Are the skilled trades right for me
Looking for a challenging, in-demand career that doesn’t require a college degree?
Consider the skilled trades, where many well-paid careers involve specialized, hands-on work and often require technical training instead of a four-year college degree.
There are lots of reasons why skilled trades are so popular:
- Demand for workers is high. Skilled trades jobs exist in nearly every industry, and many experts believe demand will remain high. While AI impacts demand for many jobs, the hands-on aspect of the trades means these careers are may be less at risk.
- You don’t need a college degree for many well-paid jobs. Often you can either learn on the job, enroll in an apprenticeship, or begin with a certificate or other short-term training credential.
- Pay and career advancement opportunities are often excellent. In most cases, the more specialized skills you develop, the better your opportunities for advancement and increased income.
- Self-employment is an option in many skilled trades. It’s common to gain skills and experience as an employee before starting an independent business.
- Opportunities for women are strong in many of the traditionally male-dominated occupations (and for men in more female-dominated fields).
There are also challenging aspects to working in the skilled trades.
- Some fields are physically demanding, with long hours on your feet, handling heavy tools, equipment, or materials.
- Some trades work can be dangerous, such as working at heights, in harsh weather conditions, around loud noises, open flames or high water pressure.
There is great variety in the skilled trades – from outdoor work with heavy equipment to service jobs interacting with people. Most trades careers fit into five broad industries. Below, find some example careers in each industry, with links to profiles that describe what you might do on the job, training requirements, typical pay, and more.
Agriculture, Energy, and Natural Resources
Construction
Manufacturing and Industrial
Service
Transportation
Training requirements for skilled trades range from a high school diploma or equivalent plus on-the-job training to apprenticeship, to a certificate program.
For trades that require only on-the-job training, you can apply for openings right away. Search Job Finder or other job banks for openings to apply for in your area, using search terms like “Carpenter’s helper” or “Forest conservation jobs”.
Apprenticeships are common in many skilled trades, meaning you “earn while you learn”. Apprenticeships are full-time paid jobs that include both supervised on-the-job training, and a formal education component as part of the workday. Apprentices start at a “beginner” level of pay, then earn increases as they meet skill standards.
Look for apprenticeship opportunities in your area by searching on apprenticeship.gov, selecting the “career seeker path”, and entering your location and a career field, such as “carpentry”. Find unions that offer apprenticeships in your area by searching “Unions + (your city)” in your browser and looking for “apprenticeship” on their websites. You can also contact a local American Job Center to ask for apprenticeship information.
If you choose a field that requires technical school training, look for programs in your area on the Local Training Finder. Programs are available at community and technical colleges or private trade schools. Costs vary widely depending on the program, school, and state, from less than $1000 to more than $20,000 for longer programs, and considerably more at most private schools. So it’s best to get detailed information directly from schools in your area. When you contact schools, be sure to ask about financial aid.
Want to explore further? Find more skilled trade careers and learn more at Skilled trades.
