Forget the old stereotype of a struggling tradesperson, because today's skilled electricians, plumbers, and welders are stepping into a high-demand crisis with millions of open jobs and six-figure earning potential that is reshaping the global economy.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the U.S. construction industry employed 8.1 million workers, representing 5.2% of total nonfarm payroll employment
- As of May 2023, there were 719,800 electricians employed in the U.S., with a projected growth of 6% from 2022 to 2032
- In 2022, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters numbered 481,400 in the U.S., with 42,300 annual openings projected due to replacements
- Median annual wage for U.S. electricians was $60,240 in May 2023, 33% higher than all occupations median of $45,760
- Plumbers in California earned a mean hourly wage of $37.45 in 2022, equating to $77,900 annually
- U.S. welders' median wage reached $48,000 in 2023, with top 10% over $73,000 in oil/gas sectors
- In 2022, 85% of U.S. skilled trades programs reported completion rates below 70%
- U.S. registered apprenticeships awarded 90,000 credentials in FY2022, up 33% from 2019
- Community colleges trained 1.2 million in skilled trades courses in 2023, 15% increase
- U.S. projected 733,000 annual openings for construction trades 2022-2032
- Skilled trades shortage in U.S. construction: 546,000 unfilled jobs in 2023
- Electricians demand: 79,900 openings annually U.S. 2022-2032, 6% growth
- U.S. construction fatal injuries: 1,056 in 2022, rate 9.6 per 10,000 workers
- U.S. electrician nonfatal injuries: 32.1 per 10,000 in 2022, mainly falls
- Welding hazards caused 5% of construction fatalities in U.S. 2022
There is a high demand for skilled trades with good wages and projected growth.
Demand Projections
- U.S. projected 733,000 annual openings for construction trades 2022-2032
- Skilled trades shortage in U.S. construction: 546,000 unfilled jobs in 2023
- Electricians demand: 79,900 openings annually U.S. 2022-2032, 6% growth
- Plumbers projected 42,600 annual U.S. openings, 2% growth by 2032
- Welders shortage: 330,000 needed in U.S. by 2028 per AWS
- HVAC techs: 37,700 annual openings projected U.S., 6% growth 2022-2032
- Carpenters: 79,800 annual U.S. openings, 0% growth but high replacements
- UK needs 225,000 more construction workers by 2028 for housing targets
- Australia trades demand: 190,000 plumbers/electricians by 2026
- U.S. solar installers growth 22% 2022-2032, 2,500 annual openings
- Wind turbine techs: 54% growth U.S., fastest occupation 2022-2032
- Germany crafts vacancies: 150,000 unfilled in 2023
- Canada skilled trades: 104,000 openings annually to 2031
- U.S. construction growth 4.3% annually 2022-2032, adding 195,000 jobs/year
- Manufacturing machinists: 43,200 annual U.S. openings, 4% decline overall
- EU construction demand up 2.5% yearly to 2030, needing 1.5 million workers
- India construction trades need 10 million more by 2027
- U.S. elevator installers: 2,100 annual openings, 6% growth
- Boilermakers U.S. decline 1% but 1,500 openings/year due to retirements
- Australia mining trades demand +30,000 by 2028
- U.S. sheet metal workers: 15,100 annual openings, 1% growth
- Roofers U.S.: 14,600 openings/year, 2% growth from weather damage
- Ironworkers: 5,300 annual U.S. openings, 4% growth infrastructure bill
- Diesel mechanics: 28,100 openings/year U.S., 3% growth
Demand Projections Interpretation
We're facing a future where the world's infrastructure and clean energy ambitions are being held together by a rapidly thinning wire of skilled hands, proving that while robots might write the news, we'll still desperately need humans to keep the lights on, the pipes from leaking, and the buildings from falling down.
Education and Training
- In 2022, 85% of U.S. skilled trades programs reported completion rates below 70%
- U.S. registered apprenticeships awarded 90,000 credentials in FY2022, up 33% from 2019
- Community colleges trained 1.2 million in skilled trades courses in 2023, 15% increase
- UK Level 3 apprenticeships in construction reached 45,000 starts in 2022/23
- Australia TAFE institutes enrolled 450,000 in trades in 2023, with 80% completion goal unmet
- Only 30% of U.S. high school CTE programs focus on skilled trades vs. 50% health services
- Germany dual system trained 520,000 apprentices in crafts in 2022, 94% transition to employment
- U.S. NCCER certified 250,000 workers in 2023 across crafts like welding and carpentry
- Canada Red Seal program endorsed 55,000 tradespeople in 2022, standardizing credentials
- 2023 survey: 62% of U.S. contractors seek workers with formal training certification
- EU Erasmus+ funded 100,000 VET mobility places for trades in 2022-2027 period
- U.S. trade schools saw 12% enrollment drop 2019-2022 due to pandemic
- India ITIs trained 1.8 million in 2023, but only 70% employable per NSDC
- 75% of U.S. electricians complete 4-5 year apprenticeships averaging 8,000 hours
- Brazil SENAI centers graduated 2.4 million in trades 2018-2022
- U.S. women in apprenticeships rose to 13% in 2022 from 9% in 2014
- Average U.S. trade apprenticeship duration 3.5 years, with 83% classroom-theory requirement
- South Africa TVET colleges enrolled 700,000 in 2023, 40% in engineering trades
- 2023 U.S. data: 40% of skilled trades workers have associate degrees or higher
- Mexico CONALEP trained 500,000 in trades annually, focusing on manufacturing
- U.S. OSHA 10-hour training completed by 4 million construction workers since 2000
- Pre-apprenticeship programs in U.S. served 50,000 youth in 2022
- Welding certifications issued by AWS: 450,000 in 2023 globally, 60% U.S.
Education and Training Interpretation
While impressive numbers are being posted in global training pipelines, the sobering reality is that we’re racing to fill a leaky bucket, as high dropout rates and unmet completion goals undermine the urgent demand for certified, job-ready talent.
Employment Statistics
- In 2023, the U.S. construction industry employed 8.1 million workers, representing 5.2% of total nonfarm payroll employment
- As of May 2023, there were 719,800 electricians employed in the U.S., with a projected growth of 6% from 2022 to 2032
- In 2022, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters numbered 481,400 in the U.S., with 42,300 annual openings projected due to replacements
- The welding workforce in the U.S. stood at 404,200 in 2023, facing a shortage of 400,000 skilled welders by 2024 according to industry estimates
- HVAC technicians employed 377,600 in the U.S. in 2022, with employment projected to grow 6% by 2032, faster than average
- Carpenters numbered 835,000 in the U.S. in May 2023, with a median age of 41 years indicating an aging workforce
- In Canada, skilled trades workers comprised 15% of the total labor force in 2022, totaling about 3 million individuals
- UK construction sector employed 2.3 million people in 2023, accounting for 6.5% of total employment
- Australia had 1.4 million tradespeople in 2023, with electricians making up 10% of that group at 140,000 workers
- In 2022, women represented only 10.9% of the U.S. construction workforce, up from 8.9% in 2016
- Hispanic or Latino workers comprised 30.1% of U.S. construction employment in 2022, the highest among major industries
- The U.S. manufacturing sector employed 12.9 million production workers in 2023, with skilled trades like machinists at 286,100
- In 2023, the median age of U.S. skilled trades workers was 43.5 years, compared to 42.3 for all occupations
- Germany had 5.2 million craft workers (Handwerk) in 2022, representing 10% of employment
- In 2022, apprenticeships in U.S. skilled trades reached 616,000 active participants, a 4% increase from 2021
- U.S. sheet metal workers totaled 143,100 in 2022, with 80% employed in construction
- In 2023, the EU construction sector employed 13.7 million people, with shortages reported in 70% of member states
- U.S. heavy equipment operators numbered 403,600 in May 2023, projected to grow 4% by 2032
- In India, the skilled trades workforce was estimated at 25 million in 2023, with a demand-supply gap of 18 million
- 2022 U.S. data showed 11.5% unemployment rate for construction laborers during peak off-season
- In 2023, veterans comprised 15% of the U.S. skilled trades workforce, higher than the 7% national average
- Brazil's construction sector employed 2.7 million in 2022, with masons and bricklayers at 450,000
- U.S. painters and paperhangers totaled 373,300 in 2022, with self-employment at 28%
- In 2023, Gen Z (under 25) made up only 9% of U.S. construction workforce vs. 12% overall
- South Africa's skilled trades employment reached 1.2 million in 2022, with plumbers short by 50,000
- U.S. roofers employed 140,300 in 2022, growing 2% annually due to repair needs
- In 2023, unionized skilled trades workers were 13.2% of U.S. construction employment
- Mexico's manufacturing trades employed 4.5 million in 2022, with welders at 300,000
- U.S. ironworkers numbered 52,600 in May 2023, with high concentration in New York and California
- In 2022, rural U.S. areas had 20% higher skilled trades vacancy rates than urban
Employment Statistics Interpretation
While the world's economies are built on the sturdy backs of millions of skilled tradespeople, the statistics reveal an unsettling reality: we are simultaneously running out of them and failing to recruit from the vast majority of our own population.
Safety Statistics
- U.S. construction fatal injuries: 1,056 in 2022, rate 9.6 per 10,000 workers
- U.S. electrician nonfatal injuries: 32.1 per 10,000 in 2022, mainly falls
- Welding hazards caused 5% of construction fatalities in U.S. 2022
- Plumbers injury rate 2.8 per 100 workers in 2022 U.S., strains most common
- U.S. construction fall fatalities: 385 in 2022, 38% of total sector deaths
- HVAC techs electrocution deaths: 12 in U.S. 2011-2022 average annually
- Carpenter struck-by incidents: 21% of construction injuries 2022
- UK construction fatality rate 1.7 per 100,000 workers in 2022/23
- Australia trades injury rate 1.8 per million hours worked 2023
- U.S. OSHA citations for scaffolding: 2,300 in FY2022, $14 million fines
- Heat-related illnesses in construction: 3,392 cases U.S. 2022
- Germany craft sector accident rate 2.1 per 1,000 workers 2022
- U.S. crane collapse incidents: 79 between 2016-2022, 44 fatalities
- Canada construction lost-time claims: 22 per 100,000 workers 2022
- 65% of U.S. construction fatalities male workers under 55 in 2022
- EU construction accidents: 1.1 million reported 2022, rate 200 per 100,000
- U.S. silica exposure violations: 1,200 OSHA citations FY2022 construction
- India construction site deaths: 1,500 annually average 2018-2022
- U.S. roofers fatality rate 42.8 per 100,000, highest trade 2022
- Trenching cave-ins: 23 U.S. fatalities 2022, despite OSHA standards
- Women construction workers injury rate 7.2 per 100 vs. 3.5 men 2022 U.S.
- U.S. PPE non-compliance: top OSHA violation, 3,000+ construction citations 2022
- Electrical contractors shock incidents: 1,400 annually U.S. average
- Heavy equipment rollover fatalities: 47 in U.S. construction 2022
- U.S. asbestos abatement workers: 1.2 exposure cases per 10,000 2022
- Ladder fall injuries: 81,000 emergency visits U.S. construction 2022
- Mexico construction fatalities: 450 in 2022, rate 12 per 100,000
Safety Statistics Interpretation
While the statistics starkly remind us that a construction site is less a workplace and more a deadly obstacle course where the penalties for a misstep are measured in lives—with falls reigning supreme, electricity lurking silently, and even the very air posing a threat—the grim consistency of these numbers across borders screams that our global commitment to safety is still just a hard hat and a hope.
Wage Statistics
- Median annual wage for U.S. electricians was $60,240 in May 2023, 33% higher than all occupations median of $45,760
- Plumbers in California earned a mean hourly wage of $37.45 in 2022, equating to $77,900 annually
- U.S. welders' median wage reached $48,000 in 2023, with top 10% over $73,000 in oil/gas sectors
- HVAC mechanics median pay was $57,300 in 2022, with 42% wage growth since 2012 adjusted for inflation
- Carpenters' average hourly wage was $26.23 in May 2023 U.S., highest in Washington at $32.50
- UK electricians earned £38,000 median in 2023, 20% above national median
- Australian plumbers' average salary was AUD 95,000 in 2023, with Sydney rates 15% higher
- U.S. elevator installers median wage $99,000 in 2022, highest paying trade occupation
- Brickmasons in New York earned $68,450 mean annual in 2022, 50% above national average
- Germany craft workers (Handwerk) median gross hourly wage €20.50 in 2022
- U.S. boilermakers annual median $66,920 in 2022, with overtime boosting to $90,000 average
- Canada millwrights earned CAD 75,000 median in 2023, highest in Alberta at CAD 95,000
- U.S. sheet metal workers median $53,440 in 2022, 17% growth over decade
- Painters in Hawaii averaged $56,780 annually in 2022, due to high living costs
- EU construction trades median hourly €18.50 in 2022, varying from €12 in Bulgaria to €30 in Denmark
- U.S. heavy truck drivers (related trade) median $50,200, but equipment operators $52,020 in 2023
- India skilled welders earned INR 450,000 annually average in 2023, 25% increase YoY
- U.S. roofers median $49,000 in 2022, with commercial roofers earning 20% more
- Ironworkers in Illinois mean wage $72,300 in 2022, top state for pay
- Machinists median $49,510 in 2023 U.S., with CNC specialists at $55,000
- Glaziers annual median $49,100, highest in DC at $68,000 in 2022
- U.S. pipefitters in oil/gas earned average $85,000 including benefits in 2023
- Tilers in Australia averaged AUD 85,000 in 2023, 10% above trades average
- U.S. construction managers median $104,900, skilled trades pathway role
- Diesel mechanics median $56,220 in 2022, growing 3% wage rate
- U.S. apprentices earned 60% of journeyman wage starting, averaging $25/hour by completion
- Wind turbine techs median $59,000 in 2022, fastest growing trade wage
- U.S. operating engineers median $52,020 hourly equivalent $25/hour in 2023
- Solar installers median $45,230, but projected 22% wage growth by 2032
Wage Statistics Interpretation
Even as robots threaten to steal desk jobs, these numbers show that skilled tradespeople are quietly and literally wiring, welding, and plumbing their way to a future-proof paycheck that laughs at the national average.
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