Top 12 Skilled Trades & Manual Labor Skills to Put on Your Resume

In today’s hiring climate, hands-on talent travels fast. Showcasing a sharp mix of skilled trades and manual labor abilities on your resume doesn’t just fill space—it signals reliability, readiness, and real-world value. Below you’ll find 12 in-demand skills that pop on paper and perform on site.

Skilled Trades & Manual Labor Skills

1. Welding (MIG/TIG)
2. Carpentry
3. Plumbing
4. Electrical (NEC)
5. HVAC (EPA Certification)
6. Masonry
7. Machining (CNC)
8. Painting (Spray Techniques)
9. Forklift Operation
10. Blueprint Reading
11. Safety Compliance (OSHA)
12. Soldering (IPC Certification)

1. Welding (MIG/TIG)

Welding joins metals with heat, fusion, and sometimes filler. MIG (GMAW) feeds a consumable wire and shielding gas for speed and versatility—great for production. TIG (GTAW) uses a non-consumable tungsten electrode for immaculate control—thin metals, precise work, clean beads. Two paths, one goal: strong, consistent joints.

Why It’s Important

From structural steel to aerospace repair, welding underpins the world we live in. Solid welds mean safety, longevity, and fewer do-overs. That’s real money saved, real trust earned.

How to Improve Welding (MIG/TIG) Skills

1. Lock in fundamentals: polarity, shielding gases, wire types, tungsten selection, joint prep. Know when to push, when to pull, and why heat input matters.

2. Dial your setup: correct wire feed, amperage, gas flow, stickout, torch angle. Small tweaks, big dividends.

3. Practice with intent: start flat coupons, move to fillets, laps, butt joints; then positions (1G–4G/6G pipe when ready). Keep a weld log.

4. Seek critique: learn under a seasoned welder, request break tests or bend tests, examine cross-sections, chase root cause not symptoms.

5. Polish technique: steady travel speed, consistent arc length, controlled filler rhythm, clean starts and tie-ins.

6. Safety first: ventilation or fume extraction, proper PPE, fire watch, cylinder handling, hot work permits when required.

7. Inspect relentlessly: watch for porosity, undercut, lack of fusion, overlap. Fix the setup, then the motion.

How to Display Welding (MIG/TIG) Skills on Your Resume

2. Carpentry

Carpentry spans framing, finish work, cabinetry, and beyond. Measure twice, cut once sounds quaint—until tolerances tighten and layout goes complex. Wood moves. Good carpenters plan for it.

Why It’s Important

Carpentry is the skeleton and skin of structures. Square, plumb, level work holds up landscapes of daily life—and looks good doing it.

How to Improve Carpentry Skills

1. Master layout: reading a tape to 1/32, scribing, story sticks, stair and roof math, advanced squaring methods (3-4-5 and beyond).

2. Know materials: species, moisture content, engineered products, fasteners, adhesives, movement and joinery choices that survive seasons.

3. Tool discipline: sharpen often, calibrate squares and saws, set fences properly, keep dust under control.

4. Build progressively: boxes and jigs, then doors, built-ins, tricky trim and mitered returns. Compound angles later.

5. Safety habits: guards on, eyes and ears protected, push sticks used, respect kickback and pinch points.

6. Get feedback: work alongside experienced carpenters, invite punch-list scrutiny, fix it right—once.

How to Display Carpentry Skills on Your Resume

3. Plumbing

Plumbing installs and maintains supply, drain, vent, and hydronic systems. Code-driven, leak-averse, and unforgiving if you rush or guess. Good plumbers think three steps ahead—access, slope, cleanouts, serviceability.

Why It’s Important

Clean water in, wastewater out. Hygiene, safety, comfort—no trade touches more daily life with so much consequence.

How to Improve Plumbing Skills

1. Know your code: learn the edition adopted locally (IPC or UPC), plus backflow and cross-connection rules.

2. Perfect joints: sweat copper with proper cleaning and heat control; press and PEX with spec tooling; solvent weld PVC/CPVC with correct primer and set time.

3. Diagnose smart: read pressure, listen for water hammer, smoke test vents, isolate leaks methodically.

4. Vent and slope: get trap distances right, size vents correctly, maintain fall on drains—no bellies.

5. Upgrade credentials: licensing, backflow tester, water heater installer, medical gas where applicable.

6. Customer sense: clear estimates, tidy work, quick cleanup, honest timelines—reputation snowballs.

How to Display Plumbing Skills on Your Resume

4. Electrical (NEC)

The National Electrical Code (NEC) sets safety standards for wiring and equipment. Jurisdictions adopt different editions, so “the latest” means “the one your area enforces.” Either way—design, install, and inspect to it.

Why It’s Important

Code-compliant work prevents fires, shocks, and expensive callbacks. It protects people and property and keeps inspections painless.

How to Improve Electrical (NEC) Skills

1. Study with structure: tab your codebook, learn article families, practice lookup speed.

2. Do the math: load calculations, conductor sizing, voltage drop, derating—calculate until it’s second nature.

3. Hands-on under oversight: rough-in, terminations, panel work, testing—work supervised, ask “why,” not just “how.”

4. Document and label: clear panel schedules, directory accuracy, as-builts that match reality.

5. Stay current: track local amendments, adoption dates, and changes between editions.

6. Test yourself: timed practice questions, code scenarios, redline your misses and revisit.

How to Display Electrical (NEC) Skills on Your Resume

5. HVAC (EPA Certification)

HVAC pros who handle refrigerants need EPA Section 608 certification (Type I, II, III, or Universal). It proves you can manage recovery, leaks, records, and changing refrigerant landscapes—A2L blends included.

Why It’s Important

Safety, efficiency, compliance. Systems run better, the environment fares better, and you stay on the right side of the rules.

How to Improve HVAC (EPA Certification) Skills

1. Get certified: pass Section 608; if you work on vehicles, know 609. Keep your card handy and your records tight.

2. Strengthen fundamentals: psychrometrics, superheat/subcooling, airflow, static pressure, duct design basics.

3. Brazing and cleanliness: nitrogen purge, proper flux, tight brazes, moisture control, deep vacuum to target microns.

4. Diagnose methodically: use accurate gauges and probes, confirm with temperature splits, verify electrical health.

5. Adapt to new refrigerants: know flammability classes, ventilation needs, and recovery procedures for A2L systems.

6. Maintain professionalism: tidy installs, sealed ducts, documented commissioning—less warranty drama.

How to Display HVAC (EPA Certification) Skills on Your Resume

6. Masonry

Masonry builds with brick, block, and stone. It’s pattern, plumb, and patience. Mortar matters, but so does substrate, drainage, and curing.

Why It’s Important

Durable, fire-resistant, beautiful—masonry gives structures a long, quiet life. Bad details, though, invite water and woes.

How to Improve Masonry Skills

1. Perfect bedding and joints: full beds, proper head joints, consistent thickness, strike at the right time.

2. Mind moisture: flashing, weeps, bond breaks, and control joints—water out, movement allowed.

3. Know your units: brick vs. CMU vs. stone properties, absorption rates, and compatible mortars.

4. Cut clean: score, saw safely, and finish edges; dust control always.

5. Cure correctly: protect from wind, cold, and scorching sun; follow mix and set times.

6. Work clean: minimize smears, wash at the right stage, protect adjacent finishes.

How to Display Masonry Skills on Your Resume

7. Machining (CNC)

CNC machining turns code into parts—precise, repeatable, relentless. Good programmers think about toolpaths and fixturing as much as feeds and speeds.

Why It’s Important

Complex components, tight tolerances, short lead times. CNC makes it possible, profitable, and consistent.

How to Improve Machining (CNC) Skills

1. Program with intent: efficient toolpaths, safe clearances, optimized stepovers and stepdowns.

2. Choose tools wisely: cutter geometry, coatings, holder rigidity; manage runout, keep tools sharp.

3. Know your material: chip load and surface speed tailored to aluminum, steel, titanium, plastics—no guesswork.

4. Fixture for repeatability: rigid, simple, consistent locators; reduce touches, boost throughput.

5. Measure and verify: probe setups, use gauges, track offsets; SPC for critical dimensions.

6. Maintain machines: lubrication, alignment checks, ball screw and way care, warm-up routines.

7. Lean the floor: 5S, quick changeovers, balanced workflows—waste trimmed, flow smooth.

8. Document: setup sheets, tool lists, revision control—future you says thanks.

How to Display Machining (CNC) Skills on Your Resume

8. Painting (Spray Techniques)

Spray application lays down coatings fast and even—on walls, cabinets, cars, you name it. The magic lives in atomization, overlap, and patience between coats.

Why It’s Important

Uniform finish, fewer brush marks, faster coverage. With correct prep and technique, the result looks pro and lasts.

How to Improve Painting (Spray Techniques) Skills

1. Set the gun right: match tip size and pressure to the coating; adjust fan pattern and fluid flow until the test panel sings.

2. Prep like a pro: clean, degrease, sand, tack—then prime as needed. Dust is the enemy.

3. Control distance and angle: typically 6–8 inches off the surface, square to the work; keep a steady pace.

4. Overlap consistently: about 50% overlap per pass; start and release the trigger off the work to avoid heavy spots.

5. Mind the environment: temperature, humidity, airflow—adjust flash times and reducers accordingly.

6. Safety always: respirator rated for the product, gloves, eye protection, solid ventilation or booth.

How to Display Painting (Spray Techniques) Skills on Your Resume

9. Forklift Operation

Operating a forklift blends spatial awareness with strict safety behavior. Loads shift, floors change, blind spots lurk. The best operators stay smooth and alert.

Why It’s Important

Material flow defines productivity. Safe, efficient lifts prevent injuries, product damage, and schedule slips.

How to Improve Forklift Operation Skills

1. Train and certify: follow recognized training standards, evaluate operators regularly, refresh often.

2. Pre-shift checks: brakes, horn, hydraulics, tires, forks, chains—defects parked, not ignored.

3. Load discipline: know load centers, secure and keep low, tilt back, no hero lifts beyond rating.

4. Protect pedestrians: speed limits, clear sightlines, horns at intersections, marked aisles, zero phone use.

5. Housekeeping: tidy aisles, proper stacking, stable racking, no obstructions.

6. Data and feedback: track incidents, near-misses, and impacts; coach to trends, not just one-offs.

How to Display Forklift Operation Skills on Your Resume

10. Blueprint Reading

Blueprint reading turns lines into action. Plans, sections, elevations, details—each sheet whispers instructions if you speak the language.

Why It’s Important

Misreading plans means rework. Accurate interpretation keeps teams aligned, materials right-sized, and schedules intact.

How to Improve Blueprint Reading Skills

1. Learn the symbols: line types, hatches, and trade-specific icons—mechanical, electrical, structural.

2. Respect scale: convert cleanly, use scale rulers correctly, verify dimensions against notes.

3. Follow the trail: bounce from plan to elevation to section to detail; catch changes and revision clouds.

4. Read specs with drawings: materials, tolerances, finishes, and methods live in the specs—don’t miss them.

5. Practice with real sets: start small; graduate to multi-trade, multi-revision packages.

6. Manufacturing angle: understand GD&T basics, title blocks, and datum schemes for fab work.

How to Display Blueprint Reading Skills on Your Resume

11. Safety Compliance (OSHA)

OSHA-driven safety programs anchor jobsite health. It’s not paperwork for its own sake—it’s culture, habits, and controls that keep crews whole.

Why It’s Important

Fewer injuries, fewer fines, fewer delays. More trust, more uptime, more consistent quality.

How to Improve Safety Compliance (OSHA) Skills

1. Train continuously: trade-specific hazards, PPE use, fall protection, silica, hearing—refresh and retrain.

2. Assess hazards: JHAs/JSAs before tasks; engineer out risks, then admin controls, then PPE.

3. Lock it out: robust lockout/tagout procedures, energy control verified, zero shortcuts.

4. Inspect and maintain: tools, ladders, lifts, cords—tag out and fix, don’t “make do.”

5. Communicate: near-miss reporting without blame, daily toolbox talks, visible leadership.

6. Plan for emergencies: first aid, spill response, evacuation routes, drills, and contact info posted.

How to Display Safety Compliance (OSHA) Skills on Your Resume

12. Soldering (IPC Certification)

IPC-aligned soldering proves you can create reliable electrical connections with repeatable quality. Cleanliness, heat control, and inspection criteria drive the outcome.

Why It’s Important

Electronics fail at their weakest joint. Certified technique lowers that risk and raises confidence—on the line and in the field.

How to Improve Soldering (IPC Certification) Skills

1. Know the standards: understand acceptability criteria and workmanship classes relevant to your products.

2. Use the right tools: temperature-controlled irons, clean tips, proper tip geometry, quality solder and flux.

3. Control the process: prep pads and leads, manage dwell time, avoid cold joints and bridges, clean residues when required.

4. Mind ESD: grounded workstations, wrist straps, proper handling—save components before they’re damaged.

5. Inspect and rework: magnification checks, wetting angles, fillet height and shine; rework cleanly without pad lift.

6. Certify and refresh: complete formal IPC training where needed; recertify on schedule and track revisions.

How to Display Soldering (IPC Certification) Skills on Your Resume