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CAREER DIRECTION: Blue Collar Jobs in Demand for 2010 (AOL/Payscale)
Ready for a career change but dread getting another desk job? Then how about trying your hand at, well, working with your hands?
“There is a blue collar renaissance going on right now,” says Joe Lamacchia, author of Blue Collar and Proud of It: The All-in-One-Resource for Finding Freedom, Financial Success, and Security Outside of the Cubicle. “These are necessary jobs and they’re not going to go anywhere. Our nation’s infrastructure is crumbling. We want to turn this country green, and we don’t have enough workers to do it. There’s a lot of opportunity here.”
Following is a list of blue collar jobs experts say are most in demand this year, and their median annual salary according to online salary database, PayScale.com. To check out more blue collar job salaries, see our salary calculator.
Training for many of these positions includes a paid on-the-job apprenticeship, and the work can be physically rigorous. None of these jobs require education beyond a two-year associate’s degree.
1. Plumber, pipefitter, or steamfitter
“With all the alternative energy sources that people are coming up with — like solar heating, geothermal heat, and biofuel — there’s a big need for these workers,” says Dr. Laurence Shatkin, co-author of “300 Best Jobs Without a Four-Year Degree.” According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), these occupations are among the highest paid in the construction industry. Most of these workers receive their training in a technical school or community college, in addition to a four- or five-year apprenticeship, the BLS reports. In most states and municipalities, plumbers need to obtain a license.
Median annual salary: $49,773
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