Industry & Market Data

Fastest-Growing Trades Through 2035

We ranked 18 home-service trades by U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projected employment growth through 2035, alongside annual job openings and median pay. Solar Photovoltaic Installers grow fastest (+36.5%); the trades add about 1,164,800 openings a year.

Ihor Lavrenenko

By · Founder, Smarfle

Published June 24, 2026 · Data current as of 2025-2035

Smarfle

18

Trades ranked

Solar

Fastest growing

1165k

Openings / year

466k

Net new jobs by 2035

Key findings

  • Solar Photovoltaic Installers are the fastest-growing trade (+36.5% by 2035), well ahead of HVAC Mechanics & Installers (+10.9%) and Electricians (+9.2%).
  • The biggest sources of work are openings, not just growth: Janitors & Building Cleaners (~321,800/yr) and Maids & Housekeeping Cleaners lead, driven by replacement of workers who leave.
  • Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters pay the most (median $63,800), with Electricians and Sheet Metal Workers close behind.
  • Across all 18 trades: about 1,164,800 openings a year and +466,400 net new jobs by 2035, most needing no college degree.

The trades, ranked by projected growth

Sort by growth, openings, or pay. Trade names link to the CRM built for that trade.

Solar Photovoltaic Installers31,100+36.5%4,200$53,140
HVAC Mechanics & Installers440,900+10.9%40,600$61,010
Electricians821,000+9.2%72,700$63,190
Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters510,600+6.8%42,000$63,800
Security & Fire Alarm Systems Installers86,300+6.8%8,500$60,070
Pest Control Workers108,700+5.5%13,700$45,250
Roofers166,900+5.3%12,000$55,440
Automotive Service Technicians & Mechanics825,800+5%66,200$50,620
Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers1,188,600+4.7%149,500$39,150
Tree Trimmers & Pruners70,600+4.2%7,900$50,960
Maintenance & Repair Workers, General1,621,800+4.2%148,700$49,590
Carpenters889,700+3.9%62,800$60,580
Painters (Construction & Maintenance)326,900+3%24,900$49,400
Sheet Metal Workers131,100+2.5%9,800$61,800
Janitors & Building Cleaners2,432,600+2.2%321,800$36,840
Home Appliance Repairers40,500+1.9%2,800$50,990
Maids & Housekeeping Cleaners1,332,100+0.6%175,500$35,510
Locksmiths & Safe Repairers18,700-11.7%1,200$51,320

Projected growth to 2035, by trade

Solar Photovoltaic InstallersSolar Photovoltaic Installers+36.5%HVAC Mechanics & InstallersHVAC Mechanics & Installers+10.9%ElectriciansElectricians+9.2%Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitt…Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters+6.8%Security & Fire Alarm Systems Ins…Security & Fire Alarm Systems Installers+6.8%Pest Control WorkersPest Control Workers+5.5%RoofersRoofers+5.3%Automotive Service Technicians &…Automotive Service Technicians & Mechanics+5%Landscaping & Groundskeeping Work…Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers+4.7%Tree Trimmers & PrunersTree Trimmers & Pruners+4.2%Maintenance & Repair Workers, Gen…Maintenance & Repair Workers, General+4.2%CarpentersCarpenters+3.9%Painters (Construction & Maintena…Painters (Construction & Maintenance)+3%Sheet Metal WorkersSheet Metal Workers+2.5%Janitors & Building CleanersJanitors & Building Cleaners+2.2%Home Appliance RepairersHome Appliance Repairers+1.9%Maids & Housekeeping CleanersMaids & Housekeeping Cleaners+0.6%Locksmiths & Safe RepairersLocksmiths & Safe Repairers+-11.7%

Most annual job openings

Average annual openings (growth plus replacement). High-turnover trades generate the most hiring even at modest growth rates.

Janitors & Building CleanersJanitors & Building Cleaners321,800Maids & Housekeeping CleanersMaids & Housekeeping Cleaners175,500Landscaping & Groundskeeping Work…Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers149,500Maintenance & Repair Workers, Gen…Maintenance & Repair Workers, General148,700ElectriciansElectricians72,700Automotive Service Technicians &…Automotive Service Technicians & Mechanics66,200CarpentersCarpenters62,800Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitt…Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters42,000HVAC Mechanics & InstallersHVAC Mechanics & Installers40,600Painters (Construction & Maintena…Painters (Construction & Maintenance)24,900

Which trades pay the most

2025 median annual wage by trade.

Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitt…Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters$63,800ElectriciansElectricians$63,190Sheet Metal WorkersSheet Metal Workers$61,800HVAC Mechanics & InstallersHVAC Mechanics & Installers$61,010CarpentersCarpenters$60,580Security & Fire Alarm Systems Ins…Security & Fire Alarm Systems Installers$60,070RoofersRoofers$55,440Solar Photovoltaic InstallersSolar Photovoltaic Installers$53,140Locksmiths & Safe RepairersLocksmiths & Safe Repairers$51,320Home Appliance RepairersHome Appliance Repairers$50,990Tree Trimmers & PrunersTree Trimmers & Pruners$50,960Automotive Service Technicians &…Automotive Service Technicians & Mechanics$50,620

What this means

For anyone choosing a trade, growth and openings point in slightly different directions. The fastest growth is in solar photovoltaic installers and the electrical and HVAC trades, riding electrification and clean energy. The most sheer hiring is in cleaning, maintenance, and landscaping, where high turnover keeps openings enormous regardless of growth.

For owners, the same data is a staffing forecast: demand for technicians keeps rising while many trades face retirements, so recruiting and retention are competitive. Operators that run tight schedules, pay on time, and keep crews busy will win the labor as much as the customers.

CRM for the trades

Scheduling, dispatch, time tracking, invoicing, and reviews, built for home-service trades.

See how

Home service trades compared

How the trades stack up today on business count, pay, and solo-operator share.

Read the study

Methodology

Projected employment growth by occupation from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections program (2025-2035 National Employment Matrix, Table 1.2). For each trade we report 2025 employment, projected 2035 employment, percent change, average annual job openings (growth plus replacement), and the 2025 median annual wage. Trades are SOC detailed occupations selected for relevance to local home-service businesses.

Openings are average annual openings, combining new growth jobs with replacement needs (workers who retire or leave the occupation). Caveats: projections are BLS estimates, not guarantees; we selected SOC detailed occupations relevant to local home-service businesses, so this is not the full national occupation list.

Source

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections, 2025-2035 National Employment Matrix (Table 1.2).

Program: BLS Employment Projections.

Frequently asked questions

Which trade is growing the fastest?

Solar Photovoltaic Installers is projected to grow 36.5% from 2025 to 2035, by far the fastest of the trades, on the clean-energy build-out. Next come HVAC Mechanics & Installers (+10.9%) and Electricians (+9.2%).

Which trades have the most job openings?

Janitors & Building Cleaners lead with about 321,800 openings a year, followed by Maids & Housekeeping Cleaners and Landscaping & Groundskeeping Workers. Openings combine growth with replacement of workers who retire or leave, so high-turnover trades can have huge openings even with modest growth.

Which trades pay the most?

Plumbers, Pipefitters & Steamfitters have the highest median wage at $63,800, followed by Electricians ($63,190) and Sheet Metal Workers ($61,800). Most of these trades require only a high-school diploma plus an apprenticeship, not a college degree.

Are the skilled trades a good career?

The data says yes: across these 18 trades there are roughly 1,164,800 openings every year, most paths need no college degree, and several trades pay above the national median wage. The trade-off is physical work and, for many, licensing or apprenticeship.

Where does this data come from?

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Employment Projections program, 2025-2035 National Employment Matrix (Table 1.2). Figures are projected employment, average annual openings, and 2024 median annual wage by detailed occupation. See the methodology below.

Cite this study

Free to reference with a link back. Please credit Smarfle as the source.

Ihor Lavrenenko (2026). Fastest-Growing Trades Through 2035. Smarfle. https://www.smarfle.com/small-business-statistics/fastest-growing-trades

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