Whether you’re looking for a new job or thinking about a career move, it’s always good to know how your prospective job compares to others. Construction companies are getting more comfortable with growing their business again as the market stabilizes, so U.S. News put together their list of best jobs to have in the construction industry. In order to rank each job, U.S. News started with the professions that have the highest hiring demand and then ranked them based upon 10-year growth potential, median salary, employment rate, stress level, work-life balance, and amount of job prospects. To find out more about their ranking system, click here.
1. Cost Estimator
Median Salary: $59,460
4 Year Degree Required? Not always, but preferred
Cost estimator was chosen as the best construction job because of its higher than average median salary and high employment growth (expected 26% growth by 2022). U.S. News suggests honing your analytical and technical skills, if seeking a job as a cost estimator.
2. Construction Manager
Median Salary: $84,410
4 Year Degree Required? No, but becoming increasingly important
U.S. News suggests that becoming a construction manager is the perfect profession for those who enjoy a little bit of architecture, civil engineering, cost estimating, and carpentry…but not too much. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that 78,000 more construction management positions will be added in the next 7 years, making it a job with a very high rate of job security, but it does come with a very high stress level.
3. Plumber
Median Salary: $50,180
4 Year Degree Required? No, but technical education required
Plumbers provide an invaluable service that makes all of our lives so much easier. Imagine living in the days before running water and sewage lines were around and then thank the plumber the next plumber you see for working on those lines. With water conservation efforts on the rise and new construction picking back up, the BLS estimates that 82,300 new plumbing jobs will be created by 2022.
4. Sheet Metal Worker
Median Salary: $43,890
4 Year Degree Required? No
Just like plumbers, sheet metal workers make all of our lives much better by providing the leg work to pipe cold air into building in the summer and warm air in the winter. There are also opportunities for sheet metal workers to fabricate metal siding and any other building materials made of metal, like railing and vent hoods. With predictions of 22,000 new sheet metal jobs being created in the next few years and above average opportunity for upward mobility, sheet metal workers landed at #4 on the list.
If you are interested in a different profession in the construction industry, or just want to see how your current job compares, U.S. News has 8 other construction professions analyzed on their website, including carpenters, electricians, painters, and steelworkers.
Best Construction Jobs | U.S. News
After sharing average hourly wage data for construction laborers, ranked by state, a little over a week ago, I’ve decided to begin doing the same for the other many different construction related professions. Our second profession that we’ll be analyzing will be heavy equipment operators.