The construction industry is growing rapidly, with market size of around 8.2 trillion U.S dollars in 2022. As a growing industry, it offers a range of job opportunities, such as roles in project management, as an electrician, carpenter, plumber, and more.
Construction jobs require particular skills in each work environment, but they are secure, in high demand, and pay well. In fact, the construction worker’s pay increased by 6% in the residential sector compared to pre-COVID days, the highest increment in the last 40 years.
Modern solutions like Bridgit have made working in construction more efficient by automating and simplifying office functions. So, let’s learn more about the most popular construction jobs in the forthcoming years.
The 3 best jobs in the construction industry
Job opportunities in the construction industry offer career growth with a good salary package, with candidates easily joining the workforce. However, some industry jobs require a university degree, so it’s important to thoroughly check a job’s requirements, How many jobs are available in basic industries? and make sure that you’re qualified for it.
Nevertheless, here are the top three jobs you should focus on.
1. Construction project manager
A construction project manager is responsible for initiating and delivering a project within a given budget and time frame. Additionally, this professional collaborates with all the team members to ensure quality work.
This discipline consists of multiple domains, including:
- Cost control – A project manager’s responsibility is to manage the budget for each aspect of a construction project. They control direct and indirect costs incurred in the project and employees’ wages and salaries.
- Risk assessment – The project manager assesses all the risks associated with the construction project and takes the necessary risk mitigation steps. The documentation team prepares a risk assessment matrix under the construction project manager’s supervision, whether residential or commercial.
- Procurement – This domain refers to sourcing, transporting, and purchasing goods and services you need for your construction project. The procurement comes in parallel with cost control, as buying goods and services from abroad or any third-party platform heavily affects the overall budget.
- Scheduling – A project manager must follow a tight schedule to complete a project with the allocated resources. Scheduling must be done in the planning phase. Also, the project’s schedule must remain subject to change because you never know what the future will bring.
Requirements
You must have a bachelor’s degree in the construction field major with on-field professional experience. If you are starting fresh, you might not get the project manager designation for the first three years.
Average Salary
A project manager is a highest-paid worker in the construction industry. Their average salary is $111,165 per year as of June 2022.
2. Electrician
An electrician is responsible for the wiring of a building. Once familiar with electrical circuits, switches, current, and voltage, you’re ready to get on-field experience. The primary responsibilities of an electrician include:
- Installation – They must install wires according to an electrical circuit map. The installation phase requires various resources like wires, switches, boards, sensors, security alarms, lights, and more.
- Maintenance – Electrical wires and boards wear off over time. So every construction project needs an electric maintenance team to keep everything in line.
- Repair – Electricians also repair electrical appliances or damaged components during construction.
Requirements
You don’t have to get a college degree to become an electrician. Instead, you can join an electrician school or apprenticeship program and get yourself a license. Remember that it’s illegal to start working as a professional electrician without a license.
Average salary
The average salary of an electrician in the U.S. is $53,150 annually. However, this figure may vary depending on the position level. For example, a beginner electrician earns $42,900 annually, while a senior can make more.
3. Carpenter
Carpenters are the most versatile workers on construction projects. Because of this, they’re also high in demand.
Carpentry is not limited to hammering nails into the woods. As a carpenter, you can perform a variety of jobs. For example, preparing plywood for tabletops or constructing a masonry structure for rebars. Another example is deciding the geometry of a wooden structure, measuring its placement, and ensuring that everything sits right.
The following are the responsibilities of a carpenter:
- Construct – You’ll have to convert the raw wood into a constructible wooden material. This material can further be used as a supporting structure for rebars, wood houses, and kitchen cabinets.
- Repair – Carpenters know how to fix any wooden structure. So that’s a big plus when no repair person is available during an urgent construction project. The project can continue without any delay as a result.
- Maintain – A carpenter knows every possible hack to keep a wooden structure alive.
Requirements
Many carpenting jobs require you to have a high school diploma or a GED. You can also get training from apprenticeship programs that allow students to work with experienced carpenters before graduating.
Many industrial and commercial employers offer apprenticeships to get hands-on experience.
Average salary
A carpenter earns $59,866 per year in the U.S as of June 2022. But you can boost your income by providing carpentry services to multiple residential and commercial sectors.
Conclusion
There are a lot of jobs available in the construction industry. For most jobs, starting off doesn’t require a college or university degree until specifically asked for. Most of the time, the only things required are your skills and an ability to learn quickly.
The construction sector is constantly looking for talented individuals who can construct strong foundations from raw plastic, wood, and iron.
