Best Trades for Women, Ranked by BLS Median Pay (2026)

Construction and building inspectors had the highest BLS median annual wage, $74,690 in May 2025, of the 12 trades on this list, followed by wind turbine service technicians at $64,120, plumbers at $63,800, and electricians at $63,190. This page ranks 12 skilled trades by BLS median annual wage (Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025) among occupations College-Reporter covers with program or career guides, with growth and openings from BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34. The BLS figures are the same for everyone in an occupation; the pay, growth, and openings data here are not broken out by gender. What we add for each trade is a plain note on the physical demands and typical schedule, since those are the questions people searching this topic most often ask, and they matter to anyone weighing a trade regardless of who they are.

At a Glance

The Ranking

Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025 (wages); BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34 (growth and openings). Licensing requirements vary by state.

Each Trade in Brief

1. Construction and building inspectors

Inspectors verify that buildings and infrastructure meet codes and plans. Entry usually follows years in a building trade plus a certificate or code certification, so this is more often a mid-career move than a first job. Physical demands are moderate: site walking, ladders, and crawl spaces, but little heavy lifting. Schedule is mostly weekday daytime hours. See home inspector programs and the building inspector career guide.

2. Wind turbine service technicians

Wind techs inspect and repair turbines, which means climbing tall towers and working in a confined nacelle. Physical demands are high: climbing, lifting, and comfort at height are non-negotiable. Schedules often involve travel and rotating shifts, with weather driving the calendar. Entry is commonly a certificate program of roughly one to two years, varying by program. See wind turbine technician programs.

3. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Plumbers install and service piping systems. Demands include kneeling, crawl spaces, and lifting fixtures and pipe; service plumbers also handle on-call work. Schedules are mostly daytime with some emergency calls. Entry is a four- to five-year apprenticeship, and most states license the trade; check your state board. See plumbing programs and the plumber career guide.

4. Electricians

Electricians wire buildings and maintain electrical systems. Physical demands are moderate: ladders, overhead work, and pulling wire, with less heavy lifting than framing or ironwork. Construction electricians follow project schedules; maintenance electricians in plants and facilities may work shifts. Apprenticeship is the standard route, and about 81,000 openings per year make it the largest apprenticeship trade here. See electrician programs and the electrician career guide.

5. HVAC mechanics and installers

HVAC technicians install and repair heating, cooling, and refrigeration equipment. Demands include attics, rooftops, and lifting equipment; service work is seasonal, with long days in summer and winter peaks. Entry is commonly a certificate, often 6 to 12 months and varying by program, followed by on-the-job training. See HVAC programs and the HVAC technician career guide.

6. Carpenters

Carpenters frame, finish, and build forms. Framing is physically heavy and outdoors; finish and cabinet work is lighter and indoors. Schedules follow construction projects, usually early daytime hours. Apprenticeships are common, though many learn on the job. See carpentry programs and the carpenter career guide.

7. Machinists

Machinists run manual and CNC machines to make precision parts. The work is indoors, mostly standing, with moderate lifting of stock and fixtures. Shops often run shifts, and overtime is common when orders are heavy. Entry is a certificate, apprenticeship, or both. See CNC machinist programs and the machinist career guide.

8. Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers

Drivers move freight over regional or long-haul routes. Physical demands are low to moderate (long sitting, some loading and securing cargo), but schedules are the main consideration: long-haul routes can mean days or weeks away from home, while local and regional routes are closer to a standard workweek. CDL training commonly takes a few weeks to a few months, varying by program. See CDL trucking programs and the truck driver career guide.

9. Welders, cutters, solderers, and brazers

Welders join metal in shops, on construction sites, and in the field. Demands vary by setting: shop welding is indoors and mostly stationary, while field and pipeline welding involves travel, weather, and awkward positions. Schedules range from standard shop shifts to long rotations on travel jobs. Certificate programs are the usual entry. See welding programs and the welder career guide.

10. Solar photovoltaic installers

Solar installers mount panels and wiring on rooftops and ground arrays. The work is outdoors, on roofs, and involves lifting panels and racking. Growth of 42.1 percent is the second-highest here, but the occupation is small, with about 4,100 openings per year. Entry is a short certificate or on-the-job training. See solar installation programs and the solar technician career guide.

11. Maintenance and repair workers, general

General maintenance workers fix a bit of everything in apartment complexes, schools, hospitals, and factories. Demands are moderate and varied; schedules are often standard hours with some on-call. About 159,800 openings per year make this a very large pool, and entry is usually on-the-job training or a short certificate. See maintenance technician programs and the maintenance technician career guide.

12. Painters, construction and maintenance

Painters prepare and coat interior and exterior surfaces. Demands include ladders, scaffolds, repetitive arm work, and exposure to fumes; the work is lighter than most construction trades. Schedules follow projects and weather for exterior jobs. Most learn on the job, though apprenticeships exist. See construction trades programs.

Pay and Job Outlook

The ranked table above carries the full figures. The pay spread across the 12 trades is fairly narrow outside the inspector role: nine of the twelve sit between roughly $49,000 and $64,000 at the median. The two highest-growth trades (wind and solar) are also the two smallest by openings, so hiring there is concentrated in specific regions. Electricians, carpenters, maintenance workers, and truck drivers offer the widest choice of employers and locations.

Pay varies by employer, location, experience, and credentials; individual outcomes may vary.

How We Ranked This

We started with the skilled trades that College-Reporter covers with a program hub or career guide, matched each to its BLS Standard Occupational Classification code, and sorted by the May 2025 median annual wage from BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. Growth and openings are from BLS Employment Projections, 2024-34. The physical-demand and schedule notes describe the occupation as BLS and industry sources characterize it; they are not weighted into the ranking, and we make no claims about which trades suit any particular group. Anyone considering a trade should read the notes and decide for themselves.

Related Guides

• Highest-paying trade jobs
• Careers that don’t require a degree
• HVAC vs electrician
• Home inspector vs construction trades
• All trades career guides
• All program rankings

FAQs

Which trade on this list pays the most?

Construction and building inspectors had the highest BLS median annual wage in May 2025 at $74,690. Because inspectors usually come from a prior trade, wind turbine technicians ($64,120), plumbers ($63,800), and electricians ($63,190) are the highest medians among direct-entry trades.

Which trades are least physically demanding?

Inspection, truck driving, and machining involve the least heavy lifting on this list, though each has its own strain (crawl spaces, long sitting, standing all shift). Finish carpentry and shop welding are lighter than their field equivalents. No trade here is sedentary.

Which trades have the most predictable schedules?

Inspectors, machinists, and general maintenance workers tend toward standard weekday or fixed-shift hours. Wind, solar, field welding, and long-haul trucking involve the most travel and the least predictable calendars.

Does the BLS pay data differ by gender?

The wage figures on this page are occupation-wide medians from BLS OEWS and are not broken out by gender. We do not make gender pay claims here; the data shown applies to everyone in the occupation.

Which trade has the most openings?

Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers, with about 237,600 openings per year for 2024-34, then general maintenance and repair workers (about 159,800), electricians (about 81,000), and carpenters (about 74,100).

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