Elevator and escalator installers and repairers (elevator mechanics) pay the most of any trade you can enter without a college degree: a $109,910 national median in May 2025, followed by substation and relay electrical repairers ($103,020) and power-line installers ($95,320). Boilermakers ($76,410), terrazzo workers ($76,170), and telecom line workers ($74,330) come next, and plumbers ($63,800) and electricians ($63,190) beat the $50,980 median for all US jobs, with paid apprenticeships you can start after high school.
All figures are national medians from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), May 2025. Half of workers earn more, half earn less. These are national medians. Pay varies a lot by state and metro area. BLS OEWS publishes state and metro wages for each occupation.
The top 12 trades, ranked by median pay
| # | Trade | BLS median annual pay (May 2025) | Typical training path (BLS) | Typical time to get fully trained | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elevator and escalator installers and repairers | $109,910 | High school diploma + paid apprenticeship; most states require a license | 4-year apprenticeship (per BLS OOH) | BLS OOH |
| 2 | Electrical repairers: powerhouse, substation & relay | $103,020 | Postsecondary certificate + related work experience + on-the-job training | Certificate, then under 5 yrs related experience + 1–12 months OJT | BLS OOH, Pay tab |
| 3 | Electrical power-line installers/repairers | $95,320 | High school diploma + long-term on-the-job training (often a lineworker apprenticeship) | More than 12 months of paid OJT | BLS OOH |
| 4 | Boilermakers | $76,410 | High school diploma + paid apprenticeship | 4-year apprenticeship (per BLS OOH) | BLS OOH |
| 5 | Terrazzo workers & finishers | $76,170 | High school diploma + paid apprenticeship | Apprenticeship (BLS: up to 5 years) | BLS OOH, Pay tab |
| 6 | Telecommunications line installers/repairers | $74,330 | High school diploma + long-term on-the-job training | More than 12 months of paid OJT | O*NET 49-9052 (BLS 2025 wage) |
| 7 | Commercial divers | $72,990 | Dive school certificate + on-the-job training | Certificate, then 1–12 months OJT | O*NET 49-9092 (BLS 2025 wage) |
| 8 | Industrial machinery mechanics | $64,520 | High school diploma + long-term on-the-job training | More than 12 months of paid OJT | O*NET 49-9041 (BLS 2025 wage) |
| 9 | Plumbers, pipefitters & steamfitters | $63,800 | High school diploma + paid apprenticeship; most states require a license | 4- or 5-year apprenticeship (per BLS OOH) | BLS OOH |
| 10 | Electricians | $63,190 | High school diploma + paid apprenticeship; most states require a license | 4- or 5-year apprenticeship (per BLS OOH) | BLS OOH |
| 11 | Structural iron & steel workers | $62,780 | High school diploma + paid apprenticeship | 3- or 4-year apprenticeship (per BLS OOH) | BLS OOH, Pay tab |
| 12 | Brickmasons & blockmasons | $62,120 | High school diploma + paid apprenticeship | Apprenticeship (BLS: up to 5 years) | BLS OOH, Pay tab |
Also worth knowing (same BLS May 2025 data):
- Sheet metal workers: $61,800 (BLS OOH), apprenticeship
- HVAC mechanics & installers: $61,010 (BLS OOH), certificate + long-term OJT
- Carpenters: $60,580 (BLS OOH), apprenticeship
- Operating engineers & other construction equipment operators: $59,850 (BLS OOH, Pay tab), 1–12 months OJT
- Painters (construction & maintenance): $49,400 (BLS OOH), no formal credential needed, 1–12 months OJT
Not ranked: Construction and building inspectors earn a $74,690 median (BLS OOH), but BLS says most need 5+ years of trade experience first. It is a later career move, not a first job.
How to read "time to get fully trained": BLS groups training as apprenticeship (formal paid program, usually up to 5 years), long-term on-the-job training (more than 12 months), and moderate-term (1–12 months). In an apprenticeship or OJT you get paid from the first day. Apprentice pay usually starts around half of full journeyman pay and goes up as you go (BLS says about 50% for elevator apprentices).
Sources: BLS OEWS May 2025 · BLS Education & Training by Occupation (Table 5.4) · Pay by state and metro area: BLS OEWS tables
How to get started
You don't need to pay for a four-year degree for any of these. The usual first step is the same: finish high school or get a GED, then apply to a registered apprenticeship or an entry-level helper job. Here's where to go next on TCH.
- Electrician ($63,190): Apply to an IBEW/NECA apprenticeship or a non-union contractor program. See Electrical on TCH for schools, apprenticeships and unions in the 17 cities we cover. Electrical experience is also how a lot of people move into substation and line work (#2 and #3 on the list).
- Plumber / pipefitter ($63,800): Look for a UA local or a contractor-sponsored apprenticeship. See Plumbing on TCH.
- Brickmason / blockmason ($62,120): Start as a mason tender or apply to a BAC/IMI apprenticeship. See Masonry on TCH.
- HVAC ($61,010): Take an HVAC program at a technical college (for example, Savannah Technical College's Air Conditioning Technology certificates or 3-term diploma), get your EPA 608 certification, then keep learning on the job. See HVAC on TCH.
- Carpenter ($60,580): Carpenters union training centers and contractor apprenticeships hire beginners. See Carpentry on TCH.
- Painter ($49,400): It's the fastest way into the trades because there's no formal credential to earn first. See Painting on TCH.
- Elevator mechanic, boilermaker, ironworker, line worker, telecom line, commercial diver, industrial mechanic, terrazzo: TCH doesn't have pages for these yet. Search Apprenticeship.gov's job finder by trade and ZIP code, or contact the union local (IUEC for elevators, Boilermakers, Ironworkers, IBEW for line work).
Find work and money for training:
- Trade jobs on TCH: open positions and apprenticeships in our 17 cities, including Savannah, Atlanta, and Jacksonville.
- Trade scholarships on TCH: money for tools, tuition, and certificates.
- All trades on TCH · Data center trade jobs
FAQ
What trade pays the most without a degree? Elevator and escalator installers and repairers. Their national median pay was $109,910 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Most start after high school with a 4-year paid apprenticeship.
Can you make six figures in a trade without college? Yes. Two trades have national medians over $100,000 (BLS, May 2025): elevator and escalator installers and repairers ($109,910) and powerhouse, substation, and relay electrical repairers ($103,020). In other trades, pay depends on your city, union status, experience, and overtime. The top 10% of electricians earned more than $108,510 and the top 10% of plumbers more than $108,420 in May 2025.
What's the highest-paying trade I can learn fast? Power-line installers ($95,320 median) and telecom line installers ($74,330) learn on the job and are paid while training, but full training takes more than a year. Painters ($49,400) and construction equipment operators ($59,850) need 1 to 12 months of on-the-job training. Figures are BLS May 2025 national medians.
Do electricians or plumbers make more? They're close. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters had a $63,800 median in May 2025, and electricians had $63,190 (BLS). Both usually learn through a 4- or 5-year paid apprenticeship, and most states require a license.
Do I have to pay for trade school to get into these jobs? Usually not. Most trades on this list train you through a paid apprenticeship or on-the-job training. HVAC, substation work, and commercial diving usually start with a certificate program, and scholarships can help cover the cost.
Looking for help paying for training? See TCH scholarships.