About

Why this site exists

Hey, I'm Josh. I work in tech. I built this site because I think the smart money is moving in your direction.

AI is displacing white collar workers at a pace my industry doesn't want to admit. Meanwhile, nobody's chatbot is going to rewire a panel, sweat a joint, or certify a weld. Skilled trades are heading into a boom, and the numbers back it up.

But getting into a trade isn't as simple as "go to school, get a job." Apprenticeships, regional certifications, licensing, tools. The path is real work before the work even starts, and the information is scattered everywhere.

That's what Certified Trade Jobs is for: one focused place to find trade jobs now. Certification guides, wage data, and whatever else actually helps. No fluff, no engagement traps, just the goods.

Questions or ideas? Drop me a line. I read everything.

By the numbers

BLS · 2018–2024

When ChatGPT launched in November 2022, white-collar work started bracing for disruption. Skilled-trade employment went the other way — 8% more jobs in the two years since, and 13% more than in 2018.

1.05M 1.10M 1.15M 1.20M COVID ChatGPT 1.19M jobs 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
Total employment across the trades we track wage data for — Electrician, HVAC, Plumber. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics, May 2024.
+8%Trade jobs since ChatGPT
+8%Median pay since ChatGPT nominal
+13%Trade jobs since 2018
  • Electrician +13% jobs +17% pay
  • HVAC +23% jobs +23% pay
  • Plumber +5% jobs +18% pay

Figures aggregate U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment & Wage Statistics (May 2024) across the trades we track. Pay is nominal — not inflation-adjusted — and the jobs count is a real headcount. See the full salary data →