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electrical businesses often offer 24-hour callout service for elec-
trical emergencies, which can mean nighttime and weekend work.
The pay: The median annual salary for electricians is $61,590 per year.
The prospects: BLS is predicting six percent job growth in the
electrical trades between 2032 and 2032, which would mean more
than 49,000 new jobs to be filled.
The education: A license is required to work as an electrician,
but that license may be obtained through a test and not through
college. Most electricians learn via apprenticeships and on-the-job
training, working their way up from apprentice roles to journeyman
electricians and then eventually to master electricians. Some
electricians do begin or advance their careers by attending trade
school programs, however.
HVAC/R mechanics
The job: HVAC/R mechanics install, maintain, and repair the HVAC/R
equipment and systems in our homes, businesses, schools, hospi-
tals, and other buildings. (HVAC/R is short for heating, ventilation, air
conditioning, and refrigeration). Proper performance of our HVAC/R
systems is crucial for everything from comfort to safety to indoor air
quality, and it’s the HVAC/R mechanics who make sure that these
systems are working as they should be.
The pay: The median pay for HVAC/R mechanics and installers in the
United States is $57,300 per year.
The prospects: BLS data indicates a likely 6 percent growth in this
trade between 2022 and 2032, or about 23,000 new jobs.
The education: There are college degrees out there focused on
HVAC/R technology, both are two-year associates degrees and four-
year bachelors programs. Some employers may prefer to hire people
with these technical degrees, given the increasingly complex
nature of HVAC/R technologies. Many who work in this part of the
trades, though, don’t have college degrees and have learned the