🔨 Skilled trades and crafts careers

54 careers in Skilled trades and crafts: what they do, prospects, pay, AI impact and where to study.

• 🦿 Industrial Robot TechnicianInstalls and maintains robots in factories: programs paths, sets up grippers and sensors, fixes faults. So the line never stops. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🔧 ElectricianInstalls and repairs wiring, consumer units, lighting and equipment in homes and factories. Knows where the danger is and makes the current go where it should. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🚰 Plumber & Heating EngineerInstalls and repairs water supply, heating and drains. Fixes leaks, fits boilers and water heaters, runs pipework in new homes. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🛠️ Lift & Escalator Engineer (Elevator Mechanic)Installs, services and repairs lifts and escalators: mechanics, electrics, controls. Answers call-outs when people are stuck. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• ❄️ HVAC & Refrigeration TechnicianInstalls and repairs air conditioning, cold rooms, heat pumps and ventilation. Works with refrigerants, electrics and on building facades. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🗼 Overhead Line Worker (Lineworker)Builds and repairs power lines: climbs pylons and poles, replaces insulators and cables, restores power after storms in any weather. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🧺 Appliance Repair TechnicianFixes washing machines, fridges, dishwashers and cookers in customers' homes: finds the fault, replaces modules and sensors, explains how to avoid it next time. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🚗 Vehicle Body Repairer and PainterBrings a damaged car back to shape and colour: pulls out dents, welds, applies filler, matches the paint and sprays it so no one can spot the repair. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🌀 Ductwork and Ventilation InstallerAssembles and hangs ductwork and installs fans and air-handling units in shopping centres, factories and homes so there's fresh air everywhere. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 👨‍🏭 WelderJoins metal: pipelines, ships, bridges, steel structures. Stick, MIG and TIG welding: the weld must hold pressure for years. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🔩 Maintenance FitterRepairs industrial machinery: strips it down, finds wear, replaces bearings and assemblies, puts it back together and restarts it. Without them the plant stops. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🚙 Motor Vehicle Technician (Mechanic & Auto Electrician)Diagnoses and fixes cars: engine, suspension, wiring, electronics. Plugs in a scanner, finds the fault and fixes it by hand. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 📟 Instrumentation & Control TechnicianMaintains sensors, gauges, flowmeters and automation at plants and stations: calibrates and repairs them and works out why an instrument is lying. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🚜 Excavator and Plant OperatorDrives an excavator, bulldozer or loader: digs foundations, loads rock, levels sites. Precise work with a bucket weighing a tonne. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• ☀️ Solar PV InstallerInstalls solar panels on roofs and in fields: fixes mounting frames, runs cables, connects inverters and batteries, and switches the system on. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🖨️ 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing) TechnicianPrints parts in plastic, resin and metal: prepares the model, sets up the printer, monitors the build and finishes the part afterwards. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🩺 NDT Technician (Non-Destructive Testing)Finds hidden cracks in pipes, welds, rails and aircraft: ultrasound, X-ray, magnetic testing. Without their report the job can't be signed off. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🔦 Laser Cutting Machine OperatorCuts, engraves and welds metal with a laser: prepares the cutting program, sets focus and power, and checks the quality of the cut. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• ⚙️ CNC Machinist (Milling)Machines complex parts on a milling machine: slots, gears, moulds. These days it's usually a CNC machine, a program and a micrometer. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🏗️ Steel Erector (Ironworker)Assembles steel structures at height: factory frames, telecom towers, power-line pylons, bridges. Harness, crane, bolts and welding in any weather. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🪑 Furniture Restorer / ConservatorBrings antique and vintage furniture back to life: dismantles, strengthens, restores veneer, carving and finishes while keeping the piece's history. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 👜 LeatherworkerMakes bags, belts, wallets, saddles and harness from leather: cuts, hand-stitches and embosses. A well-made piece lasts for decades. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🛋️ UpholstererReupholsters sofas and armchairs: strips the old fabric, replaces foam and springs, cuts and fits new covers, restores the original shape. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🪑 Furniture and Kitchen FitterVisits customers to fit kitchens, wardrobes and beds: adjusts, drills, hangs and levels. A good kitchen fitter keeps clients for years. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🏍️ Motorcycle and Bicycle MechanicRepairs and tunes motorcycles, scooters, bicycles and e-scooters: engines, brakes, wiring, suspension. Summer is the busy season, winter is for projects. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• ⛏️ Driller (Oil, Gas & Water Wells)Drills wells for oil, gas and water: operates the rig, changes tools and watches the pressure. Rotations, harsh weather and heavy steel. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 💍 Jeweller (Goldsmith)Makes and repairs jewellery: casting, soldering, stone setting, polishing. Works under a loupe with gold, silver and gemstones. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🔥 Foundry Worker (Metal Caster)Pours molten metal into moulds to make pump housings, machine parts, bells and art castings. Heat, sparks and precision. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🔨 Joiner / CabinetmakerMakes furniture, doors, staircases and interiors from wood: from sketch and choice of timber to sanding and finishing. The best pieces are one-off custom work. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• ✂️ TailorMakes and alters clothes to fit: takes measurements, drafts the pattern, cuts and fits. Bespoke tailoring and alterations are what a factory can't do. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 📱 Electronics Repair TechnicianFixes phones, laptops, TVs and appliances: diagnostics, micro-soldering under a microscope, replacing screens and connectors. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 👓 Dispensing OpticianHelps choose frames, cuts and fits lenses to an eye doctor's prescription and adjusts glasses to the face. Works in an optician's shop: part craftsperson, part adviser. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🔩 Tyre Fitter (Tire Technician)Changes and repairs tyres, balances wheels and straightens rims. Spring and autumn bring queues and rush jobs; the rest of the year is quieter. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🛠️ CNC MachinistTurns a raw blank into a precise part on a lathe or milling machine. Programs the CNC, picks the tools and works to hundredths of a millimetre. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🏗️ Crane OperatorLifts panels, beams and containers dozens of metres up, guided by the slinger's signals. A few centimetres off and the load hits the wall. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• ✒️ EngraverCarves lettering and patterns into metal, stone, glass and wood, by hand with a graver or on a laser machine: rings, trophies, firearms, plaques. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🚜 Farm Machinery Operator (Tractor Driver)Ploughs, sows and harvests with a tractor and combine, and maintains and repairs the machines. At sowing and harvest time, the day runs from dawn till dark. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• ⌚ WatchmakerRepairs and services mechanical and quartz watches: strips a movement of a hundred parts, cleans, regulates and restores antique pieces. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• ⚒️ BlacksmithForges metal by hand and under a power hammer: decorative railings, knives, ornaments, parts for restoration. Forge, anvil and a lot of physical work. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🏺 Potter / CeramicistHand-builds and throws tableware, vases and sculpture from clay, glazes it and fires it in a kiln. Often combines the craft with running workshops. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🎻 Musical Instrument Maker (Luthier) / Piano TechnicianBuilds and repairs guitars, violins and wind instruments, tunes pianos. Wood, varnish and a good ear: the instrument has to sound right. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🏺 GlassblowerBlows molten glass into lab equipment, Christmas ornaments, vases and art pieces. Each move takes seconds, with the furnace's heat right beside you. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 👞 Shoemaker / CobblerRepairs and makes shoes: replaces soles and heels, re-covers, makes a pair to order on a last. Leather, glue, thread and patience. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 📚 BookbinderSews books and binds them in covers: restores antique volumes, makes gift editions and handmade notebooks, or works in a print shop. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🪓 WoodcarverCarves window frames, church decoration, toys and ornament for furniture and houses out of wood. Each pattern takes hours of chisel work. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• ⛏️ Underground MinerExtracts coal and ore underground: operates a cutting machine, supports the roof, watches for gas and rockfalls. Hard, dangerous and well paid. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🧵 EmbroidererEmbroiders by hand or programs embroidery machines: logos on uniforms, patches, wedding dresses, folk costumes and one-off custom pieces. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🏗️ Slinger / Signaller (Rigger)Attaches loads to a crane with slings and signals to the crane operator: decides how to rig the load so nothing falls or tilts. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🧪 Chemical Process OperatorRuns a chemical process on a plant unit: doses raw materials, holds temperature and pressure, takes samples and watches the control panel and gauges. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🔍 Quality Control Laboratory TechnicianTests raw materials and finished goods: measurements, chemical analyses, sample testing. Decides whether a batch moves on or is rejected. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• ♨️ Boiler Operator (Stationary Engineer)Watches over boilers and pumps in a boiler house: pressure, temperature, water treatment, burners. Responds to failures so homes don't lose heat. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🏭 Production Line OperatorRuns a line that fills drinks, packs food or stamps parts: starts it up, changes it over, clears jams and checks for defects. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🧶 WeaverWeaves fabrics, rugs, belts and tapestries on a hand loom, or minds dozens of automatic looms in a factory. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance
• 🧰 Assembly Line WorkerAssembles products on the line: fits parts, checks them and passes them on. A fixed pace and the same operations all shift long. Prospects · Pay · AI resistance

Scales are expert estimates; tuition and admission rules are for 2026/27 from official sources — always check the university website.