Steeplejack
Also called heightworker, MWEP operator, rope access technician
Steeplejacks are specialised heightworkers who safely scale the outside of buildings and structures to perform critical work.
What you'd do
Building frame and related trades workers not elsewhere classified · ILO- Climbing and performing miscellaneous construction and building maintenance work on tall structures such as towers, chimneys and spires
- Erecting temporary metal or wooden scaffolding on building sites
- Demolishing buildings and other structures
- Mostly outdoors
- On your feet most of the day
- Lots of contact with people
- Good freedom to decide
- Usually under 40 hours a week
- Deadlines most weeks
- Some repetitive tasks
Will there be jobs?
Yes, good prospects10 EU countries are short of building frame and related trades workers not elsewhere classified now, but fewer jobs than in most work will need filling by 2035.
Solid: measured. Dashed: forecast.
What does it pay?
About averagePay depends a lot on the country: from about €1,000 a month (Bulgaria) to €5,500 (Denmark), before tax.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see typical pay there, for people under 30, and compared with all jobs.
Among craft and related trades workers in the EU, women earn 26% less per hour than men. Craft and related trades workers · Eurostat
What do I need to study?
Upper secondary or vocationalUpper secondary or vocational training is the usual route.
Pick a country at the top of the page to see where to study and the official course finders.
Will AI change it?
Very littleAI could help with only small parts of the tasks.
Average task score 0.09 on a scale from 0 (AI can't do it) to 1 (AI could do it fully).
See the score for each of the 3 tasks
Based on what AI could technically do when assessed in 2025. It is not a forecast for a future year, and not a forecast of job losses. Scores for building frame and related trades workers not elsewhere classified. Source: ILO (2025), adapted (credits).