The skilled trades sector has been booming for years, and those who are in the industry have become accustomed to a lifestyle of work. The question is whether or not there are jobs that offer per diem – which can vary by region and type of job. In this blog post, we will explore what types of skilled trades jobs may offer per diem.  Some examples include: electricians, mechanical conveyor installers, millwrights, and other construction-related fields. What is Per Diem? Per Diem is non-taxable additional pay, on top of your hourly rate/salary that is meant to cover travel related expenses. Items such as hotel stays, gas and food. It is generally available for anyone outside of a 50 mile radius from the job, if offered. How Does Per Diem Help The Employee? Per Diem construction jobs allow employees to cover their travel expenses without dipping into their normal pay. If working as a group with several other employees, one can double-occupy hotel rooms and drive or ride together to keep expenses down.  Travel workers can also make a trip to the grocery store for meals instead of dining out to cut costs as well. Allowing for more take-home pay. How Does The Industry Benefit from Per Diem Jobs? If a client provides per diem for a given job, it allows for an increased pool of employees to select from. The talent needed for the job doesn’t have to be local, they can be from a nearby large city, a neighboring state, or even nationwide.  By not limiting the number of employees to choose from, the clients are able to benefit from these “travelers”, or someone who specifically seeks out per diem jobs to travel wherever needed. These specific types of employees are often highly skilled and sought after. So instead of a client in Ohio seeking 20 electricians local to that area and the staffing agency digging deep in that specific town/city for electricians. Staffing agencies are able to dive into their pool of “rockstars” that are going to hit the ground running and complete the job successfully. How are per diem workers/travelers different from local workers? Per diem workers understand all of the variables associated with working away from home. They are used to picking up and moving to the next job wherever it is located. A  lot of these travelers are trade-licensed in multiple states.  Per diem workers are also accustomed to working a lot of overtime. The OT is a big draw for these workers that spend a good portion of the year on the road. What type of skilled trades jobs offer per diem? Traveling electrician jobs with per diem:  Traveling electricians is a popular position to seek if you don’t mind traveling from job to job. If you have a trade license in multiple states, this makes it even more of a perfect job for traveling. Traveling electricians normally have a few years under their belt, so if you’re an apprentice or still grasping the line of work, stay local for a few years to get more confident in the trade and build up your skills. Shutdown jobs that pay per diem:  With many shutdowns these days, there is always a need for skilled trades workers willing to work a lot of hours for a shorter duration. Trades may include but not limited to pipefitters, welders, riggers & ironworkers. Millwright jobs that pay per diem:  Millwrights are also traveling professionals in the skilled trades industry. They usually work on shutdowns too, but they might be able to make more money than electricians because there is not as much competition for these jobs that pay per diem. Renewable energy jobs:  These may include wind and solar construction projects. Popular in California & Texas and experiencing tremendous growth. If this is your specialty, consider yourself a prime candidate for per diem work. Mechanical conveyor installers: Another skilled trades position experiencing huge growth. Companies like Amazon, FedEx & Walmart are always looking to increase their shipping capabilities. So they’re constantly building new massive warehouses or upgrading current conveyor tech to keep up with demand. By working with a skilled trades agency like us and having the necessary skills, we’ll be able to place you on jobs like this nationwide. Where To Find Jobs That Offer Per Diem You can find many of these jobs through online job boards like Craigslist & Ziprecuiter. But Roadtechs is a really good source as well, it primarily focuses on the skilled trades industry. You can also put your name in and begin working with a staffing company that focuses on your trade. That’s where we come in. Elite Force Staffing specializes in per diem jobs, especially traveling electricians and mechanical conveyor installers. Why Elite Force Staffing excels in offering per diem jobs That previously mentioned pool of “rockstars” is exactly what makes Elite Force Staffing different. Almost 85% of our workers are travelers. That’s a lot of highly skilled and proven workers that are ready to “hit the road” when needed.  By having that many per diem workers, you’ll likely be getting resources who’ve worked for us on previous projects. So we know firsthand their capabilities and where they can provide value on your site. We have pockets of workers all over the country that specialize in certain types of projects; manufacturing, data centers, renewable energy, oil & gas etc. In the rare event we have to go out and recruit fresh talent, Elite Force Staffing has a stellar recruiting team to get things taken care of. We also utilize many of our field-based SME’s and top performers to screen candidates in their respective crafts to ensure they have the skills you require. Interested in locating rockstars for your next big per diem job? Contact us here to get the ball rolling.

When you’re trying to figure out where to live, finding some of the best cities to work as a tradesman can seem complicated. You can just move to a big city with a lot of construction, right? Not so fast. Some of those big cities have very high costs of living or may have other restrictions in place that make it difficult to make a living. Also, things can change depending on the type of work you want, whether you like construction or maintenance. For that reason, we’ll discuss in this article what makes a city a good one to consider, then follow up with a list of the current best cities to work as a tradesmen. What Makes a City a Great Option for Tradesmen? As mentioned above, one of the biggest issues with simply picking a city based on the amount of work available is that it takes the cost of living out of the picture. Using the Cost of Living index available from Best Places, for example, someone who is making $20 an hour in San Francisco, which has the country’s highest cost of living, actually only gives you about $7.43 in purchasing power, well below minimum wage. By comparison, Cleveland has one of the lowest costs of living (though you may find it lower in rural areas) with the same $20 bringing you $27.55 in purchasing power.¹ Which one would you rather live in? This is why it’s so important to check these types of details when considering new locations. You’re going to have some personal preferences that come into play as well. Do you have kids? School quality will be a big concern unless you’ve got some option available to homeschool or send them to private school. Perhaps you or a family member can’t stand heat or cold. You’ll want to take the average climate into consideration. Want to enjoy the country’s peace and quiet or be close to the action in the middle of the city? These are also important aspects to consider when making your selection. Another issue to consider is market saturation. If there are no job listings for that city in your trade, or very few, you may want to steer clear, because they may already have too many tradesmen in that particular specialty. Look for cities that have a lot of listings. Better yet, if the city appears to have a bidding war for your trade going on, it means that they have few tradesmen in that specialty and you’ll have plenty of opportunities to consider. Top Cities for Tradesmen to Work² Las Vegas, Nevada: With a lower than average cost of living and higher than average tradesmen’s wages, Las Vegas is seeing constant construction and has a higher than usual amount of private union membership. This means that you’ll be able to get what you need for less, make more with good union memberships available with consistent new work projects. Sacramento, California: As people flee San Francisco’s high cost of living, many of them are showing up in Sacramento. Which has a cost of living just a few percent above the national average, tradesmen wages higher than even Las Vegas, strong employment growth and good private union membership rates, which adds up to a great deal in an amazing town. St. Louis, Missouri: If you’d prefer a Midwestern vibe, St. Louis provides you with plenty of city at a discounted rate. A lower than average cost of living, much higher than average tradesmen’s wages, and fair city growth provide you with plenty of extra to be able to enjoy the blues instead of playing the blues yourself. Portland, Oregon: Like the redwoods? There’s plenty of nature around Portland, along with all the amenities you’d expect from a big city. A cost of living just a few percent above the national average, strong growth and a much higher than average tradesmen’s wage gives you plenty to enjoy in this West Coast city. Birmingham, Alabama: Ready for some Southern charm? Birmingham has somewhat lower than average tradesmen’s wages, but that’s more than made up for by the very low cost of living. The capital city of Alabama is also seeing good growth as more people move into the south. Riverside, California: If you’re an Orange County lover, this could be a great place to move that gets you close to, but not into, Los Angeles. With strong growth, a somewhat higher than average cost of living, excellent private union membership and good average wages for tradesmen, your next words will be, “I’m going to Disneyland!” Kansas City, Missouri: Like BBQ? You’ll love Kansas City! This Midwestern town has a friendly feel combined with a much lower-than-average cost of living, good growth, and good average wages for tradesman staffing jobs. A short drive gets you out of the city and into the countryside, and we promise, Peculiar isn’t as weird as it sounds. In Conclusion By taking these considerations into account when you’re selecting the best cities to work as a tradesman, you’ll be able to settle in for a successful career long into the future. But which city you select will depend on your own personal preferences, such as climate, location and, of course, its overall vibe. Whether you’re into Southern culture or West Coast beaches, you’re sure to find something you like. Are you looking for work in your trade but aren’t sure where to turn? Elite Force can help! Our experienced tradesman employment agency specialists can help you find a great job fast, making it easier to focus on practicing your trade instead of pounding the pavement and filling out applications. Just click Apply Now to get started! Sources

Pipefitters are the plumbers of the industrial and commercial world, dealing with far more complex problems and much higher pressures than their residential counterparts. This is one of the reasons why they’re often in higher demand, because there are fewer pipefitters and each one has to have a different level of knowledge, experience and expertise than residential plumbers. But if you’re wondering how to become a pipefitter and where to find pipefitter jobs, you’ll find everything you need to know right here. How To Become A Pipefitter To become a pipefitter, it’s almost always required to have either a high school diploma or equivalent. Many pipefitters then go on to either an apprenticeship program or trade school to learn how to handle the process. For more advanced programs, you can also take math and science coursework to receive an associate’s degree, providing a good stepping-stone to further education in the future, should you so choose. Some states will also require a background check, while others do not. For background checks, some states will require the check before you start trade school, while others require a background check before licensing you for work. This is a fairly thorough background check, so make sure you are able to pass one before you start your training. However, even after finishing your educational process and having your background check completed, you’re not ready to be licensed just yet. You’ll need to gain some on-the-job experience before you can apply for your state license, in many situations. This process typically takes between two and five years, but is well worth it in the end. You may also need to look at other certifications, both related to your pipefitter work as well as more general certifications. These can include ASME 31.1, ICWQ, BPAT, JLPS, WBFP, OSHA 30 and STAR Steamfitting-Pipefitting Mastery Certification.1 These are good certifications to pursue while you’re working on adding work experience and before you get your license, providing you with plenty of knowledge and the paperwork to back up what you’ve learned. Pipefitter Jobs And Where To Find Them Pipefitters put together systems that take a lot of stress, so they can be found in a wide range of industries. In some of these industries, you’ll just put together the initial setup and assembly, while in others, you may have frequent reoccurring work that keeps you working at a single large location with a single employer.  Depending on the type of work you want to do, you’ll be able to find work that handles specific types of pipefitting. From travel jobs that let you see more of the world while being paid to do so, to stationary industrial and commercial jobs at specific facilities, to projects that require you to work quickly during machine shutdown periods, you’ll find something that fits your personality and work style. Pipefitter Jobs With Per Diem Assembly and construction jobs often provide a per diem, allowing you to travel extensively and see different parts of the region or country. Referring to the Latin term for daily, per diem refers to reimbursement for daily expenses related to travel, such as lodging and meals, as well as some other incidental expenses you might have during travel. This means that all of your basic needs are being met in addition to your paycheck, lowering your overall expenses significantly. Industrial & Commercial Pipefitters Industrial and commercial labor pipefitters can enjoy the consistency and predictability of regularly managing the systems in a single or a small number of facilities. To provide sufficient work to keep a pipefitter employed full-time, these facilities are usually fairly large. This allows you to enjoy predictable income at a regular location and schedule, which can be a benefit for pipefitters with families. Shutdown Jobs For Pipefitters Shutdown jobs for pipefitters are a great option if you like to challenge yourself or only work for short periods, as all work must be handled while machinery in a facility is shut down. Because this work must be completed quickly, it often pays a higher amount for pipefitters who can complete the work as quickly as possible, often to the point of planning out exactly how you’ll lay out your tools before you begin. Where To Find Them There are a few different places where you can look to find pipefitter jobs, but there are two primary sources where we’ll focus. Of course, if you’re a union member, have a network of other contractors and similar resources, you can tap these resources when you’re looking for a new pipefitter job. With the digital transformation of our world, more people are finding work online. LinkedIn, Roadtechs, Craigslist and similar websites offer a wide range of advertisements for pipefitter jobs. However, that requires looking at or monitoring several websites to find when new jobs come onto the market, and there’s no telling how long the hiring process may be, which can be stressful when you’re trying to find something new fast. Another option to consider is a staffing company. Because staffing companies have projects coming in all the time, it’s much easier to have someone else do the monitoring and looking for you, so that you can focus on other areas such as earning more certifications. Instead of having to pound the pavement and fill out tons of applications, you can do one interview and application, then let someone else do the work for you. In Conclusion Pipefitter jobs are a great option to consider for your future, especially if you’re partnered with an outstanding staffing service that is focused on specialty industrial staffing. Elite Force can help you find the perfect pipefitter job for your personality, needs and preferences, so that you move into a job that you really like instead of one that just pays your bills. Why not take a few minutes to fill out an online application and see what we can do for your pipefitting career? Source: Indeed Editorial Team, “What Is a Pipefitter? Duties, Skills