Construction Trades

 

Types of Degrees Construction Trades Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many construction trades graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	18,563
Basic Certificate	15,794
Associate Degree	6,237
Bachelor’s Degree	203

What Construction Trades Majors Need to Know

People with careers related to construction trades were asked what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. They weighted these areas on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the highest.

Knowledge Areas for Construction Trades Majors

Construction Trades majors often go into careers in which the following knowledge areas are important:

• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Construction Trades Majors

construction trades majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Construction Trades Majors

Construction Trades majors often go into careers where the following abilities are vital:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Construction Trades Major?

Below is a list of occupations associated with construction trades:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Brickmasons and Blockmasons	10.3%	$50,950
Carpet Installers	9.4%	$39,340
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers	12.6%	$43,000
Civil Engineering Technicians	8.9%	$52,580
Construction and Building Inspectors	10.1%	$59,700
Construction Carpenters	8.2%	$46,590
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas	25.2%	$46,120
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers	1.0%	$43,730
Earth Drillers, Except Oil and Gas	19.9%	$44,430
Electrical Power-Line Installers and Repairers	13.9%	$70,910
Electricians	8.9%	$55,190
Explosives Workers, Ordnance Handling Experts, and Blasters	7.9%	$49,860
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	12.6%	$65,230
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers	9.9%	$39,940
First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers	7.1%	$66,140
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles	9.8%	$42,760
Floor Sanders and Finishers	8.2%	$37,510
Glaziers	10.4%	$43,550
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall	1.3%	$38,480
Insulation Workers, Mechanical	9.8%	$47,740
Maintenance and Repair Workers, General	7.9%	$38,300
Painters, Construction and Maintenance	5.7%	$38,940
Paperhangers	5.3%	$38,090
Pipe Fitters and Steamfitters	15.6%	$53,910
Plumbers	15.6%	$53,910
Roofers	11.1%	$39,970
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas	24.6%	$53,800
Rough Carpenters	8.2%	$46,590
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers	14.2%	$47,190
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners	17.2%	$38,970
Signal and Track Switch Repairers	2.0%	$70,490
Solar Energy Installation Managers	12.6%	$65,230
Solar Photovoltaic Installers	104.4%	$42,680
Stonemasons	9.5%	$41,220
Structural Iron and Steel Workers	12.8%	$53,970
Terrazzo Workers and Finishers	11.1%	$42,500
Tile and Marble Setters	9.8%	$41,840

Who Is Getting an Associate’s Degree in Construction Trades?

This major tends to be male dominated. About 93% of recent graduates are men.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of construction trades majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	177
Black or African American	408
Hispanic or Latino	992
White	4,053
International Students	30
Other Races/Ethnicities	577

Geographic Diversity

Americans aren’t the only ones with an interest in Construction Trades. About 0.5% of those with this major are international students.

How Much Do Construction Trades Majors Make?

Salaries According to BLS

Average salaries range from $43,870 to $56,740 (25th to 75th percentile) for careers related to construction trades. This range includes all degree levels, so the salary for a person with just a bachelor’s degree may be a little less and the one for a person with an advanced degree may be a little more.

To put that into context, according to BLS data from the first quarter of 2020, the typical high school graduate makes between $30,000 and $57,900 a year (25th through 75th percentile). The average person with a bachelor’s degree (any field) makes between $45,600 and $99,000. Advanced degree holders make the most with salaries between $55,600 and $125,400.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Construction Trades

Some careers associated with construction trades require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. In general, the more advanced your degree the more career options will open up to you. However, there is significant time and money that needs to be invested into your education so weigh the pros and cons.

Find out what the typical degree level is for construction trades careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	18.6%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	41.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	23.2%
Some College Courses	8.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	4.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	2.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.3%
Master’s Degree	0.2%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.1%
Doctoral Degree	0.3%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.1%

Online Construction Trades Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2,248	12
Certificate (2-4 Years)	244	0
Associate’s Degree	1,554	30
Bachelor’s Degree	6	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2	0
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Is a Degree in Construction Trades Worth It?

The median salary for a construction trades grad is $47,630 per year. This is based on the weighted average of the most common careers associated with the major.

This is 19% more than the average salary for an individual holding a high school degree. This adds up to a gain of about $154,600 after 20 years!

Trades Related to Construction Trades

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to construction trades.

Major	Number of Grads
Personal & Culinary Services	149,352
Mechanic & Repair Technologies	105,741
Precision Production	55,411
Transportation & Materials Moving	33,306

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.