You're wrong - there's not "a lot of avenues" for the trades to make "well over 100k or 200k." Median pay (2022) from the U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. Wel

You're wrong - there's not "a lot of avenues" for the trades to make "well over 100k or 200k." Median pay (2022) from the U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS. Welders: $47,540 per year https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers-and-brazers.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/production/welders-cutters-solderers... Plumbers: $60,090 per year https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers... Electricians: $60,240 per year https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electric... In the past Hacker News comments also claimed truckers were very highly paid Heavy and Tractor-trailer Truck Drivers: $49,920 per year https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/heavy-and-tractor-trailer-truck-drivers.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/transportation-and-material-moving/h... We can compare those numbers to Software Developer: $124,200 per year https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/... Maybe some individual plumbers are making hundreds of thousands of dollars, but they are an extreme outlier. The other question is how many hours are they working a week to make that much? I'm guessing you either have to work lots of overtime or be a business owner. I have a lot of friends and family in the trade and the trucking industry. I made more than every single one of them and they all work more hours than me. The one friend I have that makes "almost $100k/year" works almost every weekend to make that.