The short answer
Elevator and escalator installers are the highest-paid skilled trade in the United States, with a median annual wage of $109,910 and a top 10% above $158,890. Powerhouse and substation electrical repairers ($103,020) and power plant operators ($102,040) are the only other trades with a median over six figures. Below them sits a broad tier — power-line installers, aircraft mechanics, boilermakers, dental hygienists — paying $75,000 to $96,000 with training that takes two years or less, or an apprenticeship that pays you while you learn.
All wage figures are Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics medians, May 2025. Growth figures are BLS Employment Projections, 2025-2035.
$109,910
Top trade median (elevator installer)
21 of 25
Of the top 25 need no college degree
+36.5%
Fastest growth (solar PV installers)
The 25 Highest Paying Trades, Ranked
Ranked by national median annual wage. "Top 10%" is what the highest-earning tenth of workers in that occupation make — a better guide to your ceiling than the median. "Openings" is the average number of jobs that need filling each year through 2035, counting both new positions and workers who retire or move on; it is the number that decides how easy the job is to actually get.
| # | Trade | Median pay | Top 10% | Education | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers | $109,910 | $158,890 | High school | +5.7% | 1,900 |
| 2 | Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $103,020 | $129,920 | Certificate | +9.7% | 1,800 |
| 3 | Power Plant Operators | $102,040 | $131,940 | High school | -5.1% | 2,300 |
| 4 | Dental Hygienists | $98,100 | $126,050 | Associate | +8% | 15,000 |
| 5 | Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $95,320 | $128,690 | High school | +10.3% | 10,900 |
| 6 | Respiratory Therapists | $82,280 | $118,050 | Associate | +8.5% | 8,600 |
| 7 | Radiologic Technologists and Technicians | $80,110 | $118,660 | Associate | +5% | 13,000 |
| 8 | Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians | $79,870 | $128,890 | Certificate | +5.4% | 11,400 |
| 9 | Boilermakers | $76,410 | $110,370 | High school | -1.8% | 700 |
| 10 | Computer Network Support Specialists | $76,220 | $127,780 | Associate | +1.2% | 9,000 |
| 11 | Construction and Building Inspectors | $74,690 | $114,200 | High school | 0% | 14,800 |
| 12 | Crane and Tower Operators | $68,080 | $103,570 | High school | +3.8% | 3,500 |
| 13 | Millwrights | $65,700 | $93,600 | High school | +0.9% | 3,200 |
| 14 | Surgical Technologists | $64,650 | $96,940 | Certificate | +5% | 7,100 |
| 15 | Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $64,520 | $95,170 | High school | +17.8% | 44,400 |
| 16 | Licensed Practical and Licensed Vocational Nurses | $64,400 | $83,440 | Certificate | +3% | 51,800 |
| 17 | Wind Turbine Service Technicians | $64,120 | $92,460 | Certificate | +29.5% | 1,500 |
| 18 | Tool and Die Makers | $64,050 | $92,680 | Certificate | -9.2% | 4,300 |
| 19 | Telecommunications Equipment Installers and Repairers | $63,890 | $96,730 | Certificate | -3.3% | 11,300 |
| 20 | Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $63,800 | $108,420 | High school | +6.8% | 42,000 |
| 21 | Electricians | $63,190 | $108,510 | High school | +9.2% | 72,700 |
| 22 | Structural Iron and Steel Workers | $62,780 | $108,260 | High school | +3.1% | 5,900 |
| 23 | Chefs and Head Cooks | $62,470 | $98,560 | High school | +6.6% | 25,200 |
| 24 | Brickmasons and Blockmasons | $62,120 | $100,010 | High school | +1.1% | 4,100 |
| 25 | Computer User Support Specialists | $61,860 | $100,540 | Some college | -3.5% | 39,700 |
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (May 2025) and Employment Projections (2025-2035). Wages are national medians for all workers in the occupation, including experienced ones — starting pay is lower.
Why the top of this list looks the way it does
The three trades with six-figure medians share a trait: they keep critical infrastructure running, and the consequences of getting the work wrong are severe. Elevator mechanics are responsible for equipment that carries people; powerhouse repairers and power plant operators keep the grid up. That combination of risk, licensing, and long apprenticeships keeps the supply of qualified workers small and the pay high.
It also makes them hard to get into. Elevator installers employ roughly 23,790 people nationally with about 1,900 openings a year. Power plant operators are projected to shrink 5.1% through 2035. High pay in a small, static occupation is not the same opportunity as slightly lower pay in one that hires constantly — which is why the openings column matters as much as the pay column.
Highest Paying Trades With No College Degree
These are the trades where the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma — or no formal credential at all — as the typical way in. Training happens on the job or through an apprenticeship, so you are paid from the start rather than paying tuition.
Elevator and Escalator Installers and Repairers
Apprenticeship route — earn while you train · +5.7% growth
$109,910
top 10% $158,890
Power Plant Operators
Long-term on-the-job training · -5.1% growth
$102,040
top 10% $131,940
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers
Long-term on-the-job training · +10.3% growth
$95,320
top 10% $128,690
Boilermakers
Apprenticeship route — earn while you train · -1.8% growth
$76,410
top 10% $110,370
Construction and Building Inspectors
Moderate-term on-the-job training · 0% growth
$74,690
top 10% $114,200
Crane and Tower Operators
Moderate-term on-the-job training · +3.8% growth
$68,080
top 10% $103,570
Millwrights
Apprenticeship route — earn while you train · +0.9% growth
$65,700
top 10% $93,600
Industrial Machinery Mechanics
Long-term on-the-job training · +17.8% growth
$64,520
top 10% $95,170
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
Apprenticeship route — earn while you train · +6.8% growth
$63,800
top 10% $108,420
Apprenticeship route — earn while you train · +9.2% growth
$63,190
top 10% $108,510
Best Pay-and-Growth Combinations
Pay alone is a poor way to choose a trade. An occupation that pays well but is shrinking will be harder to enter every year. These trades sit above the median pay of the group ($62,295) and are projected to grow at least 7% through 2035.
| Trade | Median pay | Growth | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | $103,020 | +9.7% | 1,800 |
| Dental Hygienists | $98,100 | +8% | 15,000 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | $95,320 | +10.3% | 10,900 |
| Respiratory Therapists | $82,280 | +8.5% | 8,600 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | $64,520 | +17.8% | 44,400 |
| Wind Turbine Service Technicians | $64,120 | +29.5% | 1,500 |
| Electricians | $63,190 | +9.2% | 72,700 |
The fastest-growing trades of all are newer: solar photovoltaic installers (+36.5%) and wind turbine service technicians (+29.5%). Both are genuinely booming, but they are small — together they account for about 5,700 openings a year, against 72,700 for electricians alone. Percentage growth in a small occupation creates fewer real jobs than modest growth in a large one.
What It Costs to Get In
For the trades we list schools for, here is the median tuition actually published by those programs, and how many weeks of median pay that tuition represents. It is a rough return measure — it ignores that you earn below the median at first — but it shows how small the entry cost is relative to the wage in every one of these fields.
| Trade | Median tuition | Median pay | Typical length | Tuition as weeks of pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | $5,518 | $63,800 | 9-24 months | ~4 weeks |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | $4,680 | $58,640 | 3-8 weeks | ~4 weeks |
| Electricians | $5,888 | $63,190 | 9-24 months | ~5 weeks |
| Chefs and Head Cooks | $5,496 | $62,470 | 6-24 months | ~5 weeks |
| Computer User Support Specialists | $5,622 | $61,860 | 6-24 months | ~5 weeks |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | $5,800 | $61,010 | 6-24 months | ~5 weeks |
| Carpenters | $5,498 | $60,580 | 6-24 months | ~5 weeks |
| Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers | $5,084 | $53,750 | 6-18 months | ~5 weeks |
| Massage Therapists | $6,920 | $58,450 | 6-12 months | ~6 weeks |
| Dental Assistants | $5,948 | $48,070 | 9-12 months | ~6 weeks |
| Pharmacy Technicians | $5,279 | $45,750 | 6-12 months | ~6 weeks |
| Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics | $6,339 | $50,620 | 6-24 months | ~7 weeks |
| Veterinary Technologists and Technicians | $6,482 | $47,380 | 18-24 months | ~7 weeks |
| Medical Assistants | $5,944 | $45,690 | 9-12 months | ~7 weeks |
| Hairdressers, Hairstylists, and Cosmetologists | $7,273 | $35,790 | 9-15 months | ~11 weeks |
Tuition medians are calculated from the programs with published pricing in our directory. Read the full breakdown in our trade school cost guide.
Where the Same Trade Pays Most
Location changes trade pay more than almost any other factor. The gap between the best and worst-paying states is roughly two to one in every trade we have state data for. Cost of living accounts for part of it; union density and local construction demand account for the rest.
Electricians
- Oregon $101,310
- Illinois $99,560
- Hawaii $96,460
- Washington $95,220
- Alaska $89,440
- Lowest: Arkansas $49,070
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters
- District of Columbia $101,020
- Illinois $99,950
- Oregon $97,050
- Minnesota $94,410
- Alaska $93,920
- Lowest: Arkansas $48,660
Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers
- District of Columbia $84,390
- Alaska $77,430
- Illinois $77,410
- Massachusetts $77,300
- Connecticut $76,610
- Lowest: Arkansas $48,110
Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers
- Alaska $80,840
- Hawaii $79,000
- Connecticut $64,880
- Wyoming $63,820
- Washington $63,020
- Lowest: Arkansas $47,970
What actually raises your pay
The median is a starting point, not a destiny. Four things reliably move a tradesperson from the middle of the range toward the top 10%.
Licensure and journeyman status
In the licensed trades — electrical, plumbing, HVAC in most states — the jump from apprentice to licensed journeyman is the single largest pay step you will take, and it is the one with a clearly defined path. Every state publishes the hours required. Our electrician and plumbing pages list the requirement for each state.
Specialization
Within every trade there is a higher-paid niche: commercial refrigeration inside HVAC, industrial and controls work inside electrical, pipe and alloy work inside welding, medical gas inside plumbing. These pay more because fewer people can do them, and they generally take a few years of general experience first.
Supervision
Moving up rather than sideways works too. First-line supervisors of construction trades earn a median of $79,920, and supervisors of mechanics and installers $79,860 — both well above the trades they supervise, and both reachable with a high school diploma plus experience.
Self-employment
Running your own shop is the route people most often cite for six-figure trade income, and it is real — but it is a business outcome, not a wage. BLS wage data covers employees, so self-employed earnings are not in the figures above and no reliable national median exists for them. Treat any specific "trade business owners earn $X" claim, including ones you will find on other sites, as unsourced.
How to get started
- Pick on openings, not just pay. An occupation with 40,000 annual openings will hire you; one with 1,900 may not, however well it pays.
- Decide between school and apprenticeship. Apprenticeships pay you from day one and dominate the top of this list. Trade school is faster to start, has open enrollment, and is the standard route into HVAC, automotive, healthcare and IT roles.
- Check your state's licence requirements before you enroll, since the hours a program gives you only count if they count in your state.
- Compare real program costs. Public community and technical colleges typically charge a fraction of private career colleges for the same credential.
Find programs in these trades
Browse accredited schools by trade and state, with published tuition and program length.
Browse Trade SchoolsFastest Growing Trades Through 2035
| Trade | Growth | Median pay | Openings/yr |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solar Photovoltaic Installers | +36.5% | $53,140 | 4,200 |
| Wind Turbine Service Technicians | +29.5% | $64,120 | 1,500 |
| Industrial Machinery Mechanics | +17.8% | $64,520 | 44,400 |
| Massage Therapists | +15.3% | $58,450 | 20,400 |
| Medical Assistants | +12.9% | $45,690 | 109,700 |
| Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers | +10.9% | $61,010 | 40,600 |
| Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers | +10.3% | $95,320 | 10,900 |
| Electrical and Electronics Repairers, Powerhouse, Substation, and Relay | +9.7% | $103,020 | 1,800 |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the highest paying trade?
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers are the highest-paid skilled trade, with a median annual wage of $109,910 in May 2025 — and the top 10% earn more than $158,890. The typical entry requirement is a high school diploma followed by a four-year apprenticeship, so no college degree is involved. The catch is size: the occupation employs about 23,790 people nationally, so openings are scarce and competition for apprenticeships is intense.
Which trade pays the most without a degree?
Among trades where the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists a high school diploma or less as the typical entry requirement, elevator installers lead at $109,910, followed by power plant operators at $102,040 and electrical power-line installers at $95,320. All three are apprenticeship or long on-the-job-training routes rather than classroom programs, so you earn while you train.
Can you make $100,000 a year in a trade?
Yes, though it is the top of the range rather than the average. Three occupations in this list have a median above $100,000: elevator installers, powerhouse and substation electrical repairers, and power plant operators. Many more cross $100,000 at the 90th percentile — electricians reach $108,510, plumbers $108,420, aircraft mechanics $128,890. Getting there usually takes licensure, a specialization, overtime, union scale, or running your own crew.
Which trade has the best combination of pay and job growth?
Electrical power-line installers stand out: a $95,320 median with 10.3% projected growth through 2035. HVAC technicians pair a $61,010 median with 10.9% growth, and industrial machinery mechanics $64,520 with 17.8% growth. Wind turbine service technicians and solar photovoltaic installers grow fastest of all at 29.5% and 36.5%, but from a small base — roughly 1,500 and 4,200 annual openings respectively.
How long does it take to train for a high-paying trade?
It depends on the route. Certificate programs for HVAC, welding, and automotive work run six months to two years. The highest-paying trades — elevator installer, power-line installer, boilermaker — are mostly four to five-year apprenticeships that pay a percentage of journeyman scale from day one, so the training time is paid rather than purchased.
Do trade salaries vary much by state?
Substantially. The median electrician earns $101,310 in Oregon and $49,070 in Arkansas — more than double. Plumbers range from $101,020 in Washington, D.C. to $48,660 in Arkansas. Cost of living explains part of the gap, unionization and local construction demand explain the rest.