Explore & Plan your Construction Career Path!
ConEx resources and company connections throughout the WNY construction community can provide you with insights, assistance, and guidance as you navigate the industry.
The construction industry in Western New York is expected to grow by
20% by 2030
Craft professionals make
$9,835 more
han recent graduates.
$51,390
is the average salary for building construction professionals
69%
of contractors expect to expand their workforce
Explore Construction Careers Options
Here are just some of the most in-demand positions currently in New York State construction. Click on "Learn More" to read about job duties, qualifications, training requirements and average salary.
Carpenter
$62,090 AVG
Do you like creating things from scratch? The feeling of a saw cutting through wood and the smell of sawdust on the shop floor?
Carpenters measure, cut, and shape wood, plastic, fiberglass, and drywall. Commercial and industrial carpenters construct, erect, install and repair structures and fixtures. These carpenters are involved in many different kinds of construction, from homes to skyscrapers, and even highways and bridges.
Education Required: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
Qualifications: Carpenters need good eye-hand coordination, physical fitness and a good sense of balance. The ability to solve mathematical problems quickly and accurately also is required. Carpenters can learn their craft while making good money through on-the-job training.
HVAC Technician
$66,220 AVG
Do you prefer to work one-on-one and help people with their problems?…
HVAC Technician
$66,220 AVG
Do you prefer to work one-on-one and help people with their problems? As an HVAC technician, you’ll have unique skills that you can use to serve others.
HVAC Technicians are always piecing things together as they install, maintain, and repair heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. Can’t decide between a career in mechanical systems or electronics? HVAC covers it all! Motors, compressors, pumps, fans, thermostats, and computerized switches control systems in residential, commercial, and industrial structures. Technicians can also specialize in specific equipment, such as hydronics (water-based heating systems), solar panels, or commercial refrigeration.
Education: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
Qualifications: In New York State, HVAC technicians and contractors are required to meet city-specific licensing or certification requirements since there are no state-wide licenses available. Mechanical and mathematical aptitude is, also needed.
Ironworker
$60,060 AVG
If you are looking for an exciting career where you can balance from the top of a brand new skyscraper, then ironworking is for you.
Ironworkers place and install iron or steel girders, columns, and other construction materials to form the infrastructure all around us. Ironworkers must always be paying attention to details to check vertical and horizontal alignment.
Education: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
- Alfred State College
- Erie1 BOCES
- Orleans-Niagara BOCES
- Erie2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES
- Genesee Community College
- Northland Training Center
- SUNY Niagara
- 716 Ministries
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
- International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Ironworkers Local #6
- Iron Workers Local No 9
Qualifications: Good hand-eye coordination, physical dexterity, good balance and agility, mechanical and mathematic aptitude. Welder certification is very helpful in this field, as well.
Welder
$59,122 AVG
Do you get a kick out of watching sparks fly on the Fourth of July? Choose a career in welding and watch them fly every day!
Welders join objects together by applying heat or pressure. Skilled welders have a thorough knowledge of welding principles and metals. They use blueprints and drawings to build anything from ships to cars to bridges. Welders play a crucial role in maintaining a variety of power plants and have the opportunity to travel throughout the year.
Education: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program.
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
- Alfred State College
- Erie1 BOCES
- Orleans-Niagara BOCES
- Erie2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES
- Genesee Community College
- Harvest House
- Northland Training Center
- SUNY Niagara
- 716 Ministries
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
Qualifications: Some welding positions require general certifications, or certifications in specific skills such as inspection or robotic welding. The American Welding Society certification courses are widely used throughout the United States.
Electrician
$68,800 AVG
Ever take apart a VCR, toy robot, or computer and put it back together…or at least try to?
Electricians install and maintain all of the electrical and power systems for our homes, businesses, and factories. In large factories, electricians usually do maintenance work that is more complex. These kinds of electricians may repair motors, transformers, generators, and electronic controllers on machine tools and industrial robots. They also advise management as to whether the continued operation of certain equipment could be hazardous.
Education: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
- Alfred State College
- BPS Adult Education
- Erie1 BOCES
- Orleans-Niagara BOCES
- Genesee Community College
- Independent Contractors Guild
- Northland Training Center
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
Qualifications: Handiness, hand-eye coordination, physical fitness, and a good sense of balance. Electricians also need good color vision in order to recognize electrical wires by color.
Mason
$57,680 AVG
Looking to build something that will last the test of time? Brickmasons,…
Mason
$57,680 AVG
Looking to build something that will last the test of time?
Brickmasons, blockmasons and stonemasons use bricks, concrete blocks and natural stones to build attractive, durable surfaces and structures. These craft professionals have created buildings, walls and roads for thousands of years and will continue to do so long into the future.
Education: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
- Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers Local #3
- Cement Masons Local 111
- Operative Plasterers’ & Cement Masons’ International Association Local #9
Qualifications: Strong work ethic, dependability, and basic math skills.
Laborer
$45,300 AVG
Are you the person everyone comes to when they need help with a project? And no matter what that project may be, you always find a way to get it done?
Laborers perform many basic tasks on construction sites and work both full & part-time. Some work at great heights or outdoors in all weather conditions. This occupation would be a great way to get your foot in the door to other career opportunities in the construction industry.
Education: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
- 716 Ministries
- BPS Adult Education
- Catholic Charities
- Erie1 BOCES
- Erie2 Chautauqua-Cattaraugus BOCES
- Harvest House
- Independent Contractors Guild
- Orleans-Niagara BOCES
- SUNY Erie
- The Service Collaborative
- UB Educational Opportunity Center (highway construction)
- UB Educational Opportunity Center (pre-apprenticeship program)
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
Qualifications: Handiness, hand-eye coordination, physical fitness, and a good sense of balance.
Heavy Equipment Operator
$60,828 AVG
Ever drive past a worksite and wish you could take a bulldozer…
Heavy Equipment Operator
$60,828 AVG
Ever drive past a worksite and wish you could take a bulldozer for a test drive?
As a heavy equipment operator, you will learn how to safely use this type of equipment to move construction materials, dirt, and other heavy objects at construction sites. This occupation operates the equipment that clears and grades land to prepare it for construction of roads, buildings, and bridges, as well as airport runways, power generation facilities, dams, levees, and other structures.
Education: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
Qualifications: Mechanical aptitude, experience operating mobile equipment (such as farm tractors), hand-eye-foot coordination. A commercial driver’s license is often needed to haul equipment to various job sites.
Painter
$51,110 AVG
Have an eye for colors, textures, and tones? Perhaps you’re a bit of a perfectionist?
Painters are responsible for choosing and applying just the right paint or colors to buildings and industrial structures. This career path ranges from industrial spray painters who apply coatings to prevent deterioration to decorative artisans who create faux finishes.
Education: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
Qualifications: Good manual dexterity, vision, and color sense, as well as physical stamina and balance. For industrial painting, a certification from the National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) may be necessary.
Pipefitter
$56,480 AVG
Are you a little bit of a perfectionist? Do you enjoy reading plans and making something useful?
Pipefitters plan and install detailed pipe systems for commercial and industrial projects. These pipes may carry water, chemicals, or gases to the crucial building systems. Pipefitters use many tools to cut and bend pipes to exact specifications.
Education: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
Qualifications: Ability to solve complex problems using reasoning and advanced math. Pipefitters should also be familiar with general mechanics and how various materials fit together.
Plumber
$59,627 AVG
Plumbing contractors are one of the highest-paid contractors. It’s a skill you…
Plumber
$59,627 AVG
Plumbing contractors are one of the highest-paid contractors. It’s a skill you keep and use for life.
Plumbers do much more than fix sinks and toilets in residential homes. They design and install piping systems that distribute water and remove waste from buildings, and connect heating and cooling systems. Plumbers have to be knowledgeable in water distribution, blueprint reading, local ordinances, and regulations, mathematics, mechanical drawing, physics, welding, and soldering.
Education Required: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
- 716 Ministries
- Alfred State College
- BPS Adult Education
- Erie1 BOCES
- Genesee Community College
- Independent Contractors Guild
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
Qualifications: In most parts of the United States, plumbers must be licensed before they may work independently, which requires 2 to 5 years of experience and passing a written examination.
Construction Management
$108,260 AVG
Do others seek your guidance to complete group assignments or project-based tasks?…
Construction Management
$108,260 AVG
Do others seek your guidance to complete group assignments or project-based tasks?
Construction managers are essential to completing projects on time and on budget. Their duties can include planning, coordinating, budgeting and supervising construction projects from development to completion. Construction managers usually spend most of their time on-site where they monitor projects and make daily decisions about construction activities.
Education: Bachelors Degree, Masters Degree, and Project Management Certification.
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
Qualifications: Communication skills, developing ideas and time management are key contributors with being a construction manager.
Roofer
$58,670 AVG
Reach for the sky!
Roofers use a variety of materials to build roofs and cover structures such as houses, malls, and hospitals. The materials used are shingles, asphalt, wood, and aluminum. They perform routine inspections and maintenance on a building’s roof and determine the best repair procedures. Safety procedures and proper personal protective equipment are key to performing these tasks.
Education: Technical School, Community College, Registered Apprenticeship Program, and Industry Training Program.
Below are links to the variety of educational institutions and community based programming options available in WNY!
Union Apprenticeships/Training:
Qualifications: balance and hand-eye coordination, being comfortable with heights is a must when working on roofs and climbing ladders.