Highest-paying trade, production, and transport jobs
Compare construction, maintenance, production, and transportation occupations.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment ProjectionsPeriod: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wagesRetrieved 2026-10-05T08:25:31+00:00
SOC major groups 47, 49, 51, and 53. This is an explicit occupational grouping, not an official BLS definition of “blue collar.” National BLS detailed occupations only. Wages are median annual employee wages, not starting salaries or self-employed earnings. Missing wages are excluded from pay rankings. A “+” means a lower bound, not an exact wage; equal reported bounds share a rank. Education describes the typical entry requirement, not a guarantee of eligibility. Training, licensing, and experience may still be needed.
| Rank | Name | Typical education | Median annual wage | Projected growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 251 | Tire repairers and changers DetailsEducation: High school diploma or equivalent. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | High school diploma or equivalent | $37,710 | 3.4% |
| 252 | Stockers and order fillers DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $37,330 | 8.9% |
| 253 | Shuttle drivers and chauffeurs DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $37,290 | 7.1% |
| 254 | Textile, apparel, and furnishings workers, all other DetailsEducation: High school diploma or equivalent. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | High school diploma or equivalent | $37,280 | -13.4% |
| 255 | Motor vehicle operators, all other DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $37,180 | 2.8% |
| 256 | Bakers DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $37,160 | 5.5% |
| 257 | Sewing machine operators DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $36,670 | -15.1% |
| 258 | Sewers, hand DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $36,480 | -12.0% |
| 259 | Packers and packagers, hand DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $36,280 | -5.0% |
| 260 | Cleaners of vehicles and equipment DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $35,830 | 3.9% |
| 261 | Automotive and watercraft service attendants DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $35,670 | 3.8% |
| 262 | Shoe machine operators and tenders DetailsEducation: High school diploma or equivalent. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | High school diploma or equivalent | $35,650 | -6.9% |
| 263 | Ambulance drivers and attendants, except emergency medical technicians DetailsEducation: High school diploma or equivalent. Experience: None. Training: Moderate-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | High school diploma or equivalent | $35,450 | -1.3% |
| 264 | Parking attendants DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $35,150 | 2.0% |
| 265 | Pressers, textile, garment, and related materials DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $35,060 | -15.7% |
| 266 | Laundry and dry-cleaning workers DetailsEducation: No formal educational credential. Experience: None. Training: Short-term on-the-job training. Source period: 2025–2035 projections · 2025 median annual wages | No formal educational credential | $34,890 | 4.3% |
Wages marked + are top-coded: the published figure is the lower bound of the capped wage.
266 ranked entries.