High-Paying Construction Jobs are Plentiful, But Workers are Few

High-Paying Construction Jobs are Plentiful, But Workers are Few

Posted on Tuesday, July 24, 2018
By: Sequoia Supply
Categories: Construction Industry

Construction and trade jobs are essential to the success of the flourishing American economy. Since the Trump administration took office, more than 3.2 Million jobs have been created at a rate of more than 200,000 a month, unemployment hit an all-time low, and wages are rising. But quality trades workers are in short supply and high demand.

High School students are lining up to get into Colleges and Universities, while largely ignoring skilled trade jobs that often pay more than college-degree jobs. Additionally, one must factor in the exorbitant and ever-rising cost of a four-year degree. While a shortage of blue-collar workers is pushing wages higher in the skilled trades, the financial return from a bachelor's degree is weakening. Additionally, most graduates immediately face loans in the tens-of-thousands of dollars before they ever apply for a job.

Blue-collar trades are desperately seeking talented workers, but few young Americans are being made aware. The nation’s current education system is failing to educate young Americans as to the potential earning opportunities in manufacturing and construction, especially women and minorities. As a result, fewer of them are entering those potentially lucrative, time-tested, and long-lasting areas of employment.

High school graduates have been so strongly encouraged to get a bachelor's degree, that high-paid blue-collar jobs requiring much shorter and less-expensive training are going unfilled... while the demand for workers continues to rise. Not only does this misguiding lack of enlightenment potentially hurt the students’ futures, it poses a real threat to the future needs of the American economy.

Construction – in addition to health care and personal care – will account for one-third of all new jobs through 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There will also be a need for new plumbers and new electricians. As congress debates a monumental overhaul of the nation's roads, bridges and airports, the U.S. Department of Education reports that there will be 68 percent more job openings in infrastructure-related fields in the next five years than there are people training to fill them!

According to the U.S. Department of Education, people with career and technical educations are also more likely to be employed than their counterparts with academic credentials, and significantly more likely to be working in their fields of study. All the while, two-thirds of college graduates struggle to launch their careers, with only 27 percent being employed in jobs closely related to their fields of study!

HIGH-PAYING CONSTRUCTION TRADE JOBS INCLUDE:

1. Welders earn an average annual salary of $38,464. Salaries typically start from $22,971 and go up to $59,039. States that currently pay the highest rates include Arizona; Washington, DC: Hawaii; Wyoming; and North Dakota. States with the highest projected annual job openings for Welders are Texas, California, Idaho, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana.
2. Sheet Metal Workers earn an average salary of $46,940 per year. States that currently pay the highest rates include Alaska, Illinois, Hawaii, Minnesota, and New York. States with the most annual job openings include California, Texas, Florida, New York, Colorado, and Washington.
3. Carpenters earn an average annual salary of $43,600. States that currently pay the highest rates include Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey. States projected to have the highest number of job openings are California, Idaho, Florida, New York, and Texas.
4. Electricians earn an average salary of $52,720 per year. States that currently pay the highest rates include Alaska, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, and Washington, DC. States projected to have the highest number of job openings are California, Texas, Florida, New York, Idaho, and Colorado.
5. Heavy Equipment Operators earn an average salary of $45,890 per year. States that currently pay the highest rates include New York, Hawaii, New Jersey, and Alaska. States projected to have the highest number of job openings are Texas, Idaho, California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Colorado.
6. HVAC Technicians earn an average annual salary of $45,910. States that currently pay the highest rates include Washington, DC; Hawaii; Alaska; North Dakota; and New Jersey. States projected to have the highest number of job openings are Florida, California, Texas, New York, and Arizona.
7. Masons earn an average salary of $41,330 annually. States that currently pay the highest rates include Massachusetts, New York, Illinois, and Hawaii. States projected to have the highest number of job openings are California, Texas, Idaho, Florida, and Colorado. 
8. Plumbers earn an average salary of $51,450 per year. States that currently pay the highest rates include New York; Illinois; Oregon; Washington, DC; and Alaska. States projected to have the highest number of job openings are California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Colorado.
9. Boilermakers earn an average salary of $62,060 annually. States that currently pay the highest rates include New Hampshire, California, New York, Indiana, and West Virginia. States projected to have the highest number of job openings are Texas, Indiana, Idaho, Ohio, and Louisiana.

These represent only several of the many trade jobs with high levels of earned income. Additionally, the salaries reflected are for mid-level wage earners. The opportunities for high earning potential in advanced construction management positions – without a college degree – are well above average when it comes to jobs in the trades. Share the truth and enlighten the youth of America to their potential future.

[Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, Projections Central]

Tagged:Employment, Jobs, Economy