10 Highest-Paying Blue-Collar Jobs in 2026

Four-year college degrees aren’t the only route to high-paying careers today. Some skilled trades and hands-on technical jobs now pay well above the U.S. median wage, with experienced workers in several fields earning $100,000+ annually.

Resume Genius analyzed the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data to identify 10 of the highest-paying blue-collar careers that are:

1. accessible without a bachelor’s degree
2. employing at least 10,000 workers nationwide
3. expected to grow over the next decade.

1. Elevator and escalator installer and repairer

Job snapshot

• Median annual salary: $109,910
• Median hourly wage: $52.84
• Top 10% of earners: $158,890
• Number of jobs: 24,700
• Estimated job growth (2025-2035): 6%
• Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

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What does an elevator and escalator installer and repairer do?

Elevator and escalator installers and repairers install, maintain, and fix elevators, escalators, moving walkways, and other lift systems. Their work combines mechanical, electrical, and (increasingly) digital skills. A technician might assemble an elevator, connect electrical wiring and control systems, troubleshoot a faulty motor, replace worn parts, or carry out routine safety inspections.

This job is one of the most physically demanding on our list. Installers and repairers often work inside cramped machine rooms, at heights in elevator shafts, and around heavy equipment. These technicians may also work overtime or be on call for emergency breakdowns.

The occupation is projected to grow 6% through 2035. BLS expects maintenance, upgrades to older equipment, accessibility improvements, and increasingly sophisticated control systems to continue creating demand for skilled workers.

How to become an elevator and escalator installer and repairer

• Education: A high school diploma is typically enough to begin training
• Training: Nearly all complete a paid apprenticeship, typically lasting four years and combining technical instruction with on-the-job training
• Licensing: Required in most states

2. Electrical power-line installer and repairer

Job snapshot

• Median annual salary: $95,320
• Median hourly wage: $45.83
• Top 10% of earners: $128,690
• Number of jobs: 131,900
• Estimated job growth (2025-2035): 10%
• Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

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What does an electrical power-line installer and repairer do?

Electrical power-line installers and repairers, commonly called lineworkers, build and maintain the infrastructure that carries electricity from power plants to homes and businesses. They install and repair cables, transformers, switches, poles, and transmission towers, and use specialized testing equipment to diagnose problems across the power grid.

Linework can involve high-voltage electricity, extreme heights, physically demanding tasks, and outdoor conditions in difficult weather. During storms and other emergencies, crews may travel to affected areas and put in long shifts to restore electricity.

Demand is also increasing. BLS projects employment to grow 10% by 2035, partly because electricity needs are rising and the U.S. power grid relies on new infrastructure and upgrades. BLS specifically notes that increased use of AI technologies and the data centers supporting them are expected to contribute to rising electricity use.

How to become an electrical power-line installer and repairer

• Education: Typically a high school diploma
• Training: Extensive employer-sponsored training or an apprenticeship, lasting up to three years and combining technical instruction with paid work experience
• Licensing: Workers who operate heavy vehicles may also need a commercial driver’s license

3. Aircraft and avionics equipment mechanic and technician

Job snapshot

• Median annual salary: $80,180
• Median hourly wage: $38.55
• Top 10% of earners: $128,890 for aircraft mechanics; $113,680 for avionics technicians
• Number of jobs: 159,800
• Estimated job growth (2025-2035): 6%
• Typical education: Postsecondary nondegree award

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What does an aircraft mechanic or avionics technician do?

Aircraft mechanics and avionics technicians keep aircraft operating safely by inspecting, testing, maintaining, and repairing their mechanical and electronic systems. Aircraft mechanics may work on engines, landing gear, brakes, and other components, while avionics technicians focus more heavily on electronic systems such as navigation, communications, and flight-control equipment.

Most work takes place in hangars, repair stations, or on airfields. The environment can be loud, and mechanics may need to crouch, climb, reach overhead, or work outside.

Attention to detail is particularly important because technicians must meet strict aviation safety standards while keeping aircraft ready for service. Night, weekend, and holiday shifts are also common in an industry that operates around the clock.

How to become an aircraft mechanic or avionics technician

• Training: Postsecondary training, often through an FAA-approved aviation maintenance technician program
• Other routes: An associate degree, military service, or qualifying on-the-job experience
• Certification: Typically certified by the Federal Aviation Administration

4. Stationary engineer and boiler operator

Job snapshot

• Median annual salary: $78,620
• Median hourly wage: $37.80
• Top 10% of earners: $125,390
• Number of jobs: 31,200
• Estimated job growth (2025-2035): 3%
• Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

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What does a stationary engineer or boiler operator do?

Stationary engineers and boiler operators run and maintain the mechanical systems that provide heating, cooling, power, and other essential services in large buildings and industrial facilities. They monitor boilers, engines, pumps, compressors, and related equipment, checking temperatures and pressures and carrying out maintenance to keep systems operating safely and efficiently.

These workers are commonly employed in hospitals, schools, manufacturing facilities, government buildings, and other large properties.

Facilities that operate continuously need their mechanical systems monitored around the clock, so the work requirements for stationary engineers often involve rotating night, weekend, and holiday shifts. The job can also involve hot, noisy mechanical rooms and confined spaces.

How to become a stationary engineer or boiler operator

• Education: Generally a high school diploma
• Training: Long-term on-the-job training or an apprenticeship, with some apprenticeships lasting four years
• Licensing: Many employers require workers to demonstrate their competence through licenses or company-specific examinations before operating equipment without supervision

5. Electrical and electronics installer and repairer

Job snapshot

• Median annual salary: $74,490
• Median hourly wage: $35.81
• Top 10% of earners: $114,240
• Number of jobs: 117,700
• Estimated job growth (2025-2035): 2%
• Typical education: At least high school education; requirements vary by specialization

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What does an electrical or electronics installer and repairer do?

Electrical and electronics installers and repairers maintain a wide range of equipment, from industrial electronics and electric motors to power-station controls and transportation systems. The occupation covers several specializations, but the common thread is diagnosing, adjusting, maintaining, and repairing sophisticated electrical or electronic equipment.

Many work in repair shops, factories, utilities, or other industrial environments, although some technicians travel to jobsites or work outdoors.

The job can involve standing or kneeling for long periods, lifting heavy equipment, troubleshooting faults, and occasionally responding to emergency repairs outside normal working hours.

Employment is projected to grow only 2% through 2035, but BLS still expects thousands of openings each year as existing workers change careers or leave the workforce.

How to become an electrical or electronics installer and repairer

Training varies considerably by specialization.

• Education: At least a high school education, although employers may prefer candidates who have studied electronics at a technical school or community college
• Training: New hires typically receive additional on-the-job training
• Experience: Some specialized roles require prior electrical or mechanical experience

6. Wind turbine technician

Job snapshot

• Median annual salary: $64,120
• Median hourly wage: $30.83
• Top 10% of earners: $92,460
• Number of jobs: 11,800
• Estimated job growth (2025-2035): 30%
• Typical education: Postsecondary nondegree award

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What does a wind turbine technician do?

Wind turbine technicians, or windtechs, inspect, maintain, and repair wind turbines. They work on a mix of mechanical, hydraulic, and electrical systems and may use computers to diagnose faults before repairing or replacing components inside a turbine.

Comfort with heights is essential. Windtechs regularly climb towers that can exceed 200 feet and work in the confined nacelle at the top. Repairing blades can even require technicians to rappel down the turbine while secured by safety equipment.

The trade is also one of the fastest-growing careers in the country. BLS projects employment to rise 30% from 2025 to 2035 as growing electricity demand leads to more wind turbines being built and maintained.

How to become a wind turbine technician

• Education: A postsecondary certificate in wind energy technology or a similar field from a technical school or community college, although associate-degree programs are also available
• Training: After being hired, technicians receive further training on the particular turbines they will service
• What training covers: Safety, tower climbing, rescue, electrical systems, hydraulics, and mechanical maintenance

7. Industrial machinery mechanic

Job snapshot

• Median annual salary: $64,100
• Median hourly wage: $30.82
• Top 10% of earners: $94,530
• Number of jobs: 547,300
• Estimated job growth (2025-2035): 14%
• Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

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What does an industrial machinery mechanic do?

Industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights install, maintain, troubleshoot, and repair the equipment used in factories and other industrial facilities. Their work can include servicing motors, conveyors, production machinery, hydraulic systems, and increasingly complex automated equipment.

Most work in manufacturing facilities, where an equipment failure can stop production and make fast troubleshooting essential. Mechanics may also work nights, weekends, or overtime when machinery needs urgent repairs.

Interestingly, automation is supporting rather than eliminating demand for this occupation. BLS expects employment across the group to grow 14% through 2035 because increasingly automated manufacturing equipment still needs workers to maintain and repair its conveyors, motors, rollers, and other components.

How to become an industrial machinery mechanic

• Education: A high school diploma is the typical starting point, and some workers also earn an associate degree in industrial maintenance
• Training: Industrial machinery mechanics and machinery maintenance workers generally receive a year or more of training after high school, much of it on the job
• Millwrights: Commonly complete a three- or four-year apprenticeship instead

8. Plumber, pipefitter, and steamfitter

Job snapshot

• Median annual salary: $63,800
• Median hourly wage: $30.67
• Top 10% of earners: $108,420
• Number of jobs: 510,600
• Estimated job growth (2025-2035): 7%
• Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

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What does a plumber, pipefitter, or steamfitter do?

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair piping systems, but their work can vary significantly depending on their specialty. Plumbers commonly work with water and gas systems in homes and businesses. Pipefitters and steamfitters are more likely to work with high-pressure systems carrying gases, chemicals, steam, or other materials in factories, power plants, and commercial buildings.

Workers frequently move between jobsites, lift heavy materials, climb ladders, and work in tight spaces. Emergency plumbing also means evening, weekend, and on-call work is common.

BLS projects employment to grow 7% through 2035, with about half a million people already working across the occupation.

How to become a plumber, pipefitter, or steamfitter

• Training: Most workers complete a four- or five-year apprenticeship that combines paid on-the-job training with classroom instruction
• What training covers: Blueprint reading, safety, plumbing codes, mathematics, and applied science
• Licensing: Required for plumbers in most states

9. Electrician

Job snapshot

• Median annual salary: $63,190
• Median hourly wage: $30.38
• Top 10% of earners: $108,510
• Number of jobs: 821,000
• Estimated job growth (2025-2035): 9%
• Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

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What does an electrician do?

Electricians install, maintain, and repair the wiring and electrical systems that power homes, businesses, factories, and other buildings. Their work can include installing wiring and control systems, reading technical diagrams, testing circuits, finding electrical faults, and replacing damaged components.

Electricians can work indoors or outdoors across construction sites, homes, commercial buildings, and industrial facilities. Travel between jobsites is common, and some jobs involve cramped spaces, heights, or exposure to hot and cold weather.

It’s also by far the largest occupation on this ranking, employing around 821,000 workers in 2025. Employment is projected to grow another 9% through 2035.

How to become an electrician

• Education: A high school diploma is typically required
• Training: Most electricians learn through a paid apprenticeship, although technical school can provide another starting route
• What training covers: Circuitry, electrical theory, blueprint reading, safety, and electrical codes, plus practical experience under qualified workers
• Licensing: Required in most states

10. Solar photovoltaic installer

Job snapshot

• Median annual salary: $53,140
• Median hourly wage: $25.55
• Top 10% of earners: $79,970
• Number of jobs: 31,100
• Estimated job growth (2025-2035): 37%
• Typical education: High school diploma or equivalent

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What does a solar photovoltaic installer do?

Solar photovoltaic installers assemble, install, and maintain systems that convert sunlight into electricity. Their work includes measuring and assembling support structures, mounting solar panels, connecting components, checking wiring, testing completed systems, and carrying out routine maintenance.

Residential solar installation usually means working outdoors on rooftops, although technicians may also need to enter attics or crawl spaces. Larger solar-farm installations are generally completed at ground level.

Solar PV installation is the fastest-growing occupation on our list. BLS projects employment to increase 37% by 2035 as solar systems continue to become more widely adopted and falling system costs encourage more households to install them.

How to become a solar photovoltaic installer

• Education: Typically a high school diploma, and some workers first take solar installation courses through a technical school or community college
• Training: Between one month and one year of on-the-job training
• Helpful experience: Previous construction experience can shorten the training process, particularly for electricians, roofers, carpenters, and laborers

What the highest-paying blue-collar jobs have in common

1. None require a bachelor’s degree to get started

All 10 jobs on the ranking can typically be entered without completing a four-year college degree.

Most list a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education, while aircraft and avionics technicians and wind turbine technicians typically require a postsecondary nondegree award.

Electrical and electronics repair is more varied, with requirements depending on the specialization, but BLS says workers generally need at least a high school education.

That doesn’t mean these careers require little training. Many depend heavily on apprenticeships, technical programs, licenses, certifications, and years of supervised experience. Instead of paying tuition for a traditional four-year degree, however, workers in apprenticeship-based trades can often earn money while developing their skills.

2. Renewable-energy trades are growing fastest

Solar photovoltaic installers and wind turbine technicians sit near the bottom of the ranking by current median salary, but they have by far the strongest employment outlooks.

BLS expects solar PV employment to grow 37% between 2025 and 2035, while wind turbine technician employment is projected to increase 30%.

The tradeoff is scale. Together, solar and wind currently account for only 42,900 jobs, while electricians alone employ 821,000 people.

For job seekers, that distinction matters: a rapidly growing occupation may create new opportunities quickly without yet having the sheer number of positions available in an established trade.

3. AI and automation can create demand for hands-on workers too

Automation is often discussed in terms of jobs it could replace, but the BLS outlook shows the relationship can work in the other direction for skilled trades.

Industrial machinery mechanics are projected to grow 14% through 2035 partly because automated manufacturing equipment still needs people to install, inspect, maintain, and repair it.

Electrical power-line installers offer another example. BLS expects growing electricity consumption – including demand from AI technologies and the data centers that support them – to contribute to the need for additional grid infrastructure and upgrades.

For workers in these fields, new technology can change the equipment they work on without removing the need for the underlying mechanical and electrical expertise.

How to get a high-paying blue-collar job

1. Choose the right training route

The quickest route into a skilled trade depends on the occupation.

For electricians, plumbers, elevator technicians, and many other trades, an apprenticeship can be particularly attractive because it combines formal instruction with paid work experience.

Other careers on the list rely more heavily on technical education. Wind turbine technicians commonly complete a postsecondary certificate, while aircraft mechanics often attend an FAA-approved aviation maintenance program.

Before enrolling in a course, check the actual licensing, certification, or apprenticeship requirements for the occupation and state where you want to work. A training program is most useful when it leads directly toward the credentials employers require.

2. Make your licenses and certifications easy to find

In skilled trades, the right credential can matter more than a traditional degree.

Depending on your occupation, employers may be looking for a state license, FAA certification, commercial driver’s license, OSHA training, welding certification, or another industry-specific qualification.

3. Show what you can actually do

Blue-collar resumes should make your technical capabilities concrete.

Instead of writing that you were “responsible for maintenance,” explain what equipment you maintained, the type of systems you worked on, and the results of your work.

Do write

• Performed preventive maintenance on 25 hydraulic presses and conveyor lines, cutting unplanned downtime by 18%
• Diagnosed and repaired electrical faults on automated packaging equipment, handling 15+ service calls per week under OSHA safety standards

Don't write

• Responsible for maintenance
• Fixed equipment when it broke down

For example, you might mention:

Your resume skills section should then reinforce the technical abilities employers are asking for in the job description.

4. Tailor your resume to your trade

A generic resume can hide the exact qualifications that make you valuable.

An electrician should emphasize electrical systems, licenses, codes, and safety. A mechanic should focus on diagnostics, maintenance, tools, and equipment. A pipefitter should make welding, blueprint reading, and pipe-system experience obvious.

Look at resume examples for your occupation before applying to see how candidates in your field organize and present their experience.

Frequently asked questions about blue-collar jobs

What are blue-collar jobs?

Blue-collar jobs generally involve hands-on, skilled, technical, trade, production, installation, maintenance, or repair work.

There is no single current government definition covering every blue-collar occupation. For this report, Resume Genius focuses on skilled hands-on careers that can typically be entered without a four-year college degree.

What blue-collar job pays the most?

Among the occupations that qualified for our ranking, elevator and escalator installers and repairers have the highest median salary at $109,910 per year.

The top 10% of workers in the occupation earn more than $158,890, according to BLS data.

What blue-collar jobs are in the most demand?

Of the occupations on our list, solar photovoltaic installers have the fastest projected employment growth at 37% from 2025 to 2035.

Wind turbine technicians follow at 30%, while industrial machinery mechanics, machinery maintenance workers, and millwrights are projected to grow 14%.

However, percentage growth doesn’t necessarily mean the most total jobs are available. Electricians already employ around 821,000 people, making the occupation substantially larger than the renewable-energy trades.

Can you make $100,000 in a blue-collar job?

Yes. Elevator and escalator installers and repairers already have a median annual salary above $100,000, while the highest-paid workers in several other trades also earn six figures.

Seven of the 10 occupations in this ranking have top-10% earnings above $100,000.

Actual earnings depend on factors such as experience, location, specialization, industry, and overtime.

Do blue-collar jobs require a college degree?

Many don’t.

None of the occupations in our ranking typically require a bachelor’s degree to enter the field. Most require a high school diploma combined with an apprenticeship or on-the-job training.

Others, including wind turbine technicians and aircraft and avionics technicians, commonly require a postsecondary certificate or similar nondegree qualification.

Sources

• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections

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