The 10 highest-paying trade jobs in 2024

Elevator mechanics, power plant operators, and dental hygienists are the highest-paying trade jobs this year.

Many of the trades that pay best involve dangerous working environments.

Wind turbine technicians and industrial machinery mechanics are among the trades expected to grow the fastest over the next decade.

While many well-paid trade jobs require only a high school diploma and on-the-job training, vocational training through a trade school is common.

A traditional 4-year college degree isn’t the only path to a lucrative career. Trade jobs such as welding, carpentry, or plumbing offer comfortable pay and job stability without having to invest time and money into a bachelor’s degree. Trade school, which offers hands-on training in skilled trades, is cheaper and takes less time than traditional universities, allowing for quicker entry to the workforce with little to no debt.

In this article, we take a look at the highest-paying trade jobs in the U.S. this year, along with how to secure one for yourself and benefits to expect.

What are trade jobs?

A trade job is a job that requires a particular set of skills and knowledge typically learned in apprenticeships or vocational training.

Trade jobs can be found in most major industries, such as:

Construction (e.g., crane operators and carpenters)
Agriculture (e.g., agricultural equipment mechanics and operators)
Transportation and material moving (e.g., heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers)
Services (e.g., nail technicians and massage therapists)
Manufacturing (e.g, welders and industrial mechanics)

Trade schools, sometimes called technical schools or vocational schools, provide job-specific training in a skilled trade. Programs take between a few months to 2 years to complete and result in a certificate or associate’s degree.

Highest-paid trade jobs

The average pay across all jobs in the U.S. is $65,470, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

With median earnings of $102,240 a year, elevator and escalator installers and repairers are the highest-paid trade workers in the country.

Read on to discover the most well-paid trades in 2024 and what you’ll need to get one yourself.

Methodology

To make this list, we analyzed national employment and wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, an agency of the U.S. Department of Labor. We have excluded trades that typically require a bachelor’s degree.

Elevator and escalator installers and repairers

Elevator and escalator mechanics maintain and repair elevators, escalators and other moving walkways and lifts. They are skilled in installing electrical systems, repairing cables and wiring, carrying out safety checks, and maintaining machine parts. This job can be physically demanding and dangerous, often involving working in cramped spaces like elevator shafts.

While elevator and escalator mechanics typically only need a high school diploma, most complete a 4-year apprenticeship program to gain on-the-job training.

10% $51,960

25% $75,570

Median $102,420

75% $127,310

90% $138,910

Total employment

23,990

Projected growth (2018-2028)

6%

Degree required

High school diploma or equivalent

Source: BLS

Power plant operators

Plant operators control, operate, and maintain machinery at power plants, oil refineries, and other places that generate electrical power. These specialists adjust and regulate power levels, monitor for irregularities in equipment, and control machinery like boilers, turbines, and pumps.

Plant operators need to have a high school diploma or GED and several years of onsite training.

10% $54,080

25% $72,860

Median $97,010

75% $106,780

90% $123,120

Total employment

31,490

Projected growth (2018-2028)

-13.7%

Degree required

High school diploma or equivalent

Source: BLS

Dental hygienists

Dental hygienists are allied health professionals who work with dentists to provide teeth cleanings and other preventative dental care. On an average day, they check for cavities and diseases, clean teeth, maintain dental equipment, and advise patients on oral hygiene. The role can be physically demanding, particularly for the back and hands, as it involves leaning over and repetitive movement.

Dental hygienists need a license. In most states, licensure requires an associate’s degree from an accredited dental hygiene program and passing an exam. The program typically takes 3 years to finish.

10% $65,110

25% $78,010

Median $87,530

75% $100,630

90% $118,400

Total employment

211,630

Projected growth (2018-2028)

11.2%

Degree required

Associate’s

Source: BLS

Electrical power-line installers and repairers

Electrical power-line installers and repairers install and maintain networks and cables to ensure electricity flows from plants to customers, using equipment like drills and cranes. The environment is physically challenging, often involving working at heights and in unpredictable weather, and dangerous due to potential falls or exposure to high voltages.

Electrical power-line installers and repairers typically need a high school diploma or equivalent and extensive on-the-job training. Apprenticeships are also common.

10% $48,220

25% $63,120

Median $85,420

75% $104,230

90% $119,920

Total employment

120,170

Projected growth (2018-2028)

1.3%

Degree required

High school diploma or equivalent

Source: BLS

Aircraft mechanics and technicians

Aircraft mechanics are specialists who repair and maintain aircraft to keep them safe and get them to their destinations on time. Responsibilities include checking for wear in the plane exterior, replacing parts, and repairing engines, brakes, wings, and other parts of an airplane.

Most aircraft technicians earn a certificate through a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved technical school, a credential many employers prefer. Training is also possible on the job or through the military.

10% $45,760

25% $59,190

Median $75,020

75% $88,350

90% $114,750

Total employment

137,630

Projected growth (2018-2028)

11.8%

Degree required

Aviation maintenance technician school

Source: BLS

Boilermakers

Boilermakers are expert welders who install and maintain boilers, vats, and other large vessels for liquid or gases. Their tasks range from replacing and fitting pipes to rigging and arc welding. Many work in industrial plants, such as steel mills or oil refineries. As the job requires working in confined spaces, at heights, and with toxic chemicals, it can be highly dangerous.

Most boilermakers learn the trade through a 4-year apprenticeship. Having prior knowledge of welding goes a long way in the interview.

10% $49,510

25% $61,220

Median $71,140

75% $85,270

90% $102,120

Total employment

11,130

Projected growth (2018-2028)

-1.3%

Degree required

High school diploma or equivalent

Source: BLS

Construction and building inspectors

Construction and building inspectors examine a building project to assess its compliance with building codes, zoning regulations, and safety standards. This role involves inspecting worksites several times over the building process, writing reports on findings, and reading blueprints. While their schedule is often stable, construction and building inspectors should visit worksites when accidents happen.

Construction and building inspectors need a license in most states. Some states offer licensing programs, while others require certification through associations like the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, among others.

10% $43,740

25% $53,400

Median $67,700

75% $86,530

90% $106,200

Total employment

133,640

Projected growth (2018-2028)

-2.9%

Degree required

High school diploma or equivalent

Source: BLS

Cable technicians

Cable technicians, or cable installers, are telecommunications technicians who install, repair, and maintain cable TV, internet, and phone networks for homes and businesses. Their day-to-day work involves troubleshooting issues, responding to outages, or replacing faulty equipment. The job can be physically demanding as it requires some heavy lifting.

While cable technicians typically only need a high school diploma, some earn a certificate or associate’s degree, as many employers prefer these credentials.

10% $40,180

25% $48,540

Median $64,640

75% $91,500

90% $101,120

Total employment

98,950

Projected growth (2018-2028)

-0.6%

Degree required

High school diploma or equivalent

Source: BLS

Wind turbine technicians

Wind turbine technicians, or wind techs, install and repair wind turbines. These wind energy experts travel to worksites, often in isolated rural areas, to troubleshoot issues and perform routine maintenance and repairs. They also monitor wind turbine performance remotely. Wind turbine technicians have an intense job, often working at over 200 feet off the ground.

Wind techs learn the trade through a certificate program in wind energy at a technical school or community college and a year of on-the-job training.

10% $47,360

25% $52,770

Median $61,770

75% $74,940

90% $90,300

Total employment

9,800

Projected growth (2018-2028)

69.6%

Degree required

Postsecondary nondegree award

Source: BLS

Millwrights

Millwrights are industrial mechanics who specialize in installing and repairing industrial machinery. Their tasks include reading blueprints, assembling machine parts, and adjusting equipment using hand and power tools. They often work in industrial settings, such as factories and plants, and construction sites.

Millwrights typically complete a 3- to 4-year apprenticeship, where they earn up to 2,000 hours of paid on-the-job training. Some pursue an associate’s degree in industrial maintenance.

10% $43,160

25% $51,530

Median $62,980

75% $76,380

90% $82,700

Total employment

37,930

Projected growth (2018-2028)

10.2%

Degree required

High school diploma or equivalent

Source: BLS

More trade jobs that pay well

Below are other skilled trades that offer good pay for the educational level and training they require.

Job	Median pay	Requirements
Electricians	$61,590	A high school diploma or equivalent. Apprenticeships are common.
Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters	$61,550	A high school diploma or equivalent. Apprenticeships are common.
HVAC technicians	$57,300	A postsecondary nondegree award and on-the-job training.
Carpenters	$56,350	A high school diploma and on-the-job training or apprenticeship.
Construction equipment operators	$55,270	A high school diploma. Vocational training is beneficial.
Reinforcing iron and rebar workers	$54,850	High school diploma and on-the-job training.
Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers	$54,320	Postsecondary nondegree award.
Masonry workers	$53,010	High school diploma and on-the-job training or apprenticeship.

Most in-demand trades with high salaries

If you’re just as concerned about job stability as you are about earning a comfortable paycheck, we’ve rounded up the most in-demand skilled trades that pay well.

Wind turbine technicians have become the fastest-growing job in the United States, with a 45% projected growth from 2022-2032 according to the BLS.

Fast-growing trade jobs

Below are well-paid trade jobs that are projected to grow faster than the national average. As of 2024, the average growth rate is 3% for all jobs.

Job	Median pay	Job outlook (2022-2032)	Average annual openings
Dental hygienists	$87,530	7% (Faster than average)	16,400
Cable technicians	$62,350	6% (Faster than average)	31,500
Wind turbine technicians	$61,770	45% (Much faster than average)	1,800
Electricians	$61,590	6% (Faster than average)	73,500
Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights	$61,170	13% (Much faster than average)	49,100
HVAC technicians	$57,300	6% (Faster than average)	37,700

Source: The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

Trade jobs projected to decline

Several of the highest-paying skilled trades in the U.S. are expected to decline, attributed to factors like automation and a decreased reliance on fossil fuels.

Skilled trades projected to fall in demand between 2022-2032 include power plant operators (-10% growth), boilermakers (-4%), construction and building inspectors (-2%), and masonry workers (-3%), according to the BLS.

Job growth is stable among trade jobs like truck drivers, electrical linemen, plumbers, and carpenters, projected by the BLS to be as fast as the 3% national average.

Benefits of trade jobs

Trade jobs come with several benefits, from lower educational costs to stable, well-paid work. Below are just a few reasons to join a skilled trade.

1. Skilled tradespeople are in demand – and pay trends reflect that.

Many sectors, construction and manufacturing in particular, are facing a skilled labor shortage due to a significant portion of their employees approaching retirement age. Amidst increased competition for new talent, average wages for skilled trades have risen by over 20% since 2020, as reported in a McKinsey & Company analysis.

Several skilled trades appear in the fastest-growing occupations list from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, including wine turbine technicians, solar photovoltaic installers, and massage therapists.

2. Trade jobs need less formal education.

Some trades require a certificate or associate’s degree for licensure, which take 2 years at most to acquire, while many others only require a high school diploma and on-the-job training.

With less time in school, tradespeople access the labor force more quickly, and often with significantly less debt, than their peers in traditional universities.

3. Learning a trade costs less than earning a traditional 4-year degree.

Traditional 4-year universities can cost nearly 10 times more than trade schools, with average tuition fees of $9,834 at public universities, $18,241 at private for-profit universities, $40,713 at private nonprofit universities.

2-year institutions, where many vocational and technical programs are offered, cost between $4,027 (public) to $19,517 (private nonprofit) on average, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES).

Depending on the trade, training can come at no additional cost, with most apprenticeships based on an “earn-while-you-learn” model.

Looking for more reasons to pursue a skilled trade as a career? Check out these trade schools vs. colleges statistics.

How to get a trade job

To secure a trade job, you’ll need to become proficient in a skilled trade, which involves following one or a combination of the steps below.

How to learn a trade

Earn a high school diploma or equivalent, which is a minimum requirement in nearly all trades.
Complete a specialized program at a trade school or community college and earn a certificate or associate’s degree. Programs range from a few months to 2 years in length.
Do an apprenticeship program for 1-6 years and earn paid on-the-job experience in the meantime. Hourly pay typically increases the longer you stay in the program.
Gain more on-the-job training in-house through an employer.

Final thoughts

As we’ve seen, many of the highest-paying trade jobs are available without a college degree. These jobs offer rewarding (and often challenging) work in sectors eager for new tradespeople.

Remember that all trades have distinct educational and training requirements in each state. License Finder from CareerOneStop, a project of the Department of Labor, is a good resource for checking licensure requirements by occupation and state.

Ready to start your educational journey to a well-paid trade? Find the best online certificate or associate’s degree programs for your desired trade by taking the quiz below.

The 10 highest-paying trade jobs to go for in 2024

What are trade jobs?