Last updated on August 5, 2019
Think you might be interested in acquiring the skills needed to take on one of the best construction jobs of 2018? We’re here to help with a break down of jobs, salaries, expected employment growth and ways you can get those skills at the colleges of DCCCD.
Plumber
- Role: Plumbers develop blueprints to plan where pipes and fixtures should be plotted in a structure.
- Annual Mean Wage in Texas: $46,100
- Expected Employment Growth: 16 percent from 2016 to 2026
- Educational Pathway: An apprenticeship is the most common pathway to becoming a plumber. Another way to get started is to get an associate degree in Construction Technology with an emphasis in an area like pipefitting or commercial plumbing.
Construction Manager
- Role: Construction managers obtain work permits, hire contractors, troubleshoot emergencies, schedule walkthroughs and keep clients informed on work timetables and progress.
- Annual Mean Wage in Texas: $96,870
- Expected Employment Growth: 11 percent from 2016 to 2026
- Educational Pathway: Some construction managers start out in lower level positions and eventually rise through the ranks without formal education. However, it’s becoming increasingly important for construction managers to get a college education in a construction science or construction engineering program, such as through the Construction Management program at North Lake College.
Electrician
- Role: Electricians know the ins and outs of designing lighting systems, installing street lights and intercom systems, ensuring electrical work is up to code and repairing electrical wiring.
- Annual Mean Wage in Texas: $46,410
- Expected Employment Growth: 9 percent from 2016 to 2026
- Educational Pathway: An Electrical Technology associate degree or certificate program can be a great way to get started on the path toward training to become an apprentice electrician, preparing for licensing exams and upgrading your current job skills.
Construction Worker
- Role: Construction workers are jack-of-all-trades personnel charged with assisting tradespeople with the labor required to finish a project.
- Annual Mean Wage in Texas: $30,400
- Expected Employment Growth: 12 percent from 2016 to 2026
- Educational Pathway: A formal education isn’t technically required, but an associate degree in Construction Technology can be a great way to get a leg up on the competition. While either in school or on the job, many laborers find they prefer a specific trade and become specialists in areas like field engineering, HVAC, pipefitting, electrical and more.
Sheet Metal Worker
- Role: Sheet metal workers fabricate or install products that are made from thin metal sheets, such as ducts used in heating and air conditioning systems. Industrial sheet metal workers may spend their days in paper or industrial mills working with heavier metals and welding or in commercial kitchens creating and installing countertops, vent hoods and handrails.
- Annual Mean Wage in Texas: $40,080
- Expected Employment Growth: 9 percent from 2016 to 2026
- Educational Pathway: To become a sheet metal worker, you should consider an education in either Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Technology or Welding, depending on the type of sheet metal work you’re interested in doing.
Brickmason and Blockmason
- Role: Brickmasons and blockmasons are responsible for the aesthetically pleasing facades of buildings that fill cities and towns the world over.
- Annual Mean Wage in Texas: $43,770
- Expected Employment Growth: 12 percent from 2016 to 2026
- Educational Pathway: In addition to on-the-job training, it’s also a good idea to build skills through training programs like WorkReadyU, where you can become qualified for a brick mason job in about seven weeks.
Build Skills and a Career at Dallas Community Colleges
- You can find all of our construction degree and certificate programs on our website.