Training for construction trades is well known, but did you know that there are many other trades that offer this type of paid, hands-on learning and training?
The following 10 professions had the most active trainees outside of training in 2022. These professions also offer alternatives as career options offered after the apprenticeship: Taken together, they are expected to offer an average of almost 900,000 jobs annually from 2021 to 2031.
All but one - nursing assistants - had a median annual wage greater than the median annual wage for all occupations in 2021, $45,760. (Note: many program agreements specify that the starting wage for trainees is 50 to 70% of the commute wage.)
Electric power line installers and repairers install or repair cables or wires used in electrical power or distribution methods.Number of active trainees in 2022: 15,249
Median annual salary 2021: $78,310
Employment 2021: 126,600
Vacancies expected 2021-31 annual average: 11,100
Heavy and semi-trucks transport goods from one place to another.2022 Diversity of lively trainees: 9,944
Median annual salary 2021: $48,310
Employment 2021: 2,094,700
Vacancies, annual average 2021-31: 259,900
Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers work on methods that heat unconventional buildings, cool perishable equipment, and ventilate air.2022 Diversity of lively trainees: 8,535
Median annual salary 2021: $48,630
Employment 2021: 394,100
Vacancies 2021-31 annual average: 40,100
Mill builders set up, dismantle, or transport equipment and heavy tools based on layout plans, blueprints, or other drawings.Number of active trainees in 2022: 6,149
Median annual salary 2021: $60,330
Employment 2021: 39,900
Vacancies 2021-31 annual average: 3,800
Telecom tool installers and repairers install and repair telecommunications cables, including fiber optic cables, in addition to line installers.2022 Diversity of energetic trainees: 4,810
Median annual salary 2021: $60,370
Employment 2021: 178,000
Vacancies, annual average 2021-31: 22,500
Nursing assistants provide basic care and help patients with everyday tasks.Number of energetic trainees in 2022: 4,033
Median annual salary 2021: $30,310
Employment 2021: 1,343,700
Vacancies, 2021-31 annual average: 212,700
Correctional officers and jailers oversee those who have been arrested and are awaiting trial or have been sentenced to prison or jail time.Number of active trainees in 2022: 3,124
Median annual salary 2021: $47,920
Employment 2021: 402,200
Vacancies, 2021-31 annual average: 31,200
Industrial machinery mechanics set up, adjust, restore, or maintain industrial manufacturing and processing machinery or refinery and pipeline distribution processes.2022 Number of energetic trainees: three,095
Median annual salary 2021: $59,840
Employment 2021: 384,800
Vacancies, 2021-31 annual average: 42,500
Firefighters control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies affecting life, property, or the environment.Number of energetic trainees in 2022: 2,306
Median annual salary 2021: $50,700
Employment 2021: 326,100
Vacancies, 2021-31 annual average: 28,000
Registered Nurses (RNs) provide and coordinate care for affected individuals and educate affected individuals and the public about a wide range of health situations.2022 Diversity of lively trainees: 2,281
Median annual salary 2021: $77,600
Employment 2021: 3,300,600
Vacancies, 2021-31 annual average: 203,200
Would you like to know more about the above professions? Explore them and hundreds more in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Career Prospects Guide.
Many different professions offer training alternatives, from restaurant specialists and pharmacists to educators and cybersecurity specialists. Find alternatives near you with the Apprenticeship Finder device.
Ryan Farrell and Bill Lawhorn are economists with the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics. Follow BLS on Twitter at @BLS_gov.
Data sources: US Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (data on active trainees) and Bureau of Labor Statistics (employment, wages, education, projections).