Choosing a career is no easy task, particularly when markets are uneasy and recession looms. Businesses are on shaky ground, just as the consumers that justify them. But while white-collar companies threaten to topple, trade entities are much more likely to weather the storm – and offer a reliable route to income for hard-pressed households. Which trades, though, are the biggest earners – and which might you consider leaning towards in your own career development?
Trades in High Demand
According to data collected by Indeed, the highest-paying trade jobs fold practical, hands-on experience in with more theoretical understandings of systems and processes. Just as an architect earns more than a joiner, building inspectors earn more than the builders themselves. Building inspectors earn an average of £37,187 per year.
However, it is true that trade work is in uniquely high demand at the moment. This is more starkly visible in electrical engineering, where domestic electricians are in short supply – in turn, driving up the cost of call-outs, and raising salaries for those that do start a career in electrical work. The average salary for an electrician is £32,187 per year, with wages skewing higher for said demand.
New Niches
While demand is enough to make many ‘bread-and-butter’ trades highly lucrative for new entrants, it is also the case that new demands are emerging in response to new generational needs. A key example of this might be sustainable trades, such as solar panel installation or the fitting of other eco-friendly alternatives to energy and heating.
These technologies are no longer cutting-edge, but they continue to be refined – and require a knowledge base all of their own to install correctly. This knowledge base includes electrical engineering and structural architecture, amongst other things. Training for these trades would put one in good stead for a well-paying role in an industry guaranteed to see more clients over the next two decades.
A Word of Warning
If you are looking for advice on the best place to place your efforts with regard to a lucrative career, then this is word of warning for you. Trade jobs of any description are highly effort-intensive, whether through gruelling shifts or the sheer volume of physical labour required. This is to say nothing of the niche knowledge required to succeed in certain fields, and the niche-specific risks that you would face over the course of a given day.
None of the above should be enough to dissuade you from pursuing a dream career in a trade – but it should be enough to dissuade those of you looking for little more than an opportunity to raise your salary. Trade work requires considerable discipline, good physical condition and a commitment to progression – without these, a career in any of the above trades will not work for you.
