None of the 42 skilled trades we track asks for a college degree. The best-paid, elevator installers, earn a typical $108,250 a year, and 15 trades pay a typical $60,000 or more.
Most of these jobs ask for a high school diploma and then teach you on the job or through an apprenticeship, where you're paid while you train. 11 need no diploma at all; the best-paying of those is plasterers, at $58,820. A few, such as wind turbine technician and telecom equipment installer, usually start with a short certificate program.
Every trade ranked by pay
Click a column to sort. Typical pay is the median across U.S. metros; growth is national, 2025 to 2035.
| # | Trade | Typical pay | Education to start | Training | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator Installer | $108,250 | High school diploma or equivalent | Apprenticeship | +5.7% |
| 2 | Electrical Lineworker | $96,805 | High school diploma or equivalent | Long-term on-the-job training | +10.3% |
| 3 | Construction Supervisor | $77,215 | High school diploma or equivalent | 5+ years of trade experience | +5.0% |
| 4 | Building Inspector | $67,380 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +0.0% |
| 5 | Telecom Line Installer | $66,250 | High school diploma or equivalent | Long-term on-the-job training | -3.4% |
| 6 | Ironworker | $64,000 | High school diploma or equivalent | Apprenticeship | +3.1% |
| 7 | Industrial Machinery Mechanic | $63,865 | High school diploma or equivalent | Long-term on-the-job training | +17.8% |
| 8 | Wind Turbine Technician | $63,350 | Postsecondary nondegree award | Long-term on-the-job training | +29.5% |
| 9 | Brickmason | $62,950 | High school diploma or equivalent | Apprenticeship | +1.1% |
| 10 | Electrician | $62,440 | High school diploma or equivalent | Apprenticeship | +9.2% |
| 11 | Telecom Equipment Installer | $62,240 | Postsecondary nondegree award | Moderate-term on-the-job training | -3.3% |
| 12 | Sheet Metal Worker | $61,460 | High school diploma or equivalent | Apprenticeship | +2.5% |
| 13 | Plumber | $61,430 | High school diploma or equivalent | Apprenticeship | +6.8% |
| 14 | Rigger | $60,455 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +3.9% |
| 15 | Diesel Mechanic | $60,355 | High school diploma or equivalent | Long-term on-the-job training | +3.6% |
| 16 | Heavy Equipment Operator | $59,670 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +4.6% |
| 17 | HVAC Technician | $59,590 | Postsecondary nondegree award | Long-term on-the-job training | +10.9% |
| 18 | Plasterer | $58,820 | No formal educational credential | Long-term on-the-job training | +2.8% |
| 19 | Solar Installer | $58,285 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +36.5% |
| 20 | Concrete Finisher | $57,245 | No formal educational credential | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +1.6% |
| 21 | Machinist | $57,050 | High school diploma or equivalent | Long-term on-the-job training | +1.0% |
| 22 | Rebar Worker | $56,835 | High school diploma or equivalent | Apprenticeship | -5.3% |
| 23 | Carpenter | $56,155 | High school diploma or equivalent | Apprenticeship | +3.9% |
| 24 | Flooring Installer | $55,870 | No formal educational credential | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +9.0% |
| 25 | Glazier | $55,240 | High school diploma or equivalent | Apprenticeship | +1.9% |
| 26 | Drywall Installer | $53,860 | No formal educational credential | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +2.5% |
| 27 | Welder | $52,285 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +2.4% |
| 28 | Auto Body Repairer | $51,680 | High school diploma or equivalent | Long-term on-the-job training | +3.7% |
| 29 | Septic & Sewer Technician | $50,990 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +7.8% |
| 30 | Appliance Repair Technician | $50,540 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +1.9% |
| 31 | Tile Setter | $50,495 | No formal educational credential | Long-term on-the-job training | +9.8% |
| 32 | Roofer | $50,140 | No formal educational credential | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +5.3% |
| 33 | Paving Equipment Operator | $49,920 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | -0.9% |
| 34 | Auto Mechanic | $48,885 | Postsecondary nondegree award | Short-term on-the-job training | +5.0% |
| 35 | Fence Installer | $48,410 | No formal educational credential | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +5.6% |
| 36 | Maintenance Technician | $48,330 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +4.2% |
| 37 | Insulation Installer | $48,305 | No formal educational credential | Short-term on-the-job training | +2.4% |
| 38 | Hazmat Removal Worker | $48,215 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +1.5% |
| 39 | Painter | $47,640 | No formal educational credential | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +3.0% |
| 40 | Construction Laborer | $46,850 | No formal educational credential | Short-term on-the-job training | +7.3% |
| 41 | Pest Control Technician | $44,460 | High school diploma or equivalent | Moderate-term on-the-job training | +5.5% |
| 42 | Landscaper | $37,540 | No formal educational credential | Short-term on-the-job training | +4.7% |
BLS OEWS May 2025 (pay); BLS Employment Projections 2025 to 2035 (education, training and growth).
Pay changes a lot by place. The best cities tool ranks metros for any trade, and which trade fits me weighs pay against training time and outdoor work.
Fastest routes to $60,000
Every trade here pays a typical $60,000 or more. They're sorted from the shortest training to the longest, so the quickest routes are at the top.
- Building Inspector: $67,380, moderate-term on-the-job training
- Telecom Equipment Installer: $62,240, moderate-term on-the-job training
- Rigger: $60,455, moderate-term on-the-job training
- Electrical Lineworker: $96,805, long-term on-the-job training
- Telecom Line Installer: $66,250, long-term on-the-job training
- Industrial Machinery Mechanic: $63,865, long-term on-the-job training
- Wind Turbine Technician: $63,350, long-term on-the-job training
- Diesel Mechanic: $60,355, long-term on-the-job training
- Elevator Installer: $108,250, apprenticeship
- Ironworker: $64,000, apprenticeship
- Brickmason: $62,950, apprenticeship
- Electrician: $62,440, apprenticeship
- Sheet Metal Worker: $61,460, apprenticeship
- Plumber: $61,430, apprenticeship
- Construction Supervisor: $77,215, 5+ years of trade experience
Best pay for each training path
The best-paying trade for each way of learning it:
Where pay goes at the top
Typical pay is only the middle. The top 10% in a trade earn far more, often after a license, a supervisor role or years of overtime. These trades have the highest 90th-percentile pay in a typical metro:
BLS OEWS May 2025, median across metros of each trade's 90th-percentile pay.
Common questions
What is the highest-paying trade without a degree?
elevator installers, with typical pay of $108,250 a year across U.S. metros. Most start through a 4- to 5-year paid apprenticeship after high school.
Which trades pay well with the least training?
Of the trades paying $60,000 or more, building inspector, telecom equipment installer and rigger have the shortest typical training.
Do I need a high school diploma?
Most trades ask for one. 11 of the 42 trades we track list no formal education to start, though a diploma helps you get into apprenticeships.
Is an apprenticeship the same as trade school?
No. In an apprenticeship you're hired and paid while you learn on the job, with some classroom hours. Trade school is a course you pay for, usually a certificate that takes a year or less.