There’s a common myth that working with your hands in trade jobs equals struggling to keep a roof above your head. For decades, people believed that earning a bachelor’s degree was the only way to secure a prosperous future. Thankfully, this can’t be further away from the truth.

In fact, there are at least 30 million job opportunities in the US alone that don’t require a bachelor’s degree and pay more than $61,000 per year. No need for long-term education, massive debts, and economic instability. These trade jobs require training in vocational trade schools and usually pay well for the specialized skill set.

If you’re on the hunt for your next trade job, you can find thousands of opportunities at ZipRecruiter within a few clicks. Get access to suggestions tailored to your needs from a job searching site trusted by millions of companies.

What Are Trade Jobs?

Before jumping on the highest-paying jobs on the field, let’s take a step back and review what trade jobs are. In simple terms, trade jobs focus on apprenticing your way into a profession to learn the specific hard skills required for the role. As a result, they don’t require a bachelor’s degree, and the educational approach is more organic.

In fact, because the apprentice produces work, there’s usually a paycheck for their services even at their training stage. The factor of physical labor is also included, which might translate into lifting or using hand tools to position pieces.

As with any profession, trade jobs come with their pros and cons. We’d say that one of the job benefits is the fact that the trait is lucrative and the remuneration is excellent due to high demand. On the drawbacks, we’d have to include the danger lurking in construction or industrial trade jobs as well as the repetition of certain tasks. But, of course, for some, the repetition is a bonus. In addition, physical fatigue is almost inevitable, but you can always save yourself a gym membership.

Highest-paying Trade Jobs

Money isn’t everything, but it sure saves you from stressing out about a decent living. Here are some of the most lucrative trade jobs you can find on ZipRecruiter.

1. Electrical Technician

Electrical technicians are responsible for installing and maintaining electrical systems. Their job is physical and requires moving around, repairing or replacing components, or even climbing power poles. Since they often work with people, it requires customer service skills. For soft skills, critical thinking is also a plus since their job focuses on problem-solving.

Their duties usually include reading blueprints and complying with local regulations. Also, they focus on troubleshooting electrical problems. They usually train for 4-5 years at electrician trade schools and earn an average salary of $56,000 per year for their services. Their profession may grow by at least 9% by 2030.

2. Plumber

Plumbers are responsible for installing and repairing plumbing systems. This includes appliances, such as bathtubs, toilets, sinks, and washing machines. They carry gas and liquid into homes and businesses using a lot of know-how and various tools. Efficient communication and critical thinking are valuable soft skills for their profession.

Like electricians, plumbers get trained for 4-5 years in paid apprenticeships and get paid an average of $56,000 per year. There’s an expected growth rate of 5% by 2030, which is estimated to be roughly 23,000 new jobs.

3. Construction manager

Construction managers supervise other tradespeople for larger projects and are responsible for setting budgets, assessing building materials, framing timelines, and managing teams. Their profession requires analytical and problem-solving skills, as they have to be able to respond to emergencies and comply with blueprints quickly.

The average salary for construction managers is $97,000 per year. Although trade jobs don’t necessarily require a bachelor’s degree, knowledge of business, accounting, and construction management are highly appreciated. There’s an estimated growth of 11% – faster than average – for construction managers, translating to more than 51,000 new jobs by 2030.

Find Trade Job Career Opportunities with ZipRecruiter

For many, trade jobs offer a more secure and affordable career path than other professions. That’s because students, after their training, are enabled to gain full access to employment and march their way towards profitable professional development.

If you want to be one of the next tradespeople, get access to related job opportunities with a job board like ZipRecruiter. This will save you time and effort by clearing out job postings not meant for your skills and allowing you to apply to opportunities that match your profile and filters. You can get started with a free account, and find your dream job today!