10 top highest-paying blue-collar jobs in the US right now

Call it an AI insurance policy, but all the signs are pointing to an uptick in interest in vocational careers in the U.S.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Labor, there has been a 19 percent increase in enrollment in trade schools and apprenticeships over the past three years.

Getting specific, careers in plumbing, electrical work, welding, HVAC, and automotive repair are surging. While there’s a well-acknowledged demand for trade skills, answering that supply and demand issue isn’t the main motivating factor for the spike in interest.

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The four-year college degree route has long been lauded as something that’s highly desirable to have, as well as a stepping stone to a solid career. Now, that perception is shifting, in part because the costs of achieving a Bachelor’s can be punitive.

Bankrate data for the 2024-2025 college year has identified that the average annual cost of tuition and fees at a public, four-year university for out-of-state undergraduates is $30,780 per year.

That’s not including supplemental costs such as housing, books or transportation. And it’s even more expensive for students in private institutions: this cohort paid $62,990 in tuition, fees, housing, food, supplies, and other expenses.

Not everyone is convinced the costs are worth it. In fact, recent Pew Research Center data shows that 49 percent of Americans say it’s less important today than it was in the past for someone to have a four-year degree in order to get a well-paying job.

Just four-in-ten now say it’s really important to have a four-year college degree in order to get a well-paying job in today’s economy.

This helps to explain a burgeoning interest in occupations that involve manual labor. Blue collar jobs often require practical skills and physical work in settings like factories, construction sites, or the outdoors. As a result, they’re considered to be less susceptible to automation, and are far more AI-proof than office-based roles.

Gen Z shift to blue collar jobs

The real shift in the perception of white collar versus blue collar careers has come with Gen Z. With about 50 million Gen Z employees already in the U.S. workforce, they’re expected to make up about 30 percent of the total workforce by 2030.

A recent survey by Resume Builder found that 42 percent of those Gen Z adults are currently either in, or pursuing blue-collar or skilled trade jobs.

Attracted by plentiful open roles, job stability and the generous salaries offered by many blue collar occupations, younger workers are eschewing the career paths of their parents and grandparents and placing their bets on vocational professions instead.

According to another recent Resume Builder survey, the highest-paid blue collar roles include elevator and escalator installers and repairers, electrical power-line installers and repairers, aircraft and avionics equipment mechanics, as well as technicians and railroad workers.

The study highlighted a total of 10 top paying roles, all of which offer earnings growth potential, plentiful available jobs, and opportunities to advance. Additionally, many only require a high school diploma or equivalent, with others requiring an apprenticeship or a post-secondary nondegree award, for example.

With 76 percent of Americans believing that trade professionals have a better chance at becoming a business owner or entrepreneur than corporate professionals, the stats bear this out. A study from Creditkarma found that trade workers are almost twice as likely (20 percent) as corporate workers (11 percent) to be self-employed.

Additionally, due to the rise of AI, 66 percent of Americans think trade professionals have more job security than corporate workers.

10 top-paying roles

So, what are the top 10 highest-paid blue collar jobs?

1. Elevator and escalator technicians can expect to earn a median annual salary of $106,580, which rises to about $149,250 for the top 10 percent of earners. There are plentiful open roles, and an estimated job growth rate of 5 percent to 2035.
2. Electrical power-line installers and repairers are also well paid. Top earners can expect to earn $126,610, with the median salary stacking up at $92,560. Job growth potential is a decent 7 percent, and a high school diploma or equivalent is required.
3. Reflecting the rise in interest in travel, aircraft avionics equipment mechanics and technicians are in demand, and paid well. The top 10 percent of earners take home $120,080, with median earnings at $79,140. The study says there are about 160,800 jobs in this sector, with growth to 2034 pitched at 5 percent. Workers will require an FAA-approved post-secondary nondegree award.
4. Railroad workers are also in the top five power occupations. Jobs growth is predicted to be slower at 1 percent, and top salaries are around $100,130.
5. Stationary engineers and boiler operators are the people who are responsible for maintaining the systems that provide essential utilities like heat, air conditioning, and power. As a result, their earnings can top out at about $121,200, and they are in demand, with around 33,300 opportunities in the sector. A high school diploma or equivalent is required to undertake this role.
6. Industrial machinery mechanics can expect to earn a median annual salary of $63,510, with the top 10 percent of earners taking home $85,970. A high school diploma and apprenticeship is required, and this is a growth area, with an estimated job growth to 2034 of 13 percent.
7. Never not in demand, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters are set to earn $105,150 at the top of their field, with median annual salaries of about $62,970. The number of jobs in the area is huge at 504,500, with an estimated job growth rate of 4 percent.
8. As interest in renewables rises, wind turbine technicians are benefitting. Their projected jobs growth to 2034 is 50 percent, and the top ten 10 percent of earners take home $88,090. Median salaries are lower at $62,580, but this is a rapidly expanding field, and one to watch.
9. Electricians are always in demand, and this is reflected in estimated job growth of 9 percent. Top salaries come in at $106,030, with a high school diploma or equivalent required.
10. Rounding out the top ten is solar photovoltaic (PV) installers, who, like wind turbine technicians, are working in a burgeoning industry. The top 10 percent of earners in this role take home an annual salary of about $80,150.

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