What if the fastest route to a six-figure paycheck wasn’t through Silicon Valley boardrooms or years of student debt, but through a welding torch, a union apprenticeship, and a hard hat? In California, teenagers barely out of high school are proving just that pulling in $80 to $90 an hour while many of their college-bound peers are still juggling tuition bills.
The numbers tell the story. Recent Federal Reserve data shows computer science graduates facing unemployment rates above 6 percent, while construction services majors sit at just 0.7 percent. Meanwhile, national surveys reveal that more than 40 percent of Gen Z are already pursuing trade careers, including many who hold bachelor’s degrees. The message is clear: the old promise of stability through a desk job is unraveling, and a new path is opening up in fields AI can’t easily replace.
For a generation squeezed by the cost of living, skeptical of debt, and watching automation threaten traditional office jobs, the trades are no longer a fallback they’re the future.
Why Gen Z Is Choosing Trades
Gen Z’s pivot toward blue-collar careers isn’t a fluke it’s a direct response to the economic and technological pressures shaping their future. For many, higher education no longer delivers on its promise. The average cost of college has climbed to more than $38,000 a year, including tuition and living expenses, while student loan debt in the U.S. averages around $30,000 per borrower. Against this backdrop, skilled trades offer an appealing alternative: get paid while training, skip the debt, and enter the workforce years earlier than peers in traditional degree programs.
Survey data backs this up. A 2025 Resume Builder study found that 42 percent of Gen Z adults are working in or pursuing trades, including 37 percent who already have bachelor’s degrees. Of those who shifted paths, one in five said they couldn’t find a job in their field, and others reported that their degree didn’t deliver the career or salary they expected. Nearly half cited the desire for greater flexibility and independence, while about a third preferred hands-on work to a desk job.
The shift also reflects changing values. Many young workers want careers that feel useful and concrete. Wiring a hospital, repairing an HVAC system, or welding a pipeline offers visible results that stand in contrast to the abstract outcomes of office jobs. As Stacie Haller, chief career advisor at Resume Builder, explained: “Trade jobs offer a smart and rewarding path for many, especially those who prefer hands-on work and practical learning. They provide faster entry into the workforce, often without the burden of student debt, and also offer strong job security, with less risk of automation or outsourcing.”
AI and the Collapse of Entry-Level White-Collar Jobs
For decades, a college degree was treated as a safety net a guaranteed ticket into a stable office career. That assumption is crumbling fast under the weight of artificial intelligence. Entry-level jobs that once gave graduates their first step on the ladder are now being automated at scale, leaving many young professionals with few options outside the trades.
The impact is already measurable. A 2025 SignalFire report found that new graduates now make up only 7 percent of hires at major tech companies, with hiring for entry-level roles down more than 50 percent compared to pre-pandemic levels. At the same time, unemployment among recent computer engineering graduates has risen to 7.5 percent, and computer science majors face a 6.1 percent unemployment rate—far higher than the 0.7 percent seen among construction services majors.
Automation explains much of this shift. Work that once required teams of junior staff can now be handled by AI systems or a single experienced worker managing AI tools. A Microsoft study outlined which roles are most vulnerable: customer service representatives, sales staff, junior developers, market researchers, and even writers. As Nikki Sun of Oxford’s AI Governance Initiative explained, “The tolerance for younger people to make mistakes and learn from experience is getting really low from the employer’s perspective. If they’re used to AI making very accurate decisions and very accurate summaries, then why do you need to spend your time and energy to teach a young graduate to do this kind of job?”
Executives in the AI industry have issued stark warnings. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has said that half of all entry-level white-collar jobs could disappear within five years, potentially pushing unemployment as high as 20 percent. This aligns with findings from OpenAI and the World Economic Forum, which both highlight how heavily exposed college-educated workers are to automation.
Trades as a Path to Security and Growth
The financial appeal is only part of the story. Unlike college, where students often take on tens of thousands in debt before earning their first paycheck, trade apprenticeships pay workers as they train. According to Resume Builder, 60 percent of Gen Zers who entered trades did so to earn money sooner, while 40 percent were motivated by the chance to avoid student loans entirely. For a generation wary of debt and economic instability, getting paid to learn feels like a smarter investment than waiting four years to enter a shrinking office job market.
Job security also weighs heavily in the decision. With older tradespeople retiring and the U.S. facing a shortage of electricians, welders, HVAC specialists, and plumbers, demand is surging. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports average annual salaries of $62,350 for electricians, $62,970 for plumbers, and nearly $60,000 for HVAC mechanics. Many companies are also adding hiring bonuses, performance incentives, and above-average wages to attract new talent. For those who stick with it, the trades can lead to supervisory positions, specialization, or even launching a business.
Beyond pay and stability, trade careers offer something many young workers say office jobs lack: purpose. From keeping hospitals running to maintaining the power grids that support AI itself, trades are the foundation of daily life. The work is visible, tangible, and essential qualities that resonate with Gen Z, who want to see the direct impact of their labor.
Teens Making Six Figures Before 21
In California, the shift from office jobs to trades is especially visible and lucrative. Apprentices in union programs for electricians, welders, and pipe trades are earning $80 to $90 an hour, putting some on track to make $100,000 a year before they’re old enough to rent a car. These aren’t one-off cases or side hustles. They are structured pathways with built-in health benefits, retirement plans, and long-term career ladders.
Competition for these opportunities is fierce. The Electrical Training Alliance in Santa Clara accepts just 5 percent of applicants, a rate comparable to elite universities. Those who make the cut are rewarded with not only high starting wages but also pensions and healthcare coverage, perks that many white-collar professionals spend years chasing. The average age of apprentices is dropping, with teenagers moving straight from high school into trades that provide both immediate paychecks and future stability.
This contrasts sharply with the struggles facing college graduates in the state’s tech-driven economy. Federal Reserve data shows recent computer science graduates battling unemployment rates over 6 percent, while construction services majors remain nearly untouched at 0.7 percent. The gap is widening at the same time AI is accelerating, leaving teens who choose trades financially ahead of peers still working through four-year degrees.
For many, the appeal goes beyond pay. “Since ChatGPT really started taking off, that kind of opened people’s eyes,” said an HVAC instructor in San Jose. “They were like, all right, this is here sooner than I thought it was going to be. I better pick a good career path.” That path, for a growing number of young Californians, leads not to a cubicle in Silicon Valley but to a job site where skills are scarce, demand is rising, and wages rival or surpass white-collar salaries.
How to Get Started in the Trades
For teens and young adults considering this path, breaking into the trades is far more accessible than many assume. Unlike a four-year degree, which requires heavy upfront costs, trade training often blends education with paid, hands-on experience. Here are the most common entry points:
- Explore apprenticeships early. Union programs, trade schools, and community colleges all offer apprenticeships where students earn while they learn. These positions are highly competitive in California, so applying as soon as possible is key.
- Leverage community colleges and vocational schools. Many schools now partner directly with unions and employers, offering pathways into fields like electrical work, HVAC, and welding. These programs often take less time and cost far less than a bachelor’s degree.
- Get licensed and certified. Certain trades require state licensing or certifications. For example, plumbers need licensing in many states, while forklift operators and electricians must meet specific safety requirements. Checking local requirements ensures a smooth entry into the workforce.
- Pair trade skills with AI literacy. While trades are resistant to automation today, AI is already part of daily workflows. Learning how to use AI tools whether in construction planning or troubleshooting electrical grids can make new workers more competitive and future-proof.
- Look for employer-sponsored training. Some companies now offer retraining or apprenticeship programs to help workers transition into roles that are less likely to be automated. This is particularly valuable for young people already in entry-level service jobs.
These steps open doors not only to immediate work but also to long-term growth. Many apprentices go on to specialize, supervise teams, or run their own businesses and careers that combine financial independence with control over how and where they work.
The New Definition of a Good Job
The story unfolding in California is bigger than teenagers making six figures before 21. It’s a sign that the rules about what makes a “good job” are being rewritten. The long-held idea that security comes from a degree and a desk is collapsing, while trades once dismissed as backup options are emerging as reliable, respected, and financially rewarding paths.
For Gen Z, this isn’t about lowering ambitions. It’s about aligning work with reality. Rising college costs, unstable office careers, and the growing presence of AI have pushed young workers to look for something both practical and enduring. The trades deliver on that: steady pay, strong demand, and the chance to build skills that directly shape the world around us.
If this trend continues, it could reshape the entire labor market. Skilled work may gain a prestige it hasn’t had in decades, while families, educators, and policymakers will need to reconsider the advice they give young people about what stability and success really mean.
The takeaway is clear: whether you’re a parent guiding a teenager, a student weighing your options, or someone reconsidering your own career path, it’s time to broaden the definition of success. A six-figure future doesn’t have to come with a corner office. Sometimes it comes with steel-toed boots, a union card, and the kind of work AI can’t replace.
