Exploring Skilled Trades – Statistics and Insights

Key Takeaways

• Skilled trades provide accessible and well-paying career paths that do not necessarily require a costly education.  Skilled trades offer numerous job opportunities, with an average of approximately 723,400 job openings annually.
• The construction and extraction professions are projected to experience a 4% increase in employment from 2021 to 2031.
• Promoting diversity and inclusion in skilled trades is essential to address gender gaps and create a more balanced workforce.
• Certification and a trade school education can significantly enhance job prospects in skilled trades.
• Skilled trades play a crucial economic role in infrastructure development and maintenance.
• The demand for skilled trade workers is expected to continue, offering stability and opportunities for individuals interested in practical and hands-on work.

Skilled Trade Jobs on a Steady Growth Trajectory

On average, about 723,400 skilled trade job opportunities open yearly (BLS, 2022).  Overall employment in construction and extraction professions is projected to increase up to 4% from 2021 to 2031.

Skilled trade jobs require only a certificate or any other associate degree as this profession demands a practical approach and training, letting you earn a considerable wage immediately.  They are divided into three categories:

• Construction Trades: It includes electricians, carpenters, plumbers and pipefitters.
• Industrial Trades: It includes mechanics, ironworkers, welders, and tool & die makers.
• Service Trades: It includes personal care assistants, therapists, technicians and nurses.

Some of the interesting facts and statistics regarding these skilled trade occupations are listed below:

Demand For Skilled Trade Workers

There exists a strong demand for skilled trade workers.  From March 2022 to March 2023, many skilled trade jobs were opened, including construction, trade, utilities, health care & social assistance.  In 2021, the maximum number of skilled trade workers were employed in construction and extraction site, followed by first-line supervisors production & operating workers (646,800), as well as transportation and material moving workers (561,800) (BLS, 2022).

According to a Bloomberg report in July 2022, the skilled trade workforce in the United States consisted of approximately 12 million people.  This significant number reflects the importance of skilled trades in various industries such as construction, manufacturing, and maintenance.  Skilled tradespeople are vital in building and maintaining infrastructure, contributing to economic growth and development.  The size of the skilled trade workforce highlights the ongoing demand for these specialized skills and their crucial role in shaping the American economy (Bloomberg, 2019).

Among all the states of the U.S., Texas had the highest employment level for construction & extraction (84,930), followed by California (66,150) and Florida (56,020) (BLS, 2022).

Elevator & escalator installers & repairers are in more demand in the U.S. as they had a median wage of $97,860 in 2021 (BLS, 2022).

Second on the list was boilermakers which had a median wage of $64,290, followed by construction & building inspectors ($61,640), electricians ($60,040) and ironworkers ($57,160) (BLS, 2022).

Plumbing is an essential skilled trade in the United States, with approximately 428,000 workers employed as plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters in 2022, according to Statista (Statista, 2023).  These professionals play a crucial role in installing, maintaining, and repairing plumbing systems.  In May 2021, the median annual wage for plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters was reported to be $59,880 (BLS, 2023).

The demand for HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) technicians is driven by the necessity for climate control systems in residential and commercial buildings.  According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Occupational Outlook Handbook, there is projected to be a 5 percent increase in employment opportunities for HVAC technicians from 2021 to 2031.  Additionally, the median annual wage for HVAC technicians in the United States was reported to be $48,630 in 2021, according to the BLS Occupational Employment Statistics (BLS, 2023).

Highest-paid Construction Jobs

Highest-paid construction jobs in the U.S. include construction manager ($98,980/year), electrician (60,040/year), solar photovoltaic installer ($47,670/year), construction worker (37,770) and glazier (47,180), carpenter ($48,260) and plumber ($59,880) (US.News, 2023).

Gender Pay Gap for Skilled Trades

Men embrace most skilled trade opportunities compared to their female counterparts. For example, around 96% of tradespeople were men, and the remaining 4% were women in the U.S. in 2021 (Zippia, 2021).  In 2020, the concentration of female workers was only 3.38%.

Women comprise only about 10% of the skilled trade workforce in the United States.  This underrepresentation of women in skilled trades highlights the need for greater gender diversity in these industries.  Encouraging more women to pursue careers in skilled trades can help address the gender gap, promote equality, and tap into a broader talent pool. In addition, creating a more inclusive environment that supports and empowers women in skilled trades can lead to increased innovation, productivity, and economic growth for the country (Forbes, 2022).

According to official BLS statistics, 5.4% of workers were found in construction & extraction occupations, and 3.2% were in installation, maintenance & repair fields in 2018.  In the construction & repair profession, the percentage of 16 years old Hispanic or Latino men (11.4%) was more than White (6.0%), Black or African American (3.1%) and Asian (1.4%).  Similarly, 3.7% of Hispanic men, 3.4% of White men, 2.5% of Black or African American men and 1.7% of Asian men were employed in installation, maintenance and repair occupations (BLS, 2019).

In the same year, the percentage of 16 years old Hispanic or Latino women (0.8%) was more than White (0.4%), Black or African American (0.2%) and Asian women (0.1%).  About 0.2% of Hispanic women, 0.2% of White women, 0.2% of Black or African American women and 0.3% of Asian women were employed in installation, maintenance and repair occupations (BLS, 2019).

Skilled Trade vs All Other Professions

Skilled trade jobs are different from other occupations as they demand more physical strength and a critical thinking approach.  As per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are five types of strength levels: sedentary work, light work, medium work, heavy work and very heavy work.  All the construction trades and extraction workers are classified as having medium strength levels & very heavy strength levels.  These trade workers sometimes lift about 26-50 pounds, 51-100 pounds or even >100 pounds (BLS, 2022).

The median age of construction skilled trade workers was 42.4 in 2022 (BLS, 2023), and for every three tradesmen who retire, there’s only one skilled person to fill his/her position.  Therefore, when an existing skilled worker leaves or changes his career, the demand for a replacement worker accelerates the demand to fill that role.  As per JFF analysis, out of the 1.3 million yearly job opportunities, there are 15 openings resulting from replacements for every new job in the trades generated annually (JFF, 2020).

Education for Skilled Trade Workers

To prepare for a skilled trade, students usually enroll in a trade school that only costs about 25% of standard school fees with a span of 1-3 years of education.  The average cost to complete training from a trading academy was $33,000 in 2016, whereas the average tuition fee of a four-year program was $127,000 (Accredited Schools Online, 2022)

After the Covid-19 outbreak, a survey showed that about 33% consider trade school a better option than a college degree, 58% think both are equally good choices, and 9% consider trade school a worse option than college (BigRentz, 2019).

In the realm of skilled labor in the United States, there has been a noticeable shift in recent years regarding the importance of certification.  Traditionally, obtaining certification for a specific skill was not prevalent, as individuals could learn the trade through hands-on experience and apprenticeships.  However, the landscape has evolved, and the trend of acquiring certifications has gained traction.  According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 241,000 new apprentices joined the national apprenticeship system in fiscal year 2021, whereas the number of apprentices who graduated in the same year is 96,000 (Dol.gov, 2021).

Conclusion

In conclusion, skilled trades provide valuable career opportunities regardless of gender or background.  With numerous job openings and projected growth, these professions offer stable employment and competitive wages.  Addressing the gender pay gap and promoting inclusivity is crucial.  Certifications and trade school education are essential for success in skilled trades.  Skilled trades play a vital economic role, offering rewarding paths for practical and hands-on work.

Methodology

The methodology for this article involved collecting and analyzing data from various sources to provide insights into skilled trades and their significance in the workforce.

Data Collection: Data was collected from reputable sources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), U.S. News & World Report, Zippia, Statista, Jobs For the Future, Accredited Schools Online, BigRentz, and Forbes.  These sources provided up-to-date statistics, trends, and insights regarding skilled trade job openings, employment levels, wages, gender representation, educational requirements, and industry outlook.