Looking at these official stats, median for plumbers is $54K per year, which is not such a bad money for a job that requires no school, just on-job training. Little bit less for carpenters, floor installers and masonry and construction workers, etc. But we need to take into account that none of them requires any special education, it's on-job training only, so you start your life with no debts which gives you a big head start and a lot of freedom. Unlike welders they also, with a bit of entrepreneurship, can expect one day to run their own businesses and earn more. Also, these days very important thing to think of, AI and robots will not replace plumbers or tile layers anytime soon. People working in maintenance will probably be the last to be replaced, if ever.
There are other opportunity costs of trades, such as increased risk of morbidity and mortality due to all the driving/type of work/materials worked with, and working away from home. If one can land a well paying desk job, then currently it still has a greater value proposition, and who wants to be real and tell their child that they probably won't make it into the ranks of a well paying desk job?
> who wants to be real and tell their child that they probably won't make it into the ranks of a well paying desk job?
Likely the successful tradesmen who has instilled a sense of worth in "dirty jobs" and working final product.
Anecdotally, I have some college educated friends that describe the majority of their desk jobs as tedious, repetitive, and duplicative data entry; A plumber or welder's job certainly has comparatively longer term viability.
