Colorado's population has grown by more than 15% since 2010, and that equates to more than 865,000 new residents.
Imagine you're a part of this new class of Coloradan. You've moved to our state because you've heard the Rocky Mountains are beautiful and the Denver Broncos are a great football team. But once you get here, you have to find a place to live. There are more than 865,000 people who feel that way too. Do you have enough room to put all those people? That's where skilled tradespeople come in. They build houses, they lay down roads and sidewalks, they run power lines, they construct hospitals—they do everything necessary for cities to grow and support more people moving into them.
And with such high demand for their services comes higher wages for these workers! People want to live in Colorado because it's beautiful and there are good jobs here (like being a skilled trades worker), so everyone needs houses built, schools erected, etc., which means that even if you're not the best at what you do, you'll still be able to make money doing it!
The bottom line is: If you want things made or fixed or maintained or installed or any other actionable verb-thing created out of thin air, then there's probably going to be someone who can fulfill it for you in Colorado--and will gladly take your money in exchange for doing so.
If you're curious about wage growth, it's been brisk in Colorado. The average hourly wage for construction workers in Colorado was $29.70, which outpaced the national average of $26.28. Electricians also saw above-average growth here; their average hourly wage in Colorado was $26.59, compared to the national average of $24.53.
In fact, skilled trades professionals across the board are seeing a positive impact from this growing demand—not just construction and electricians! If you're interested in learning more about how skilled trades careers can help you meet your financial goals, contact a local trade school today to learn more about how it can help foster your future career success!
Colorado is a top state for oil and gas extraction jobs.
Oil and gas extraction is among the highest paying industries in Colorado, but only make up about 1% of all workers in Colorado.
There are over 22,000 workers in the oil and gas industry in Colorado, with an average wage of over $120,000 per year.
Colorado is the 4th largest oil producing state of our country.
Colorado has a reputation as a sunny state, and rightfully so. On average, the Centennial State gets 245 sunny days per year, compared to 205 in California and 173 in New York. This means that Colorado’s construction industry enjoys longer work seasons than most of the rest of the nation, with many companies able to work year-round without extreme restrictions due to weather.
This is good news for those looking to pursue skilled trade careers in construction here: while other parts of the country are forced to endure brutal winter conditions that put their projects on hold, Colorado’s stable weather provides an opportunity for steady paychecks throughout the year.
A wide variety of skilled trades careers in Colorado are available to those who have an interest in working with their hands, a mechanical aptitude and a desire to get the job done correctly. If this describes you, then you may find that a skilled trades career is well-suited for your talents.
Colorado’s combination of educated workforce, natural beauty and business-friendly atmosphere are attracting companies from all over the world. This influx is creating lots of career opportunities for Coloradans with the right skillsets. Currently, Colorado has more than 90,000 openings in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields—and there are many advantages to working in these kinds of occupations.
With nearly 1,000 people moving to Colorado every day, it's clear that the state is becoming quite popular! In fact, Colorado's population has grown 15% since 2010. If you're looking to settle down in an area with plenty of opportunity both now and in the future, it's hard to go wrong with Colorado.
According to data from EMSI, skilled trades occupations represent 10% of all jobs in the state but have average hourly earnings that are 20% higher than average wages for other industries. That amounts to billions of dollars every year!