Labor shortages are causing many companies to pay high salaries for skilled tradespeople. This primarily benefits Generation Z, which had little interest in the trades for a long time and preferred to pursue higher education.
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Mike Rowe, founder and host of the show “Dirty Jobs,” recently explained in a video conversation on Yahoo Finance that a labor shortage threatens critical sectors.
He stated that it’s time to refocus on skilled trades such as electricians and claimed that some electricians from Generation Z could earn up to $280,000. This is approximately €245,000. For comparison, the median gross annual income in Germany was €54,066 in 2025, as explained by the Federal Statistical Office.
Thus, Rowe stated:
The electricians I interviewed and met two months ago in a data center in Plano, Texas – all under 30 years old, all earning between $240,000 and $280,000 a year, all with as many overtime hours as they want, none in debt, all three … were poached three times in the past 18 months.
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Skilled tradespeople are in greater demand than ever, companies are willing to pay high salaries
This observation is actually not unusual, but rather reflects a widespread problem, at least in the USA. Here, they have long faced the issue that many electricians are nearing retirement age and will leave a significant gap. Many companies and AI data centers are therefore desperately seeking skilled workers and are correspondingly willing to pay high salaries if they can also poach employees.
In another example, reported by Fortune Magazine, starting salaries are already between $40,000 and $70,000, as many tradespeople are currently in high demand and many companies are willing to pay high salaries accordingly.
Even outside of AI data centers, trades such as plumbing, mechanics, and technicians remain in high demand. Additionally, these professions have another advantage: they cannot be easily replaced by artificial intelligence. In a recent report from Resume Now, it states that firefighters top the list of skilled professions likely not to be replaced by artificial intelligence.
Many view this as a good opportunity for Generation Z to enter the workforce under favorable conditions. At least if they choose a skilled trade. And indeed, more and more young people are opting for the trades. For a long time, higher education was considered the only option among young people.
How does it look in Germany? Germany faces a similar problem: According to Handwerkerjobkit and the Chamber of Commerce (PDF file), Germany lacks about 70,000 electricians, a trend that is increasing, as around 15,000 people retire each year, further widening the gap.
According to Gehalt.de, the average gross annual salary for an electrician here is between €45,000 and €55,000, depending on experience and employer.
Sam Altman, founder of OpenAI and chief developer of ChatGP, sees the current situation somewhat differently. He himself presented a list of jobs that may not be easily replaced by AI in the future. Spoiler: plumbers and electricians are safe bets when it comes to AI. More about this on MeinMMO: The creator of AI ChatGPT reveals which 34 professions AI will never be able to replace
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