3 Million Unfilled Jobs, Zero College Debt: The Case for Trade Careers

Let's do some math.

Path A: Traditional College

4 years of school (no income)
$35,000 average annual tuition
$140,000 total cost
Graduate at 22 with debt
Entry-level salary: $45,000 (if you find a job in your field)

Path B: Skilled Trade

4-5 year apprenticeship (paid training)
$35,000+ average apprentice wage
$140,000+ earned during training
Licensed at 22-23 with zero debt
Journeyman salary: $55,000-$75,000

The difference in net worth at age 23: approximately $300,000.

Not because tradespeople earn more than doctors. Because they start earning sooner, skip the debt, and compound from there.

The Shortage Is Real

America has approximately 3 million unfilled trade jobs right now. Not projected. Not "by 2030." Right now.

The average electrician is 55 years old
The average plumber is 58 years old
10,000 skilled workers retire every day
Trade school enrollment hasn't kept pace

This isn't a temporary gap. It's a structural transformation. An entire generation of tradespeople is exiting the workforce, and we haven't trained replacements.

What This Means For You

Supply and demand determines wages. When supply drops and demand stays constant, prices rise.

That's exactly what's happening in the trades:

TradeMedian SalaryTop 10% EarnElectrician$60,000$100,000+Plumber$59,000$98,000+HVAC Technician$51,000$80,000+Welder$47,000$90,000+Carpenter$49,000$80,000+

These numbers are climbing. Fast. And they don't include overtime, side jobs, or the premium that self-employed tradespeople command.

A master plumber with their own truck can bill $150/hour. Try finding that rate in most white-collar fields.

The Objections

"But trades are hard physical work."

Some of it, yes. But so is sitting in a cubicle for 40 years destroying your back and your soul. At least tradespeople move, solve problems, and see tangible results.

"But there's no career advancement."

Apprentice → Journeyman → Master → Contractor → Business Owner. Many tradespeople own companies with millions in revenue. The ceiling is as high as your ambition.

"But AI will replace these jobs."

AI cannot snake a drain. AI cannot wire a house. AI cannot size ductwork in a 100-year-old building with no blueprints. The trades are among the most AI-resistant careers in existence.

"But I'm not good at math."

That's why we built free trade math simulators. The math isn't hard — it just hasn't been taught right.

The One Barrier

Here's the truth: the only thing standing between most people and a trade career is believing they can do it.

The jobs exist. The training programs exist. The demand is desperate.

What's missing is confidence. Specifically, confidence in the math.

We can help with that.

Start Here

Our Trade Math Hub offers free interactive simulators for:

Each simulator presents real job scenarios with real calculations. No account required. No cost. No catch.

Try one. See if you can do the math. You might surprise yourself.

The trades are hiring. The trades are paying. The trades are building the future.

Are you in?

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