Skilled trades

A shortage that is not going away

The US construction industry was short an estimated 500,000 workers in 2024, according to Associated Builders and Contractors. The skilled trades shortfall extends beyond construction into electrical work, plumbing, HVAC, equipment repair, and industrial maintenance. These are not marginal roles. They are structural gaps in industries that keep everything else running.

Why the degree requirement was always questionable

Trade skills are learned through doing. Apprenticeships, vocational programs, and on-the-job training produce competence faster than four-year degrees in the roles that matter. An elevator technician with a two-year apprenticeship earns a median salary of $101,000 according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than the median for most bachelor’s degree holders. Power line workers, aircraft mechanics, and industrial pipe fitters follow similar patterns: high skill requirement, high pay, no degree prerequisite.

The debt picture sharpens the case. The average federal student loan balance for 2024 graduates was $38,000 according to the Federal Reserve. Trade apprentices earn while they train.

Which trades are growing

Healthcare trades like surgical technologists, radiologic technologists, and dental hygienists are growing fastest in employment terms. Energy transition is adding roles in solar installation, wind turbine maintenance, and battery systems. Electrical work has a durable shortage that is likely to widen as grid infrastructure investment accelerates under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Getting started

The path in is more straightforward than most people assume. Local unions offer apprenticeship programs with structured pay scales. Community colleges run vocational programs with direct employer pipelines. State workforce agencies often provide subsidized training for high-demand trades.

Research what is in shortage in your specific market. Demand is not uniform. What is short in Texas may be different from what is short in Ontario. The roles that pay the most are the ones where supply cannot keep up.

Trades are not a fallback. They are a deliberate choice that, made well, produces a stable and well-compensated career.