2026 Edition
You want to work with your hands, but you don't know which trade to pick. This guide compares 16 union building trades side by side, so you can choose with your eyes open before you spend years in an apprenticeship.
Instant PDF download. Read it on your phone or print it.
Median pay for elevator constructors, the top-paying trade in the guide.
Where 12 of the 16 trades land, from roofers to plumbers.
Projected job growth for electricians from 2025 to 2035, the fastest in the guide.
National medians for May 2025 and projections for 2025–2035 from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union rates vary by city.
What's inside
One table comparing all 16 trades: union, apprenticeship length, job growth, heights, weather and travel. Plus a pay chart.
Match what you like and what you can handle to the trades that suit you, with three honest tests before you commit.
What you do all day, the best part, and the catch, for every trade in the guide.
Earn while you learn, how the raises step up, school, benefits, and a real apprentice pay ladder.
The real trade-offs in pay, benefits, training, dues and getting hired, without the sales pitch.
Step by step, from finding the local union to the aptitude test, the interview and your first day.
16 trades compared
For schools & counselors
Everything you need for a career-day session or one-on-one conversations, licensed so you can print copies for your students and families.
All 16 trades, compared and profiled.
A 15-minute, 12-question activity that ends in a shortlist.
One page on apprenticeships and how families can help.
An 8-slide deck with speaker notes.