. Nearly everything you make is for the biggest day of somebody's life.Typical pay$53kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandLimited54Recreation Vehicle TechnicianA motorhome is a house, a truck and a boat's plumbing in one box. You fix all of it.Typical pay$52kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandGood55Metal FabricatorTurn flat steel and drawings into stairs, tanks, trailers and building frames. Cut it, bend it, fit it, weld it.Typical pay$51kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandLimited56LocksmithOpen what is stuck, secure what is not, and learn a trade you can run out of a van.Typical pay$51kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandLimited57Appliance Repair TechnicianFix fridges, washers and ovens in people's homes. Almost no school, and you can own the business by 30.Typical pay$51kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerate58ArboristClimb, prune and take down trees for a living. You can start the week after high school and learn on a rope.Typical pay$51kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerate59Automotive Service TechnicianDiagnose it, fix it, prove it works. The most common skilled trade in America.Typical pay$51kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerate60Floor Covering InstallerCarpet, vinyl, laminate and hardwood, cut and fitted on your knees in somebody else's building.Typical pay$50kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandLimited61Agricultural Equipment TechnicianKeep tractors, combines and sprayers running. Two years of training, a laptop in one hand and a wrench in the other.Typical pay$50kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerate62Painter and DecoratorPrepare and finish walls, buildings and steel. Easy to start, harder than it looks to be good at.Typical pay$49kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandModerate63InsulatorWrap buildings and pipes so heat stays where it belongs. Little schooling, quick hiring, hard on the body.Typical pay$49kTo qualifyup to 4 yrsDemandModerate64Motorcycle MechanicFix bikes, scooters, quads and snowmobiles. No degree, no license, and you can be earning inside a year.Typical pay$49kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGood65Small Engine MechanicMowers, chainsaws, generators, snow blowers and outboards. Short training, fast hands, steady work.Typical pay$48kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerate66Auto Glass TechnicianCut out a cracked windshield, bond in a new one, and leave the car as strong as it was before.Typical pay$48kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandModerate67ScaffolderBuild the temporary structures every other trade stands on. First on site, last off.Typical pay$47kTo qualifyup to 3 yrsDemandModerate68CabinetmakerBuild kitchens, furniture and millwork out of wood, in a shop, with machines and your hands.Typical pay$47kTo qualify1 to 4 yrsDemandLimited69Pest Control TechnicianFind what is chewing, biting or nesting, then get rid of it. A licensed trade you can enter straight out of high school.Typical pay$46kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerate70UpholstererStrip a chair to its frame and rebuild it. A small trade where the good ones are never short of work.Typical pay$46kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimited71Printing Press OperatorRun the machines that print packaging, labels, books and signs. Learn it on the payroll, not in a lecture hall.Typical pay$46kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandLimited72EstheticianFacials, peels and hair removal. Licensed in under a year, then you build a client list.Typical pay$45kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandVery high73Bicycle MechanicKeep bikes safe and running. Low pay, real craft, and a trade you can start the week you leave school.Typical pay$43kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandLimited74TailorCut, fit and alter clothes so they sit right on a real body. A hand skill you learn by doing.Typical pay$42kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandLimited75ButcherBreak down whole animals into cuts people cook. Learn it on the job, paid, from week one.Typical pay$40kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimited76Landscape HorticulturistBuild and keep the planted world: lawns, gardens, ball fields and street trees. You can start the week after high school.Typical pay$39kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandModerate77BarberA licensed trade you can finish in under a year, with your own chair and your own clients at the end of it.Typical pay$38kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandModerate78FloristDesign with flowers for weddings, funerals and ordinary Tuesdays. Low pay, real craft, early mornings.Typical pay$37kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandLimited79Parts TechnicianFind, order and supply the exact component a mechanic needs. The job that keeps every shop moving.Typical pay$37kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGood80BakerEarly mornings, flour to the elbows, and a product that has to be right before the doors open.Typical pay$37kTo qualifyup to 2 yrsDemandGood81HairstylistCut, color and style hair for a living. Licensed in every state, and the people who do well build a book of regulars they keep for years.Typical pay$36kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGood82Nail TechnicianManicures, pedicures and nail art. A few hundred hours of school, a state license, then you build a client list.Typical pay$36kTo qualifyup to 1 yrDemandVery high83FarrierTrim hooves and shape shoes for horses. No license anywhere in the country, and almost everyone works for themselves.Typical pay$35kTo qualify1 to 3 yrsDemandModerate84Pet GroomerBathe, clip and style dogs and cats all day. No license anywhere in the country, and your hands do the talking.Typical pay$35kTo qualify1 to 2 yrsDemandGood