Working in construction can lead to exciting new experiences, rewarding financial rewards, and friendships with people from many walks of life. This could be a great field for you if you like getting your hands dirty, spending time in nature, and creating things from scratch. There are a wide variety of career paths one can pursue, each of which can be a good fit for a specific set of abilities and interests.
If you’re looking for a fast-paced and physically demanding career, you could enjoy working in the construction industry.
1. Electrician
Pay for Electricians: An Average of $69,303 per year
Level of Education: Apprenticeship or Vocational School
Construction companies are eager to hire qualified electricians at the moment. You can visit websites like Blue Recruit to check current electrician job openings. These professionals install and repair electrical components, as well as manage electrical systems, in a wide variety of buildings. Anyone who enjoys working with or learning about electronics should take advantage of this opportunity immediately.
Suppose you’re the sort that enjoys a good mystery or who likes to take things apart just to put them back together again. A job as an electrician could be rewarding if you enjoy working independently. Electricians have a lot of leeway in how they develop professionally. Users can switch between tasks by just clicking on the one they want to do.
To enter the field of electrical work, a four-year degree is not necessary, but a license is. There is no formal education needed for electricians, though many choose to pursue it. To enroll in an apprenticeship program, a high school diploma is all that is required. Since the top 10% of electricians earn over $98,000 per year, they are among the highest-paid professionals in their trade who do not require a four-year degree.
2. Solar Photovoltaic Panel Installer
Installers of solar photovoltaic systems earn an average of $53,783 per year.
Qualifications: Completion of high school and relevant vocational education or training
Photovoltaic (solar) panel sales are growing exponentially. Solar panels can now be seen on the rooftops of many public and private buildings, including shopping centers, schools, and even workplaces. The need for qualified technicians to install and maintain these items has skyrocketed, with thousands required throughout the globe.
Successful work in this area requires an interest in sustainability, renewable energy, and electronics. Job openings for electricians abound in the growing renewable energy industry. There will be a lot of new jobs created in this sector. Between 2020 and 2030, solar panel installation is expected to grow in popularity by 52 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. In addition, this demand will be fueled by increased government investment in the renewable energy sector, which will lead to greater wages and more employment opportunities.
There are many options for developing a solar installation. You’ll typically require a diploma from an accredited high school and formal work experience. For instance, an electrician’s apprenticeship could be paired with a roofing apprenticeship. More specialized programs will appear as demand grows in the future years.
3. Architect
In the average range, one can expect to earn $89,470.
A Bachelor’s Degree is a Minimum Requirement.
If you enjoy manual labor but would rather express your individuality via your work, architectural design may be the field for you. Art, math, and construction are just a few of the fields that can find common ground in this area of study. Time will be spent drawing floor plans and exploring architectural concepts, either by hand or digitally. You’ll play an integral part in the construction process as an architect, which means you’ll get to watch your plans come to fruition.
The architectural sector typically demands a bachelor’s degree as a bare minimum for admittance, more than the other jobs on this list put together. In contrast to many other construction-related professions, architects often receive higher compensation. If you enjoy drawing and making models and have a natural talent for arithmetic and design, studying architecture should be a lot of fun.
4. Landscape Architect
Landscape architects make an average of $70,000 a year.
Bachelor’s Degree: The Minimum Required Educational Attainment
Aside from structural engineering, landscape design is a crucial behind-the-scenes job in the construction industry. If the idea of being an architect appeals to you, but you’d rather work with nature than with bricks and mortar, landscape architecture may be the field for you. Landscapers design and build a wide variety of outdoor spaces, including parks, playgrounds, and gardens. They need to be familiar with the dynamics of the outdoor area, considering the people who will be using it and how aspects of nature, such as creative shadow, might improve the performance of the desired task. Those who go into this field are more likely to appreciate spending time in nature than those who go into more conventional architectural fields.
A bachelor’s degree is the bare minimum for entry-level landscape architect work. The number of available jobs is not projected to grow anytime soon, but those who do find work in this industry can count on a decent salary and a manageable amount of time spent in the office and on building sites. You won’t have to lift a finger, but you will get to use your hands frequently as you assist clients in visualizing their projects by drawing, designing, and constructing models.
5. Carpenter
Incomes average $61,071 per year.
Both on-the-job training and a high school diploma will suffice.
Those who enjoy fixing up houses and working with their hands might do well in the carpentry industry. As one of the few remaining trades that rely on manual labor, carpentry is in danger of dying out. In this role, your responsibilities could range from cabinet installation to building a structure’s skeleton out of wood. Most carpenters I spoke with recounted spending countless hours in their youth playing at being carpenters, building everything from forts to basic pieces of furniture. If you have a passion for innovation, growth, and multitasking, this could be a great career path for you to consider.
To be successful in the trade of carpentry, you need a firm grasp of geometry and trigonometry. Taking challenging math classes early on in one’s scholastic career is strongly suggested. However, you won’t have to go to college for four years to work as a carpenter. Most people join an apprenticeship after finishing high school or getting their GED.
6. Surveyor
One may expect to earn around $70,880 per year on average.
A Bachelor’s Degree is the minimum requirement for entry-level positions.
Land surveying can be a rewarding profession for those who thrive in ecological settings. Surveyors make maps, perform site inspections, and take measurements using variables like elevation to determine the layout of the land and the accuracy of construction projects. In addition, it is their duty to evaluate the building site for hazards, including landslide risk and unstable ground. The surveyor is the one who knows the most about the topography of a certain area. Hence, it is up to them to establish the minimum requirements for a building’s footing.
Planning on spending a lot of time researching data collection tools and analysis programs is reasonable. If you enjoy geography, the outdoors, and activities like hiking, a career as a surveyor might be just up your alley. Starting out in surveying often necessitates a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university. Completing an internship or apprenticeship alongside your degree program can boost your employability when you graduate.
7. Equipment Operator
The typical income of an equipment operator is $62,909.
Professional Certification and Training as a Measure of Education Level
Many people who earn their living by physically laboring also have a passion for vehicles and other mechanical gadgets. If this characterizes you, maybe working with large pieces of equipment is the perfect fit for your professional goals. Heavy machinery such as dump trucks and excavators require operators to move the ground and materials around construction sites. Use steam rollers and cranes from the era of high-rise construction in your work.
The construction industry has a wider variety of jobs than many others, but machine operators have a wider variety of training options. The minimal training and certification needs are going to be different depending on the state you plan to work in and the specific machinery you want to run. As could be expected, the job market favors those with greater education. Apprenticeship programs, trade institutions, and the workplace are all viable options for training.
