Best Jobs for Trade School Graduates
Are you curious about the best jobs for trade school graduates? Or are you looking to enroll in a Trade school and you want to know about your employment prospects? This article will answer your questions as we have published a list of the best jobs for trade school graduates. Keep reading to find out more.
Trade schools equip high school graduates with a more affordable career entry path and professional development than a four-year university. Trade schools are often referred to as vocational schools and technical colleges, they are focused on specialized job training in fields where job demand is high. These schools also help to steer students towards gainful employment
This article seeks to highlight and give more insight into the best jobs with details on the requirements for each job, projected earnings, responsibilities that come with each job, and general duties. The projected growth of top-grade schools will also be discussed in this article.
Many students want to know how trade schools differ from traditional four-year colleges, the answer goes thus. The traditional four-year University offers education in broad areas of knowledge including humanities, liberal arts, etc but a trade school offers are focused on equipping students with technical knowledge and skill set for a specific job e.g plumbing, welding, mechanical repairs, etc.
Vocational programs take about eight weeks – 2 years to complete, completion date depends on whether you are looking to earn a certificate, diploma, or associate degree.
A Trade school can be private (nonprofit and for-profit) or public, as a potential student of these trade schools, it will serve you to check the accreditation status of these schools before applying.
After graduation, graduates can decide to seek immediate employment, become apprentices or take exams for licensure.
Best Jobs for Trade School Graduates
The best jobs for trade school graduates include paralegal, plumber, pharmacy technician, and electrician. Apart from the Jobs mentioned above, students can train to take jobs as Private chefs and restaurant cooks through the culinary arts program or auto mechanics by taking advantage of the certificate program in service management, collision repair, or automotive technology.
Students of technical colleges are required to fulfill general education requirements for them to be able to transfer their credits to traditional four-year colleges.
On the contrary, trade school students are only required to complete coursework that is relevant to their occupation of choice, this makes trade schools the best choice for students who have a specific occupation in mind.
The 15 Best Trade School Jobs and Their Salaries
Let’s get right into it, below is a table containing the 15 highest-paying trade school jobs. The numbers are included below to give you a clear idea of the different earning potentials of these vocations.
It is worthy of note that salaries vary due to factors, like employer, location, and qualifications. Apart from the above listing, this article also addresses job security, or how likely an employee is to keep their job over many years and maintain a consistent income, is also addressed.
Each career profile includes information on its future growth based on projections from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
| TRADE JOB | MEDIAN SALARY | PROJECTED JOB GROWTH RATE |
|---|---|---|
| Elevator Installer and Repairer | $97,860 | 3% |
| Radiation Therapist | $82,790 | 6% |
| Web Developer | $78,300 | 23% |
| Dental Hygienist | $77,810 | 9 |
| Diagnostic Medical Sonographer | $75,380 | 10% |
| Electrical Line Worker | $74,530 | 6% |
| Respiratory Therapist | $61,830 | 14% |
| Electrician | $60,040 | 7% |
| Plumber | $59,880 | 2% |
| Mortician | $58,900 | 8% |
| IT Technician | $57,910 | 6% |
| Wind Turbine Technician | $56,260 | 44% |
| Legal Assistant | $56,230 | 14% |
| HVACR Technician | $48,630 | 5% |
| Licensed Practical Nurse | $48,070 | 6% |
Elevator Installer and Repairer maintain, fix elevators, and assemble moving walkways, chairlifts, other automotive lifts, and escalators. They also read building blueprints to ascertain the type of machinery and components to use before installing and testing the elevator for functionality.
Elevator mechanics in addition to the listed job description, take care of routine maintenance to ensure compliance with building codes and government safety standards.
Radiation Therapists work for private, public, and state hospitals or even doctor’s offices and outpatient care centers. Radiation therapists are required to hold either an associate’s or bachelor’s degree from a college that has been accredited by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists.
Web Developers and IT professionals create websites, designing the overall aesthetic and layout of the pages. They also oversee back-end technical aspects, including the site’s performance speed and traffic capacity.
Web developers can get higher pay by working for companies and software publishers that handle proprietary electronic networks. Working as a web developer
4. Dental Hygienist
Dental hygienists help patients to maintain oral health through preventive measures and hygiene education. These professionals make use of a variety of ultrasonic and hand tools to remove tartar, stains, and plaques.
Dental Hygienists check for signs of oral diseases like oral cancer and gingivitis. Professionals are required to complete additional training to become dental therapists who are equipped to extract teeth and install crowns. Note that these requirements are dependent on the state.
Potential dental hygienists are required to complete a three-year associate degree program that’s been accredited by the Commission on Dental Accreditation.
They may specialize in a specific body part, such as the female reproductive system, or abdominal cavity, heart, and blood vessels. Medical sonographers are required to hold a technical certificate from a school accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs.
6. Electrical Line Workers
Electrical line workers also called line repairers and installers, make use of their training to oversee the installation and repairs of electrical power lines, telecommunication cables, and fiber optics.
In addition to these duties, these workers assess lines through inspections and testing to test the integrity of these lines.
7. Respiratory Therapist
Respiratory therapists treat patients for cardiopulmonary conditions and breathing difficulties. They interview patients before assessing their lung function and conducting other diagnostic tests.
Respiratory therapists collaborate with physicians to identify illnesses and come up with treatment plans, which may include chest physiotherapy and aerosol medications. More than half of respiratory therapists work in hospitals and make over $95,000 per year.
8. Electrician
Electricians work primarily working for contractors, licensed electricians install and test power-based apparatuses, such as control grids, lighting systems, and communication networks.
These professionals analyze blueprints to identify the proper placement of breakers and circuits in buildings.
Most electricians are trained in a paid apprenticeship program which takes about 4-5 years to complete.
9. Plumber
Professional plumbers are involved in installing and maintaining piping systems that carry liquid and gas in office buildings, industrial facilities, and homes. Plumbers conduct inspections and prepare cost estimates for tasks like installing a bathtub and replacing a broken pipe or fixture for residential clients.
Almost all professional electricians work for construction companies, in order to become a professional plumber, you will be required to complete an apprenticeship, that runs for a period of 4-5 years.
10. Mortician
Morticians are also known as funeral service workers, they oversee a variety of details surrounding the deceased. These professionals are required to have an associate degree and must be 21 years old or older.
Morticians, also known as funeral directors are involved with managing funeral services and they work closely with cemeteries, and families, religious representatives. These workers may also embalm bodies and utilize cosmetic training to prepare the deceased for viewings and funerals.
11. IT Technician
IT Technicians are commonly called computer support specialists The duty of IT technicians is to work on departmental teams to install and maintain WANs, LANs, and internet networks.
They are also responsible for security by defending against cyber criminals and recovering stolen digital assets. IT technicians may sometimes take up customer support roles, by teaching people how to use new software or hardware and helping them solve common problems.
Technicians that work for telecommunication communication companies are the highest paid with a median salary of $76,910 a year. A potential Computer Support Specialist is required to have an associate degree in IT or an IT certificate.
Wind turbine technician is one of the most in-demand green jobs, with most working on rural wind farms. To begin a career in this area, you will need to have an associate degree or a certificate in wind technology.
13. Legal Assistant
Legal assistants and paralegals perform administrative tasks such as maintaining digital filing systems, creating official documents like contracts and mortgages, law enforcement, facilitating communication among witnesses, and external vendors to support lawyers.
Paralegals also assist lawyers with trial preparation and research on relevant regulations and personal histories.
More than half of legal assistants and paralegals work for law firms and law offices while the remaining are employed in government agencies and financial institutions, like insurance companies and banks.
To establish a career as a Legal assistant and paralegal, you will need to hold an associate degree; however, having a bachelor’s in paralegal studies is an added advantage as most employers prefer it.
14. HVACR TechnicianHeating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR) technicians are responsible for installing and fixing systems that control a building’s air quality and temperature.
HVACR mechanics are also involved in performing routine maintenance, replacing filters, and cleaning ducts so that the system meets government regulations.
About 67% percent of HVACR technicians work as professional contractors, or they can boost their pay prospects by working in educational services.
Nursing careers record some of the highest rates of growth in the healthcare sector. Licensed Practical Nurses usually work at home health services, physician’s offices, residential care facilities, and hospitals.
To establish a career as an LPN, you must complete a one-year certificate or diploma program and earn state licensure by passing the NCLEX-PN examination.
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