Best Trade Jobs of the Future
By Elijah Thomas
There is a perception that trade-school jobs are low paying. Have you ever hired a plumber? They don’t earn a pittance. The reality is the highest-paying trade jobs come with salaries near or above the U.S. household median income of $61,937, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.
There are some with the potential to crack six figures. Your hands and a bag of tools can be very valuable. The top paying trade jobs, as compiled by TheInterviewGuys.com.
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Plumbers
The median salary for plumbers is $55,160, but the top 10% bring in more than $97,000. In Illinois, the average annual wage is more than $86,000. This career is six-figure territory, and if you saw what they saw, you’d understand why.
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Construction manager
The median salary for spending your days overseeing projects and supervising a variety of tradespeople — which probably will require some college — is more than $95,250.
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Elevator mechanic
Elevator mechanics repair, install and maintain elevators and, at times, deal in moving walkways and escalators. The median annual salary is about $84,990.
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Electrical power line technician
Also called power utility technicians, these guys work ensuring that homes, businesses and everything else has access to electricity. They install, maintain and repair high-voltage power lines, at times by climbing power poles and standing in cherry pickers. The median salary is about $65,700.
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Aircraft mechanic
You spend your days making sure the flying machine descendants of the Wright Brothers are tuned up, maintained and safe to fly. And you’re certified through a Federal Aviation Administration-certified school. The annual salary is about $64,310.
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Geological and petroleum technician
If you enjoy some math and getting your hands dirty, this trade profession might be for you. Installing equipment, collecting and testing samples, recording data and producing a range of reports. The median salary is $51,130, but you get to spend your time outdoors and in a lab.
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Boilermaker
These tradespeople install, perform maintenance on and repair closed vats, boilers and other containers that store gases and liquids. The median annual salary is $63,100.
