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12 Skilled Trades Now Paying $100,000+ as White-Collar Jobs Disappear

Licensing, specialization, and overtime, not luck, are what push pay past six figures

By Josh Koebert , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Aug. 24, 2026

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Entry-level white-collar hiring has cooled in a lot of corporate fields while a set of skilled trades keep paying six figures to workers who never touched a four-year degree. That doesn't mean one trend caused the other, but it does put the trades in a different light.

Employers train newcomers from scratch, and sticking with a trade long enough to earn the right license could build real wealth faster than a lot of desk jobs offer. Here is where that ceiling actually sits, and what it takes to reach it.

Editor's note: All salary data is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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Nuclear power reactor operator

Median annual salary: $120,350

Nuclear power reactor operators monitor and control the equipment that runs a nuclear power plant, one of the most tightly regulated jobs in the utility sector.

The federal license required to operate a reactor is what separates this pay tier from general power plant work; operators who take on mandatory overtime during scheduled outages reach the top of the range.

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Nuclear technician

Median annual salary: $104,240

Nuclear technicians monitor radiation levels and operate testing equipment at power plants and research labs.

An associate's degree covers the entry point, but reaching the high end comes from specialized certifications and a willingness to work the rotating, overnight shifts a nuclear facility runs.

Electrical power-line installer or repairer

Median annual salary: $92,560 (top 10% earn $126,610+)

Line installers and repairers put up and maintain the high-voltage lines and towers that carry electricity from power plants to homes and businesses.

Storm and outage response pays heavily in overtime, and linemen who take on that emergency travel work are the ones who consistently clear six figures.

Elevator and escalator installer or repairer

Median annual salary: $106,580

Elevator and escalator installers and repairers assemble, install, and maintain the equipment that keeps buildings accessible.

This is the rare trade where the median wage itself already tops $100,000; the apprenticeship is competitive precisely because the ceiling is this high for work that doesn't require a college degree.

Stationary engineer or boiler operator

Median annual salary: $75,190 (top 10% earn $121,200+)

Stationary engineers and boiler operators run and maintain the boilers, generators, and mechanical systems that keep large buildings and plants operating.

Licensing requirements vary by state and city, and engineers who hold a high-pressure boiler license and work in a major industrial or hospital facility are the ones who reach the top of the range.

Aircraft mechanic or avionics technician

Median annual salary: $79,140 (top 10% earn $120,080+)

Aircraft and avionics mechanics inspect, maintain, and repair the airframes, engines, and electronics that keep planes flying safely.

FAA certification is the baseline, but mechanics who specialize in a specific aircraft type or work for a major airline, where overtime is common, push past six figures.

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Power plant operator, distributor, or dispatcher

Median annual salary: $103,600

Power plant operators, distributors, and dispatchers control the systems that generate and distribute electricity to homes, businesses, and factories.

The median for this occupation already clears six figures, largely because plants run around the clock and operators work rotating shifts that come with built-in overtime.

Boilermaker

Median annual salary: $73,340 (top 10% earn $107,600+)

Boilermakers assemble, install, and repair the large steel boilers, tanks, and pressure vessels that power industrial facilities.

The work often requires travel, and boilermakers willing to take assignments away from home, plus put in the overtime those jobs demand, are the ones who clear six figures.

Ironworker

Median annual salary: $61,940 (top 10% earn $107,520+)

Ironworkers install the structural and reinforcing steel that holds up buildings, bridges, and roads.

Specializing in high-rise or bridge work, where hours run long and hazard pay is common, separates six-figure ironworkers from the rest of the trade.

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Electrician

Median annual salary: $62,350 (top 10% earn $106,030+)

Electricians install, maintain, and repair the electrical systems in homes, businesses, and factories.

A master electrician's license and running an independent contracting business, rather than working as a journeyman, is the most common path past six figures.

Plumber, pipefitter, or steamfitter

Median annual salary: $62,970 (top 10% earn $105,150+)

Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install and repair the pipes and systems that carry water, gas, and other fluids.

Master plumbers who own their own business, or pipefitters who specialize in industrial systems with heavy overtime, reach the top of the range.

Sheet metal worker

Median annual salary: $60,850 (top 10% earn $102,680+)

Sheet metal workers fabricate and install the ductwork and metal components used in HVAC systems.

Sheet metal workers who take on structural or industrial fabrication work, rather than standard residential duct installation, tend to clear six figures.

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Bottom line

None of these trades hands anyone $100,000 on day one; the roles that reach it consistently reward a license, a specialization, or the willingness to take on overtime or run an independent business. Weighing a trade path means looking honestly at three things: how long and expensive the training actually is, how physically demanding the work stays years into a career, and where the real earning ceiling sits once someone is fully qualified.

None of that makes a trade a guaranteed bet, but the numbers no longer support assuming a desk job is the automatically safer way to earn extra money over a full career.

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