“It’s time to raise the profile of skills-based professions and inspire young adults to reimagine skilled careers as a meaningful career path that can lead to financial freedom, entrepreneurialism and lifelong success,” said Mark Hedstrom, Co-Executive Director, Skilled Careers Coalition. “With demand and salary growth for key skilled careers on the rise, it’s impossible to ignore how skilled careers represent a highly desirable and profitable path to success.”
According to Payscale’s recently released online salary survey, three of the top 10 in-demand jobs with the greatest year-over-year salary growth are in the skilled career sector:
| Rank | Job Title | Median Pay | YOY Wage Growth |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Master Plumber | $82,700 | 21% |
| 4 | Automotive Body Repairer | $52,100 | 21% |
| 9 | Roofer | $51,700 | 19% |
Added Hedstrom, “When guiding young people to explore their career of choice, it’s important for parents, educators, counselors, and businesses alike to elevate skilled careers as an equally viable path alongside traditional degree-based careers. This is how we can collectively help create the dynamic ecosystem needed to inspire young people to consider a skilled career pathway while helping to meet the growing demand for makers, builders, fixers, and creators.”
With the goal to strengthen and diversify the American workforce, SCC has launched a three-part strategy: to inspire the next generation of talent, to build a dynamic ecosystem among all stakeholders and to transform the future of work.
Background From AI to ‘the Great Resignation,’ the American workforce has undergone transformational change over the last decade. Meanwhile, millions of college graduates have been left disillusioned and in debt, while opportunities for highly trained professionals in skilled careers spanning construction, industrial, manufacturing, creative, and service – industries that are the backbone of America – are booming and have never been in greater demand or more profitable than they are today.