The crews who install the fences, decks, siding, windows, countertops, pools and fire barriers that finish a building, many of them small businesses you can start young.
Spray Fireproofing Applicator: Sprays fire-resistant coatings onto steel beams and columns so a building's skeleton won't collapse in a fire. Typical pay $58k.
Firestop Installer: Seals every hole where pipes, wires and ducts pass through walls and floors so fire and smoke can't spread through a building. Typical pay $56k.
Commercial Door & Hardware Installer: Installs steel doors, frames, locks, panic bars and access-control hardware in schools, hospitals and offices. Typical pay $58k.
Accessibility Lift Installer: Installs and repairs stairlifts, wheelchair platform lifts and home elevators so older and disabled people can stay in their homes. Typical pay $57k.
Starter: fastest way in
Fence Installer: Builds wood, vinyl, chain-link and steel fences around homes, farms, schools and highways. Typical pay $42k.
Siding Installer: Installs vinyl, fiber-cement, wood or metal siding on houses and buildings to keep weather out. Typical pay $44k.
Seamless Gutter Installer: Forms and hangs seamless gutters and downspouts on homes using a machine that bends metal coil into gutters on the spot. Typical pay $42k.
Window & Door Installer: Removes old windows and doors and installs new energy-efficient ones so they are square, sealed and leak-free. Typical pay $46k.
Deck Builder: Builds wood and composite decks, porches, pergolas and stairs. Typical pay $47k.
Countertop Fabricator & Installer: Cuts, polishes and installs granite, quartz and marble countertops in kitchens and bathrooms. Typical pay $45k.
Epoxy Floor Coating Installer: Grinds concrete floors and applies tough epoxy or polyurethane coatings in garages, warehouses, hospitals and food plants. Typical pay $46k.
Lightning Protection Installer: Installs lightning rods, cables and grounding systems on churches, towers, factories and historic buildings. Typical pay $48k.
Manufactured Home Installer: Sets, levels and connects manufactured homes after they arrive on trucks, getting them ready for families to move in. Typical pay $40k.
Window Film Installer: Applies tint, privacy, safety and decorative films to car, home and office windows. Typical pay $40k.
Billiard Table Mechanic: Moves, levels and re-covers pool tables, fitting heavy slate pieces and stretching new cloth tight as a drum. Typical pay $40k.
Hurricane Shutter Installer: Installs roll-down, accordion and panel storm shutters and impact windows that protect Gulf and Atlantic coast homes from hurricanes. Typical pay $42k.
Storm Shelter Installer: Installs underground and in-garage tornado shelters and steel safe rooms in Tornado Alley homes and schools. Typical pay $45k.
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