Construction is a lucrative industry in the US, with annual revenue reaching trillions of dollars every year. Many Americans look into this industry as their source of livelihood, as millions join its workforce. If you’re planning to make a career in the construction industry, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some construction jobs that will help you gain success in the industry. Just a disclaimer, Not all these jobs are high-paying, but that’s the last thing you should consider if you want to make a career out of something.
Construction Worker
Salary: $32,000
Construction workers are the lifeline of the construction industry, with over a million people employed and doing this job. Many owners of construction firms today started from this humble job as well. This is where you should begin if you want the most exposure in the industry. It will give you a look into various construction expertise and specializations. It will also help you gain the necessary knowledge to start your own firm.
Additionally, being a construction worker gives you a huge opportunity to work abroad. Currently, the United Kingdom requires construction workers to take a certified online course for a CSCS green card to work in the country. The pay in the UK is much higher when compared to the US, so this can be a good first job if you’re looking into penetrating the European market.
You can approach this job in many ways, and don’t let the meagre wage fool you because this particular job can give you the most experience in construction compared to other jobs out there. Most construction firms only require construction workers to graduate from high school. However, some, mainly high-end firms, require construction workers to have graduated from any vocational course related to the field.
Carpenter
Salary: $48,000
What do carpenters do that construction workers don’t do? Well, for starters, carpenters usually work in a residential setting. They are usually hired to fix homes instead of building one from the ground up, although you can technically take jobs such as a carpenter. They install frameworks, follow blueprints, and do renovations.
Additionally, unlike construction workers, carpenters work with a smaller team. There might only be five or eight people on the team, each having their own sets of expertise for the job. Some carpenters may even work alone, doing the job at hand by themselves. You technically only need a high-school degree to enter this vocation, but you must go under a couple of years of apprenticeship before working alone. If you want to own a construction firm specializing in residential areas someday, this job is for you.
Building Surveyor
Salary: $72,000
If you want to get a job in surveying and make a career out of it, then a building surveyor is meant for you. Building surveyors are those that look into the foundations of high-rise buildings in an urban environment. They are in charge of creating the initial blueprint for any building. They also look into the specific risks and hazards that the project would bring.
Furthermore, building surveyors look into changes in the landscape and different restrictions that it might have. Other forms of surveyors are construction surveyors, road surveyors, and home surveyors. Each has their own specialized skills depending on the sub-sector they are working in. Being a building surveyor requires you to have graduated with a degree in building surveying.
Cost Estimator
Salary: $72,000
People who are talented in maths have a place in the construction world, and they don’t have to be engineers either. If you’re good at money and accounting, you can apply as a cost estimator. Many high-construction firms consider cost estimators valuable individuals for their projects because they know that they will lose their investment without them.
They also create a specific timeline of clients’ goals and create records of expenses during the project. If you’re good at accounting and maths and have an undergraduate degree in accountancy or another business degree, then this job is for you. It’s the job that can lead you to manage your own construction projects or maybe even become a safety manager in the future.
Civil Engineer
Salary: $87,000
One of the highest paying jobs in the industry, and for a good reason: you require a graduate degree and license before you start working as one. Civil engineers are required for almost any government infrastructure project in the nation. They can also work for private entities. Civil engineers create blueprints for construction firms to follow.
Furthermore, they supervise various projects and find certain problems that may occur. Compared to other jobs on this list, civil engineers don’t do much of the hard work. But they are certainly in charge of making the project a success. If you want to start your own engineering firm, starting a civil engineering career should be your first choice.
Here are five jobs in the construction industry that will help you start your career in the sector. These jobs vary in scope, but there is one for each person, regardless of their background. So pick the right one for you, and invest all your time into it.