Everyone is talking about AI taking jobs, and honestly, that conversation is not wrong. Let’s use a LinkedIn post to talk to those looking for a direction, a career, or even changing lanes.
While people are busy watching white-collar (not sure white-collar is still a thing?) work gets automated, and something else is happening that few are talking about. The trades are starving for workers, and the pay is better than most people realize.
I’m talking about electricians, plumbers, HVAC techs, welders, diesel mechanics, etc. Jobs that require you to show up somewhere in person, read a situation you have never seen before, and fix it with your hands. No AI is doing that anytime soon.
According to JLL, last year nearly 600,000 skilled trades jobs were posted while only about 150,000 new workers came in through apprenticeships. 70% of employers say they cannot find qualified people, and the construction industry has over a million fewer workers today than it did during the last housing boom in 2007! The reason isn’t complicated, because every kid graduating high school has been told that college is the move to make, and it may be for some – let’s see.
Trade school got treated like a consolation prize, and that stigma has stuck. Now more than one in five skilled workers in the U.S. is over 55, and for every five Baby Boomers who retire out of the trades, only about two younger workers step in to replace them.
These jobs aren’t just available to you, they are actively competing for you. Signing bonuses, paid apprenticeships where you earn while you learn, starting salaries around $54,000 that grow fast, and a certified welder or licensed electrician in a busy market can clear six figures easy. And guys, this is all without a four-year degree or the debt that comes with one. If you are someone who knows they want to work with their hands and build something real, that last part is worth sitting with for a minute.
That debt comparison matters more now than ever y’all. A four-year degree at a public university runs close to $120,000 all-in, and private school pushes past $250,000 (and that’s probably low for both – I’m not sure). The average borrower is paying around $400 a month toward student loans, but trade school typically costs between $5,000 and $33,000 total, takes one to two years, and you come out with around $10,000 in debt on average.
The college job market is not looking the way it used to either. The unemployment rate for young college graduates hit 9.7% in late 2025, nearly the same as for high school graduates in that age group, and only 30% of the class of 2025 found full-time work in their actual field. The degree that was supposed to be the safe bet is not delivering the way it did for previous generations. Take note.
Something is shifting though, and I think for the better. The share of teenagers seriously considering trade school has more than doubled since 2018, from 12% to 30%. Nearly one in four Gen zers has seriously looked at a trades career, and 75% say they associate desk jobs with burnout and instability.
The window to get into the trades while demand is this high is not going to stay open forever. For a lot of people, it might actually be the smarter first move, unless you are heading into a field like medicine, law, or engineering where the degree is not optional (for now). But if you are still figuring that out, or you know you want to work with your hands and build something real, the case for the trades has never been stronger than it is right now.