Construction offers a great variety of career opportunities. People with many different talents and educational backgrounds—managers, clerical workers, accountants, engineers, truck drivers, trades workers, and construction helpers—find job opportunities in the construction industry .
Most of the workers in construction are construction trades workers, which include master, journey, and apprentice craft workers, and construction laborers. Most construction trades workers are classified as either structural, finishing, or mechanical workers, with some performing activities of more than one type. Structural workers build the main internal and external framework of a structure and can include carpenters; construction equipment operators; brickmasons, blockmasons, and stonemasons; cement masons and concrete finishers; and structural and reinforcing iron and metal workers. Finishing workers perform the tasks that give a structure its final appearance and may include carpenters; drywall installers; ceiling tile installers; plasterers and stucco masons; segmental pavers; terrazzo workers; painters and paperhangers; glaziers; roofers; carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers; and insulation workers. Mechanical workers install the equipment and material for basic building operations and may include pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters; electricians; sheet metal workers; and heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers.
Construction trades workers are employed in a large variety of occupations that are involved in all aspects of the construction industry.
Boilermakers make, install, and repair boilers, vats, and other large vessels that hold liquids and gases.
Brickmasons, blockmasons, and stonemasons build and repair walls, floors, partitions, fireplaces, chimneys, and other structures with brick, pre-cast masonry panels, concrete block, stone, and other masonry materials.
Carpenters construct, erect, install, or repair structures and fixtures made of wood, such as framing walls and partitions, putting in doors and windows, building stairs, laying hardwood floors, and hanging kitchen cabinets.
Carpet, floor, and tile installers and finishers lay floor coverings, apply tile and marble, and sand and finish wood floors in a variety of buildings.
Cement masons, concrete finishers, segmental pavers, and terrazzo workers smooth and finish poured concrete surfaces and work with concrete to create sidewalks, curbs, roadways, or other surfaces.
Construction equipment operators, also known as
operating engineers, use machinery that moves construction materials, earth, and other heavy materials and applies asphalt and concrete to roads and other structures.
Drywall installers, ceiling installers, and tapers fasten drywall panels to the inside framework of residential houses and other buildings and prepare these panels for painting by taping and finishing joints and imperfections.
Electricians install, connect, test, and maintain building electrical systems, which also can include lighting, climate control, security, and communications.
Glaziers are responsible for selecting, cutting, installing, replacing, and removing all types of glass.
Insulation workers line and cover structures with insulating materials.
Painters and paperhangers stain, varnish, and apply other finishes to buildings and other structures and apply decorative coverings to walls and ceilings.
Pipelayers, plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters install, maintain, and repair many different types of pipe systems. They may also install heating and cooling equipment and mechanical control systems.
Plasterers and stucco masons apply plaster, concrete, stucco, and similar materials to interior and exterior walls and ceilings.
Roofers repair and install roofs made of tar or asphalt and gravel; rubber or thermoplastic; metal; or shingles made of asphalt, slate, fiberglass, wood, tile, or other material.
Sheet metal workers fabricate, assemble, install, and repair products and equipment made out of sheet metal, such as duct systems; roofs; siding; and drainpipes.
Structural and reinforcing iron and metal workers place and install iron or steel girders, columns, and other structural members to form completed structures or frameworks of buildings, bridges, and other structures. Lastly,
construction laborers perform a wide range of physically demanding tasks at building and highway construction sites, such as tunnel and shaft excavation, hazardous waste removal, environmental remediation, and demolition. Many construction trades workers perform their services with the assistance of
helpers. These workers assist trades workers and perform duties requiring less skill.
