Demand for skilled trade workers is already high, and researchers say the industry will continue to see steady employment growth over the next decade.
The Americas Skills Trades Report released Wednesday found that 1.7 million skilled trades jobs will be created each year through 2035. Jobs for the Future, a nonprofit organization dedicated to expanding economic opportunity for Americans, and The Burning Glass Institute are the principal investigators for the report.
Researchers predict that by the end of 2035, more than 600,000 net new jobs will be created in skilled trades. Electricians, plumbers, maintenance workers and carpenters are just some of the high-demand jobs the industry is struggling to fill, researchers say.
Nationwide infrastructure demand is the primary driver of net job creation in the industry. Matt Siegelman, president of the Burning Glass Institute, told CNBC Make It that “large-scale infrastructure projects like AI data centers” and “growing regions of the country” that require new housing development, commercial construction and power grid expansion are fueling job growth in the sector. So, although the overall unemployment rate rose to 4.2% in September 2026 and nonfarm payrolls were lower than expected, skilled trade opportunities continue to arise, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
But net job creation alone doesn’t explain the need to replace retired workers, Siegelman said.
Nearly a quarter of skilled workers in the 124 occupations included in the report are over the age of 55, but only 11% of the workforce is under 25. In the broader labor market, the labor force participation rate for people aged 55 and over has been declining since 2024.
“One in 12 trade-related jobs will need to be replaced in the next five years,” Siegelman says of the projected changes in the skilled trade workforce. He likened the race to fill these jobs to “running in place” as the industry struggles to fill new jobs and replace those leaving.
Despite the many opportunities available, skilled traders still suffer from stigma. Just 33% of students said they felt more respected by others if they worked in the industry, compared to 50% who said the same if they worked in the healthcare industry, according to a study released Wednesday by the Ad Council Research Institute.
This online survey received responses from 3,009 high school students and 2,501 parents of high school students from June 2026 to July 2026. The margin of error for students is plus or minus 1.8%, and for parents it is plus or minus 2%.
Despite Ad Council research finding that there is a “moderate respect” for skilled trade jobs among teens, its data shows that only 9% of teens are considering trades as a career after graduation, and college remains the most popular path, with 56% of teens considering higher education. At the same time, 71% of teens say they would be proud to attend a trade school, and 81% of parents say they would be proud for their teens to pursue a career in a skilled trade.
According to Siegelman, there’s a lot of talk about being able to trade “in one go,” but that obscures the 124 career paths for skilled traders.
While some skilled workers earn less than the average starting salary for college graduates of $56,153, many jobs earn more than that average, according to recent data from the Labor Department’s Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Inquiry System. On the higher end, elevator and escalator installers and repairers earn a median annual wage of $109,910. Nuclear power plant operators also make six figures, with a median annual salary of $122,890.
“According to[Ad Council]research, more and more people are aware of the industry and respect the industry, but there seems to be a navigation gap. People don’t see their children in the industry; they don’t see themselves in the industry,” Siegelman says.
Even when young workers choose to enter skilled trades, the industry faces low conversion rates from higher education programs and registered apprenticeships. According to a State of Skilled Trades report, just under half of those who begin their careers in either pathway complete the program. The proportion of people who are in the profession five years after completing an apprenticeship or higher education falls to 29% and 34% respectively.
Attrition rates are often a symptom of larger structural challenges, some of which are unique to trade operations, the State of the Skilled Trades report finds. For carpenters, delays and bad weather prevent apprentices from working the hours they need to complete their programs, leading some to quit. For example, aspiring plumbers may face varying licensing requirements within a single state, making it difficult to work across state or county lines.
“This pipe is so leaky that we need to find a better way to keep people coming into this space before we try to increase interest,” Siegelman added.
