A Guide to Trade School for Women

Despite making up 56% of the general workforce, women account for just under 5% of all skilled tradespeople — but their numbers are rising as more women make their way into trade schools and trade roles. From bridgebuilder to pipelayer, these trades offer women the opportunity to take on potentially high-paying jobs without requiring a four-year degree.

Trained trade workers are in high demand as labor shortages continue to grow. A 2024 survey by Angi found that 70% of trade professionals felt the current trade shortage was a major problem.

Many trade employers reported not being able to find workers (39%) or not being able to find workers with suitable qualifications (37%).

Labor activists, industry groups, and the federal government all agree that women are an untapped resource in many trades, especially construction. The Million Women in Construction initiative, for example, is a government effort to double the number of women in construction over a decade.

“We won’t be able to fill critical jobs in the construction industry without growing our trades workforce to include more women,” U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo told a crowd of industry leaders and activists in Wisconsin. “And these jobs pay — on average — twice as much as jobs that women are more likely to fill in the hospitality industry or as care workers.”

Historically, women have been shut out from roles in construction and mechanical and technical work because those roles were seen to be better suited for men, while women were perceived to be better at hospitality and caretaking roles. However, these perceptions are a result of social conditioning, not fact.

Small yet mighty is one way to describe the current state of women in the trades.

While their numbers are few, especially in these traditionally male-dominated careers, women’s presence is increasing and reshaping the way employers approach recruiting and retaining a skilled workforce.

Many industries, like construction, are now paying women nearly on par with men after decades of unequal pay. What’s more, companies are adopting family-friendly policies to make the trades more accessible to women who choose to have children.

The federal government and other advocacy groups are helping to pave the way.

“There’s no way the Department of Commerce is investing billions of taxpayer dollars in brand-new infrastructure projects and not having those jobs go to people who look like all of America,” Secretary Raimondo said while announcing the federal construction initiative.

Barriers remain, however. The Institute for Women’s Policy Research detailed the challenges women and others face in making construction as a trade for all, not just men, in a 2022 report.

While women continue to face inequities and harassment on job sites, Kristyn Volk, a bridge carpenter with the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights union, said that the number of men who happily welcomed her to the industry vastly outnumbered those who thought she didn’t belong.

“It’s changing for the better,” explained Volk, who has one month left of her apprenticeship. “More men are becoming aware of the issues and wanting to do what they can to stand up for us and help make a change. We do still have a long way to go.”

There is no trade that women can’t enter in 2024. Trades for women span many sectors, from mechanics to healthcare. Ultimately, the best trade job for you will depend on your interests, skills, and goals.

Furthermore, many types of trades, like construction, are actively recruiting female workers.

Here are some of the most popular trades aspiring tradeswomen could consider pursuing. All job data below comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Nearly 1.2 million women work in construction, making up almost 10% of the industry’s workforce, according to the National Association of Women in Construction. While this is a considerably smaller percentage than that of women in the general workforce, it still represents female growth in a field that was once closed to them.

The construction trades tend to be popular because of their high wages, union protection, and opportunities for advancement and growth.

There are many in-demand roles in construction, including equipment operator, flooring installer, roofer, plumber, and ironworker. Many positions require licensure, training, and/or apprenticeships.

The Chicagoland Workforce Funder Alliance’s 2020 Construction Trade Guidebook notes how construction trades are best suited for students who enjoy working outdoors, are physically fit and strong, can wake up early and be punctual to job sites, and have basic math abilities.

The mechanical trades require the design, use, and understanding of various tools and machinery. Electricians; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians; and auto mechanics are some of the most popular mechanical trades.

Typically, these trades require apprenticeships and some technical or trade school. As you move through the ranks, however, you have the potential to grow your salary. Many of these trades require licensure.

Carrier Enterprise, a global distributor of HVAC equipment, celebrated its women employees during Women’s History Month in 2024, profiling women important to the field. According to the company, about 2% of HVAC technicians nationwide are women.

“That statistic may sound discouraging, but the truth is — 2% is more women in the industry than we’ve ever had, and it’s only continuing to increase,” the company notes.

Many women in the trades gravitate to the health sector, partnering with doctors, dentists, and veterinarians to operate medical machinery and provide patient care. Some of these trades require only an associate degree — but still boast above-average starting salaries.

Dental hygienists, diagnostic sonographers, and radiation therapists all make median annual salaries of over $80,000, according to the BLS.

The BLS celebrated the contributions of women to the healthcare industry during Women’s History Month in 2022, with the theme “providing healing, promoting hope.” At the time, 78% of the 21.2 million workers in the healthcare and social assistance sector identified as women.

Many healthcare trades are growing at a rate faster than that of other trades. For example, the BLS projects more than 20% growth for occupational therapy assistants and physical therapist assistants between 2023 and 2033.

The BLS projects a demand for skilled trade workers in the restaurant, beauty, and self-care industries over the next decade. Because of social constructs of gender and the jobs at which they excel, women have historically tended to dominate the fields of cosmetology and massage therapy. They’re also a growing presence in the service sector.

Culinary school can be a popular route for women in trades interested in the restaurant industry. There, you can explore career paths for chefs, bakers, and line cooks. There is also a need for women to take on leadership roles in these establishments. While women are socially assumed to be capable of cooking, they have historically been excluded from the restaurant industry as business owners or top chefs.

A 2022 study by the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation found that while 69% of mid-level workers identified as female, only 38% of industry executives were women.

Trade school for women is a viable career path. Many trades are aiming to diversify their workforces to make up for labor shortages, and women have been identified as a critical demographic to fill these roles.

Entering the trades can also be beneficial for women. Learning a trade can save you thousands of dollars in educational and training expenses — and might even increase your lifetime earning potential.

Just ask Volk, the 33-year-old bridge carpenter nearing completion of her apprenticeship. She earned $94,000 last year, working around 50-58 hours a week.

“I wish I was exposed to this as a career opportunity when I was graduating from high school,” Volk said. “I never thought I could do this as a job. I didn’t know any women who worked in construction or building stuff.”

Becoming a bridge carpenter is a job Volk never knew she’d pursue — but one, she says, changed her life.

After leaving art school due to high program costs and finding work at an insurance agency, she still wasn’t earning the salary she wanted. Her goal was to buy a house and get employer-covered healthcare.

A Google search led her to the Michigan’s Women in Skilled Trades program. And since then, she said, doors keep opening.

Volk started as a floor installer in 2019 earning $15 an hour. It was a slight pay cut, but she knew the benefits and opportunities for advancement would be worth it. She quickly put in enough time to enroll in the union’s healthcare, pension, and workplace annuity programs.

She then trained as a bridge carpenter in 2023. Now, she earns $39 an hour — a wage she expects to increase even more once she gets her journeyman status.

“I know there are so many other young women and girls out there that probably have the same interest,” said Volk. “It’s really important for me to show them this is an opportunity.”

Today, Volk focuses on welding, concrete form work, and pile driving. But that won’t last forever. She aspires to move into management, and hopes to one day work as a union leader and activist.

“It’s not only working with your body and your tools,” Volk said. “If you want to do other things, you can expand as well.”