Welders are essential on many construction jobs throughout the US, especially in bridge construction and high rise buildings. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) groups Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers into one category, but their jobs essentially boil down to joining and cutting metal.
Read moreAverage Hourly Wage of Security and Fire Systems Installers, By State
I had a request to cover fire suppression system installers on our weekly look at hourly wage data, but unfortunately the Bureau of Labor Statistics doesn't specifically break that profession out separately. They do, however, have a category called Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers, which I believe will cover the category.
Read moreAverage Hourly Wage of Elevator Installers, By State
Elevator installers and repairers do exactly that, install and repair elevators. As specific as the job is, it's actually the highest paid construction trade that doesn't require anything more than a high school diploma. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that the job outlook for the profession is expected to increase by 12% through the year 2026, which is higher than average.
Read moreAverage Hourly Wage of Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers, By State
Reinforcing Iron and Rebar Workers, commonly referred to as "rod busters," are responsible for positioning and tying reinforcing steel rebar, cables, and mesh for use in concrete. Rebar workers are usually also responsible for bending and cutting the reinforcement material.
Read moreAverage Hourly Wage of Pipelayers, By State
Pipelayers, common teammates of heavy equipment operators, are responsible for laying pipe for storm, sanitary, or water systems. Pipelayers can work with a variety of different materials, including reinforced concrete panels (RCP), ductile iron, HDPE, and PVC. This is considered more of an exterior site work task, as opposed to plumbers, who run the piping on the interior side of buildings.
Read moreAverage Hourly Wage of Concrete Finishers, By State
Concrete finishers smooth and finish concrete surfaces like curbs, floors, and roads. Most are also responsible for cutting control and expansion joints as the concrete hardens. OSHA's new silica dust regulations have added an additional wrinkle to the concrete finishers job, as they are now required to greatly limit their exposure to silica containing dust.
Read moreAverage Hourly Wage of Crane Operators, By State
Cranes can be some of the most dangerous pieces of equipment on any construction jobsite. Not only do workers need to worry about working underneath loads being suspended by cranes, operators need to exercise extreme caution when working with heavy loads and extreme weather conditions. Cranes are also pivotal in efficiently building multi-story buildings, especially high rise and supertall buildings. The profession itself, at least for tower crane operators, can be fairly lonely though, as there's no buddy system up in the cab. The long commute up to the top also restricts the amount of time operators can take breaks.
Read moreAverage Hourly Wage of Floor Layers, By State
Floor layers are broken out into several different categories and this data pull specifically highlights "floor layers, except carpet, wood, and hard tiles." This category most likely encapsulates vinyl tile or linoleum installations, whether they be strips, blocks, or sheets.
Read moreAverage Hourly Wage of Insulation Workers, By State
Insulation workers, specifically those that install floor, ceiling, and wall insulation typically learn their trade on the job. Whether installing more traditional fiberglass insulation or spray foam insulation, these types of workers almost exclusively work indoors. Although there are also mechanical insulation workers, their numbers are broken out separately, as they make an average of $10,000 per year more than floor, wall, and ceiling insulators.
Read moreAverage Hourly Wage of Solar Panel Installers, By State
The solar photo-voltaic panel installation profession is one of the newest jobs on the construction site. It's also considered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to be one of the fastest growing professions across any industry. From 2016 to 2026, the BLS expects employment to rise 105 percent, when the average is only around 5 percent.
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