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For years, we’ve been told the future belongs to tech jobs, coding boot camps and college degrees that leave young Americans saddled with debt. But while artificial intelligence is shaking up white-collar professions, there’s one sector AI won’t be replacing anytime soon: blue-collar skilled trades. Let’s face it, when your septic system blows up are you the one who is going to clean up the mess?
That’s right — while office workers worry about ChatGPT taking their jobs, the demand for electricians, plumbers, welders, and mechanics is skyrocketing. Companies are desperate for skilled workers, wages are soaring, and many of these careers offer six-figure salaries without the need for a four-year degree.
If you’re looking for job security, financial success, and a career that actually makes America great again, this is the wake-up call for parents and kids across our great country.
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America’s skilled labor crisis = skyrocketing wages
For decades, parents, schools and politicians pushed the “college or bust” mentality, steering young Americans away from the trades. Have you taken AP courses? What’s your SAT score? Have you done your extracurricular activities? Meanwhile, Baby Boomers — who built this country’s infrastructure — are retiring in droves. The result? A massive labor shortage in blue-collar industries.
Human welders are needed in unpredictable environments — shipbuilding, infrastructure repairs and pipelines. (Getty Images)
Here’s what that means for anyone willing to pick up a wrench, climb a ladder, or remove a tree stump:
- By 2030, the U.S. will be short over 2 million skilled trade workers. Companies are raising wages to attract workers. Often, hourly rates of electricians or plumbers can rival accountants.
- Skilled tradespeople can now earn $100,000+ — often faster than college grads who are drowning in student loans.
- The bottom line? Look for the blue ocean! Quit whining about all of this AI chatter and start looking for where your career could be recession-proof.
High-paying blue-collar jobs that AI can’t replace
Here are some of the best careers in the trades in my view, why they’re in demand, and how much money you can make:
1. Electricians
Why AI can’t replace them: Electrical systems are complex and vary by building. Diagnosing problems and working in unpredictable environments requires human expertise.
Earning potential:
Entry-level: $40,000 – $50,000
Experienced: $75,000 – $100,000+
Self-employed: $100,000 – $150,000+
Electrical systems are complex and vary by building. Diagnosing problems and working in unpredictable environments requires human expertise. (iStock)
2. Plumbers
Why AI can’t replace them: You can’t program a robot to crawl under a 50-year-old house and figure out why the pipes are leaking. Plumbing requires hands-on problem-solving.
Earning potential:
Entry-level: $45,000 – $55,000
Experienced: $80,000 – $100,000+
Self-Employed: $100,000 – $200,000+
3. Welders
Why AI can’t replace them: While robots can weld in factories, human welders are needed in unpredictable environments — shipbuilding, infrastructure repairs and pipelines.
Earning potential:
Entry-level: $40,000 – $50,000
Experienced: $75,000 – $100,000+
Specialized welders (Underwater/Aerospace): $150,000 – $300,000+
4. HVAC Technicians
Why AI can’t replace them: Heating and cooling systems require hands-on installation and maintenance, often in tight spaces.
Earning potential:
Entry-level: $45,000 – $55,000
Experienced: $80,000 – $100,000+
Business Owners: $100,000 – $200,000+
5. Heavy Equipment Operators
Why AI can’t replace them: Autonomous construction vehicles are nowhere near ready to handle the unpredictable conditions of job sites. I own a concrete driveway company and try getting AI to pour a perfect driveway.
Earning potential:
Entry-level: $50,000 – $60,000
Experienced: $80,000 – $120,000+
Union Jobs: $100,000+ with benefits
AI can help diagnose a check engine light, but fixing a car or truck? That takes real skill and experience. (iStock)
6. Auto and Diesel Mechanics
Why AI can’t replace them: AI can help diagnose a check engine light, but fixing a car or truck? That takes real skill and experience. Whether you like Tesla or not, the gross hourly rates of mechanics are $210 an hour.
Earning potential:
Entry-level: $40,000 – $50,000
Experienced: $75,000 – $100,000+
Specialized Diesel/Performance Mechanics: $100,000 – $150,000+
Why these Bobs (and blue-collar businesses) will be more valuable than ever over the next decade
Shortages drive up pay – Supply and demand 101: fewer workers means higher wages. Simple as that.
These jobs require hands-on skills – AI can’t install pipes, wire a house or weld a bridge. These careers aren’t going anywhere.
By 2030, the U.S. will be short over 2 million skilled trade workers. Companies are raising wages to attract workers. Often, hourly rates of electricians or plumbers can rival accountants.
You can be your own boss – Many trade professionals start their own businesses, setting their own schedules and earning well over six figures.
No student debt – Most of these careers require apprenticeships or trade schools, which cost a fraction of a four-year degree. You start working (and earning) years before your college-bound peers.
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How to get started (without crushing debt)
Maybe one of the worst financial moves is sacrificing your retirement for your kids’ college education. Get them to explore the idea of a trade in high school. Here’s three ways to do this:
- Trade school: Most programs take six months to two years and cost far less than college.
- Apprenticeships: Learn while you get paid instead of racking up debt. Certifications and licensing: Some trades require a license, but they’re affordable and fast to obtain compared to a degree.
A worker demonstrates cutting a pipe at the Plumbers and Gasfitters Local 5 Training Facility August 4, 2021, in Lanham, Maryland. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
And here’s the best part: many employers are paying for training just to get more workers into these fields. The opportunities are endless.
Final thought: the future belongs to the trades
Look, the media has spent years convincing Americans that a college degree is the only path to success. Now, we have a bunch of educated baristas and kids at home trying to figure out what they want to do when they grow up.
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While many graduates are drowning in debt and struggling to find jobs, skilled tradespeople are making six figures, setting their own hours, and actually building America.
The future belongs to those who can build, fix, and keep America running — and that future is looking brighter (and more profitable) than ever. Take that AI!!
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