The Numbers That Should Have Ended This Debate Years Ago
Average DoorDash driver income after gas, insurance, and vehicle depreciation: $11-14/hr. First-year plumbing apprentice, W-2 with benefits: $22-28/hr plus a tool allowance. Journeyman plumber after 4 years: $34-52/hr plus overtime plus a truck.
The 'Passion' Trap
For 20 years, the message was: 'Do what you love and the money will follow.' For most kids, it followed to a barista job in Brooklyn and a graduate degree in something the market doesn't need. Meanwhile the guys who 'settled' for the trades are buying second homes.
What Their Parents Told Them
Half the parents pushing college in 2014 hadn't hired an electrician in 10 years and had no idea what one made. They told their kid, 'You don't want to be doing that,' about a career that pays more than most people at the parents' office.
What TikTok Won't Show You
The plumbers, welders, and electricians making $110-140k a year don't post videos about it. The DoorDash driver making $32k with a philosophy degree does. Guess which one shapes the next generation's decision.
The Turnaround That's Actually Happening
Enrollment in trades programs is up 27% since 2019. Union apprenticeships are at all-time application highs. Colleges are quietly closing programs that don't lead to jobs. The signal is getting through. It just took a decade of gig-economy suffering to make the case.
The Bottom Line
The next kid you see complain that 'the system is rigged' — ask them if they've ever picked up a wrench. If they say no, hand them one. There's a $70k/yr job waiting for anyone willing to grab it.