Central Gulf Industrial Alliance Career Opportunities in Skilled Trades

What Are Skilled Trades?  The foundation of all construction and manufacturing activities in the world  Skilled professionals are critical to our nation’s economy as we build the future

Career Tracks  Welder  Electrician  Pipefitter / Plumber  Iron Worker  Millwright  Sheet Metal / HVAC Technician  Boilermaker  Carpenter  Heavy Equipment Operator  Instrumentation Technician

The Benefits  Typical benefits could include: 401(k), health insurance, vacation, incentives, training  Pride in seeing a finished product that affects peoples’ lives

The Benefits  Multiple entry-points and opportunity to progress to different positions  Careers in an industry, not a job on a project

The Compensation - Hourly $49,300 - average annual base wage for skilled trades Median Hourly Wages: Boilermaker-$26.97Carpenter- $21.08 Millwright- $22.87Iron Worker- $18.48 Electrician- $22.32Insulation Worker- $15.34 Pipefitter / Plumber- $21.94Welder- $22.45 Sheet Metal Worker- $19.37HVAC Technician- $19.08 Brick Mason- $21.94Heavy Equipment Operator- $21.45

The Compensation - Annually $49,300 - average annual base wage for skilled trades Annual Wages: Boilermaker-$56,000Carpenter- $43,900 Millwright- $47,600Iron Worker- $38,500 Electrician- $46,400Insulation Worker- $31,900 Pipefitter / Plumber- $45,600Welder- $46,700 Sheet Metal Worker- $40,300HVAC Technician- $39,700 Brick Mason- $45,600Heavy Equipment Operator- $44,600

The Outlook  Over the next 10 years the Construction Industry will add more jobs than any other industry sector. (DOL Occupational Outlook 2012)  High demand with a 19% projected growth rate through  the percentage of jobs nationwide that will be construction-related within the next 10 years

The Outlook  Nearly half of job openings in the foreseeable future will be filled by workers with associate degrees or occupational certificates—not traditional, four-year bachelor’s degrees  27% percent of people with postsecondary licenses or certificates earn more than the average bachelor’s degree recipient (Harvard report “Pathways to Prosperity”)

The Challenges  Nationally, there are over 150,000 projected openings annually. (BLS)  Skilled Trade positions rank in the top 5 each year as one of the most difficult positions to fill. In 2010, they were number 1. (Annual Manpower, Inc. Survey)  For every 4 people leaving the industry only 1 is entering an Apprenticeship program. (BLS)  Over 1/3 of all construction workers are over the age of 50. (BLS)

How To Get Started  Career success is gained through workplace learning, technical degree or certification that develops skills and knowledge  There are many excellent apprenticeship programs, community colleges and technical centers where you can gain the training/education needed  Visit and click on ‘Careers’ for training programs and career opportunities in your state Learn more at:

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