Skilled Trades Resume Keywords & ATS Expectations

This isn't an article — it's the live data our resume scanner uses to analyze skilled trades resumes. When the engine improves, this page updates with it.

Core skills per the U.S. Department of Labor

Source: O*NET 47-2111.00 — Electricians (onetonline.org, public domain)

electrical installationtroubleshootingblueprint readingcode compliancepreventive maintenance

multimetersconduit systemsNEC codehand and power tools

Keywords ATS systems expect on skilled trades resumes

electricalwiringconduitcircuitsbreaker panelsplumbingpipingfixturesHVACrefrigerationductworkweldingfabricationblueprint readingblueprintsschematicsinstallationtroubleshootingpreventive maintenancerepairresidentialcommercial constructionindustrialjob site

Job titles recruiters recognize in this field

electricianjourneyman electricianmaster electricianplumberjourneyman plumberhvac technicianhvac installercarpenterwelderpipefittermillwrightmachinistheavy equipment operatorcrane operatorironworkermasonconstruction foremansuperintendent

Certifications that anchor a skilled trades resume

journeyman licensemaster licenseepa 608osha 10osha 30aws certified weldernccerase certifiedcdlnate certifiedepa universal

What screeners check first in skilled trades

Licenses (journeyman, master, EPA) must be visible near the top.

Common questions

What keywords do ATS systems look for on skilled trades resumes?

The highest-weight terms in our skilled trades detection engine include electrical, wiring, conduit, circuits, breaker panels, plumbing, piping, fixtures. These come from the live tables our scanner runs on every skilled trades resume — use the exact recognized form of each term you can honestly claim, once, attached to real experience.

Which certifications matter most on a skilled trades resume?

Our scanner anchors skilled trades resumes on certifications like JOURNEYMAN LICENSE, MASTER LICENSE, EPA 608, OSHA 10, OSHA 30, AWS CERTIFIED WELDER. List the ones you hold with their exact recognized abbreviation — recruiters and ATS searches both match on the standard form.

What do screeners check first on skilled trades resumes?

Licenses (journeyman, master, EPA) must be visible near the top.

How do I check my skilled trades resume against this data?

Run the free scan — it checks your actual document against these exact keyword tables, plus parsing, structure, and red flags, and returns a full diagnostic report in about 20 seconds. No signup; your resume is never stored.

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Role-specific keyword guides

Electrician resume keywords →Plumber resume keywords →Hvac Technician resume keywords →

Methodology: keyword and title lists come directly from the detection tables our scanner runs on every skilled trades resume, validated by a pinned regression suite. O*NET data is public domain from the U.S. Department of Labor. See our methodology.