What exactly are the benefits of working in the skilled trades? Are there actual benefits to being a skilled tradesman? After all, doesn’t the stigma that those who work with their hands are somehow less intelligent have a ring of truth to it? Don’t those who work with their hands make less money? Moreover, isn’t an “education” better for you in the long run in a career?

To be sure, there is a stigma which exists against the skilled trades. This stigma has been around for decades now and seems to be fueled by a large number of sources. I’ll save my critique against this, however, and refer readers to the article I wrote earlier about this very thing.

“Battling the Trades Stigma” – How the AWS is right on this

Instead, in this post I want to gear everyone to the fantastic benefits a career in the skilled trades can bring you. I’ll highlight the most prominent and beneficial – a feast for the eyes – and for many, the wallet. Let’s look at 9 benefits of working in the skilled trades.

The Benefits of the Skilled Trades

• Supply and demand
• Good pay and benefits
• Honest work
• Work satisfaction (once in a lifetime jobs)
• Skills for life
• Hands on
• Ingenuity possibilities
• NOT stuck in a cubicle/office
• NO DEBT

The Benefits of the Skilled Trades

Let’s delve into some of the benefits, shall we?

*NOTE: I should clarify a point or two here about what I mean as the “skilled trades.” Ordinarily the perspective is from the collective body; those in the field of union and non union. It isn’t a feasible argument to say there aren’t ANY skilled guys in the non union side – I mean, the work is still getting done.

When I write posts such as this, though, It’s important I remind the reader this is from the perspective of a union skilled tradesman – especially when we begin to talk about the pay, benefits, etc. Sure, there are some non union guys who do make good money but it isn’t quite the same as the union tradesmen I know; there isn’t any real comparison to be had when pay and benefits are concerned.*

Supply And Demand

This is by far my first reason listed. After all, if there is no demand then it doesn’t matter about supply; you can’t supply what isn’t being demanded. This supply and demand problem is exactly what many with useless college degrees are currently experiencing. A massive influx of people being told they needed to go to college to get a good job caused a saturated market. As a result there are scores of people who work outside of their degree field because the jobs aren’t there. Worst still, they have debt they can’t claim bankruptcy on.

With skilled trades (especially including apprenticeships) that problem is a non starter. There is more demand for skilled labor vs supply (meaning there is a shortage) and as baby boomers retire that shortage is projected to grow. Why is this good for skilled tradesmen?

Because supply and demand is at work here. With less skilled tradesmen doing the work the demand becomes greater, creating opportunity for those already in the trades. There is less work shortage, they are able to utilize the skills they honed during their apprenticeship and/or on the job, and they have the very real possibility of growing wages – all because of shortages. Isn’t supply and demand great?

Many office jobs experience tough competition due to an abundance of people competing for the limited number of jobs. It’s not that they are any more or less important; rather, they merely perform a different job and experience a different supply and demand enigma.

As such, there are many who are disenfranchised with the current working environment and the lie which had been told for well over 40 years is being recognized for the sham it is. Having understood the supply and demand in the skilled trades for what it is, some even elect to enter after they have been duped into going to college. They earn more and build a skill set which can’t be taken away. They may even discover they can actually use their degree to further their career in the skilled trades as their tenure increases.

All in all, the law of supply and demand is one which special attention should be paid, for it is merciless and unforgiving in nature but positively rewarding if heeded. Basic economic theory is at play here.

Good Pay And Benefits

Because of the supply and demand law, there is a great demand for skilled trades to increase their numbers to just keep up with what’s already here, much less tackle the work coming on the horizon. In addition, when you have a shortage you stand in a better spot to earn more in pay and benefits. This is precisely what is taking place all over.

I know guys who regularly make over $75,000 a year in the trades and it is feasible for guys to make $100,000; there are plenty who make even more. And it’s important to note that figure is what they make in their pockets; their benefits are EXTRA. The skilled trades benefit greatly from supply and demand.

Sure, there are guys who make much less but I would argue they don’t work for companies that engage in skilled trade work or good employment practices (I.e. they have high turnover, they treat people like general labor, etc.), they get what I would consider odds and ends jobs, and/or some stay employed for shady companies for their own reasons (lax drug policies, hit and miss attendance, etc.). This isn’t meant to be an exhaustive list, merely a quick preview from the top of my head based upon personnel I know.

Overall, though, if you are a stellar employee who is punctual, professional, skilled, possess some measure of emotional intelligence (see the article I wrote about this below), and generally exhibits a great tradesman attitude you should stay employed regularly and fruitfully.

 

 

There is a myth which basically asserts people who join trade work do so from necessity; that they have no alternative nor plan and as such must work with their hands. They suppose some pick the trades because they lack options, that’s how it goes. Yea, I’m gonna go ahead and blow this one to shreds; it’s horse crap, in a nut shell. While maybe a few stumble into the trades that way, most understand college and office/desk jobs aren’t their forte and as such search accordingly.

The pay can be very good and rewarding and it’s my hope we get to see more of it as time passes. With the baby boomers retiring at a rate of 10,000 a day, there is a definitely something to be said about rising wages.

Honest Work

I’m not surprised at this one, though many are at times. There are a lot of guys who like to look back after a hard days work and see something accomplished. It’s a gratification many get to experience regularly.

Compared to work where progress seems nil it’s really no shock then when guys are pleased at a job well done. Not seeing the fruits of your labor can be demoralizing and counterproductive. Work seems to drag on with no visible completion or progress, creating a stale and frustrating environment.

Many guys are just not cut out for an office environment. They enjoy field work, they gain satisfaction from a successful and complete job. They know it’s intrinsic to them when they rise up in pride to see that which they worked on done right and proper.

As such, this is a definite benefit when considering the skilled trades.

Work Satisfaction

I separated this from honest work for one main reason and that’s to say there are some jobs tradesmen talk about for many years after completion. They reminisce and recount their work conquest for many to hear. You know the ones I mean: the rare, the difficult, unique, once in a lifetime jobs which are etched in your mind. They are your go to for stories and success, where you fought and won. Those diamond in the rough jobs which over the course of your career you polish to perfection. The ones where you swell with pride.

Those rare jobs are categorized in your mind different than your run of the mill ones. Both give you satisfaction in seeing honest work being done but only a handful become legendary (at least in your mind).

Tell me where I’m wrong here…

Think about it: it’s not everyday a roller coaster is erected. Or a bridge is built. Or high rises are erected. Or ships are launched. Or nuclear plants are built. Or massive cranes are assembled and worked. Or…I could go on and on but you get the gist of it. Those jobs are glamorous; tough but satisfying. They don’t come often but are referenced as such.

Ah, the sweet memories those jobs give us. They are most definitely a benefit associated with the skilled trades.

Skills For Life

Here we have one of the most practical in the benefits column. Over the course of my career I have often remarked how tradesmen know one another and know how to get things done amongst themselves, at work and at home. If you told me someone in the office paid an auto mechanic to work on their car, paid a plumber to work on their house, or an a.c. mechanic to work on their unit I wouldn’t bat an eye; it’s standard protocol. However, if you told me those skilled tradesmen paid top dollar for that same work to be done at their own homes I’d be flabbergasted. Most know how to barter and in the community work gets done, especially at home. Labor is traded for labor and the world goes round.

Those are skills individuals learn and retain for life. They have tremendous use and often find their way intertwining with many other crafts and talents. They become the foundation for many to transition to other jobs during their tenure in the career field. Who better to manage a project than someone who has firsthand knowledge of what it takes to get the job done? How about reviewing contracts and ensuring work is done on time and under budget? Those with a grasp on work to be done have a leg up. Perhaps someone in the trades would like to sell and go after more work for their fellow tradesmen? Their intimate knowledge enables them to adequately perform that job, too.

The above is merely the tip of the iceberg regarding what tradesmen can continue on with a firm foundation of their trade (along with peripheral knowledge of others); there are many directions one can go. But no matter where you elect to go or tackle, one carries their trade with them. They have skills and as such have a firm foundation.

Hands On

Many people divide work into working with your mind or working with their hands. Their error is in their compartmentalizing; the two are not mutually exclusive. There is so much discernment which happens in the field it’s hard to really place it here. Suffice it to say, many exercise their cognitive abilities in dealing with their tasks.

However, most tradesmen WILL tell you they like working with their hands vs the alternative: sitting at a desk all day. The mechanically inclined wish to exercise their abilities rather than do tasks they consider menial and boring. To each their own.

They want to move about, move around, and get jobs done as opposed to be static. There is something about them which screams a desire to be active. Another check in the skilled trades benefit column.

Ingenuity Possibilities

I know guys in the trades who give this as a reason they like being in the field. Well, they don’t articulate it precisely this way but it’s a reason nonetheless. They get to do, to create, to solve, to exercise their cognitive abilities, and successfully complete tasks.

This may not sound like much but it is huge. In the age of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), generational differences, and even the increase in women in the skilled trades (men and women think differently), there is a diminishing return with regards to ingenuity. Even so, ingenuity and creativity still reign in many aspects of the skilled trades. And they certainly aren’t present in an office environment (when compared to the field).

I’ve seen guys solve some rather tough issues, troubleshoot seemingly unidentifiable problems, be exceptionally innovative to tackle a job, fix the unfixable, and do what seems downright impossible. And the ability to be creative fosters pride in their work, aids in job fulfillment, and keeps people engaged.

Contrast that with an environment where free thinking is discouraged or worse punished and it quickly becomes clear why guys seem to thrive in the skilled trades.

NOT Stuck In A Cubicle

Not low on the list because it’s least important. There are so many guys who say they couldn’t stay stuck in a cubicle all day it’s almost comical. They like to be active, moving about, even if it is in the elements. They don’t like the idea of being confined to a cubicle or office; it’s like prison for them.

Contrast that with those who not only deal with being in an office but actually enjoy it. It’s really odd for guys in the trades to think about but there are some who not only enjoy being in an office but they loathe the field. They seldom venture out to the field and look like a fish out of water while there. They want that bigger office like tradesmen want those once in a lifetime jobs. That corner office is akin to the skyscraper for the ironworker.

Related: check out this article below:

 

 

An interesting twist, though, is that there are some guys who after years of experience and physically active in the field will take a job which confines them to a desk – at least part of the day. The superintendent, the project manager promoted from within, even the position of safety manager are jobs where guys have been promoted to more managerial positions which require considerable office time. Often, but not always, these individuals are seasoned and experienced tradesmen who are dependable and have some age to them. Physically, they like the break in physical work but it comes at a hefty price: stress over the job. It’s incumbent in the position and can take its toll.

This is not true for all tradesmen, though, as most remain in the field. Also, those who do get managerial positions often aren’t in an office per se but rather in trailers on the job site. There is no commuting to the job; they are already there. If they get tired of being in the office? They are mere steps away from the site.

All in all though, many cannot picture themselves in an office environment as they enjoy tinkering, moving about, and think a cubicle/office is torture. Thus, it becomes a benefit of the skilled trades they are out and about.

NO DEBT

This isn’t last because it matters less; I merely wanted to end the list of benefits with a bang. College debt has exploded over the years, swelling to over 1.7 Trillion. The youth have been told for decades college was the only viable option and the debt accrued is an investment into their profitable future. Otherwise, they would find themselves with a subpar career struggling to make ends meet. Nothing could be further from the truth – and people are starting to wake up. For some, though – indeed, an entire generation – it’s too late.

They are already saddled with debt. Moreover, many of them aren’t working in their respective fields of study and are essentially starting over, competing with others who opted not to go to college. The debt a college degree can give someone is an albatross around their neck, preventing them from certain avenues because, as we all know, you can’t claim bankruptcy on those college loans.

It’s not the intent of this point to address the many facets of college debt but to rather illuminate the fact that when you graduate an apprenticeship, for which you earned money while going through, you are making journeyman’s rate – with NO DEBT.

I’ll never forget the time a first year apprentice told me he had $80,000 in college debt yet there he was, sitting in class with the rest of the first years. He had crushing debt and they had none. Talk about a contrast to behold.

Want a great career with no debt? Get into the trades – it’s definitely a benefit.

 

Conclusion

After looking over the benefits of the skilled trades, is it starting to resonate with you? Can you see yourself in a great career, learning new skills for life that bring you satisfaction, and a burgeoning bank account? I can. The shortage is real, the possibilities are endless, and time waits for no one. What are you waiting for – an invitation. Well here it is!

 

*NOTE: In trying to steer as much traffic not just to this site but also the skilled trades in general, this post was largely adapted from another post I wrote sometime back: The Pros and Cons of the Skilled Trades, which can be found below. I wasn’t about to reinvent the wheel, so the pros in that article became the meat for this one. The cons are what you would read that post for after reading this one. *

The pros and cons of the skilled trades