I dunno. Every tradesman I know in their 40s or 50s has health problems related to their work. And, since most of that work is contract work, they often do not

I dunno. Every tradesman I know in their 40s or 50s has health problems related to their work. And, since most of that work is contract work, they often do not have good coverage for disability, retirement, etc. The process of getting compensated for work-related injuries is often complicated and involves lawyers, because companies obviously don't want to pay those kinds of claims because they can be very expensive. So...yes, you can make decent money, and beginning sooner than you would if you get a degree. It's economically a viable thing, especially if you enjoy the work (I occasionally think I would like to be outside more for my work, and there are a lot of trade skills I enjoy learning and doing for fun...I plan to build my own house with my own two hands someday not too far in the future). But, if you do, you should start investing in being able to leave the field by the time you're in your 50s (or even earlier), because you're probably going to find yourself in a situation where working is painful or not possible. Or, join a union. That can help, and the most successful guys I know who've done that kind of work for decades are union members, and they know they're protected in the event of a variety of mishaps.