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11 Quick Certifications That Could Launch You Into a High-Paying Trade Job

These quick certifications fast-track your career to lucrative trade jobs.

By Ivin Thomas

Edited by Sara Albertelli

Updated Nov. 10, 2025

If you're looking for a career pivot or to start down a career path that helps you move beyond living paycheck to paycheck, trade-job certifications can offer exactly that, taking a fraction of the time it takes to earn a college degree.

These certifications often cost less, take less time, and, more importantly, lead to a career that pays handsomely.

Here are 11 trade jobs that can be kick-started with only a certification.

Editor's Note: All salary and certification information has been sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) and the CareerOneStop website.

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Medical coder and biller

Median annual salary: $50,250

Medical billers and coders, often termed as medical records specialists, take care of the documentation and maintenance of patient files. They can also handle insurance claims and classify and input patients' medical information into the health care industry's numerical coding system.

Typically needing a postsecondary education to enter the field, certificate programs like the Nationally Certified Medical Coder and Biller (CMCB) help launch your career in this industry.

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Solar panel installer

Median annual salary: $51,860

Solar panel installers, also known as photovoltaic (PV) installers, assemble, install, maintain, and repair solar panels and support structures at residential or commercial properties.

Opportunities like PV Installation Professional (PVIP) certification help you get into this field. Other than that, you just need the typical requirement of a high school diploma.

Electrician

Median annual salary: $62,350

These professionals take care of the installation, maintenance, and repair of electrical utilities across power, communications, lighting, and other infrastructures.

Various industry-endorsed core and advanced certifications will help you enter the industry. Most electricians learn the trade through apprenticeship programs and on-the-job training.

Surgical assistant

Median annual salary: $62,480

Surgical assistants, also known as operating room technicians, help doctors during surgical procedures. They help make incisions, select tools per the surgeon's instructions, and close surgical sites for patient surgeries.

Some hospitals and universities, along with vocational colleges, offer accredited surgical assisting or technology programs. There are also certifications like Certified Surgical Assistant by NCCA-accredited organizations.

HVAC technician

Median annual salary: $59,810

These tradespeople work with heating, ventilation, air conditioning, and refrigeration systems to help control and maintain temperature and air quality in buildings.

Typically needing a postsecondary education, HVAC technicians can get extended on-the-job training to attain competency once hired. Third-party industry-endorsed HVAC courses and advanced courses can help you qualify for jobs. Some states might need licensing.

Commercial truck driver

Median annual salary: $57,440

Long-haul truck drivers, also known as commercial truck drivers, drive and transport goods and cargo from one location to another. They form the backbone of the regional import and export of goods by roadways.

Most truck drivers have a high school diploma or equivalent before taking training to learn large vehicle driving, operations, and other federal laws and regulations that oversee interstate truck driving. The CDL license program offered by the FMCSA division of the U.S. Department of Transportation is one of the best programs for this job.

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Welder and cutter

Median annual salary: $51,000

These tradespeople use hand-held or remote-controlled equipment to join or cut metal parts, along with filling holes and seams in metal products.

After gaining a high school diploma, technical programs and other vocational institutes offer training and certifications. Employer-based apprenticeship programs also help entry-level workers with no experience enter this field.

Firefighter

Median annual salary: $59,530

Firefighters are professionals who control and put out fires and respond to all kinds of life, property, or environmental emergencies.

Being a role where physical fitness is important, they typically need a high school diploma along with emergency medical technician (EMT) training in some states. Fire academies run by fire departments train initially, after which firefighters must complete a probationary period. Licensure or certification requirements vary by state or locality.

Automotive body and glass repairer

Median annual salary: $50,680

Automotive body and glass technicians work with vehicles to restore, replace, or refinish their bodies, frames, windshields, and windows.

High schools or technical schools offer technical instruction along with hands-on courses to get into this job. Recruits start by assisting experienced workers with minor jobs before moving to complex work. Certifications like Collision Repair for Career - Technical Education reduce the time for on-the-job training.

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Real estate broker

Median annual salary: $58,960

Real estate brokers and sales agents help individuals prospect, buy, sell, and rent residential or commercial properties.

Typically requiring a high school diploma to enter the field, individuals need to complete and pass real estate courses and licensing exams. There are many industry-endorsed or third-party courses and training that help one get into this role, with on-the-job training the norm.

Surveying and mapping technician

Median annual salary: $51,940

Surveyors and mapping technicians collect, calculate, and make maps of the earth's surface using surveying notes, satellite data, and other cartographic tools.

Training or education in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is ideal to get into the field. Often learning on the job under supervision by the lead staff, certification courses like Certified Survey Technician (CST) help you qualify for jobs.

Bottom line

Offering practical alternatives to traditional four-year degrees, trade certifications are helping people build wealth without incurring massive student debt. With skilled trade industries facing labor shortages, these roles offer assured employment in the shortest time.

While median salary info gives helpful baseline information, actual pay varies significantly based on location, region, experience, union status, etc. Connect and network with other professionals in industries that you are interested in to get deeper insights.

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