Module 2 · Career & Trades
The no-college blueprint
Skilled trades pay well and you can earn while you learn. Here's how to get credentials fast, get into a union, and keep more of what you make.
Test in, not school in
Fast-track certifications
These credentials are earned by passing a test or performance exam — no degree or required course.
EPA Section 608 (HVAC)
Required to work with refrigerants
Federal law requires it to buy refrigerant or service AC/refrigeration equipment. EPA only requires passing an approved exam through a certifying organization — no school needed. It never expires.
- • Type I — small appliances
- • Type II — high-pressure systems (home & commercial AC)
- • Type III — low-pressure systems (chillers)
- • Universal — all three (aim for this)
- 1
Study the Core + Types I–III
Free study guides and practice tests are widely available from certifying organizations. - 2
Book a proctored exam
Pick an EPA-approved certifying organization — many offer online proctoring. Fees vary. - 3
Pass and get your card
Add 'EPA 608 Universal' to your résumé and apply for HVAC helper/apprentice jobs.
Boiler operator license (MN)
Minnesota Dept. of Labor & Industry
Minnesota licenses boiler operators in levels: Special, Second Class, First Class, Chief (higher levels have A/B/C grades for equipment size). The entry Special Engineer license needs no prior experience — just an application and exam. Higher classes require documented experience hours.
Other states have different rules — check your state's boiler/labor department.
What worked for me: I almost paid for a class, but I passed by self-studying with free flashcards on Quizlet (search "Minnesota boiler special engineer"). Try studying on your own first.
MN DLI license classificationsAWS Certified Welder
American Welding Society
A performance test: you weld a test piece at an AWS Accredited Test Facility and it's inspected. No prerequisite classes. You keep it active by logging welding work.
- 1
Practice the test position
Ask the test facility which process and position (e.g. 3G/4G plate) employers near you want. - 2
Test at an Accredited Test Facility
Fees and schedules vary by facility. - 3
Maintain it
Submit maintenance forms on time so your certification stays current.
Study on your phone
Apps that help you pass
These aren't just for boilers. Use them for the CDL, GED, citizenship test, nursing, real estate, your driver's permit, almost any test.
SkillCat
Built for trades: HVAC, EPA 608, OSHA 10 and more. It has EPA 608 training and the official proctored exam on your phone. Free trial, then about $10/month. Can switch to Spanish.
SkillCat EPA 608Quizlet
Flashcards and practice tests that other people already made. Search your exam ("Minnesota boiler special engineer," "EPA 608 core," "CDL general knowledge") and start. Free version available.
QuizletAnki
Free flashcards that show you hard cards more often so facts stick. Free on computer and Android (the iPhone app costs money).
AnkiKhan Academy
Free lessons for math, reading and science. Good for GED prep and brushing up before trade or college placement tests.
Khan AcademyTip: 20 minutes a day beats cramming. Take practice tests until you score well above the passing grade.
If you choose school
Paying for school or a training program
Pell Grants can now cover some short job-training programs, and Minnesota's North Star Promise can make tuition free at public colleges for families earning under $80,000.
Strength in numbers
The union guide
A union negotiates a contract (collective bargaining agreement) that sets wages, raises, health insurance, pension and safety rules for everyone on the job.
Example: LiUNA Laborers Local 563
Represents construction laborers in parts of Minnesota and North Dakota, with offices in Minneapolis, St. Cloud, Mankato and Bismarck. Apprentices train through the Minnesota & North Dakota laborers' training center in Lino Lakes — paid on the job while learning.
Published apprenticeship requirements include being 18+, reliable transportation, willingness to learn, and possible drug testing.
- 1
Pick your trade
Laborers, electricians (IBEW), plumbers & pipefitters (UA), carpenters, operating engineers, ironworkers — each has its own local and apprenticeship. - 2
Get sponsored or apply to the apprenticeship
Apply directly to the local's training program, or get hired by a union (signatory) contractor who sponsors you. - 3
Earn while you learn
Apprentices get paid a percentage of journeyworker scale that rises as you log hours and classes. - 4
Use the federal finder
Search registered apprenticeships near you at Apprenticeship.gov.
Is union work seasonal?
Often, yes. In Minnesota, construction slows down roughly November through April. Many laborers work hard spring to fall, get laid off for winter, and file for unemployment until work picks back up. The training center uses those months for classes.
Other positions can be year-round: industrial and plant work, maintenance, tunnels, indoor jobs, and trades like pipefitters, plumbers, electricians and HVAC techs who work inside in winter. It depends on the contractor, the position and the area.
Tip: save during the season for winter (that's your emergency fund), and ask a contractor how much winter work they have before you sign on. Unemployment isn't automatic; the state reviews each case.
Real pay: Laborers Local 563 (2026)
Full-scale laborer (journeyworker), Class 1, per hour. The "total package" adds what the contractor pays on top for your health insurance, pension, vacation and training.
| Region & type of work | Wage | Total package |
|---|---|---|
| Twin Cities metro — building | $46.25 | $74.26 |
| Metro — highway & heavy (roads) | $45.19 | $73.25 |
| St. Cloud / Brainerd / Willmar — building | $40.52 | $68.14 |
| SE & SW Minnesota — highway & heavy | $40.20 | $68.15 |
| Southwestern Minnesota — building | $35.83 | $63.45 |
| Western Minnesota — highway & heavy | $35.69 | $61.89 |
| North Dakota — building/industrial | $31.57 | $56.54 |
Apprentices start at 80% of full scale, then 87% and 95%. In the metro (2025 contract) that was $36.00, $39.15 and $42.75 an hour, plus benefits.
Source: LiUNA Minnesota's official wage sheets. Building: May 1, 2026 – Apr 30, 2027; highway & heavy: from May 4, 2026. Building and road zones use different county lists, and some special classifications pay differently.
How to get into Local 563 as an apprentice
- 1
Get hired by a union contractor
This is how you get "sponsored": a contractor that signed with the union (a signatory contractor) hires you first. LiUNA's Build Your Future page has a contractor search and a jobs board. - 2
Join LiUNA when you start
Once you start working, you become a member and keep your dues current. - 3
Go to orientation
For apprentices and new members: the third Thursday of every month at 6 p.m. - 4
Finish the program
4,000 work hours and 288 training hours over about 3 years, at the Laborers Training Center in Lino Lakes. It's debt-free training paid for by contractors; ask about dues or small costs.
Published requirements: 18+, reliable transportation, showing up on time, willingness to learn, and maybe a drug test. Laborers Training Center: 651-653-6710.
Pipefitters Local 539
Minneapolis & St. Cloud. 5-year apprenticeship (8,750 work hours + classes every year).
Next applications: Jan 4–15, 2027, in person in Brooklyn Park. Bring your diploma or GED. First year (metro, 2026): $27.24/hour plus benefits.
The HVAC service track also asks for a 2-year technical-college HVAC course and a driver's license.
How to apply (Local 539)Plumbers Local 15
Minneapolis & St. Cloud. Minimum age 17, with a diploma or GED.
Next applications: Jan 11–22, 2027, Mon–Fri 8:30–2:30, walk in at Maple Grove (allow 1½ hours for testing). You start at 45% of full scale: $22.53/hour (metro, 2026), rising to 50, 60, 70 and 80%.
How to apply (Local 15)Weekend HVAC & boiler classes: Local 70
In Minnesota you can pay to take boiler and refrigeration/HVAC classes through Operating Engineers Local 70 (White Bear Lake) with Saturday classes. You keep working and could save thousands compared to a multi-semester tech-college program.
This fall they ran a 30-hour boiler class (Sept 26 – Oct 24, 2026) and a 64-hour refrigeration class (Sept 12 – Oct 31). Call to ask about the next dates, the price, and whether you need to be a member: 651-646-4566.
Local 70 class listHouston & Texas
Texas is a "right-to-work" state: no one can make you join (or not join) a union to get a job. Houston has strong unions, and there are also lots of non-union industrial companies that train their own people.
- • Pipefitters Local 211: 5 years of paid work + classes (pipefitting, welding, HVAC). Apply in person and pass a math test (72% to pass).
- • Plumbers Local 68: online application when intake opens; 18+ with a diploma or GED.
- • Electricians IBEW 716 (Houston JATC): paid work + classes; their FAQ lists $18.34/hour to start (confirm the date with them).
- • LiUNA Local 350 (Houston): the laborers' local in Houston; ask about its apprenticeship.
Which one fits you?
Every local, state and trade is different. Tell RealWay AI your city and what you like doing (like "I'm in Houston and I like welding") and it looks up the unions, apprenticeships, classes and travel jobs that fit you best.
Keep more
Contractor pay & per diem
Traveling jobs often pay a daily allowance for meals and lodging on top of your hourly rate.
W-2 vs 1099
- • W-2 employee: taxes withheld, employer pays half of Social Security/Medicare, overtime rules apply.
- • 1099 contractor: higher rate but you pay ~15.3% self-employment tax, set aside quarterly taxes, and buy your own insurance. Ask for at least 25–30% more than a W-2 rate.
Companies that pay you to work on the road
These companies build plants, factories and roads far from home and often pay per diem (daily money for food and a hotel) on top of your hourly pay. Per diem depends on the job; not every position gets it.
Plants & factories
Fagen, Inc. (Granite Falls, MN)
Builds ethanol/biofuel and other big industrial processing plants across the country, with its own traveling crews (pipe, electrical, millwright, concrete and more). Has posted jobs with 7-day per diem. Non-union, with its own training program for beginners.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)Austin Industrial (La Porte, TX — Houston)
Industrial construction and maintenance at plants and refineries nationwide; hires pipefitters, welders, electricians and helpers. Some projects advertise per diem. Its sister company Austin Bridge & Road builds highways and bridges in Texas.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)Nationwide Skilled Trades (Houma, LA)
Staffing company (since 1987) that sends traveling crews to shipyards, oil and gas, plants and construction jobs nationwide. Its job posts have listed daily per diem and travel pay, like millwright shutdowns and equipment operators. Apply on its site or by email.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)Roadtechs.com
A long-running job board for traveling construction, plant shutdown and outage work. Many posts list the hourly pay, the daily per diem and travel pay right in the ad, so you can compare before you call.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)FlexTrades (Hudson, WI)
Sends skilled manufacturing techs (machinists, maintenance, electrical) on project assignments nationwide. Lists weekly per diem, travel and lodging, and home time between projects as benefits.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)Kiewit
One of the biggest road, bridge and industrial builders in the U.S. Some craft jobs list a weekly per diem.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)Tradesmen International
Construction staffing with a "Per Diem: Yes" job filter for traveling pipefitters, welders and more.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)
Roads & highways
Ames Construction (Burnsville, MN)
Employee-owned heavy-civil builder of highways, bridges, dams, rail and mines across the U.S. Posts jobs for traveling operators, carpenters and mechanics. Ask each job if it includes per diem.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)Knife River (Bismarck, ND)
Paving, asphalt and road materials. Some seasonal Local 49 union jobs in northern Minnesota and North Dakota travel and list lodging help, usually as per diem.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)Webber (Houston, TX)
Big highway, paving and heavy-civil builder (part of Ferrovial). Its Texas paving jobs have listed per diem for out-of-town projects.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)Austin Bridge & Road (Texas)
Builds highways, bridges and interchanges across Texas; hires laborers, operators, pipelayers and carpenters. Mostly Texas jobs, so ask about travel pay.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)Michels (Brownsville, WI)
Huge family-owned energy and infrastructure builder: pipelines, roads, utilities. Many field jobs require travel, and some list per diem and lodging.
See jobs18+ (usually for ages 18 and up)
Before you go, get it in writing: hourly pay, per diem (how much and how many days), whether they pay the hotel, travel pay, how long the job lasts, and any deductions. Openings change often.
Per month
$1,600
Per year (×12)
$19,200
Untaxed only if it qualifies (see below). If it's paid as regular wages, it's taxed like your paycheck.
When per diem is tax-free
Per diem from an employer is usually not taxed only when it's paid under an accountable plan for real business travel away from your tax home, with dates, places and purpose documented.
Federal (GSA) rates are a standard way to prove amounts, not a magic limit. Indefinite assignments (over a year) or not having a tax home can make it taxable. 1099 contractors don't get tax-free per diem — they deduct eligible travel costs instead.
Negotiation tips
- • Ask for the full package in writing: hourly, overtime, per diem, travel pay, mileage, tool allowance.
- • Look up the GSA per diem rate for the job location and use it as your anchor.
- • Certifications (EPA 608, OSHA 30, welding certs) are leverage — mention them first.
Partners
Apprenticeship programs
Paid apprenticeships where you earn while you learn a trade.
Example Apprenticeship Program
ExampleTell us what trade you want to learn. We'll share your info with an apprenticeship program partner when one is available for your trade.
Partner links: RealWay may earn a referral fee if you sign up. It never costs you extra, and it doesn't change what we explain.
RealWay is for education only and is not financial, legal, or tax advice. Program rules, limits, and prices change — always confirm with the official source before you apply. Last checked October 2026.