DEAR READER: Whether you’re early in your career starting out or making a change later on, we need to talk about jobs in the skilled trades. Are they in demand and how much do they pay?

Blue collar roles don’t get nearly enough press, in my opinion. Overall, many of these skilled jobs in the trades provide steady paychecks, job security and union support. Several of them also make bank.

According to The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook, the 2023 median annual pay for an elevator and escalator installer and repairer was $102,420. The job outlook is faster than average and requires a high school diploma or equivalent and an apprenticeship for on-the-job training.

Also, according to the OOH, in 2023 the median pay for a construction manager was $104,900, typically requiring a bachelor’s degree and moderate-term on the job training. Job growth is much faster than average. Other roles don’t earn as much, such as plumber, pipefitter and steamfitter earn $61,550 and electricians earn $61,590.

Hiring continues to soar as the demand continues to grow for skilled workers. According to a Q1 2025 hiring trends report from BlueRecruit, a company that matches skilled tradespeople to hiring companies based on the experience and certifications the job demands, hiring is up by 376% from the last quarter of 2024 to the first quarter of 2025 compared to the same time last year.

Julie Lammers, executive vice president at national nonprofit American Student Assistance, wishes more workers just starting out would know about the advantages of jobs in the skilled trades. “The first thing that a young person should know is that the ‘trades’ encompass many jobs and many different kinds of opportunities. From the construction or growing energy market to the agriculture and transportation fields, there are many specialties and varieties of opportunity for a young person to consider.”

Secondly, Lammers indicated people think about how they prefer to learn and how quickly they want to enter the job market. “The education and training requirements to obtain a job in the trades are different from the education needed for other professions. Because of the strong technical nature of these jobs, most trades require significant hands-on training, but not necessarily a four-year college degree,” said Lammers. “A job in the skilled trades may be a more attractive option for a student who prefers hands-on learning or wants to enter the job market sooner than a traditional college degree would allow.”

According to Thumbtack’s annual Future of Skilled Trades Report, data from last fall revealed that 55% of Gen Z considers pursuing a career in the skilled trades. This is up by 12 points compared to 2023. There’s a cultural shift, too — 60% of skilled trade pros, per the report, said their profession is becoming more and more “instagrammable.”

Considering this generation’s career choices are heavily influenced by social media, that’s pretty impactful. Per the report, they’re most influenced by parents, followed by social media, then friends, school/class and siblings.

Tribune News Service