The Often Overlooked Job That’s Actually Hiring & Not Being Replaced By AI — And It Doesn’t Even Require A College Degree
A field of high-paying jobs where there's a massive shortage of workers? Sounds like the perfect solution.
Grace Hilty | Unsplash There's no doubt about it — looking for a job right now is not easy. Social media is full of stories from people who are downright discouraged. But a woman on TikTok is having the opposite experience, and she's urging others to follow in her footsteps. She said the trades are often overlooked as a career option, especially for women, but they are hiring and they are not at risk of being replaced by AI.
When it comes to pay and job security, the trades are the best bet for a profession. Anyone struggling to find a job should consider high-paying trade jobs like plumbers and electricians, which have a massive shortage of workers, and don't require a college degree.
Blue-collar trade jobs are often overlooked, but they are still in demand.
It's not just people's perception. Finding a job really is hard right now, despite the glowing economic numbers that would make you think otherwise. A recent study found that 55% of unemployed adults are totally burned out by their job search.
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There are tons of reasons for this, from lingering economic impacts of the pandemic and the Great Resignation to widespread downsizing of recruiting staff in recent years.
But knowing the reasons doesn't make the process any easier to endure. So what if you could have the opposite problem — being constantly offered jobs you don't even need? That's the situation a construction worker named Kelsey, known on TikTok as @thespicysparkykelsey, is in.
The female construction worker said she gets new blue-collar job offers every week that she has to turn down.
Imagine opening up LinkedIn and finding a bunch of unsolicited job offers just sitting in your DMs without you even asking. That's quite literally the magical-seeming situation Kelsey is in as a construction worker.
"What I think people don't understand about being in the trades is I get a job offer at least twice a week," Kelsey said in a recent video. "Every single week. People are asking me how much money I will take to leave my current company."
Kelsey said at the moment she can't be bought. She's so happy at her current job that she has no desire to leave. But the opportunity to do so is there, constantly. "And that's not even trying," she said. "I'm just existing on LinkedIn and getting two job offers a week."
If you still needed convincing, one study found that construction workers reported the highest levels of happiness and satisfaction. This is likely due to having a reasonable work-life balance and a sense of purpose in the work they're doing.
Skilled trades are experiencing a massive labor shortage that many experts say is only going to grow.
The construction industry alone is suffering a labor gap of almost half a million workers, and it's a similar story for plumbers, electricians, carpenters, mechanics, and even some jobs in the medical field. All are suffering what the U.S. Chamber of Commerce calls "massive" shortages that threaten the economy in the future.
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There are many reasons for this, chief among them the premium put on college degrees and professional office jobs, and the cultural stigma against blue-collar jobs as unsophisticated. In fact, studies have shown that this social stigma has made applications for these jobs plummet in recent years.
But that all comes amid an even more striking trend that is upending the industry: the ratio of retiring blue-collar baby boomers to Gen Zs and millennials entering the trades is a staggering 5:2. That's why when you call for a plumber or electrician nowadays, you often can't get anyone to come by. They're swamped and booked out for months.
The process of getting blue-collar jobs is faster and cheaper than college, and the pay is much better too.
Of course, you can't just walk into these blue-collar jobs. Trade school, certification programs, and the like cost money and take time, typically two years, and an average of between $3,000 and $15,000. And Kelsey pointed out, part of why she's so in demand is because she's four years into her career and about to become eligible for highly desired certifications and licensures.
Still, there is no comparison between the time and costs of starting a blue-collar career and the typical college-to-corporate scheme. Nor is there any comparison in earnings.
The national average pay for a plumber, for instance, is nearly $30 an hour according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, far more than most entry-level corporate jobs. Many go on to make six figures. Perhaps best of all? These jobs are not likely to disappear due to things like AI anytime soon. When you need an electrician to fix the wires in your house, you call… well, a person who is an electrician, not a robot.
As Kelsey put it, "The way that our economy is going, those of us who are in skilled trades are going to be so sought after that you never have to worry about where you're going to feed your kids or where your paycheck is going to come from. There is always work."
Taken all together, it's hard to argue with Kelsey's blunt take on those struggling to find a job right now. "Why are you not setting yourself up to be so sought after that people are throwing money and job opportunities at you?" In today's economy, it's hard to argue with that.
John Sundholm is a writer, editor, and video personality with 20 years of experience in media and entertainment. He covers culture, mental health, and human interest topics.
