Trades Navigator

For every worker in the American trades— from your first apprenticeship to the day you hand off the shop.

Build my dashboard or browse the trades

The skilled trades build everything you can see and fix everything that breaks. Electricians, plumbers, ironworkers, HVAC technicians, welders, diesel mechanics — if you do this work, you are not a backup plan. You are the backbone of the physical economy, and you are compensated accordingly. The median wage in most major skilled trades exceeds the median across all U.S. occupations. Source: BLS OES, May 2024.

Your work can't be outsourced, and it can't be automated. A robot can't crawl under your house to replace a pipe. An algorithm can't climb a steel frame in the rain. These careers are not threatened by AI or robotics in any timeframe a working person needs to plan around — the work is physical, on-site, and judgment-driven, the three things that have proven hardest to automate.

If you are in the trades — or thinking about entering them — we built this site for you. Not for your employer. Not for a trade association. For you.

Everything here is free, and it will stay free. Every wage figure, licensing requirement, and program reference comes from the government agency that published it.

The modules

From first-looking to passing on the shop

Seven modules covering the full arc of a trades career. Whether you’re seventeen or sixty, the path forward is here.

[01·EXPLORE]

The Trades

What each trade does, what it pays, what the day-in-life really looks like.

[02·ENTER]

Apprenticeships

Registered apprenticeships in Texas, Washington, and California — union and non-union.

[03·GET LICENSED]

Licensing

State-by-state journeyman and master licensing: hours, exams, reciprocity.

[04·START]

Business Launch

Contractor licensing, insurance, bonding, LLC, bookkeeping, estimating, bidding.

[05·MAINTAIN]

Continuing Ed

CE requirements by state and trade, plus specialty certifications.

[06·CHECK A SCHOOL]

School Records

Public federal records on file for any trade school. Five sources, no composite score.

[07·PLAN THE EXIT]

Exit & Succession

Valuation, succession, seller financing, and the conversation guides for handing off.

[WHERE COVERAGE IS DEEPEST]

Three trades currently carry our deepest module work — specialty ladders, equipment-investment notes, premium certifications. The other 17 trades have full overviews and licensing where states publish it. How we chose

Electrician

Specialty ladders, premium certs, equipment investment, and full state×trade depth.

Plumber

Backflow, gas, medical-gas ladders. Tools, rough-in vs service economics.

HVAC Technician

EPA 608, NATE, refrigerant ladders. Residential vs commercial differentiated.

Pick a trade

All twenty trades, grouped by sector.

[A·CONSTRUCTION]

Construction

Carpenter

Frames, finishes, and builds structures from wood, steel, and composite materials.

Electrician

Installs and maintains electrical systems in homes, commercial buildings, and industrial sites.

Elevator Constructor

Installs, modernizes, and services elevators, escalators, and moving walkways.

Glazier

Cuts, installs, and replaces glass in windows, storefronts, curtain walls, and skylights.

Ironworker

Erects structural steel, reinforces concrete with rebar, and installs metal decking and ornamental iron.

Mason

Lays brick, block, and stone for walls, foundations, chimneys, and veneers.

Operating Engineer

Operates heavy construction equipment: cranes, excavators, dozers, graders, loaders.

Plumber

Installs and repairs water, waste, gas, and drainage systems in buildings.

Sheet Metal Worker

Fabricates and installs ductwork, roofing, cladding, and architectural sheet metal.

[B·INDUSTRIAL & MECHANICAL]

Industrial & Mechanical

Boilermaker

Builds, installs, and repairs boilers, pressure vessels, and large tanks.

HVAC Technician

Installs, maintains, and repairs heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems.

Industrial Maintenance Technician

Keeps manufacturing equipment running: mechanical, electrical, and control system upkeep.

Machinist

Makes precision metal parts using manual and CNC machine tools.

Millwright

Installs, aligns, dismantles, and repairs heavy industrial machinery.

Welder

Joins and cuts metal using arc, MIG, TIG, stick, and oxy-fuel processes.

[C·AUTOMOTIVE & DIESEL]

Automotive & Diesel

Aircraft Mechanic (A&P)

Services and inspects airframes and powerplants on aircraft: general aviation, airline, military.

Auto Body Technician

Repairs collision damage: panel replacement, frame straightening, refinishing.

Automotive Service Technician

Diagnoses, maintains, and repairs cars and light trucks: gasoline, diesel, and electric.

Diesel Mechanic

Services and repairs diesel engines in trucks, buses, and heavy equipment.

Heavy Equipment Mechanic

Services construction, mining, agricultural, and material-handling machinery.

[06·STORIES]

Three illustrative career arcs from the catalog.

Composite personas, one per career stage. How we chose

Read all stories

[ELECTRICIAN · APPRENTICE · AGE 19]

Patrick — Electrician

Eight weeks into an IBEW Local 96 apprenticeship in Worcester, registered Class D with MA DAS, reading the A/B/C/D licensing ladder before he has to care about it

[HVAC TECHNICIAN · EXPLORER · AGE 26]

Maria — HVAC technician

Laid off from a marketing agency at 25, looking at HVAC after 8 months of resumes

[PLUMBER · OWNER · AGE 60]

Bill — Plumber

Master plumber, 20 years running his own shop, working out who deserves to inherit it

[ OUR SOURCES ]

DOLDOL CareerOneStopBLSBLS wages + employmentEDED accreditation statusVAVA GI Bill approvalStateState licensing boards

Every number on this site links back to the agency that published it. Click a figure to read the record.

We compile this from public government records — DOL CareerOneStop, state licensing boards, VA GI Bill data, ED accreditation listings, and BLS wage data. Every number on every page links to its source. Why this is free

Data sources last verified through May 5, 2026.