If you want substantial career advancement in any blue collar field (without dramatically changing what you do or where/how you do it) then the path you take is

If you want substantial career advancement in any blue collar field (without dramatically changing what you do or where/how you do it) then the path you take is doing it under your own name and eventually hiring employees. You can progress much further up the income ladder in white collar fields my moving into management. The career paths are not analogous.