10 Construction Jobs to Know About

Construction jobs are more than just lugging stuff around or operating big machines. It includes entry-level jobs such as painting and general labor, as well as skilled trades such as carpentry and welding. Whether you’re looking to start working right now or want to move beyond the weekly assignments into something more stable, here are the construction jobs to know about.  

Electrician

In this skilled construction job, you get to work with the electrical systems that service homes and businesses. Line Repairmen and Installers work on overhead lines and telecommunication systems. Maintenance electricians, on the other hand, repair and maintain electrical systems in factories or plants. Many electricians learn on the job through apprenticeship programs, where they accumulate a set number of on-the-job hours before taking a state test to earn a license. 

Flagging

From repaving a road to building a new highway, flaggers perform the important job of setting up safe work zones and making sure drivers can navigate around these sites safely. They keep traffic flowing and construction workers safe using paddles, signs, and flags. While you don’t need a formal degree to become a flagger, most states require you to get certified, whether through the company they work for or with an agency like the American Traffic Safety Services Administration. 

Plumber

This construction job isn’t just about fixing leaky pipes or replacing toilets. Plumbers are needed to do a wide variety of tasks. They’re crucial in fire protection, where they install, repair, and maintain the water systems that kick in when a home or building is on fire. Plumbers work with HVAC systems, providing mechanical and support services. To become a plumber, you’ll need a post-secondary education as well as on-the-job training before getting a license. You’ll be required to learn about plumbing system design, how to use the basic tools, safety protocols, and learn to work with journeymen and master plumbers. 

Carpenter

There is a wide range of construction job opportunities for carpenters. You can work in the residential or commercial sector, framing walls, building stairs, hanging cabinets, and installing windows in homes and buildings. Carpenters also work in the industrial sector, building tunnels, power plants, and bridges. These construction workers also work on a ship building decks or in a dramatic production assembling backdrops and stages. They learn to use carpentry tools and read blueprints during a 3- to 4-year apprenticeship program. 

Welder

In construction, welders join steel beams for buildings and bridges, and join pipes in power plants. To get started in this construction job, welders get certification from a trade or technical school. You can enroll in a general program that teaches the basics of the trade or go into a more specialized one if you’re interested in entering a specific field like underwater welding. 

Demolition

Demolition workers are responsible for clearing a worksite before a new project begins. It could be as simple as tearing down a few walls to an entire building. They’re also responsible for making sure the demo area is safe before their project begins, such as laying out dust sheets and sorting through the broken materials to see what’s salvageable. To get started as a demolition worker, you would enroll in an apprenticeship program to learn under more experienced demolition workers. 

Construction Driver

If you want a job that gets you behind the wheel of a truck or piece of heavy equipment, consider becoming a construction driver. From delivering building materials like timber, steel, and cement mix to moving heavy equipment like excavators and bulldozers, truck drivers are always needed in this industry. To get started in this construction job, you’ll need to attend a truck driving school and pass any required tests to get special licenses like a CDL. 

Concrete Finisher

Concrete finishers are responsible for smoothing, installing, restoring, or treating concrete structures like floors, sidewalks, roads, driveways, and patios. They use equipment to compress concrete, apply hardening compounds to concrete surfaces, and even install steel plates and anchor plates before the concrete dries. Like the other construction jobs listed here, you’ll need to complete an apprenticeship program before working in this construction job. Once you become a journeyman, you can work for a construction company, a manufacturer, or a concrete contractor. 

Painter

Painters are needed to paint new commercial buildings, city infrastructure such as walls and bridges, and residential homes. But this construction job is more than just picking up a paintbrush and painting a wall. They have to be skilled at prepping a job site. This includes laying down drop cloths, putting up scaffolding, setting up ladders, filling holes and cracks. They also need to know how much paint, primer, and sealant are needed for the project before they start work. All of this can be learned either on the job, through a union apprenticeship program, or with a contractor that offers formal training. 

General Laborer

While general laborers aren’t skilled workers that require licenses like the other construction jobs we mentioned, it’s a stepping stone into those rewarding careers. As a general laborer, you get to try your hand at all these different types of construction jobs. You can help load and unload carpentry materials. You can help painters assemble their scaffolds. General laborers are also needed to help demolition workers sort through materials. You’ll also gain important skills you’ll need in whatever construction job you move onto next – from learning how to work in a team to good hand-eye coordination. 

If you’re ready to get your first daily construction job or land your next weekly gig, click here to work with your local branch office.