"Earned $100,000 at 18": Young Americans Flock to Skilled Trades Like Plumbing, Undeterred by AI

Steady Rise in Enrollment at Vocational Schools and Apprenticeship Programs

Japan Follows the US as More Young People Choose Skilled Trades

With the spread of artificial intelligence (AI) technology raising concerns over job security in white-collar roles, more members of Generation Z in the United States are choosing skilled trades such as electrical work, plumbing, and welding instead of attending college.

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Choosing Skilled Trades Amid Job Insecurity and Tuition Burden: "No AI Worries for Now"

According to the New York Times on July 13 (local time), surging college tuition and growing job insecurity in the AI era have together driven more young people toward vocational schools and technical training programs.

The number of students enrolled at public two-year colleges specializing in vocational and technical education increased by about 20% from 2020 to 2025, and enrollments in apprenticeship programs at private vocational schools are also steadily rising.

The burden of college tuition is also cited as a factor. The average total cost for a four-year private university education is around $200,000 (about 290 million won), nearly twice what it was thirty years ago. By contrast, at most private vocational schools the total cost is under $25,000 (about 3.7 million won).

Logan Bangert, 18, from Los Banos, California, was accepted onto the Penn State football team, but due to annual tuition exceeding $50,000 (about 6.8 million won), he opted for a vocational school instead. He said, "Many people worry about losing jobs because of AI, but at least for now, I am free from that concern." Bangert now repairs wind turbine blades in Houston, earning between $80,000 and $90,000 per year (about 110 million to 120 million won).

Radona Glass, 23, dreamed of becoming a youth counselor and entered Mississippi State University in 2021, but quit after a year to pursue electrical work. She is now paid $21 per hour (about 31,000 won) and is undergoing training to become a full member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW). The average annual salary for an electrician affiliated with the IBEW reaches $90,000 (about 120 million won).

Experts point out that social perceptions of skilled trades need to change. Shana Bruni, chief operating officer of the nonprofit "Bring Back the Trades," said, "People in skilled trades are often portrayed in popular culture as lacking intelligence," and expressed concern that these stereotypes prevent young people from entering fields expected to face labor shortages in the future.

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Leaving the Office for the Field: Choices of Young People in Japan Amid the AI Era

This trend is also evident in Japan. As anxiety grows over white-collar job security due to the spread of AI, more young people in Japan are choosing "blue-collar" jobs such as construction and manufacturing, rather than traditional "white-collar" roles previously viewed as stable.

Kansai TV reported on July 8 that this change is particularly noticeable in the job market for high school graduates. At a large-scale job fair held in Osaka, students crowded into booths hiring for on-site roles with construction companies and other hands-on employers.

Wage increases are also cited as a reason for the popularity of blue-collar jobs. Some companies now offer starting monthly salaries of 300,000 yen (about 2.8 million won), and for skilled technicians, annual salaries above 8 million yen (about 74 million won). As treatment and compensation improve, more middle-aged workers are also making the switch from office work to skilled trades such as welding.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.