Careers in the trades—such as plumbing, electrical work, and HVAC—are not only essential but offer lucrative and fulfilling opportunities. Despite growing demand and high earning potential, trades careers continue to be misunderstood. In this article, we’ll break down five of the most common myths about working in the trades and set the record straight.
Five Lies You’ve Been Told About the Trades: Separating Fact From Fiction
Let’s bust these myths and take a closer look at the plentiful opportunities of a skilled trades job:
1. The Trades Are Only for Those Who Aren’t “Cut Out” for College
The Truth: A career in the trades is intellectually stimulating, challenging, and rewarding—one that many people are driven to pursue.
In 1960 in the U.S., only about 8% of adults had a college degree; learning a skilled trade was a path to a comfortable life. By 2025, nearly 40% of adult Americans over the age of 25 have a bachelor’s degree. Over the years, young people began to look at college as a requirement and not just as one of their options.
It’s common for school counselors to direct students with good grades toward college but encourage students in the lower academic tier to pursue a trade. Somewhere along the way, a career in the trades started to be viewed as an option for those who struggle in school. But that’s only true if you ignore the arithmetic and laws of physics that need to be understood before tackling complicated plumbing, HVAC, or electrical projects.
Not only are trades careers fulfilling, many young people have passions and talents that align better with the trades. However, they continue to receive external pressures toward higher education. Generation Z is entering the trades workforce at a higher rate than the two generations before them. Being declared “not cut out for college” may turn out to be a lucky break for many young people!
2. Trade Work is Dirty & Dangerous
The Truth: While a career in the trades can be dangerous, safety measures and insurance regulations are in place to keep employees happy, safe, and clean.
We can’t debunk this without addressing that there is some truth here. Dirt and grime go with the territory when it comes to a construction site. Plus, a job in construction can be quite physically demanding. It’s obvious why construction workers wear hard hats and safety glasses amid swinging cranes, falling debris, and other potential hazards.
For this reason, not only is construction work the most dangerous of the skilled trades, but it ranks among the most hazardous occupations throughout all industries.
On the other hand, construction work has become a lot safer than it once was—insurance companies have seen to that. Contractors with a bad safety record have to pay sky-high premiums and the worst among them may find it impossible to obtain insurance at any price.
Construction Work vs Service Trade Jobs
Construction is only half the trade work equation. Many trade workers gravitate toward the service sector, where the work is cleaner and less dangerous than working on a construction project. These are the licensed plumbers, electricians, and HVAC technicians that you call when your toilet stops flushing, your circuits get overloaded, or your air conditioning breaks down during a heat wave.
This is not to say these types of trades workers never encounter grunge on the job. Plumbers certainly have to deal with filth on some of their service calls and HVAC emergencies may require technicians to work in extreme heat or cold. However, on most days service trade workers won’t get their uniforms soiled or experience a work-related injury.
3. College Graduates Make More Money Than Trade Workers
The Truth: Performance pay often leads to six-figure incomes.
Don’t be fooled by aggregated data showing that college graduates earn more money than people without a college degree. That only applies to those whose degrees are in high demand (nursing, engineering, and computer science, for example).
Skilled trade workers usually earn more than the typical liberal arts major—and much more than those who end up as servers, bartenders, or telemarketers, which is the fate of many college graduates whose academic credentials are not highly valued in a saturated market.
How Much Can You Expect to Make in the Trades?
This is a difficult question to answer definitively because so much depends on the type of work, geographic region, and the company itself. As of recent data, average annual salaries in these fields are:
–Plumbers: Approximately $60,000 per year
–Electricians: Approximately $60,000 per year
–HVAC Technicians: Approximately $51,000 per year
You may be thinking, that’s not even close to six figures. It’s important not to think in terms of averages. Nobody should embark on a career with the goal of being average in their field. Think instead in terms of earning potential.
How to Become a Top-Notch Service Technician Who Earns Six Figures
Skill level with tools is only part of what makes a top-notch trades professional. The highest-paid service technicians must have a congenial personality that enables them to establish a rapport with customers and earn their trust. This, in turn, will enable them to generate more work from their customers.
The sky is the limit for how much you can earn once you learn a skilled trade. Once you become proficient and acquire knowledge of the business side, you have the opportunity to open your own trade business.
4. Trade Work is Seasonal and Unpredictable
The Truth: Job security is higher for skilled trade workers than most other occupations.
When it comes to job security, high-performing trade workers have less to worry about than people in most other employment sectors. This is especially true with the rapidly growing use of artificial intelligence (AI). This myth originates from the fact that construction work is highly cyclical. While it’s true that when work slows down, construction workers get let go, this myth deserves a closer look.
Mediocrity Never Wins
Mediocre performers in any field will always be vulnerable to layoffs, whether due to business conditions or employers looking for replacements. Mediocre trade workers are no exception. The best trade workers, however, are in short supply. When a contractor identifies someone as a top performer, they will do everything possible to keep that person on the payroll.
Trade service work has its ups and downs, but the service side of the trade is nowhere near as volatile as construction. In fact, service work often runs countercyclical to new construction. That’s because when construction markets are in a slump, people hang onto their properties longer. This leads to more repairs, replacements, and improvements of mechanical and electrical systems. When service work does slow down, many firms compensate not by laying off workers but by reducing their hours.
5. Trade Work is For Men Only
The Truth: Service firms, in particular, clamor for female technicians.
This myth is a little harder to refute as most estimates show that women make up less than 5% of all trade workers. While this number has increased over time, progress has still been at a snail’s pace.
We’re not trying to make the argument that the skilled trades aren’t male dominated, but we need to distinguish between the status quo and opportunity. One reason women are underrepresented in the trades is because of social and cultural traditions. Those who choose to ignore tradition will find numerous opportunities.
Unfortunately, there’s still a small crowd in the trades world that feels women are out of place doing this type of work and ugly stories still crop up about jobsite discrimination. But thankfully this mindset is quickly fading away. Contractors won’t turn their backs on qualified women, and actively work to close the trades gap. Many trade apprenticeship programs devote a lot of effort to recruiting women. Plus, various organizations, like us at Explore The Trades, provide resources for women wondering how to get into trade jobs.
The Truth About The Trades: Your Promising Career is Waiting!
If dispelling these myths has sparked your interest in the trades, this is the perfect place to get started. Explore The Trades offers valuable resources to help you get started with your new career. If you’re looking for more information, check out our blog. You can also peruse our dedicated page for those who are new to the trades.
Not sure if you want to start your career as an electrician or pursue plumbing as a career? Take our quiz to see which is the best fit for you.