Much has been made of the evolution of our nation's workforce, as America has over the last generation moved from a manufacturing economy to a service or knowledge based one. However, that doesn't mean that opportunities for people who work with their hands have completely dried up; new blue collar (or 'working class') jobs are still being generated in the United States, though they aren't always in manufacturing.
Not all of these jobs are manufacturing, though quite a few of them involve hands on work. What separates these from white-collar jobs is that they don't require a college degree to get them, not that they're unskilled work. They also tend to be the sort of job that nobody wants to do, and that's the key to their high pay. It's not that nobody can do them, it's that the market of people willing to do them is greatly reduced, whether because of the difficulty of the job itself or the need for certification.
What follows are descriptions of 10 jobs (or rather, 10 categories of jobs) that are likely to retain solid job growth for at least the next 6 to 10 years. They offer good pay, but not the highest salaries. Many are hourly and eligible for overtime; many are tied intimately to the technology sector or other elements of the U.S. economy.
Electronic Home Entertainment System Installer
Ever been baffled by hooking up the cable on your new digital ready TV? Or looked at how hard it is to actually put a 52" plasma display on your wall? Or tried to set up your own Dolby home theater system? If you've ever been in this situation, you know exactly how steep the demand curve is for professional installers. Paying someone $15 per hour – about $30,000 per year – seems like a bargain when you're trying to install a $4,000 home theater system. This is a blue-collar job that requires some personal skills and some tech savvy; many people with this skill set move on to higher paying jobs in network operations and telecomm sectors.
Landscaper/Groundskeeper
As the average square foot of the U.S. home has grown, and with it, the size of the plot of land it's on, so has the total acreage of lawns and "recreational turfing". With that increase has come a boom in jobs maintaining those lawns. What used to be doable by handing a neighbor's kid $5 has grown into a career for several segments of the economy. It averages a bit over $10 per hour, often times as much as $22,000 per year – roughly what a data entry clerk earns. Many lawn care companies provide equipment and training and medical benefits.
Highway Maintenance Worker
There are always potholes that need filling, and there are always safety standards that need to be met. So long as those exist, there will always be people in orange vests and hard hats doing the hard work in the hot sun of summertime (or the bitter cold of the winter). This is a prime example of the kind of job that can't be outsourced due to local needs; Malaysian factories can't fix roads in Chicago. This sort of work typically runs at $15 to $16 per hour, in excess of $32,000 per year, and it's earned – every penny of it.
This one is a spottier trend; it depends on current fashions in architecture; it experienced a big boost during the home refinancing boom of the early 2000s, and may be declining in several markets. People with this job lay time, flooring, brick, and finish on houses to make them look better. Unlike lawn care specialists, this kind of work is very much dependent on the housing market, but a skilled finisher can make between $14 and $17 an hour depending on local market conditions.
Security System and Fire Prevention System Installer
While the rate of violent crime and property crime is dropping and has been declining steadily since the early 1990s, this market is constantly hiring for technicians who can go out on site and do the installation. Typical pay ranges from $13 to $18 per hour.
Office Equipment Repair/Computer Repair
This is the job field that's experiencing the most obvious growth, with companies like Best Buy hiring people to be in their Geek Squad. It's the basis of the job for Chuck in the TV series of the same name. Basically, every electronic device has gotten complex enough that it takes a dedicated technician to fix it, or someone who understands the ins and outs of a particular product line. Typical salary range runs from $17 to $22 per hour, though various certifications (like ACE or APlus) can significantly boost your pay rate.
Industrial Tile and Marble Worker
In much the same way that the real estate boom in the housing market made home improvement contracting a booming market segment, the desire to seem upscale has made the same skill set valuable to people who run commercial properties. The line between the two jobs blurs a lot – we were tempted to list them as the same profession; the main difference between the two is that a commercial marble installer is part of a full on contracting team, while ones who specialize in working in homes tend to be one or two man private contracting operations. The pay is also higher, in the $19 to $21 per hour range.
HVAC (Heating and Air Conditioning) Installer and Mechanic
As the demographic latitude of the U.S. has moved south, so has the demand for air conditioning, both installing it and fixing or upgrading existing installations. A big market growth segment for this is LEEDs or Energy Star certification. Many homeowners and businesses, looking to cut down on their heating and cooling bills, are renovating 20 and 30-year-old heating and air conditioning systems. Salaries start at $18 per hour and go up from there.
Structural Ironworker
The people who work big steel, constructing buildings, and the like still find work. The job has gotten considerably safer, and it has its local market ups and downs. A small growth area at the moment is refurbishing older infrastructure. Pay starts at $19 per hour and can exceed $30 per hour for a trained foreman.
Public Transit Driver
Whether you're driving a bus, or running a subway car, or light rail train, this is a job that pays well, has strong benefits, and in most communities above a certain size, a near certainty of having a job once you get hired. The pay starts at $23 per hour, and many municipalities encourage overtime.
