Flamingo Images // Shutterstock

Highest-paying construction jobs in Gadsden

The term “recession-proof” has taken on a new and important meaning in the wake of the Great Recession of 2008, a meaning that has been renewed during the pandemic. One recession-proof industry has proven to be construction. Residential and commercial real estate, roads, bridges, power and energy, hotels—each of these sectors has weathered economic storms and proven to be dependable ways for a person to support a family.

The American Institutes of Architects’ Consensus Construction Forecast predicts that nonresidential construction will grow 4.6%, while the overall commercial construction market will see a 5.4% increase. This is against market expectations of global construction gains of 3.7%, meaning the U.S. market is expected to be ahead of the curve. Moreover, road and highway construction is expected to reach $108 billion annually by 2024.

Aside from ongoing supply chain woes that have caused delays in materials delivery, one source of concern in construction is workforce shortages. Analysis from Deloitte says that labor shortages are the result of a lack of qualified candidates and a skills gap between generations in an industry growing more technologically savvy by the year.

But this does not mean there are no jobs out there—to the contrary, there are a great number of construction jobs out there, and many of them are high-paying and offer career opportunities. To that end, Stacker compiled a list of the highest paying jobs in construction in Gadsden using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs are ranked based on annual pay as of May 2020. Job descriptions are from O*NET.

You may also like: Highest-paying jobs in Gadsden that don’t require a college degree

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#8. Helpers–pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $24,410
– #157 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 30

National
– Annual mean salary: $34,990
– Employment: 55,740
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($62,520)
— Milwaukee-Waukesha-West Allis, WI ($51,590)
— Anchorage, AK ($45,980)
– Job description: Help plumbers, pipefitters, steamfitters, or pipelayers by performing duties requiring less skill. Duties include using, supplying, or holding materials or tools, and cleaning work area and equipment.

Pixabay

#7. Construction laborers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $28,790
– #374 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 130

National
– Annual mean salary: $43,000
– Employment: 971,330
– Entry level education requirements: No formal educational credential
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI ($66,670)
— Kankakee, IL ($65,730)
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($63,860)
– Job description: Perform tasks involving physical labor at construction sites. May operate hand and power tools of all types: air hammers, earth tampers, cement mixers, small mechanical hoists, surveying and measuring equipment, and a variety of other equipment and instruments. May clean and prepare sites, dig trenches, set braces to support the sides of excavations, erect scaffolding, and clean up rubble, debris, and other waste materials. May assist other craft workers.

Philip Lange // Shutterstock

#6. Highway maintenance workers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $29,420
– #316 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 60

National
– Annual mean salary: $43,200
– Employment: 149,890
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($72,040)
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($66,270)
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($65,290)
– Job description: Maintain highways, municipal and rural roads, airport runways, and rights-of-way. Duties include patching broken or eroded pavement and repairing guard rails, highway markers, and snow fences. May also mow or clear brush from along road, or plow snow from roadway.

Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images

#5. Carpenters

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $33,760
– #375 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 80

National
– Annual mean salary: $54,200
– Employment: 699,300
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— Urban Honolulu, HI ($82,950)
— Vallejo-Fairfield, CA ($82,300)
— Hanford-Corcoran, CA ($79,870)
– Job description: Construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood and comparable materials, such as concrete forms; building frameworks, including partitions, joists, studding, and rafters; and wood stairways, window and door frames, and hardwood floors. May also install cabinets, siding, drywall, and batt or roll insulation. Includes brattice builders who build doors or brattices (ventilation walls or partitions) in underground passageways.

Andrey_Popov // Shutterstock

#4. Plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $40,140
– #360 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $61,100
– Employment: 417,440
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,100)
— Fairbanks, AK ($94,280)
— Kankakee, IL ($93,420)
– Job description: Assemble, install, alter, and repair pipelines or pipe systems that carry water, steam, air, or other liquids or gases. May install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems. Includes sprinkler fitters.

You may also like: Highest paying jobs in Gadsden that require a graduate degree

Canva

#3. Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $42,560
– #283 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $55,280
– Employment: 402,870
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY-NJ-PA ($96,440)
— Barnstable Town, MA ($93,620)
— Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA ($93,320)
– Job description: Operate one or several types of power construction equipment, such as motor graders, bulldozers, scrapers, compressors, pumps, derricks, shovels, tractors, or front-end loaders to excavate, move, and grade earth, erect structures, or pour concrete or other hard surface pavement. May repair and maintain equipment in addition to other duties.

Hulton Archive // Getty Images

#2. Electricians

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $50,880
– #251 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 160

National
– Annual mean salary: $61,550
– Employment: 656,510
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward, CA ($106,680)
— Trenton, NJ ($90,210)
— Kankakee, IL ($88,530)
– Job description: Install, maintain, and repair electrical wiring, equipment, and fixtures. Ensure that work is in accordance with relevant codes. May install or service street lights, intercom systems, or electrical control systems.

sculpies // Shutterstock

#1. First-line supervisors of construction trades and extraction workers

Gadsden, AL
– Annual mean salary: $61,960
– #287 highest pay among all metros
– Employment: 100

National
– Annual mean salary: $72,990
– Employment: 614,080
– Entry level education requirements: High school diploma or equivalent
– Metros with highest average pay:
— San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara, CA ($107,870)
— Mount Vernon-Anacortes, WA ($103,930)
— Santa Rosa, CA ($100,620)
– Job description: Directly supervise and coordinate activities of construction or extraction workers.