# Skilled Trades: Pay, Training, and How to Get In

Skilled trade guides

Twelve trades you can enter without a four-year degree, with real BLS pay data, the actual step-by-step path in, timelines, costs, and practical tips. Every guide answers the questions people really ask: how much does it pay, how long does it take, and where do I start.

## Compare the trades

    Median annual pay, BLS May 2025
    TradeMedian payTraining path
    [Electrician](/trades/electrician/)$63,190Apprenticeship (typically 4 years)[Plumber](/trades/plumber/)$63,800Apprenticeship (typically 4-5 years)[HVAC Technician](/trades/hvac-technician/)$61,010Trade school certificate plus on-the-job training[Welder](/trades/welder/)$53,750Trade school certificate plus on-the-job training[Carpenter](/trades/carpenter/)$60,580Apprenticeship (typically 3-4 years)[Auto Mechanic](/trades/auto-mechanic/)$50,620Trade school or on-the-job training; ASE certification[Ironworker](/trades/ironworker/)$62,780Apprenticeship (typically 3-4 years)[Solar Installer](/trades/solar-installer/)$53,140Moderate-term on-the-job training; NABCEP certification helps[Truck Driver (CDL)](/trades/truck-driver/)$58,640CDL school (3-7 weeks) plus short-term on-the-job training[Boilermaker](/trades/boilermaker/)$76,410Apprenticeship (typically 4 years)[Elevator Installer](/trades/elevator-installer/)$109,910Apprenticeship (typically 4 years)[Sheet Metal Worker](/trades/sheet-metal-worker/)$61,800Apprenticeship (typically 4-5 years)

## All trade guides

- [**Electrician**$63,190/yr median](/trades/electrician/)
- [**Plumber**$63,800/yr median](/trades/plumber/)
- [**HVAC Technician**$61,010/yr median](/trades/hvac-technician/)
- [**Welder**$53,750/yr median](/trades/welder/)
- [**Carpenter**$60,580/yr median](/trades/carpenter/)
- [**Auto Mechanic**$50,620/yr median](/trades/auto-mechanic/)
- [**Ironworker**$62,780/yr median](/trades/ironworker/)
- [**Solar Installer**$53,140/yr median](/trades/solar-installer/)
- [**Truck Driver (CDL)**$58,640/yr median](/trades/truck-driver/)
- [**Boilermaker**$76,410/yr median](/trades/boilermaker/)
- [**Elevator Installer**$109,910/yr median](/trades/elevator-installer/)
- [**Sheet Metal Worker**$61,800/yr median](/trades/sheet-metal-worker/)

## Trades vs college: do the math

A four-year degree costs tuition plus four years of forgone earnings. An apprenticeship pays you from day one. Our [true cost of college calculator](/college-true-cost-calculator/) and [compound interest calculator](/compound-interest/) let you compare the two paths with your own numbers, and the [salary to hourly calculator](/salary-hourly/) translates any offer into paycheck terms.