Plumbing

Plumbers keep the water flowing and the pipes working in every home, school, hospital, and skyscraper. They install and repair the systems that bring clean water in and take waste water out. It might not sound glamorous, but plumbing is one of the most essential — and well-paying — trades out there.

Plumbers earn between $40,000 and $90,000 or more per year. Master plumbers who run their own businesses can make well into six figures. Like other building trades, the path to becoming a plumber usually involves a 4 to 5 year apprenticeship where you learn hands-on while earning a paycheck.

After completing your apprenticeship, you'll take a licensing exam to become a journeyman plumber. From there, you can work toward your master plumber license, which allows you to start your own plumbing company and pull permits for jobs.

New York City alone has thousands of buildings that constantly need plumbing work. Add in new construction, green building initiatives, and aging infrastructure, and plumbers will be busy for decades to come. If you're someone who likes solving problems and working independently, plumbing is a rock-solid career.