Best Jobs in the Construction Industry

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The Construction Industry

While the “construction industry” may be thought of mainly as a bunch of dudes wearing hard hats and safety vests and swinging hammers at stuff, the industry itself is full of varied and diverse jobs done by people from all walks of life. But which of these jobs is the best? “Best”, of course, is a relative term. But by using factors of average salary and job availability it is possible to put together a fairly definitive ranking of the jobs in the construction industry. Here are the fourteen best construction jobs according to U.S. News and World Report:

#14 Cement Mason and Concrete Finisher

Projected Jobs: -3,900

Median Salary: $44,810

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#13 Brickmason and Blockmason

Projected Jobs: -5,200

Median Salary: $53,100

#12 Carpenter

Projected Jobs: -4,200

Median Salary: $48,330

David Papazian/Shutterstock

#11 Insulation Contractor

Projected Jobs: 1,800

Median Salary: $44,180

Shutterstock/ Matej Kastelic

#10 Construction Worker (Laborer)

Projected Jobs: 75,400

Median Salary: $36,860

Shutterstock/ zhengzaishuru

#9 Structural Iron and Steelworker

Projected Jobs: 3,600

Median Salary: $55,040

Shutterstock/ Francesco de Marco

#8 Sheet Metal Worker

Projected Jobs: 1,800

Median Salary: $50,400

#7 Painter

Projected Jobs: 900

Median Salary: $40,280

Shutterstock/ Linus Strandholm

#6 Equipment Operator

Projected Jobs: 16,900

Median Salary: $48,980

Shutterstock/ Yuriy Golub

#5 Glazier

Projected Jobs: 2,100

Median Salary: $44,630

Shutterstock/ only_kim

#4 Solar Photovoltaic Installer

Projected Jobs: 6,100

Median Salary: $44,890

Syda Productions/Shutterstock

#3 Electrician

Projected Jobs: 62,200

Median Salary: $56,180

#2 Plumber

Projected Jobs: 20,900

Median Salary: $55,160

Shutterstock/ sirtravelalot

#1 Construction Manager

Projected Jobs: 40,400

Median Salary: $95,260