It’s easy to assume that all the best jobs require you to go to college and spend years earning a degree. After all, that’s what every millennial had drilled into their head before we found out it wasn’t true. If you’re looking for a new career and you consider yourself quite handy, then perhaps you should be looking at one of the following trades, instead.

Plumbing

There are some trades that are worth looking at simply because they are always going to be in demand. Plumbing is one of the cornerstones of modern living and, as long as we have plumbing, we’re going to need plumbers. There’s no denying that plumbing can be a dirty job, a smelly one and that it’s hard work. However, it’s an inelastic demand, meaning that there’s room for plumbers to make a lot of money due to the fact that their services are required, not optional.

Electrics

Most of what has been said about plumbing can go towards becoming an electrician, as well. Electrics can be something of a more potentially dangerous career, but you get plenty of training on how to make sure that you’re at little to no risk of getting shocked. The salary for an electrician vs. a plumber tends to be roughly the same, so this choice might be more about which appeals best or what opportunities are in your area.

HVAC and Refrigeration

As well as jobs that tend to be evergreen in terms of demand, there are those that have a fast-aging workforce that needs some new blood in them badly. The HVAC and refrigeration industry is one such place and sites like AtHomePrep can make it much easier to earn your qualifications regardless of where you are. Most homes use both of these technologies, and it is in dire need of fresh talent.

Machinists

Another industry that’s got plenty of room for new workers is that of the machinists. These people tend to work in manufacturing, but they do a lot more than simply operating machines. There’s room to specialize, such as by learning how to manage and maintain automated technologies. Machinists in certain industries may also benefit from studying chemistry, so they can understand the properties of different materials and come up with more efficient ways to work with them.

Home inspectors

Not all of the trades require the same kind of rigorous hands-on work, either. There are some that focus more on your attention to detail and how well you’re able to recognize issues. Home inspectors, as shown at Homelight, have a job. This involves visiting properties, usually on behalf of someone looking to buy the property, with the purpose of inspecting various parts of it to find underlying issues that might otherwise be missed, such as structural damage, roofing issues, hidden mold, and so on.

Working in the trades can be hard work, there’s no denying that. However, they can also be both very well-paid and highly secure jobs, something that might seem like a bit of a rarity in today’s market.