What Trade Should I Learn

One press picks a skilled trade to look into, with what the work is and how people usually start.

Elevator installer and repairerInstalls and fixes elevators, escalators and moving walkways. Entry: high school diploma.

Next step Not sure about a trade? Draw a job Compare a college major

How it works

Thinking about a trade and not sure which? Press the button for one of 40 skilled trades, from electrician to welder, each with what the work is and the usual entry-level education.

Read the full guide

Narrow it by the kind of work

After your first press, the list beside the button narrows the draw: Building and construction (17), Installing and repairing (15), or Making and running plants (8). Four more choices sort by how people usually start, from no formal credential to a certificate or associate's degree.

Turn a pick into a plan

Set the count to 3 and keep the one that makes you curious. Then look it up in the Occupational Outlook Handbook at bls.gov, which has a How to Become One section for every trade here, and ask a local union hall or community college about apprenticeships near you.

Tips

Ask to shadow someone in the trade for a day before you sign up for a course.
Rules on licenses differ by state, so check yours before you choose a program.

Questions and answers

Where do these trades come from?

From the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each card gives the Handbook's job summary in plain words and its typical entry-level education. We read the Handbook's tables on 30 September 2026.

Which trades can I start without a diploma?

The Handbook lists no formal educational credential as the typical entry for 6 of the trades here, such as roofer, painter and baker. Pick No formal credential to start to draw only those.

Is this a quiz?

No. It is a shuffled list with filters, made to give you a trade to read about. It does not score your answers or tell you what you would be good at.

All 40 trades

Building and construction 17

Boilermaker Builds and repairs boilers and other big vessels that hold liquids and gases. Entry: high school diploma.
Carpenter Builds and repairs frameworks and structures made from wood and other materials. Entry: high school diploma.
Construction equipment operator Drives and controls the heavy machinery that builds roads and buildings. Entry: high school diploma.
Drywall installer and taper Hangs wallboard and ceiling tile, then gets the wallboard ready for paint. Entry: no formal credential.
Electrician Installs and repairs power, lighting, communications and control systems. Entry: high school diploma.
Elevator installer and repairer Installs and fixes elevators, escalators and moving walkways. Entry: high school diploma.
Flooring installer and tile setter Lays and finishes carpet, wood, vinyl, tile and other flooring. Entry: no formal credential.
Glazier Installs glass in windows, skylights and other fixtures in buildings. Entry: high school diploma.
Hazardous materials removal worker Finds and disposes of harmful substances such as asbestos and lead. Entry: high school diploma.
Insulation worker Installs the materials that insulate buildings and mechanical systems. Entry routes vary.
Ironworker Installs the iron and steel that form and support buildings, bridges and roads. Entry: high school diploma.

Show all 40 trades (29 more)

Building and construction, continued

Mason Builds with brick, concrete block and natural or manmade stone. Entry routes vary.
Painter Puts paint, stain and coatings on walls, buildings, machinery and bridges. Entry: no formal credential.
Plumber, pipefitter or steamfitter Installs and repairs piping fixtures and systems. Entry: high school diploma.
Roofer Replaces, repairs and installs the roofs of buildings. Entry: no formal credential.
Sheet metal worker Makes or installs products made from thin metal sheets. Entry: high school diploma.
Solar panel installer Sets up and maintains rooftop and other systems that turn sunlight into energy. Entry: high school diploma.

Installing and repairing 15

Aircraft mechanic Installs, tests and repairs the equipment and systems in aircraft. Entry: a certificate.
Auto body and glass repairer Restores and replaces vehicle bodies, frames, windshields and window glass. Entry: high school diploma.
Auto mechanic Inspects, maintains and repairs cars and light trucks. Entry: a certificate.
Calibration technician Inspects, adjusts and tests measuring devices against standards. Entry: associate's degree.
Diesel mechanic Repairs and overhauls buses, trucks and anything with a diesel engine. Entry: high school diploma.
Electronics installer and repairer Installs and maintains many kinds of electrical and electronic equipment. Entry routes vary.
Heavy equipment mechanic Repairs the vehicles and machinery used in construction and farming. Entry: high school diploma.
HVAC technician Works on heating, ventilation, cooling and refrigeration systems. Entry: a certificate.
Maintenance and repair worker Fixes and maintains machines, mechanical equipment and buildings. Entry: high school diploma.
Medical equipment repairer Installs, maintains and repairs patient care equipment. Entry: associate's degree.
Millwright or industrial machinery mechanic Installs and repairs factory equipment and other industrial machinery. Entry: high school diploma.
Power-line installer and repairer Installs and repairs the cables and wires of electrical power systems. Entry: high school diploma.
Small engine mechanic Inspects, services and repairs motorized power equipment. Entry routes vary.
Telecommunications technician Installs and repairs radio, internet and other telecom equipment. Entry routes vary.
Wind turbine technician Maintains and repairs wind turbines. Entry: a certificate.

Making and running plants 8

Baker Mixes ingredients by recipe to make breads, pastries and other baked goods. Entry: no formal credential.
Butcher Cuts, trims and packages meat for sale in shops. Entry: no formal credential.
Jeweler Designs, makes, adjusts, repairs and appraises jewelry. Entry: high school diploma.
Machinist or tool and die maker Runs equipment that makes precision metal parts, instruments and tools. Entry routes vary.
Power plant operator Controls the systems that generate and distribute electric power. Entry: high school diploma.
Water treatment plant operator Runs the machines that move and treat water and wastewater. Entry: high school diploma.
Welder Joins, repairs and cuts metal parts with hand-held or remote equipment. Entry: high school diploma.
Woodworker Makes cabinets, furniture and other products from wood, veneers and laminates. Entry: high school diploma.

How this list was compiled: 40 skilled trades from the Occupational Outlook Handbook of the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, https://www.bls.gov/ooh/, a work of the US government. bls.gov refused automated requests on 2026-09-30, so the three group tables were read that day in the Internet Archive's copies: construction and extraction (captured 2026-09-27), installation, maintenance and repair (captured 2026-09-11) and production (captured 2026-08-24), each at https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bls.gov/ooh/<group>/home.htm. Each trade keeps the address of its own Handbook page in x.src, the Handbook's name for the occupation in x.bls and the Handbook's "entry-level education" in x.entry. The line on each card is the Handbook's job summary in our words; a script checked a key word of every line against the summary. The entry lines repeat the Handbook's typical entry-level education and nothing more. No pay, job-outlook, licensing or apprenticeship-length figures are given: they change and differ by state. Licence: Facts: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, public domain. Selection, names and wording: own work.