“Even Without a College Degree, Annual Pay Exceeds 100 Million Won”… The Jobs Whose Market Value Is Soaring in the AI Era [So-So World by Lee Yoon-Jung] - 경향신문

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With the 2027 College Scholastic Ability Test taking place this month, a prayer for successful admission hangs at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 1st. Reporter Jeong Hyo-Jin

With the College Scholastic Ability Test set for the 19th, examinees are deep in last-minute deliberations over college and major choices. Yet in an era when artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly penetrating even office work, can a university diploma still guarantee high pay and stable employment?

As AI quickly performs office tasks such as accounting and document preparation, there is a view that practical skills and proficiency may become more important than a college diploma. In the United States, shortages of skilled tradespeople such as plumbers and electricians are worsening, and their market value is rising. This is because, as construction of semiconductor plants and data centers increases, it has become harder to find people to install electrical systems and build complex piping.

So which jobs can command high salaries and endure in the AI era? Drawing on overseas reports from the Washington Post, the international news agency Reuters, and the Japanese business outlet President Online, we looked at occupations that are difficult for AI to replace and why their market value is increasing.

There are indeed jobs that deliver high incomes without a degree. According to the latest occupation-specific wage statistics published by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in May of this year, based on last May, the median annual wage for plumbers and pipefitters in the United States was $63,800, and for electricians it was $63,190. Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) technicians posted a median annual wage of $61,010. All exceed the overall median annual wage across all U.S. occupations of $50,980. The median wage is the midpoint amount when the wages of workers in a given occupation are arranged from lowest to highest, meaning half earn more and half earn less.

Earnings can climb higher depending on skill level and work domain. The top 10 percent of plumbers and pipefitters earned at least $108,420 per year, and the top 10 percent of electricians earned more than $108,510. The top 10 percent of HVAC technicians earned at least $95,210. Converted simply at 1,500 won per dollar, these correspond to about 163 million won, 163 million won, and 143 million won, respectively. However, these figures represent the threshold for the top 10 percent of earners in each occupation.

Power-line installers and repairers, who install and fix electrical grids, are also noteworthy. According to the BLS, the median annual wage for this occupation in 2025 was $95,320, higher than for plumbers and electricians. Power-line installers and repairers install or repair wires and cables in transmission and distribution systems. Because they handle high-voltage equipment, there are safety risks such as electric shock and falls, and they may work outdoors or be dispatched for emergency restoration depending on weather conditions. The high pay reflects the job’s risk and specialized expertise.

Rising demand for these trades is rooted in manufacturing investment and power infrastructure expansion. Building new semiconductor plants, data centers, power plants, and transmission networks requires specialists to install and maintain electrical wiring, piping, and HVAC systems. As data centers that use AI proliferate, demand grows for the electricity and cooling systems needed to run them. Even if factories or data centers are planned, a shortage of people to install and maintain equipment can delay construction schedules or make it hard to bring facilities online on time.

Moreover, as retirements increase while new entrants fail to keep pace, labor shortages are expected to worsen. Reuters reported that the expansion of data centers, power plants, and transmission projects is deepening shortages of construction and engineering workers in the United States, including electricians and power-line technicians. About 41 percent of U.S. construction workers are expected to retire by 2031, and the share of electricians aged 55 or older is substantial. Goldman Sachs estimates that the power sector will need an additional 507,000 workers through 2030 to expand capacity.

Separate from concerns that AI may reduce jobs, demand may in fact increase for people to physically build and maintain the facilities and power grids that run AI. Anirban Basu, chief economist at the Associated Builders and Contractors, told Reuters, “Demand for data center construction is significantly lifting demand for electricians”, and, “With many projects being pursued on a very urgent basis, electricians are being paid quite high wages”.

Labor shortages are also cited as a challenge on manufacturing floors. Consulting firm Deloitte and the Manufacturing Institute under the National Association of Manufacturers estimate that as of August 2025, about 409,000 positions in U.S. manufacturing were unfilled. The two organizations project that U.S. manufacturing may need about 3.8 million new workers through 2033, and that if shortages are not resolved, about 1.9 million of those positions could remain unfilled.

These occupations also draw attention because expertise can be built through vocational education, apprenticeships, and on-the-job experience instead of a college degree. According to the BLS, plumbers and electricians typically enter the field with a high school education, and many learn skills through apprenticeships. By contrast, HVAC technicians generally complete non-degree programs at vocational schools or community colleges. Most states require licenses for plumbers and electricians. Not going to college does not translate into immediate high earnings; time and training are needed to build proficiency.

Japan is also struggling to secure the technical personnel needed on industrial sites. According to a survey by the National Association of Principals of Technical High Schools, the job-offer ratio for 2024 graduates of technical high schools was 31.9. This means there were 31.9 job openings for every one person companies aimed to hire. There were far more openings from companies than there were graduates who wanted to work.

This does not mean a university degree has become an obstacle to high income. Wage statistics by education level show that college graduates still earn more. According to the OECD’s Education at a Glance 2025, adults with tertiary education earned on average 54 percent more than adults with only upper secondary education. Although countries differ, it remains true that higher education helps with long-term income and employment stability.

Still, it is worth noting that there are paths to high earnings by acquiring specialized skills without going to college, and labor shortages on the industrial front are lifting their value. Misi Henriksen, secretary general of the U.S. Energy Workforce Development Center, emphasized, “To expand the energy industry workforce, a diverse range of talent is needed, from high school graduates to holders of doctoral degrees”.