There is a persistent idea in American life that trade careers are respectable but financially modest—good enough to pay the bills, but not the kind of work that builds real wealth. The data says otherwise. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' May 2024 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, nuclear power reactor operators earn a median of $122,830 a year. Air traffic controllers—who need an associate's degree, not a bachelor's—pull in a median of $144,580. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers earn $106,580 at the midpoint, and the top ten percent clear well above $130,000. These are not outliers plucked from an otherwise dreary spreadsheet. They are part of a broad landscape of skilled trades that pay at or above what many four-year degree holders earn, often with significantly less student debt and a faster path to the workforce.

This piece is a data-driven guide to those careers. Every salary figure is anchored in May 2024 BLS data. Every growth projection comes from the Bureau's 2024–2034 occupational outlook. For each career, we'll cover what it takes to get in, what you can realistically expect to earn at various stages, and what the job market looks like over the next decade. The goal isn't to argue that trade school is better than college—it isn't, for everyone—but to show that the ceiling for trade careers is far higher than most people assume.

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The Six-Figure Tier

At the top of the trade salary ladder sit a handful of careers that consistently clear six figures at the median—meaning half of all workers in the field earn more. These aren't niche anomalies. They represent tens of thousands of jobs.

Air traffic controllers are the highest-paid trade-accessible career tracked by the BLS, with a median annual wage of $144,580 in May 2024. The lowest ten percent still earned $76,090, and the top ten percent exceeded $210,410. The entry path is an associate's degree or completion of an FAA-approved Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative program, followed by the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City. There is no bachelor's degree requirement, though the training pipeline is rigorous: candidates must pass the Air Traffic Skills Assessment, complete academy training, and then spend two to four years in on-the-job training at an assigned facility. Starting salaries for trainees run between $46,000 and $55,000, but pay climbs steeply as controllers certify at progressively more complex facilities. The FAA recently raised starting salaries for academy trainees by thirty percent and streamlined the hiring process from eight steps to five, reflecting the urgency of the current controller shortage. The BLS projects modest one-percent employment growth through 2034, but approximately 2,200 annual openings from retirements alone ensure steady demand.

Nuclear power reactor operators earn a median of $122,830, placing them among the highest-paid production workers in the country. The entry requirement is a high school diploma, but the real barrier is the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission licensing process. Aspiring operators typically begin as unlicensed workers inside nuclear plants, receive extensive on-site technical training, and then pass the NRC licensing exam—a process that can take several years. Once licensed, operators continue frequent training to stay current on safety protocols and emergency procedures. The occupation is small (about 6,400 workers nationally) and employment is projected to decline about ten percent through 2034 as older plants face decommissioning. But roughly 3,800 annual openings are still expected from retirements and turnover, and the growing interest in small modular reactors and nuclear energy's role in decarbonization may alter the longer-term trajectory.

Elevator and escalator installers and repairers sit at $106,580 at the median, with the lowest ten percent earning above $60,000 and the top earners clearing $130,000 or more. The typical path is a four-to-five-year apprenticeship, usually sponsored by a union or an elevator manufacturer. Most apprenticeships require a high school diploma and basic math and mechanical aptitude. Apprentices start at roughly half the journeyman rate and receive raises at each stage of their training. The BLS projects five-percent employment growth through 2034—faster than the average for all occupations—driven by new construction and the need to maintain and modernize the nation's approximately one million existing elevators. Nearly all elevator installers belong to the International Union of Elevator Constructors, and union membership is a significant factor in both wages and benefits.

Radiation therapists round out the six-figure tier with a median of $101,990. They require an associate's or bachelor's degree in radiation therapy, plus national certification and state licensure in most states. The pathway is more structured than some trades—clinical rotations are required—but the total training time is two to four years, substantially less than the decade-plus required for the physicians they work alongside. The lowest ten percent earned $77,860 and the top ten percent exceeded $141,550. Growth is projected at two percent through 2034, but demographic trends—an aging population requiring more cancer treatment—are expected to sustain roughly 900 annual openings.

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The High-Earning Middle

Below the six-figure tier sits a dense cluster of trade careers paying between $60,000 and $95,000 at the median—well above the national median of $49,500 for all workers. These occupations employ hundreds of thousands of people and, in many cases, are growing faster than the economy as a whole.

Dental hygienists earned a median of $94,260 in May 2024, with the top ten percent earning above $120,060. The field requires an associate's degree in dental hygiene, typically a three-year program, plus state licensure and the passage of written and clinical board exams. Employment is projected to grow seven percent through 2034—more than double the average for all occupations—generating about 15,300 annual openings. Geographic variation is significant: dental hygienists in Alaska, California, and Washington routinely earn above $100,000, while those in lower-cost states average closer to $70,000. Many hygienists work part-time for multiple practices, giving them unusual schedule flexibility.

Avionics technicians—the specialists who install, test, and repair electronic systems in aircraft—earned a median of $81,390, with the top ten percent exceeding $113,580. The typical entry requires an associate's degree or a postsecondary certificate from an FAA-approved program, plus on-the-job training. Aircraft mechanics and service technicians, a closely related occupation, earned a median of $78,680. Both occupations are projected to grow five percent through 2034, with about 13,100 combined annual openings. The aviation maintenance workforce is aging, and the FAA's certification requirements create a natural barrier to entry that helps sustain wages.

Electricians, one of the largest and most visible trade occupations, earned a median of $62,350 in May 2024, with the top ten percent exceeding $106,030. That median figure understates the earning potential for experienced electricians, particularly those in high-demand specialties like industrial controls, solar installation, or data center infrastructure. Entry-level electricians earn around $60,600 according to Payscale data for 2025, while those with four to seven years of experience reach a median of roughly $76,600. The BLS projects nine-percent growth through 2034—three times the national average—producing about 81,000 annual openings, making it one of the largest and fastest-growing trade occupations in the country. The typical pathway is a four-to-five-year apprenticeship combining on-the-job training with classroom instruction. Apprentices earn while they learn, starting at about half the journeyman rate.

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters earned a median of $62,970, nearly identical to electricians. Growth is projected at four percent, with about 44,000 annual openings. Entry-level plumbers start around $53,900, rising to roughly $75,800 for those with four to six years of experience. The training pathway mirrors electricians: a four-to-five-year apprenticeship, followed by journeyman licensing. HVAC mechanics and installers fall slightly below at a median around $57,300, but the field's projected eight-percent growth rate and approximately 40,000 annual openings make it one of the most accessible and reliable entry points into the trades. Entry-level HVAC technicians earn a median of $54,100, according to Payscale, with experienced supervisors clearing $90,800.

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The Growth Careers

Some of the most interesting trade careers aren't the highest-paying right now, but they're growing at rates that suggest they will be soon. The BLS's two fastest-growing occupations in the entire economy—not just among trades, but among all 800-plus tracked occupations—are both trade-accessible jobs in renewable energy.

Wind turbine service technicians, or windtechs, are projected to see fifty-percent employment growth from 2024 to 2034, the highest of any occupation. The median pay was $62,580 in May 2024, with the top ten percent earning above $88,090. Entry typically requires a postsecondary certificate or associate's degree from a wind energy technology program—usually one to two years of training. The Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory has projected a shortage of approximately 124,000 wind energy workers by 2030, which is expected to put upward pressure on wages. Geographic variation matters here: technicians in Pennsylvania and New Jersey earn median wages above $80,000, while those in traditional wind-heavy states like Texas and Iowa earn somewhat less.

Solar photovoltaic installers are the second-fastest-growing occupation, with projected growth of forty-two percent through 2034. The current median wage is lower—$51,860—but the top ten percent earn above $80,150, and the field's rapid expansion suggests significant wage growth ahead. Most solar installers need only a high school diploma plus on-the-job training, though certification from the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners can boost both employability and pay.

Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers represent a more traditional trade occupation with a median of about $51,000 and a projected two-percent growth rate. That growth figure understates the demand: roughly 45,600 openings are projected each year, almost entirely from retirements. The American Welding Society estimates that more than 157,000 welding professionals are approaching retirement and that 320,500 new welding professionals will be needed by 2029. Specialized welders—those certified in underwater welding, pipeline work, or aerospace applications—earn significantly more than the median. BLS data shows that welders in the aerospace sector average around $102,900, and those in pipeline construction routinely earn in the $70,000 to $90,000 range. Alaska, Hawaii, and the District of Columbia pay the highest average wages for welders, reflecting geographic isolation, high living costs, and concentrated demand from the oil and gas and construction industries.

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What the Median Doesn't Show: Geography, Unions, and the Six-Figure Business Owner

One of the most important things to understand about trade salaries is that the national median is a starting point, not a ceiling. Three factors routinely push actual earnings far above the published numbers: geographic market, union membership, and business ownership.

Geography matters enormously. An HVAC technician in Alaska earns a median well above the national figure, while one in Mississippi earns well below it. Entry-level HVAC technicians in San Francisco start around $64,200 compared to $49,200 in West Virginia, according to Payscale data. Part of this reflects cost-of-living differences, but not all of it: states with intense construction activity, large industrial bases, or geographic isolation consistently pay premiums that outstrip local living costs. For electricians, the BLS reports that the highest-paying states include Illinois, New York, and Oregon, where median wages exceed $80,000—well above the national figure of $62,350.

Union membership is another significant variable. Nearly all elevator installers and repairers belong to the International Union of Elevator Constructors, and their median of $106,580 reflects that. Unionized electricians and plumbers in major metropolitan areas routinely earn $80,000 to $100,000 or more in total compensation when benefits are included. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that union members in construction trades earn a median roughly twenty percent above their non-union counterparts, and the gap widens further when health insurance, pension contributions, and annuity funds are factored in.

But perhaps the most powerful earnings lever—and the one most consistently overlooked—is self-employment. The BLS wage data covers only wage and salary workers. It does not capture the income of the electrician who starts her own contracting firm, the plumber who builds a service business with ten trucks, or the HVAC technician who opens a mechanical shop. Industry surveys and tax data consistently show that trade business owners in residential and commercial services frequently earn $100,000 to $200,000 or more, with established multi-employee firms generating revenues that put their owners well into six-figure territory. A master electrician with a contractor's license in a growing metro area, for example, can realistically bill $150 to $200 per hour for commercial work. A plumbing contractor running even a modest operation with three to five employees often clears more than $150,000 in annual income. These figures don't appear in BLS tables, but they are the financial reality for a significant number of experienced tradespeople who leverage their skills into ownership.

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What the Data Tells Us

The picture that emerges from the BLS data is difficult to reconcile with the old assumption that trade careers are a fallback option. Air traffic controllers outearn the median for bachelor's degree holders. Nuclear reactor operators make more than most engineers. Elevator installers earn six figures without a single college credit. Even in the more commonly discussed trades—electrical, plumbing, HVAC—experienced workers with union membership or their own businesses routinely cross the six-figure threshold that many four-year degree holders never reach.

None of this is to say that trade work is easy or that it suits everyone. The physical demands are real, the training is rigorous, and the path to high earnings typically requires years of apprenticeship and progressive certification. But for people who are willing to do that work, the financial trajectory is better than the conventional wisdom suggests—and the labor market is desperate for them. The BLS projects that electrician openings alone will exceed 81,000 per year through 2034. HVAC and plumbing add another 84,000. Wind turbine and solar careers are growing at rates that dwarf anything in the four-year-degree economy.

For students and families making post-secondary decisions, the question isn't whether trade careers pay well. The data has answered that. The question is whether the education system—and the cultural assumptions embedded in it—will catch up to what the labor market already knows.

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