Some Earn Over $200,000 a Year... US Women Choosing Trades Over Office Jobs

Women Entering Locksmithing, Plumbing, and Auto Repair
Top Plumbers Earn Over 200 Million Won Annually

In New York, USA, more women are choosing blue-collar jobs such as plumbing, maintenance, and locksmithing instead of office work. This trend is attributed to the fact that many can earn six-figure salaries, and that these jobs are relatively less likely to be replaced by artificial intelligence (AI).

Sahar Yona, who runs a residential and commercial locksmith business in Manhattan, New York. Yona TikTok

On September 29 (local time), the New York Post highlighted the stories of women in New York who have achieved high incomes by entering skilled trade fields that have traditionally been dominated by men.

Sahar Yona, 27, who runs a residential and commercial locksmith business in Manhattan, New York, is among the fewer than 12% of female locksmiths in the United States. In 2017, ahead of entering her senior year of high school, while her friends were preparing for college and the SAT, she chose to drop out and start earning a living instead.

As a child, she dreamed of becoming a criminal defense attorney, but ultimately decided to pursue a trade rather than continue her studies. Yona said that at first, she didn't even know how to properly use a screwdriver, but after training, she fell in love with the work of a locksmith.

The base fee for a service call ranges from $50 to $125 (about 70,000 to 170,000 won). Additional charges may be applied for labor, transportation, and late-night surcharges. While Yona did not disclose her annual income, locksmiths in the New York area are known to make approximately $60,000 to $100,000 (81 million to 135 million won) or more per year.

Gen Z Choosing Skilled Trades

Recently, in the United States, with college tuition exceeding $100,000 and growing concerns that AI could replace office jobs, more young people are opting for skilled trades over traditional '9-to-5' office positions.

According to a survey of 1,250 adult members of Generation Z by the job search site ResumeTemplate.com, 6 in 10 said they planned to enter blue-collar fields such as construction, electrical, HVAC, plumbing, auto repair, and building maintenance.

However, the work intensity is just as high as the pay, and the hours are often irregular. Yona said there are days when she finishes work at 2 a.m. only to be called out again at 4 a.m. or 6 a.m., sometimes sleeping just three hours a day.

Direct Employment After Graduation... Six-Figure Salaries Achieved

Judyline Cassidy, 56, who has worked as a plumber in New York for more than 30 years, also makes more than $120,000 (about 162 million won) per year. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), women make up only 3.1% of all plumbers.

Cassidy emphasized that skilled trades can serve as a route to entering the middle class or accumulating wealth, allowing people to start earning an income right away without taking on student loan debt. In New York, high-earning plumbers can make more than $149,000 (about 202 million won) a year.

When Cassidy began working as a plumber in New York in the 1990s, the situation was different. Some colleagues told her to "go home and do the dishes." She sometimes cried in her car, but never gave up. Eventually, she became the first woman allowed to join Local 371 of the Staten Island Plumbers' Union.

Non-profit organization 'Tools & Tiaras' website

She is now the founder of the nonprofit organization 'Tools & Tiaras,' which teaches plumbing, construction, and engineering skills to girls aged 6 to 17. She explains that experiencing repairing things and using tools builds confidence and shows that "there is no gender in careers."

Women are also entering the auto repair field. Audra Fordin, who operates an auto repair shop in Queens, New York, supports women entering and receiving training in auto repairs, even though women make up only about 2% of auto mechanics overall.

Fordin notes that skilled auto mechanics can make between $50,000 and $150,000 (about 67 million to 203 million won) per year. In 2010, she founded 'Women Auto Know,' teaching women unfamiliar with cars how to replace fuses and headlights, jumpstart batteries, and check brakes and various oils. To date, around 12 women have found jobs in auto repair with her assistance.

Seventeen-year-old apprentice Layla Beheriral, who works under Fordin, also grew up in a family with many male mechanics but chose this path because she wanted to work with female mechanics. Beheriral said, "I hope young women aren't afraid to challenge themselves in male-dominated fields. We also have the right to work there, just like anyone else."

However, there are cautions against entering skilled trades solely because of the high salaries. Lynn Berger, who has worked as a career coach in New York for 20 years, explained that skilled trade jobs require significant physical labor and fine motor skills, and, in some cases, the temperament to handle dangerous situations.

Even though these may be jobs that are difficult for AI to immediately replace, additional training or certifications may be necessary to keep up with the latest equipment and technology. Berger advised, "You don't start making $100,000 right away," recommending that people shadow current professionals to get hands-on experience before entering the field.

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