Trained Electricians are in High Demand
As Baby Boomers Retire, Many Blue-Collar Jobs Need Filling
Today, there are thousands of great-pay blue-collar jobs throughout the United States.
An employment sector report by USA Today stated that by 2017, an estimated 2.5 million new blue-collar jobs are expected to be added to the workforce. This accounts for nearly 40% of all job growth.
There is high demand in the Big Apple, starting with union recruitment drive for carpenters and laborers in New York.
Millennials are Foregoing College for Blue-Collar Jobs
Many millennials are choosing to forego college and getting tech and vocational school training, attending construction trade schools, as well as apprenticeship programs.
The Department of Labor states there is a shortage of skilled and semi-skilled workers nationwide. There is a great demand for plumbers and electricians to step into the shoes of the Baby Boomers that are retiring by the millions.
These kinds of jobs require some sort of training, but far less and for less than a bachelor’s degree. Training for many of these positions includes a paid on-the-job apprenticeship, and the work can be physically rigorous. None of these jobs require education beyond a two-year associate’s degree.
Peter Cella, CEO of Chevron Phillips Chemical said in a USA Today interview that the U.S. is facing a shortage in this type of talent. There is a big demand for blue-collar jobs, and there is a need to supply that demand.
Joseph Poole is only 21-years-old and is already working as a petrochemical process operator at Chevron Phillips Chemical in Houston, Texas.
He describes that many of his coworkers are approaching retirement age. “There’s a gap now, the people that have been for 40 years and there’s people that have been here for a year,” Poole said. “We’re trying to fill in these jobs to bridge the gap.”
The petrochemical industry is looking for more workers like Poole. In Atlanta, GA, plenty of construction workers, lighting experts and the like, are needed to work in this fast-growing industry.
In other places like Texas and North Dakota – where gas and oil industries are booming, petroleum workers are needed. But so are electricians, pipefitters, carpenters and others who build the infrastructure.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), it states employment of electricians is projected to grow 14 percent from 2014 to 2024, much faster than the average for all occupations.
Since many homes and businesses require more wiring, electricians will be needed to install the necessary components.
Forbes combed through data, gathered by the BLS to find some of the highest paid blue-collar jobs that exist in the U.S. today.
5 High-Paying Blue-Collar Jobs:
Electricians in Factories Have the Most Stable Employment
The Bureau of Labor Statistics also reported that electricians in factories tend to have the most stable employment. Additionally, there is a high demand for electricians who can perform different tasks such as:
- Electronic systems repair
- Solar photovoltaic installation
- Industrial component wiring
There are plenty of opportunities since the jobs are clearly in high demand. Many millennials are continuing to skip a four-year degree and instead are turning into blue-collar jobs that pay well.
Many third-level students leave college saddled with debt, while others are looking for alternative ways to make a decent living or $100,000 or more a year.
The national average salaries for contractor and construction managers is $65,239, according to Glassdoor, but can vary from $32,000 to $110,000 depending on the scale of the work.