Construction Trades

Types of Degrees Construction Trades Majors Are Getting

The following table lists how many construction trades graduations there were for each degree level during the last year for which data was available.

Education Level	Number of Grads
Undergraduate Certificate	19,956
Basic Certificate	18,943
Associate Degree	6,956
Bachelor’s Degree	251
Graduate Certificate	5

What Construction Trades Majors Need to Know

O*NET surveyed people in occupations related to construction trades and asked them what knowledge areas, skills, and abilities were important for their jobs. The responses were rated on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being most important.

Knowledge Areas for Construction Trades Majors

This major prepares you for careers in which these knowledge areas are important:

• Building and Construction - Knowledge of materials, methods, and the tools involved in the construction or repair of houses, buildings, or other structures such as highways and roads.
• Mechanical - Knowledge of machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.
• Mathematics - Knowledge of arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, statistics, and their applications.
• English Language - Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
• Customer and Personal Service - Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Skills for Construction Trades Majors

construction trades majors are found most commonly in careers in which the following skills are important:

• Critical Thinking - Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
• Active Listening - Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
• Monitoring - Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
• Coordination - Adjusting actions in relation to others’ actions.
• Speaking - Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Abilities for Construction Trades Majors

As you progress with your construction trades degree, there are several abilities you should pick up that will help you in whatever related career you choose. These abilities include:

• Near Vision - The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
• Problem Sensitivity - The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
• Manual Dexterity - The ability to quickly move your hand, your hand together with your arm, or your two hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.
• Arm-Hand Steadiness - The ability to keep your hand and arm steady while moving your arm or while holding your arm and hand in one position.
• Oral Comprehension - The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

What Can You Do With a Construction Trades Major?

People with a construction trades degree often go into the following careers:

Job Title	Job Growth Rate	Median Salary
Cement Masons and Concrete Finishers	12.6%	$43,000
Derrick Operators, Oil and Gas	25.2%	$46,120
Drywall and Ceiling Tile Installers	1.0%	$43,730
Electricians	8.9%	$55,190
First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers	12.6%	$65,230
First-Line Supervisors of Housekeeping and Janitorial Workers	9.9%	$39,940
Floor Layers, Except Carpet, Wood, and Hard Tiles	9.8%	$42,760
Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall	1.3%	$38,480
Paperhangers	5.3%	$38,090
Rotary Drill Operators, Oil and Gas	24.6%	$53,800
Rough Carpenters	8.2%	$46,590
Security and Fire Alarm Systems Installers	14.2%	$47,190
Septic Tank Servicers and Sewer Pipe Cleaners	17.2%	$38,970
Solar Energy Installation Managers	12.6%	$65,230
Solar Photovoltaic Installers	104.4%	$42,680

Who Is Getting a Bachelor’s Degree in Construction Trades?

This major attracts more men than women. About 88% of the graduates in this field are male.

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the countrywide level, the racial-ethnic distribution of construction trades majors is as follows:

Race/Ethnicity	Number of Grads
Asian	8
Black or African American	25
Hispanic or Latino	66
White	138
International Students	4
Other Races/Ethnicities	10

Geographic Diversity

Students from other countries are interested in Construction Trades, too. About 1.6% of those with this major are international students.

Amount of Education Required for Careers Related to Construction Trades

Some careers associated with construction trades require an advanced degree while some may not even require a bachelor’s. Whatever the case may be, pursuing more education usually means that more career options will be available to you.

Find out what the typical degree level is for construction trades careers below.

Education Level	Percentage of Workers
Less than a High School Diploma	18.6%
High School Diploma - or the equivalent (for example, GED)	41.7%
Post-Secondary Certificate - awarded for training completed after high school (for example, in agriculture or natural resources, computer services, personal or culinary services, engineering technologies, healthcare, construction trades, mechanic and repair technologies, or precision production)	23.2%
Some College Courses	8.1%
Associate’s Degree (or other 2-year degree)	4.9%
Bachelor’s Degree	2.9%
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate - awarded for completion of an organized program of study; designed for people who have completed a Baccalaureate degree but do not meet the requirements of academic degrees carrying the title of Master.	0.3%
Master’s Degree	0.2%
First Professional Degree - awarded for completion of a program that: requires at least 2 years of college work before entrance into the program, includes a total of at least 6 academic years of work to complete, and provides all remaining academic requirements to begin practice in a profession.	0.1%
Doctoral Degree	0.3%
Post-Doctoral Training	0.1%

Online Construction Trades Programs

The following table lists the number of programs by degree level, along with how many schools offered online courses in the field.

Degree Level	Colleges Offering Programs	Colleges Offering Online Classes
Certificate (Less Than 1 Year)	0	0
Certificate (1-2 years)	2,258	16
Certificate (2-4 Years)	244	0
Associate’s Degree	1,566	30
Bachelor’s Degree	6	0
Post-Baccalaureate	0	0
Master’s Degree	2	0
Post-Master’s	2	0
Doctor’s Degree (Research)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Professional Practice)	0	0
Doctor’s Degree (Other)	0	0

Majors Related to Construction Trades

You may also be interested in one of the following majors related to construction trades.

Major	Number of Grads
Personal & Culinary Services	157,937
Mechanic & Repair Technologies	110,408
Precision Production	60,170
Transportation & Materials Moving	35,751

References

*The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students, international students, and students whose race/ethnicity was unknown. This number is then divided by the total number of students at the school to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• College Scorecard
• National Center for Education Statistics
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers First Quarter 2020

More about our data sources and methodologies.