2026-11-09
The best-paid skilled trade, elevator installers, has a median of $109,910 with a high school diploma
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers top our list of skilled trades by median pay; electrical power-line installers combine high pay with faster growth.
In 30 seconds
- FactElevator and escalator installers and repairers have a median pay of $109,910, with the top 10% earning over $158,890; the typical entry education is a high school diploma (BLS OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
- FactElectrical power-line installers and repairers have a median pay of $95,320 and are projected to grow +10.3% from 2025 to 2035 (BLS OEWS, May 2025; BLS Employment Projections 2025–35).
- AnalysisSome skilled trades out-earn many careers that require a bachelor's degree, and their training often comes through apprenticeships rather than a four-year degree.
What happened
Our list of the highest-paying skilled trades ranks construction, extraction, installation, maintenance and repair careers that don't typically require a bachelor's degree by median yearly pay.
Elevator and escalator installers and repairers rank first, with a median of $109,910 and a top 10% earning over $158,890. BLS lists a high school diploma as the typical education needed to start. Electrical power-line installers and repairers have a median of $95,320 and are projected to grow +10.3% from 2025 to 2035.
Why it matters
The assumption that high pay requires a four-year degree doesn't hold for every career. For students who are drawn to hands-on, technical work, these trades are worth a serious look.
Growth matters too: power-line work combines strong pay with projected growth.
What this does not mean
It does not mean a high school diploma alone is enough to start. These trades typically require long on-the-job training or an apprenticeship after the diploma.
It does not mean every worker earns the median. Half earn less, and starting pay is usually lower.
It does not mean these jobs are easy or plentiful. Elevator work and power-line work are physically demanding, and the number of openings each year varies widely by trade.
The evidence
Every figure above comes from the page below, with its source one tap away.
Questions to ask
- How do people get into this trade near me: union apprenticeship, employer training, or a program?
- How long is the training, and am I paid while I learn?
- What are the physical demands and safety risks of the work?
What would change our view
The next OEWS pay release and BLS projections will show whether these trades keep their place at the top of the list.
History
2026-10-25 · Draft generated from content/leads.md (lead found 2026-10-24); figures copied from the lead and checked against dist/lists/highest-paying-trades/.
2026-11-09 · Figures re-checked against data/build (BLS OEWS May 2025, BLS Employment Projections 2025–35); approved and published.
Sources
- Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (national), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-11-11.
- BLS Employment Projections, 2025–35, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 2026-11-11.