SKILLED TRADE CAREERS, STATE BY STATE.

Every state needs builders — welders, machinists, electricians, technicians and more. We’ve mapped the opportunity to the ground, so you can see live listings, paid apprenticeships, and trade scholarships right in your backyard. Choose your state and get started today.

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The opportunity is national. The jobs are local.

America’s defense industrial base doesn’t run on theory — it runs on people in real places. Shipyards, factories, union halls, and training programs are hiring in your state right now. These pages connect you to the employers, schools, and programs nearest you.

Find a job

Browse open trade jobs

Live job listings from union halls, defense primes, and skilled-trade employers in your state.

FIND A JOB IN MY AREA
Earn while you learn

Find an apprenticeship

Registered apprenticeships pay you from day one — average 4-year programs end in journey-level wages.

SEE APPRENTICESHIPS
Get paid to train

Find a scholarship for your trade

mikeroweWORKS Foundation and partner programs offer scholarships designed specifically for skilled-trade training.

SEE SCHOLARSHIPS

PICK YOUR STATE. BUILD YOUR CAREER.

Now live in six states with more on the way.

ILLINOIS

From the Rock Island Arsenal to Chicago's advanced manufacturers.

Illinois is one of the nation's core defense-manufacturing states — home to the Army's largest government-owned weapons complex, Scott Air Force Base, and Caterpillar's Peoria operations. Demand for electricians, welders, CNC machinists, and industrial-maintenance technicians keeps growing across the Chicago corridor.

Explore Illinois Trades

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MICHIGAN

The Arsenal of Democracy is hiring again.

From the Detroit Arsenal and the ground-combat vehicles that defend the nation to advanced manufacturing and Great Lakes shipbuilding, Michigan turns skilled hands into careers.

Explore Michigan Trades

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OHIO

From the Lima Tank Plant to the Wright-Patterson aerospace corridor.

Ohio anchors America's ground-vehicle and aerospace manufacturing — from the Lima Army Tank Plant to GE Aerospace in Cincinnati and Anduril's new Arsenal-1. Electricians, welders, CNC machinists, and industrial-maintenance technicians are in high demand across the state.

Explore Ohio Trades

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PENNSYLVANIA

From the Philly Shipyard to the submarine suppliers of the west.

The Commonwealth builds the Navy’s fleet and the nation’s industrial backbone — more critical submarine and carrier suppliers than any other state, plus heavy energy and construction demand.

Explore Pennsylvania Trades

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TEXAS

From the Gulf Coast shipyards to the F-35 line in Fort Worth.

Texas builds and sustains more of America’s defense and energy backbone than almost anywhere else — aircraft, ships, vehicles, and the power that runs them. Demand for welders, electricians, machinists, and technicians keeps climbing.

Explore Texas Trades

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WISCONSIN

From Lake Michigan shipyards to Oshkosh's tactical vehicle line.

Wisconsin builds the Navy's newest frigates at Fincantieri Marinette Marine and the vehicles that move the military at Oshkosh Defense. Milwaukee's advanced-manufacturing base keeps welders, electricians, and machinists in high demand statewide.

Explore Wisconsin Trades

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Don’t see your state yet?

We’re adding states fast. In the meantime, search every open trade job in the country and find national scholarship and apprenticeship programs that work wherever you are.

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The gap is huge. The opportunity is even bigger.

76M

Baby Boomers retiring from the workforce

320K

Welders needed by 2029

250K

Shipbuilders needed in the next decade

81K

New electrician listings annually

Sources: BLS, Department of War (DOW)

Ready to start your trade career?

Pick your state. Get skilled. Get paid. Help rebuild America.

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Common Questions (FAQ)

Which states have skilled trade jobs right now?

Every state does — but demand is especially strong in defense-industrial hubs like Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, where shipyards, manufacturers, and energy employers are hiring welders, electricians, machinists, and technicians today.

How do I find trade jobs in my state?

Choose your state above to see live local listings, in-state trade schools and apprenticeships, and scholarships open to residents. If your state isn’t featured yet, use the nationwide job search.

Do these trade jobs require a college degree?

No. Most are learned through paid apprenticeships or trade-school programs that take months to a couple of years — and many pay you a wage from day one.

Are there scholarships for trade training in my state?

Yes. National programs like the mikeroweWORKS Foundation Work Ethic Scholarship support tradespeople everywhere, and each featured state page lists scholarships open to its residents.

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Our mission is simple: build the workforce that builds and defends America. Our national and economic security depends on it. We will help power our nation’s defense industrial base and revive the skilled trades. We will be connecting the next generation of builders – the welders, machinists, mechanics, electricians, technicians and more – to high-wage, big-impact jobs. You can help us build freedom for generations to come.

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Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics state-level OES; Texas Workforce Commission projections; U.S. Department of Labor apprenticeship database.