High-paying skilled trades
Construction, installation/maintenance/repair, production and truck-driving occupations (SOC groups 47, 49, 51 and 53-3) without a bachelor's requirement, by median pay. Top 30 of 290 occupations we profile, from official BLS Employment Projections (2025–35). Use the Career Explorer to filter all of them.
Updated
| Occupation | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr | Typical entry education |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical power-line installers and repairers | $95,320 | +10.3% | 10,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Aircraft mechanics and service technicians | $79,870 | +5.4% | 11,400 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Construction and building inspectors | $74,690 | +0.0% | 14,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Telecommunications line installers and repairers | $74,330 | -3.4% | 8,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines | $65,510 | +6.7% | 15,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Industrial machinery mechanics | $64,520 | +17.8% | 44,400 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Telecommunications equipment installers and repairers, except line installers | $63,890 | -3.3% | 11,300 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters | $63,800 | +6.8% | 42,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Electricians | $63,190 | +9.2% | 72,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Structural iron and steel workers | $62,780 | +3.1% | 5,900 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Sheet metal workers | $61,800 | +2.5% | 9,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists | $61,770 | +3.6% | 24,400 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Medical equipment repairers | $61,660 | +12.6% | 8,200 | Associate's degree |
| Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers | $61,010 | +10.9% | 40,600 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Carpenters | $60,580 | +3.9% | 62,800 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators | $60,020 | -5.7% | 10,000 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators | $59,850 | +4.6% | 39,200 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Bus drivers, transit and intercity | $59,050 | +4.1% | 21,100 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Drywall and ceiling tile installers | $58,930 | +2.5% | 6,600 | No formal educational credential |
| Machinists | $58,750 | +1.0% | 26,100 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | $58,640 | +3.8% | 214,500 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Cement masons and concrete finishers | $57,020 | +1.6% | 13,600 | No formal educational credential |
| Roofers | $55,440 | +5.3% | 12,000 | No formal educational credential |
| Automotive body and related repairers | $54,890 | +3.7% | 12,600 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers | $53,750 | +2.4% | 40,300 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Computer numerically controlled tool operators | $50,690 | -9.4% | 12,500 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Automotive service technicians and mechanics | $50,620 | +5.0% | 66,200 | Postsecondary nondegree award |
| Maintenance and repair workers, general | $49,590 | +4.2% | 148,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
| Painters, construction and maintenance | $49,400 | +3.0% | 24,900 | No formal educational credential |
| Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers | $48,570 | +2.5% | 66,700 | High school diploma or equivalent |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections program, Table 1.2 Occupational projections, 2025–35, and worker characteristics, 2025 ↗. Employment is for 2025, projections to 2035; median annual wage is for 2025; openings are the projected annual average for 2025–35. Figures are national, not local. Data last downloaded Oct 16, 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What is #1 on this list?
Electrical power-line installers and repairers: median pay $95,320 in 2025, projected growth +10.3% for 2025–35, about 10,900 openings a year (BLS).