A consensus is emerging that traditional undergraduate education is falling short of preparing students for the workplace, even as the costs of college soar. Many 18-year-olds are flocking to trade schools, forming what has been called the “toolbelt generation.” The payoff could be enormous. 

“There is a lot that can be learned outside the classroom,” author Karin Klein of “Rethinking College: A Guide to Thriving Without a Degree,” tells the Sun. “That’s not to put down academic learning, but we don’t always see the direct connection to our work or real lives.”

Indeed, 77 percent of recent college graduates say they learned more in 6 months at work than in their entire four-year education, according to a recent survey sponsored by the Hult International Business School. Of the 800 human resources leaders surveyed, 89 percent say they avoid hiring recent graduates. They would rather hire a freelancer, recruit a retired former employee, use AI for the job, or leave the position unfilled.

The backlash against bachelor’s degrees comes amid growing opportunities for high-paying jobs that artificial intelligence can’t (yet) replace. Here are some of the ones that are most in demand — without a college degree.

Underwater Welder

Do you like scuba diving, $200,000 in cash, and a little danger? Underwater welding, also known as hyperbaric welding, might be the career for you. This specialized field involves the repair and construction of underwater structures used on pipelines, offshore oil platforms, ships, and submarines. “We keep the world running above water, doing the hard work below it,” deep-sea diver and veteran underwater welder Joseph Purvis told National Geographic. 

Underwater welders must have years of diving experience, top-level welding skills, and a close attention to safety given the hazards of the job. While descending into the deep sea with electrodes and torches in hand, they might face physiological issues like nitrogen narcosis and decompression sickness, or get completely lost in murky or pitch-black waters. Electrocution is also a threat. 

Yet with great risk can come great reward. Underwater welders for offshore oil rig companies in high-demand regions such as the North Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and parts of Southeast Asia, can make between $40,000 to more than $200,000 per year. Professionals often travel the world for projects.

“Right now there’s huge demand for welders. And underwater welding is sort of the king of the welding world,” Ms. Klein, who studied the industry in her book, says. 

The American Welding Society projects there will be 330,000 new welding professionals needed by 2028, as more than 159,000 welding professionals are approaching retirement. 

Becoming a certified welder only requires attending a technical school for 6-18 months — “an investment that pays off quicker than pursuing a four-year degree,” the American Welding Society says. Using federal education data, the organization estimates that since the cost of technical school is a quarter of the cost of a bachelor’s degree, and the median salary for welders is $53,500, the average welder will make $452,00 over ten years. 

Meanwhile, the average student who attends a traditional university will end up with $33,500 in student debt after four years and make only slightly more money annually ($61,600) than the welder — earning a substantial smaller sum of $231,600 over ten years. 

Tree Surgeon

If climbing 100 feet up into a tree with a chainsaw in hand sounds like an adventure, that’s what a normal day at work looks like for a tree surgeon. The job involves planting and replanting trees, “felling” or cutting down dead trees, removing stumps, and pruning, the act of trimming branches to maintain tree health. 

Though tree surgeons are often called arborists, there is a clear distinction, according to the arborist service Climbers Way Tree Care: “tree surgeons know where to cut a tree, whereas arborists know why.” 

Arborists study trees at a biological level, and are often educated up to a master’s degree on the subject. Meanwhile, those interested in becoming a tree surgeon can earn certification from the Certified Tree Care Safety Professional program. If they do not have a college degree, applicants need three years of work experience in tree care and in a safety job role, such as a first responder or trainer. They can also gain certifications from the International Society of Arboriculture, which teaches how to assess tree risk, climb trees, and manage urban forests.

Tree surgeons make on average $339,174 a year in the United States. New York is one of the highest paying states for tree surgeons, reflecting the need for skilled professionals who can work with trees that grow in close proximity to buildings. Even minor damage to a property from a tree can be very costly. In parts of Alaska which feature large trees on steep mountain terrain that require specialized techniques and equipment to remove, tree surgeons make on average $422,533 a year.

The tree trimming services industry has grown in recent years amid a steady demand for residential services and strong construction activity. The Business Research Company predicts the market size will expand from $1.3 billion in 2024 to $2.51 billion in 2029 at a compound annual growth rate of 13.9 percent. The biggest company in the industry is Asplundh Tree Expert, headquartered in Pennsylvania, which employs 36,000 employees across the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. 

Electrician

“Rethinking College” features a woman named Megan Kinch who dropped out of her master’s degree in anthropology in the middle of writing her thesis. Faced with student debt, she found that her academic work “ended up being pretty much useless. It’s a common experience for working class students.” Yet she put her strong math skills to use and became an electrician, earning $38 dollars an hour after completing an apprenticeship, a stable enough pay to help take care of her young daughter. 

Becoming a certified electrician does not require getting a degree in engineering, or even enrolling in a technical training program, though that may help. Rather, one can apply for an apprenticeship where they learn about electrical codes and procedures and complete hands-on training, receiving compensation for their work. For example, electrician apprentices at the Michigan chapter of the labor union, The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, earn $10-15 per hour plus benefits during their training and $40,000-80,000 per year plus benefits after graduation. The programs typically take three to five years to complete, culminating in a state-administered exam to become a licensed electrician.

Opportunities are growing in the electronics industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected a 10.8 percent rise in employment of electricians from 2023 to 2033, far exceeding that of other skilled trades. Industrial electricians, who work in manufacturing, energy, oil, and construction industries, are constantly in demand and earn an average salary of $67,464 per year. Demand is also strong for solar technicians, who install and maintain solar panels, the fastest-growing renewable energy source in the country

The highest-paying state for this career is Illinois, where the median annual wage for electricians is $93,910, thanks to union strength, lower living costs, and strong demand. Income also varies based on specialization. At New York City, a journeyman electrician can earn up to $103,386 annually, and a master industrial electrician may make up to $116,991 annually. 

“There is a huge feeling of satisfaction when you drive by a building you helped wire, or see a highway sign you installed,” one electrician, Carl Murowski, reflected after working in the residential, industrial, commercial, and transportation sectors of the industry for 20 years. “You start the day and there’s nothing but a bare ceiling, by the time you leave, there is a whole rack of cascading conduit leading to a new panel. It’s a real feeling of accomplishment.”

Firefighter

The devastating wildfires that erupted across the Los Angeles area in January have sparked debates about the need to strengthen the fire fighting industry. Even though California sees the greatest number of fires and acres burned in the nation, the Los Angeles Fire Department has less than one firefighter for every 1,000 residents. The cities of Chicago, Dallas and Houston are also facing a staffing crisis, with ratios closer to two firefighters for the same number of residents.

Thus, there is a steady demand for firefighters. Employment in this industry is projected to grow 4 percent from 2023 to 2033, about as fast as the average for all occupations, according to the BLS. 

Yet training for the field is demanding, and the job market is competitive. Though only a high school level of schooling is required, most fire departments require candidates to complete formal training at a Fire Academy, where students are taught to use tools such as chainsaws and axes as well as learn emergency medical procedures and local building codes. They must pass a written exam and a Candidate Physical Ability Test that includes an agility and strength test. Medical and psychological tests, drug screenings, and a clean criminal record are essential. Many firefighters also earn a degree in fire science and become an EMT to improve their hiring prospects. 

The median annual salary for firefighters is $57,000, but overtime, fringe and holiday pay can double that sum within a few years. Income varies drastically depending on geography, with California offering the highest wages, at $87,890. 

Construction Manager 

As the population grows over the next decade, new homes, office buildings, retail outlets, hospitals, schools, and restaurants will need to be built. That means more construction projects, and more construction managers. Through 2033, about 45,800 openings for construction managers are expected on average each year by the BLS, representing an employment increase of 9 percent, much faster than the average for all occupations. They earn a median annual wage of around $104,900. 

Construction managers are in charge of scheduling, budgeting, and allocating resources to get projects done on time, whether working on residential buildings, commercial buildings, infrastructure projects such as roads and bridges, or industrial facilities. While they are more shielded from the risk of work-related injury than construction laborers, the job can be physically demanding and require being on call at all hours for any emergencies on the construction site. 

Some employers only hire construction managers who have a bachelor’s degree, but others will hire those with a two-year associate’s degree and relevant work experience. Independent contractors can succeed with just a high school diploma.

It’s generally a good bet to enter the construction industry. Researchers predict it will be valued at $1.54 trillion by 2028, representing a compound annual growth rate of 5.0 percent. The residential and commercial segments are particularly resilient, even in the face of rising costs and labor shortages. 

This strength is evident at New York City, the concrete jungle that can never seem to stop building and re-building itself. Its high volume of residential, commercial, and infrastructure projects require skilled managers who can navigate local regulations, permitting processes, complex designs, and tight timelines. Construction managers here earn an average annual salary of $119,918, which can stretch as high as $177,578.

Computer Programmer

Computer programming is an industry bereft with college dropouts. Famous coders like Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, and Steve Jobs, who dropped out of college and went on to found trillion-dollar companies, prove that in the tech industry, it doesn’t necessarily help to have a bachelor’s degree.

For those looking to learn how to code without spending four years in college that can result in tens of thousands of dollars in debt, coding bootcamps teach the skills that tech employers want in just three to six months. Students learn programming languages like JavaScript, SQL, and Python through classes taught online or in-person. Bootcamps cost an average of $13,580, roughly half of what it costs to earn a bachelor’s degree at a public university. 

The payoff could be substantial. Web developers, who create and maintain websites, make a median income of $92,750 per year, and job opportunities are expected to grow by 8 percent between 2023 and 2033. Computer programmers can make as much as $167,190 per year at the tech hub of Seattle, Washington, or $152,390 at San Jose, California, the heart of Silicon Valley.

Coding can be a stepping stone to a career as a software developer, who make an average annual salary of $105,660. Employment in this profession is projected to grow 18 percent between 2023 and 2033, fueled by an increase in demand for tech-related goods and services.