Trades & 2-year · On-the-job training

Learn on the job

No college needed to start. A high school diploma or less, then months to a year or more of training at work.

Career	Median yearly payAll workers · May 2025	Top 10% earn overMay 2025	Projected growth2025–35	Openings per yearprojected, 2025–35
Cooks, restaurant	$37,390	$47,900	+12.1%	218,600
Maintenance and repair workers, general	$49,590	$77,180	+4.2%	148,700
Bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks	$50,670	$74,550	-5.6%	144,100
Miscellaneous assemblers and fabricators	$44,650	$64,880	+1.1%	138,700
Sales representatives of services, except advertising, insurance, financial services, and travel	$69,990	$148,840	+2.7%	115,700
Sales representatives, wholesale and manufacturing, except technical and scientific products	$72,080	$137,550	-0.9%	99,800
Medical secretaries and administrative assistants	$45,930	$60,530	+4.8%	89,200
Inspectors, testers, sorters, samplers, and weighers	$48,570	$77,860	+2.5%	66,700
Police and sheriff's patrol officers	$76,210	$115,120	+3.5%	51,500
Pharmacy technicians	$45,750	$61,040	+6.4%	44,700
Industrial machinery mechanics	$64,520	$95,170	+17.8%	44,400
Insurance sales agents	$62,280	$138,140	+3.3%	43,100
Packaging and filling machine operators and tenders	$43,220	$60,030	+4.1%	41,400
Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers	$53,750	$77,530	+2.4%	40,300
Computer user support specialists	$61,860	$100,540	-3.5%	39,700
Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators	$59,850	$101,090	+4.6%	39,200
Billing and posting clerks	$48,500	$67,710	-0.1%	37,000
Bakers	$37,160	$49,020	+5.5%	36,500
Production, planning, and expediting clerks	$59,650	$86,000	-1.3%	32,600
Real estate sales agents	$52,830	$123,590	+1.7%	32,600
Parts salespersons	$38,630	$62,890	+3.0%	30,000
Correctional officers and jailers	$58,940	$93,220	-7.4%	28,400
Production workers, all other	$40,110	$61,530	+0.8%	27,300
Machinists	$58,750	$80,010	+1.0%	26,100
Electrical, electronic, and electromechanical assemblers, except coil winders, tapers, and finishers	$45,850	$62,950	+5.0%	25,900
Painters, construction and maintenance	$49,400	$78,810	+3.0%	24,900
Bus and truck mechanics and diesel engine specialists	$61,770	$88,740	+3.6%	24,400
Food batchmakers	$42,290	$58,940	+6.5%	23,100
Bus drivers, transit and intercity	$59,050	$84,700	+4.1%	21,100
Claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators	$78,000	$117,040	-5.5%	20,900
Flight attendants	$63,580	$136,430	+8.8%	18,500
Installation, maintenance, and repair workers, all other	$49,230	$77,040	+2.6%	18,300
Legal secretaries and administrative assistants	$55,570	$91,730	-5.2%	18,100
Insurance claims and policy processing clerks	$49,230	$73,590	-1.9%	17,500
Musicians and singers	—	$132.56/hr	+0.3%	17,400
Court, municipal, and license clerks	$48,700	$73,820	+3.4%	17,100
Dispatchers, except police, fire, and ambulance	$50,340	$78,140	-0.7%	16,000
Coating, painting, and spraying machine setters, operators, and tenders	$48,250	$74,730	+2.5%	15,300
Butchers and meat cutters	$40,140	$58,110	+2.4%	15,100
Mobile heavy equipment mechanics, except engines	$65,510	$94,460	+6.7%	15,000
Construction and building inspectors	$74,690	$114,200	+0.0%	14,800
Chemical equipment operators and tenders	$58,040	$92,250	+3.6%	13,900
Molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$44,350	$61,600	-3.4%	13,800
Pest control workers	$45,250	$61,890	+5.5%	13,700
Cement masons and concrete finishers	$57,020	$85,480	+1.6%	13,600
Cutting, punching, and press machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$46,330	$65,510	-10.5%	13,200
Eligibility interviewers, government programs	$54,210	$74,690	+1.6%	12,700
Automotive body and related repairers	$54,890	$87,940	+3.7%	12,600
Computer numerically controlled tool operators	$50,690	$73,890	-9.4%	12,500
Printing press operators	$45,780	$63,520	-8.7%	12,100
Roofers	$55,440	$81,720	+5.3%	12,000
Tour and travel guides	$38,120	$60,930	+6.3%	11,900
Highway maintenance workers	$50,260	$71,970	+3.4%	11,800
Multiple machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$47,180	$74,450	+0.6%	11,600
Payroll and timekeeping clerks	$58,260	$81,350	-15.9%	11,400
Bill and account collectors	$47,030	$65,580	-10.4%	11,200
Electrical power-line installers and repairers	$95,320	$128,690	+10.3%	10,900
Medical equipment preparers	$47,700	$69,950	+10.8%	10,700
Photographers	$44,660	$91,810	-0.7%	10,700
First-line supervisors of police and detectives	$106,040	$165,110	+3.3%	10,600
Agricultural equipment operators	$41,730	$58,650	+8.6%	10,100
Water and wastewater treatment plant and system operators	$60,020	$91,060	-5.7%	10,000
Tax preparers	$54,920	$99,270	+4.7%	9,400
Paper goods machine setters, operators, and tenders	$50,270	$70,320	-3.6%	9,000
Public safety telecommunicators	$53,040	$79,830	+3.7%	9,000
Security and fire alarm systems installers	$60,070	$81,150	+6.8%	8,500
Telecommunications line installers and repairers	$74,330	$103,680	-3.4%	8,000
Mixing and blending machine setters, operators, and tenders	$48,990	$70,200	-6.1%	7,900
Advertising sales agents	$64,820	$146,010	-7.2%	7,800
Detectives and criminal investigators	$93,790	$160,540	+0.2%	7,800
Food processing workers, all other	$39,680	$47,950	+5.5%	7,400
Cabinetmakers and bench carpenters	$46,680	$63,720	-2.9%	6,900
Concierges	$38,950	$57,570	+2.6%	6,900
Surveying and mapping technicians	$54,240	$81,630	+5.8%	6,900
Drywall and ceiling tile installers	$58,930	$102,010	+2.5%	6,600
Animal trainers	$39,990	$75,490	+4.2%	6,500
Actors	—	$143.68/hr	+0.0%	6,300
Travel agents	$50,160	$76,660	+0.2%	5,900
Opticians, dispensing	$47,260	$76,750	+4.2%	5,600
Cutting and slicing machine setters, operators, and tenders	$46,570	$61,120	-0.9%	5,400
Extruding and drawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$47,720	$63,710	+0.7%	5,400
Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers	$58,650	$90,830	+2.1%	5,300
Woodworking machine setters, operators, and tenders, except sawing	$43,380	$56,830	-2.5%	5,300
Extruding, forming, pressing, and compacting machine setters, operators, and tenders	$45,760	$63,450	+1.5%	5,200
Floral designers	$37,360	$51,000	-5.6%	5,200
Separating, filtering, clarifying, precipitating, and still machine setters, operators, and tenders	$51,610	$79,750	-5.7%	5,200
Molders, shapers, and casters, except metal and plastic	$46,170	$61,530	+5.8%	5,100
Structural metal fabricators and fitters	$51,330	$72,280	-6.2%	4,800
Grinding, lapping, polishing, and buffing machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$46,550	$62,600	-10.8%	4,500
Sawing machine setters, operators, and tenders, wood	$42,770	$58,170	-1.0%	4,500
Maintenance workers, machinery	$60,850	$88,550	-1.9%	4,400
Hazardous materials removal workers	$49,450	$82,410	+1.5%	4,300
Umpires, referees, and other sports officials	$40,710	$82,960	+5.2%	4,300
Solar photovoltaic installers	$53,140	$79,970	+36.5%	4,200
Roustabouts, oil and gas	$46,960	$64,530	+3.6%	4,100
Occupational health and safety technicians	$61,560	$100,160	+19.4%	3,800
Outdoor power equipment and other small engine mechanics	$47,880	$67,260	+2.3%	3,800
Service unit operators, oil and gas	$58,160	$97,560	+1.1%	3,800
Farm equipment mechanics and service technicians	$56,550	$78,740	+10.7%	3,700
Food cooking machine operators and tenders	$41,590	$54,410	-0.3%	3,700
Jewelers and precious stone and metal workers	$52,540	$87,540	-3.2%	3,700
Logging equipment operators	$49,740	$74,300	-3.8%	3,700
Procurement clerks	$50,580	$68,620	-8.1%	3,700
Tailors, dressmakers, and custom sewers	$41,640	$63,670	-8.8%	3,700
Control and valve installers and repairers, except mechanical door	$74,340	$112,500	+4.3%	3,600
Dental laboratory technicians	$49,610	$76,940	-5.9%	3,600
Sailors and marine oilers	$51,520	$83,620	+3.2%	3,600
Crane and tower operators	$68,080	$103,570	+3.8%	3,500
Brokerage clerks	$65,750	$102,010	-7.6%	3,400
Semiconductor processing technicians	$51,430	$82,540	+8.2%	3,400
Fishing and hunting workers	—	—	-4.2%	3,300
Pesticide handlers, sprayers, and applicators, vegetation	$46,340	$61,420	+3.9%	3,300
Tile and stone setters	$55,690	$86,110	+9.8%	3,300
Private detectives and investigators	$51,220	$97,630	+5.5%	3,200
Stationary engineers and boiler operators	$78,620	$125,390	+3.1%	3,200
Aircraft structure, surfaces, rigging, and systems assemblers	$65,380	$107,500	-5.6%	3,100
Paving, surfacing, and tamping equipment operators	$53,340	$92,230	-0.9%	3,100
Railroad conductors and yardmasters	$78,000	$109,770	+0.9%	3,000
Cooks, all other	$37,690	$51,140	+5.2%	2,800
Home appliance repairers	$50,990	$80,660	+1.9%	2,800
Septic tank servicers and sewer pipe cleaners	$49,880	$73,490	+7.8%	2,800
Petroleum pump system operators, refinery operators, and gaugers	$96,710	$115,880	-1.9%	2,700
Motorboat mechanics and service technicians	$57,550	$79,330	+4.9%	2,600
Fence erectors	$47,980	$70,010	+5.6%	2,500
Food and tobacco roasting, baking, and drying machine operators and tenders	$44,810	$62,680	+0.4%	2,500
Plating machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$43,960	$60,370	-9.7%	2,500
Welding, soldering, and brazing machine setters, operators, and tenders	$47,920	$66,540	-8.9%	2,500
Excavating and loading machine and dragline operators, surface mining	$57,430	$82,400	+1.0%	2,400
Miscellaneous construction and related workers	$49,910	$78,700	+3.9%	2,400
Textile winding, twisting, and drawing out machine setters, operators, and tenders	$38,670	$49,420	-10.3%	2,400
Crushing, grinding, and polishing machine setters, operators, and tenders	$48,540	$69,240	-1.7%	2,300
New accounts clerks	$47,670	$60,910	-6.5%	2,300
Power plant operators	$102,040	$131,940	-5.1%	2,300
Print binding and finishing workers	$42,290	$59,150	-17.5%	2,300
Transportation inspectors	$92,100	$138,670	+2.2%	2,300
Athletes and sports competitors	$66,710	$742,310	+5.5%	2,200
Floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles	$56,460	$96,700	+9.0%	2,200
Forest and conservation workers	$43,680	$57,220	-1.5%	2,200
Ophthalmic laboratory technicians	$39,460	$57,380	+2.2%	2,200
Recreational vehicle service technicians	$52,000	$77,960	+9.7%	2,200
Engine and other machine assemblers	$53,710	$77,750	-17.0%	2,100
Mechanical door repairers	$55,720	$78,260	+6.4%	2,100
Locomotive engineers	$81,410	$109,220	+0.5%	2,000
Rolling machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$50,140	$70,310	-8.3%	1,900
Tire builders	$57,390	$74,680	+0.8%	1,900
Furnace, kiln, oven, drier, and kettle operators and tenders	$48,040	$69,800	+2.6%	1,800
Cleaning, washing, and metal pickling equipment operators and tenders	$43,530	$58,570	+3.4%	1,700
Fiberglass laminators and fabricators	$46,880	$63,760	+4.6%	1,700
Riggers	$62,640	$97,850	+3.9%	1,700
Upholsterers	$46,340	$63,770	-2.3%	1,700
Wellhead pumpers	$69,960	$98,170	-2.0%	1,700
Woodworkers, all other	$44,530	$64,150	-2.3%	1,700
Bailiffs	$56,600	$96,770	-1.9%	1,600
Dancers	—	$52.30/hr	+2.2%	1,600
Rail car repairers	$67,530	$95,100	+2.6%	1,600
Airfield operations specialists	$56,850	$102,120	+7.8%	1,500
Animal control workers	$45,660	$68,070	+4.0%	1,500
Plasterers and stucco masons	$57,660	$96,710	+2.8%	1,500
Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians	$35,450	$45,960	-1.3%	1,400
Continuous mining machine operators	$61,810	$86,210	+3.2%	1,400
Earth drillers, except oil and gas	$60,190	$83,800	+3.6%	1,400
Electric motor, power tool, and related repairers	$56,210	$85,200	+4.4%	1,400
Gas plant operators	$87,820	$115,520	-6.0%	1,400
Lathe and turning machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$50,620	$69,700	-11.3%	1,400
Metal-refining furnace operators and tenders	$54,430	$74,470	-2.9%	1,400
Adhesive bonding machine operators and tenders	$46,460	$60,810	+1.3%	1,300
Automotive glass installers and repairers	$47,630	$70,650	+5.7%	1,300
Chemical plant and system operators	$78,120	$111,930	-5.2%	1,300
Medical appliance technicians	$48,030	$75,740	+3.5%	1,300
Metal workers and plastic workers, all other	$45,950	$65,510	-7.1%	1,300
Bicycle repairers	$42,780	$55,000	-5.7%	1,200
Coil winders, tapers, and finishers	$48,220	$63,300	-4.0%	1,200
Locksmiths and safe repairers	$51,320	$79,400	-11.7%	1,200
Plant and system operators, all other	$62,470	$94,560	+2.3%	1,200
Rail-track laying and maintenance equipment operators	$70,070	$87,420	+1.5%	1,200
Artists and related workers, all other	$71,240	$136,660	+2.0%	1,100
Extruding and forming machine setters, operators, and tenders, synthetic and glass fibers	$46,350	$63,910	-3.3%	1,100
Gambling surveillance officers and gambling investigators	$43,370	$61,970	-1.8%	1,100
Heat treating equipment setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$48,750	$66,350	-9.5%	1,100
Rotary drill operators, oil and gas	$67,890	$101,860	+0.8%	1,100
Craft artists	$46,080	$71,990	+2.0%	1,000
Milling and planing machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$52,800	$81,030	-13.2%	1,000
Precision instrument and equipment repairers, all other	$68,990	$102,990	+2.5%	1,000
Pump operators, except wellhead pumpers	$61,770	$91,820	+4.3%	1,000
Shoe and leather workers and repairers	$37,800	$52,550	-6.5%	1,000
Credit authorizers, checkers, and clerks	$50,080	$72,700	-7.4%	900
Hearing aid specialists	$65,160	$94,020	+19.4%	900
Postmasters and mail superintendents	$96,660	$111,740	-0.3%	900
Railroad brake, signal, and switch operators and locomotive firers	$68,840	$86,590	+0.8%	900
Subway and streetcar operators	$86,380	$90,140	+3.7%	900
Tapers	$68,270	$107,110	-1.6%	900
Textile cutting machine setters, operators, and tenders	$38,760	$49,420	-13.6%	900
Traffic technicians	$59,090	$85,130	+4.0%	900
Cooling and freezing equipment operators and tenders	$41,330	$62,340	+5.9%	800
Etchers and engravers	$43,310	$63,360	-0.7%	800
Foundry mold and coremakers	$48,110	$62,640	-23.0%	800
Signal and track switch repairers	$92,460	$119,550	+1.8%	800
Grinding and polishing workers, hand	$42,660	$60,810	-19.2%	700
Helpers--extraction workers	$47,730	$68,020	+1.7%	700
Painting, coating, and decorating workers	$41,600	$60,820	+1.3%	700
Power distributors and dispatchers	$106,730	$154,270	+1.2%	700
Choreographers	$55,310	$138,630	+3.1%	600
Extraction workers, all other	$57,010	$82,160	+3.4%	600
Forging machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$49,030	$68,720	-17.2%	600
Log graders and scalers	$46,330	$62,400	-2.2%	600
Sewers, hand	$36,480	$47,570	-12.0%	600
Fallers	$52,100	$82,360	-9.9%	500
Layout workers, metal and plastic	$63,870	$93,860	-3.4%	500
Tool grinders, filers, and sharpeners	$50,060	$77,170	-6.8%	500
Drilling and boring machine tool setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic	$49,080	$68,410	-9.5%	400
Electronic equipment installers and repairers, motor vehicles	$48,420	$70,170	-14.5%	400
Explosives workers, ordnance handling experts, and blasters	$61,390	$99,360	+0.0%	400
Forest fire inspectors and prevention specialists	$56,870	$105,460	+13.1%	400
Nuclear power reactor operators	$122,890	$149,310	-5.9%	400
Pourers and casters, metal	$51,810	$72,040	-5.0%	400
Floor sanders and finishers	$50,440	$70,340	+1.4%	300
Gas compressor and gas pumping station operators	$77,320	$99,510	+2.1%	300
Logging workers, all other	$50,840	$69,350	-7.6%	300
Rail yard engineers, dinkey operators, and hostlers	$60,600	$100,270	+0.8%	300
Transit and railroad police	$90,230	$125,910	+3.2%	300
Underground mining machine operators, all other	$70,130	$85,010	-1.0%	300
Fabric and apparel patternmakers	$62,750	$123,540	-15.0%	200
Model makers, metal and plastic	$63,340	$99,010	-17.3%	200
Paperhangers	$52,140	$69,050	+4.3%	200
Pile driver operators	$73,300	$124,600	-5.7%	200
Camera and photographic equipment repairers	$52,720	$83,940	-15.5%	100
Dredge operators	$49,640	$74,140	+0.7%	100
Model makers, wood	$56,550	$98,050	-3.3%	100
Patternmakers, metal and plastic	$58,000	$82,590	-22.8%	100
Patternmakers, wood	$49,630	$83,780	-2.0%	100
Rail transportation workers, all other	$56,360	$83,190	+4.4%	100
Refractory materials repairers, except brickmasons	$61,290	$86,510	-13.7%	100
Roof bolters, mining	$78,540	$92,830	-18.9%	100
Watch and clock repairers	$67,230	$109,990	-0.3%	100
Timing device assemblers and adjusters	$62,620	$78,270	-6.1%	0

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