What is the highest paying trade?

Of the trades covered here, elevator installers lead at $109,910 median annual pay (BLS, May 2025), followed by boilermakers at $76,410. Both require competitive 4-year apprenticeships.

Which trade is easiest to get into?

Solar installation and truck driving have the shortest paths: employers train solar installers on the job in months, and CDL school takes 3 to 7 weeks.

How do apprenticeships work?

A registered apprenticeship combines paid on-the-job training (typically 2,000 hours a year) with classroom instruction. You earn a wage from day one that rises on a set schedule as you gain skills.

Skilled trade guides

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

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
Trade	Median pay	Training path
Electrician	$63,190	Apprenticeship (typically 4 years)
Plumber	$63,800	Apprenticeship (typically 4-5 years)
HVAC Technician	$61,010	Trade school certificate plus on-the-job training
Welder	$53,750	Trade school certificate plus on-the-job training
Carpenter	$60,580	Apprenticeship (typically 3-4 years)
Auto Mechanic	$50,620	Trade school or on-the-job training; ASE certification
Ironworker	$62,780	Apprenticeship (typically 3-4 years)
Solar Installer	$53,140	Moderate-term on-the-job training; NABCEP certification helps
Truck Driver (CDL)	$58,640	CDL school (3-7 weeks) plus short-term on-the-job training
Boilermaker	$76,410	Apprenticeship (typically 4 years)
Elevator Installer	$109,910	Apprenticeship (typically 4 years)
Sheet Metal Worker	$61,800	Apprenticeship (typically 4-5 years)

All trade guides

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 and compound interest calculator let you compare the two paths with your own numbers, and the salary to hourly calculator translates any offer into paycheck terms.