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high school diplomas and learn the trade through apprenticeships
or on-the-job training programs.
Paving and surfacing professionals
The job: These professionals specialize in laying down concrete,
asphalt or other surfaces for roadways, driveways, walkways,
paved trails, airport runways, parking lots, bridges, building founda-
tions, and more. They often use heavy equipment to apply and tamp
down surfaces.
The pay: The median annual wage for paving and surfacing profes-
sionals is $48,980, according to the BLS.
The prospects: Currently, there about 43,000 jobs in the United
States for paving and surfacing pros.
The education: Jobs in this niche often require a high school
diploma but not a college degree. However, there are trade school
programs that focus on learning how to operate certain construc-
tion equipment—knowledge valuable to this particular job.
Painters
The job: Not to be confused with the artists who work with canvas
and other mediums, painters in the construction trades apply
paints, stains, and protective coatings to houses and buildings—
both interior and exterior. The work may also involve painting other
structures (such as decks or bridges) or even projects outside of
the construction industry entirely (such as the painting of ships or
large machinery). The work often involves working at heights, which
is one of the core skills that painters in this trade need to learn
en-route to their careers.
The pay: The median wage for a construction painter in the United
States is $57,010 annually.
The prospects: Painting jobs in the construction industry are
expected to grow just a small amount in the 2022-2032 window,