Which Skilled Trade Fits You? Union Trades Career Guide PDF | 16 Trades Compared: Pay, Training, Apprenticeships | 2026 Edition

Want to work with your hands but don't know which trade to pick? This guide compares 16 union building trades side by side so you can choose with your eyes open, before you spend years in an apprenticeship.

Written by a former journeyman sprinkler fitter who spent over a decade in fire protection.

INSIDE:
• Side-by-side comparison of 16 trades: union, apprenticeship length, job growth, heights, weather and travel
• Pay chart using the latest U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data (May 2025)
• "Find Your Fit": match your strengths and dealbreakers to the right trades
• Honest profiles of each trade: what you do all day, the best part, and the catch
• How union apprenticeships work: earn while you learn, raises, benefits
• Union vs. non-union: the honest trade-offs
• Step-by-step: how to apply, prepare for the aptitude test, and ace the interview
• A section for parents and school counselors, with questions to ask the local union

TRADES COVERED: Electrician, Plumber/Pipefitter/Sprinkler Fitter, Elevator Constructor, Boilermaker, Ironworker, Sheet Metal Worker, Carpenter, Drywall/Taper, Operating Engineer, Insulator, Glazier, Bricklayer/Mason, Cement Mason, Roofer, Painter, Construction Laborer

GREAT FOR: high school students and grads, career changers, parents, and school counselors

INSTANT DOWNLOAD: 14-page PDF. Read it on any phone, tablet or computer, or print it.

This is an independent guide, not affiliated with or endorsed by any union. Pay figures are national medians; local union rates vary by city.

SCHOOLS AND COUNSELORS: a printing license and counselor kit (worksheet, parent handout and career-day slides) are available. Message me or email hello [!at] whichtradefitsyou.com.

This guide was written with the help of AI tools, then reviewed and fact-checked by the author using his trade experience and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data.