The home building industry offers more than just another job — you can find a rewarding career in construction and earn a great salary without pursuing a traditional four-year degree. The top 25% in most construction trades professions earn at least $60,000 annually.
Construction Managers – $103,110 (11% growth between 2026)
Carpentry – $51,120 (8% growth between 2026)
Electrical – $59,190 (10% growth between 2026)
Painting – $43,050 (6% growth between 2026)
Masonry – $54,430 (12% growth between 2026)
HVACR – $50,160 (15% growth between 2026)
Plumbing – $58,150 (16% growth between 2026)
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Student Chapters is a program dedicated to enriching the educational experience of construction students by providing them with NAHB membership, access to educational programming, networking opportunities, and first-hand exposure to the building industry. Student Chapter members have access to travel scholarships to attend the International Builders’ Show (IBS), various student chapter awards, exclusive networking opportunities at IBS, and access to additional scholarships through the National Housing Endowment.
Each student chapter is sponsored by a Home Builders Association (HBA). HBAs play an important role in the educational and career development of students in construction. Some HBAs financially support their student chapter’s activities and travel for the NAHB Student Competition that takes place at IBS. Some HBA’s offer a position on its board of directors for the chapter president or faculty advisor. Student chapter members often assist at major HBA activities.
The annual NAHB Student Competition is one of the highlights of IBS. The competition gives students the opportunity to apply skills learned in the classroom to a real construction company by completing a management project/proposal. Proposals are submitted to a group of construction company executives who act as judges. At IBS, students defend their proposals to the judges in front of an audience.
Visit the links below to find out more about the NAHB Student Competition:
Typical education between construction managers and skilled trades workers can vary. Construction managers usually have a bachelor’s degree or higher and acquire management skills through on-the-job-training. Typical education for the skilled trades including electrical, plumbing, HVACR, carpentry, painting and masonry, requires a high school diploma or its equivalent. Skilled trades workers some times sometimes learn their craft through Apprenticeship programs.
Below is a general timeline for the NAHB Student Competition:
September
Membership Drive (Sept.1- Oct.31)
NAHB Student Competition problem description posted
October
Careers in Construction Month
Careers in Construction Day (Oct. 12)
NAHB Student Competition Registration due
Applications due for Travel Scholarships to the International Builder’s show
December
Student Competition Written Projects due
February
Career and Technical Education Month
NAHB Student Competition Presentations Feb. 8-9, 2021 in Orlando, FL
