Skilled trades in Texas

Which trades pay most in Texas, which have the most openings, which need a state license, and how to get into each one. Pay is from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, openings from the Texas Workforce Commission, licenses from the Texas agencies that issue them.

What is a skilled trade?

A skilled trade is hands-on work you learn by doing: on the job, in an apprenticeship, or at a trade school, usually without a four-year degree. Electricians, plumbers, welders and truck drivers are examples. Some trades need a state license in Texas; most don't.

More from the U.S. Department of Labor: CareerOneStop's skilled trades guide ↗

See the trades at work

Explore Skilled Trades Careers | CareerOneStopCareerOneStop · YouTube · plays from youtube-nocookie.com
Careers in Construction | Career Cluster Video SeriesCareerOneStop · YouTube · plays from youtube-nocookie.com

Videos from CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Tap CC on the player for captions.

The 18 trades, by Texas pay

Trade	Median	Top 10%	Openings a year	Texas license?	First step	Open jobs
Lineman	$37.95	$51.71	1,234	Yes (TDLR)	Lineman apprenticeship	9
Millwright	$30.11	$44.47	299	No	Millwright apprenticeship	10
Plumber	$28.77	$39.37	4,225	Yes (TSBPE)	Plumber's Apprentice	1
Pipefitter	$28.77	$39.37	4,225	No	UA apprentice	15
CNC Machinist	$28.45	$39.94	2,144	No	NIMS CNC Mill or Lathe Operations	1
Diesel Mechanic	$28.27	$39.26	2,988	No	ASE Medium-Heavy Truck certification (T1–T8)	69
Electrician	$28.16	$38.61	8,102	Yes (TDLR)	Apprentice Electrician	86
HVAC Tech	$27.77	$39.36	3,352	Yes (TDLR)	Registered Technician	81
Mason	$27.12	$29.30	477	No	Masonry apprenticeship	4
CDL Driver	$27.06	$38.17	26,651	Yes (Texas DPS)	Commercial Learner Permit (CLP)	143
Welder	$25.64	$38.58	6,303	No	AWS Certified Welder	33
Ironworker	$25.12	$37.27	849	No	Ironworker apprenticeship	2
Heavy Equipment Operator	$24.26	$33.66	5,373	No	Operating engineer apprenticeship	50
Carpenter	$23.51	$31.69	3,839	No	Carpenter apprenticeship	17
Auto Technician	$23.23	$39.29	7,485	No	ASE G1 Auto Maintenance and Light Repair	—
Maintenance Technician	$22.44	$35.68	16,095	No	EPA Section 608 certification	17
Roofer	$22.13	$29.59	605	No	Learn on the job or as an apprentice	—
Painter	$21.86	$28.32	2,371	No	Painter apprenticeship	5

Median and top 10%: an hour, all workers in Texas. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. Openings a year: Texas, 2024–2034, from the Texas Workforce Commission ↗; for a trade that spans two occupations, its main one. Plumber and pipefitter share one occupation, so their numbers match. Pay by city → Every career path →

Which skilled trades are in high demand in Texas?

CDL drivers have the most openings of any skilled trade in Texas: about 26,700 a year through 2034, by the Texas Workforce Commission's projections. Next are maintenance technicians (16,100) and electricians (8,100). Growing fastest by 2034: maintenance technicians (+14.9%), electricians (+14.4%) and CDL drivers (+14.1%).

Openings count new jobs from growth plus workers who retire or move to another occupation. TWC projections ↗

What is the highest paid skilled trade in Texas?

Lineman is the highest paid skilled trade in Texas: $37.95 an hour is the middle of Texas pay, and the top 10% earn $51.71 or more. Next are millwright ($30.11) and plumber ($28.77).

Lineman pay by city →

Which trades can make $100,000 a year in Texas?

At 40 hours a week all year, $100,000 is about $48.08 an hour. In Texas, the top 10% of linemen ($51.71, about $107,600 a year) earn more than that. In every other trade on this list, the top 10% earn $28.32–$44.47 an hour; overtime, per diem and union scale are how many get higher.

Top union scale in Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis counties: pipefitter $42.09, plumber $39.98 and HVAC tech $39.76 an hour, plus benefits. Union halls →

BLS: “Annual wages have been calculated by multiplying the hourly wages by 2,080 hours” BLS ↗

Which skilled trades need a license in Texas?

5 of the 18 skilled trades here need a Texas state license: electrician (TDLR), plumber (TSBPE), HVAC tech (TDLR), lineman (TDLR) and CDL driver (Texas DPS). The rest have no state license; many employers ask for a certification instead, such as AWS for welders or ASE for mechanics.

Electrician career path →Plumber career path →HVAC Tech career path →Lineman career path →CDL Driver career path →

How do I start in a skilled trade with no experience?

There are three ways into a skilled trade with no experience: a helper job (paid from day one), an apprenticeship (paid while you learn, often with classes), or a trade school course (you pay, but grants can cover it).

Helper jobs (3 open) →Apprenticeships →Ways to pay for training →

Still in high school? For students finishing a trade program →

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