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Electricians are in demand on practically every building construction project, but these trade workers are key to charging station and transmission line installs and maintenance.
The construction industry remains wide open and inviting for just about anyone seriously considering a rewarding career opportunity. The jobs are plentiful and employers are hot to hire committed workers. In fact, contractors are working hard to come up with new and inventive ways to attract and retain young skilled workers not only in the field but in the office. That's encouraging news for those charting a career path.
Competition for skilled trades workers is at an all-time high, said staffing firm Skinner Construction Services.
Contractors are devoting a lot of time to exploring new ways to hire. Some are boosting compensation, others investing in professional development.
"Construction workers in this landscape are empowered to select employers who support their career growth and align with their values," blogged Skinner.
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What's considered the hottest construction job titles these days depends on who produces the list.
What's consistent is the fact that the highest paying in-demand jobs don't require a college degree. For young job seekers, that opens more doors to strong career choices and is why the job security that skilled labor currently offers is so attractive.
Continuing labor shortages worsened by disruptions from the COVID pandemic, have created more competition for talent, said McKinsey & Co.
Add to that the fact that more construction workers are retiring each year and the industry is constantly working to attract young people to fill their places. As a result, wages for skilled trade jobs have risen by more than 20 percent since the first quarter of 2020, noted the global management consultant.
"Demand for skilled tradespeople is expected to increase over the next decade and remain high in the U.S.," said McKinsey.
The consulting firm attributes this to infrastructure needs, a surge in real estate redevelopment and investments in renewable energy.
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Construction is among the three most in-demand job fields that companies are hiring for this year. In the mix are manufacturing and plumbing.
Specific titles Payscale and ZipRecruiter shared with CNBC include construction superintendent, production manager and journeyman plumber.
ZipRecruiter tracked a 16-percent increase in all of these jobs between October 2023 and March 2024.
Construction superintendents have seen the largest uptick in demand, with openings surging more than 128 percent, according to the CNBC report.
The survey found other high-paying trade jobs that have seen slightly less demand, "but are still hiring at a good clip, include fleet managers."
Construction careers, prioritizing skills over degrees, offer some the best chances to earn six figures without a college degree, said Payscale's Ruth Thomas.
Though more companies are dropping degree requirements, skills-based hiring has still not become common practice across all industries, she added.
Jonathan Jones of Construction Coverage said despite inflation, high interest rates and recession fears, the outlook for construction is bright.
The construction software developer noted a recent AIA report that a 4-percent growth in non-residential construction is expected this year.
That follows an already impressive 22-percent hike in 2023. Job growth in construction will be steady into the future, said Jones.
"High demand for construction across the board has helped boost the industry over the past three years," he said.
That demand could help construction companies weather a potential recession, Jones said, noting the fed has invested heavily in infrastructure.
The series of COVID relief packages in 2020 and 2021 sent billions of dollars flowing to the industry, as well.
But the fed investment centerpiece is the IIJA, funding major new transportation construction projects and driving labor demands, noted Jones.
Plus, the construction industry bypassed the pandemic layoff hits that many other industries saw. So, it recovered jobs more quickly, said Jones.
"Construction employment had a strong bounce-back after lockdowns and other restrictions began to ease in the late spring of 2020," he said.
And the market has only continued to grow since. In fact, construction hiring passed pre-COVID levels three months before the economy as a whole.
Future Is for Skilled
Jones predicts industry technological changes will streamline many processes, in turn changing the composition of jobs in the industry.
"As the industry modernizes, many professions set for the greatest rate of growth are in fact jobs not commonly associated with construction," he blogged.
Demand for construction market research analysts, software developers, logisticians and financial managers is projected to be robust in the coming years.
"But construction industry jobs with the greatest projected growth rates are related to renewable energy, including wind and solar," added Jones
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Skilled trade workers "are striking gold in the job market" said job placement firm Skinner in a spring report. The company attributes the strong job market to single-family housing and industrial construction which are currently in high demand.
"Trillion-dollar public infrastructure projects are taking shape," said Skinner, also crediting an expected "historic" boom in the remodeling market.
"These days, it seems like every industry needs tradespeople — and as the skills gap grows, pay may rise as fast as competition."
The company believes trade workers are experiencing some of the fastest growing wages in the country. As a result, contractors are strategizing to recruit high-demand workers, said Skinner, "especially if a tightening budget is a concern."
Skilled trade workers can take this time to shift into much-needed roles, the company advised. This are the firm's top in-demand construction jobs:
"Electricians are needed for practically every building construction project — but that's far from where the demand ends," said the company.
As the United States goes green, trade workers will be key hires for charging station and transmission line installs. Maintenance brings demand as well.
"We're also seeing ongoing demand for low-voltage technicians, driven by new fiber optic networks, alarm systems, rewiring projects and other work."
Skinner believes that's why the BLS expects the electrician job outlook to grow much faster than average through 2032.
Industrial development is driving demand for pipefitters, said Skinner, as semiconductor businesses and automakers build facilities.
Predicted resurgences of oil and gas production could boost demand even further, believes Skinner.
"We're already seeing pipefitter salaries exceed what electricians make, and turnover and retirements will increase job openings and pay in the U.S."
Where there's new infrastructure, there will be ironworkers. These professionals "are expected to thrive in the coming years," said Skinner.
Federal funding is driving the growth of transportation, bridge and highway projects, further ramping up ironworker hiring, the firm noted.
"You may have heard masonry is a dying trade, but demand for this traditional skill isn't going away," said Skinner.
Bricklayers, stonemasons and other mason workers — crucial for building fences, walls, walkways and more — are still in short supply.
Simply put, schools and companies still struggle to build interest in masonry among the next generation of workers, said the firm.
"The aging workforce, as well as the growing number of masons switching careers, will keep the number of these skilled trade positions high."
Citing the AGC, Skinner noted that bricklayers and cement masons are the most difficult tradespeople to recruit regionally. Recognizing this, organizations are hosting workshops in hopes of closing the widening skills gap.
"Workers with the skills needed to fill mason positions now can find plenty of lucrative opportunities."
Construction Coverage used BLS data to form its list of the fastest-growing jobs in the construction industry, across 190-plus occupations.
The list includes:
- Market research analysts and marketing specialists
"Software companies have transformed the construction industry in recent years by automating processes that used to require hours of manual work."
The developer said the most noteworthy new products include takeoff, estimating, construction accounting and field service management software.
This job category is expected to see 8 percent growth over the next 10 years, adding 1,300 new workers.
The 10-year projected employment growth for electricians is more than 8.5 percent, resulting in a projected employment growth of 46,400 over that period.
- Telecommunications line installers and repairers
An employment increase of 9.3 percent over 10 years is expected for line installers and repairers. This will add 2,900 workers to the job field.
- Occupational health and safety specialists
The 10-year employment growth forecast is 11.9 percent for health and safety specialists. The job field will grow by 1,900 workers.
Logisticians will see a 10-year projected employment growth of +12.1 percent. The job field will draw 200 workers over that time span.
- Radio, cell and tower installers and repairers
Over a 10-year period this job category is projected to grow by 13.6 percent. It will bring 300 workers into the construction market.
- Solar photovoltaic installers
The 10-year projected employment growth for solar installers is 29.0 percent, seeing 4,800 more workers take this job title.
- Wind turbine service technicians
Over the next 10 years, the job of wind turbine technician will grow by 50.8 percent, adding 900 more workers over that span.
Skinner said beyond these high-demand positions, the shortage of skilled trade workers across all fields and roles continues.
"Companies that rely on tradespeople need to start stepping up their recruiting efforts and compensation packages."
In the meantime, said the placement firm, workers can leverage the current market to elevate their careers. CEG
Lucy Perry
Lucy Perry has 30 years of experience covering the U.S. construction industry. She has served as Editor of paving and lifting magazines, and has created content for many national and international construction trade publications. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, she has a Journalism degree from Louisiana State University, and is an avid fan of all LSU sports. She resides in Kansas City, Missouri, with her husband, who has turned her into a major fan of the NFL Kansas City Chiefs. When she's not chasing after Lucy, their dachshund, Lucy likes to create mixed-media art.
Read more from Lucy Perry here.
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