A plumber is a trade with good future employment and earning potential. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, plumbers "constitute one of the largest and highest paid construction occupations." Training for these kinds of jobs generally starts at trade school, then continues once employed under a paid apprenticeship; plumbers with both trade school and on-the-job experience could earn as much as $79,000 annually, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook.
A dental hygienist is an occupation that is expected to grow quickly in the coming years. Prospective workers need to have either a high-school diploma or general equivalency as many prerequisites for training include subjects such as chemistry and math. Some states even require that student have already done some college coursework. Most states also require dental hygienists to become certified with the American Dental Association. The median salary for a dental hygienist is estimated at potentially more than $60,000 annually, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Ranked as one of the "fastest growing occupations over the 2008 to 2018 decade," by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook, medical assistants may potentially earn up to $39,000 annually with trade-school training and several years experience. Those with more formal schooling earn potentially more money. Most trade schools offer one- or two-year programs that may include coursework such as medical terminology, record keeping, physiology and anatomy. Some schools require additional computer and office coursework, too.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, surveyors and mapping technicians are two jobs that are "expected to grow faster than average." Many technicians gain formal training in one-, two- or even three-year trade school programs. In addition to trade school, surveyors and mapping technicians need to take two exams to become certified and licensed by their states. National earning estimates for both surveyors and mapping technicians vary according to state. While the lowest percentile earns more than $22,000 per year, workers with trade-school and on-the-job experience may earn up to $59,780 annually, according to the Occupational Handbook.