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The Blueprint for a Storied Career

For construction professionals, the results of your work can be seen everywhere — including new bridges, neighborhoods, roads and buildings — and often represent progress.

And through a growing push to upgrade American infrastructure, companies need trained individuals to design, excavate, build and wire these projects. Want to join them? Learn the tools of the trade — and construct the life you want — at your local Western New York (WNY) Works college. Apply today, train tomorrow and get right to work on your timeline.

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Construction Careers at a Glance

No. 1

U.S. News & World Report ranks Alfred State No. 1 in NY for construction programs, including building construction and construction management.

$51,390

Average salary for building construction professionals.

Bureau of Labor Statistics

19.7%

Growth for the construction industry in Western New York through 2030.

New York Department of Labor

How Do I Become a…?

Master a single stage of the construction process, from designing blueprints to operating the equipment that gets a project off the ground, or supervise everything from soup to nuts (and bolts). Understand what’s involved — and where your interests are needed:

Construction Builder

Get to work not just making things but constructing tomorrow’s communities. You’ll use your hands and grit to get it done with carpentry, masonry and building construction fundamentals.

Salary range, NY: $35,078–$81,528*
*New York Department of Labor

Participating Colleges and Programs

Electrician

Wire your future through a career where you’ll power tomorrow — including new homes, buildings for businesses and even larger projects requiring your professional spark.

Salary range, NY: $43,373–$83,606*
*New York Department of Labor

Participating Colleges and Programs

Carpenter

Nailed it, drilled it, sanded it, made it. You’re the master installer and repairer, ready with a set of tools to put together anything from a full frame to floors and baseboards.

Related job titles: Cabinetmaker

Salary range, NY: $41,340–$68,863*
*New York Department of Labor

Students wearing hard hats and safety glasses work with wood beams in a carpentry class at a Western New York Works college.

Participating Colleges and Programs

Architectural Technician or Drafter

Put pencil to paper and think about a project from all sides. From buildings to electrical systems, the Drafter creates a plan for every idea and adds all the dimensions needed to make it work.

Salary range, NY: $43,765–$67,272*
*New York Department of Labor

A female student creates a three-dimensional model out of cardboard for an architectural drafting training class at a Western New York Works college.

Participating Colleges and Programs

Mason

Bricks. Concrete. Stone. You not only know materials but also how to cut, shape and install them inside and outdoors.

Salary range, NY: $50,813–$81,528*
*New York Department of Labor

A male student wearing safety glasses stands by his brick work in a masonry class for a construction career training program at a Western New York Works college.

Participating Colleges and Programs

HVAC Professional

For both residential and commercial properties, your skills keep building occupants cool as the temperatures rise and warm as winter sets in. In between, you’re ready to diagnose duct issues and vet ventilation concerns.

Salary range, NY: $43,550–$72,380*
*New York Department of Labor

Participating Colleges and Programs

Welder

In construction, making things often means melting metal. Train to build frames, I-beams, trusses and more components that hold together buildings of all sizes.

Salary range, NY: $39,005–$59,122*
*New York Department of Labor

Two students wearing welding helmets practice working on metal in a class for a construction career training program at a Western New York Works college.

Participating Colleges and Programs

Surveyor

What does the land look like? As a surveyor, you’ll examine an area’s highs, lows and stability before a building project begins, drawing up maps and establishing boundaries in the process.

Salary range, NY: $52,034–$92,485*
*New York Department of Labor

A female student wearing sunglasses practices using surveying equipment outdoors in a class for a construction career training program at a Western New York Works college.

Participating Colleges and Programs

Solar Photovoltaic Installer

You’re laying down panels that transform the sun’s rays into renewable energy — and leading the way, building by building, toward a more sustainable future.

Salary range, NY: $37,920–$73,560*
*Bureau of Labor Statistics

A student wearing a hard hat, reflective safety glasses, and a safety vest stands outdoors near solar panels in a class at a Western New York Works college.

Participating Colleges and Programs

Heavy Equipment Operator

From backhoes and bulldozers to cranes and compactors, you operate the vehicles and equipment that dig the holes, move materials and get construction projects off the ground.

Salary range, NY: $51,791–$96,515*
*Salary.com

A student wearing a hard hat operates an excavator in a heavy equipment class for a construction career training program at a Western New York Works college.

Participating Colleges and Programs

Construction Career Development

Build Your Skills

Theories are your foundation — and your ready-to-apply skills turn a 2D drawing into a real-life 3D structure. Construction and electrician students prepare to build tomorrow’s world through a number of project- and lab-based learning opportunities and prove their stuff (and bring home awards) in competitions.

A male contestant holds a check after winning a challenge at an Elite Trades Championship Series competition, open to construction students at Western New York Works colleges.
A student wearing a hard hat flips through blueprints in a class for a construction career training program at a Western New York Works college.

A Bridge to the Next Stage

Start making things — including a bigger paycheck — with a certificate or associate degree. But as you look ahead to management or supervisory work, design your next move by returning to school to complete your bachelor’s. Just transfer your credits, build your knowledge and access even more influence.