Are plumbing and electrician courses better than a STEM degree in the age of AI? A man’s question sparks career debate

With artificial intelligence and automation expanding, several people suggest pursuing trades like electrical work or plumbing, thinking that traditional white-collar roles such as software development might vanish. However, analyzing the reality of the trades raises doubts about whether this advice is really practical.

One Reddit user wrote, “I keep seeing people recommend to become an electrician or plumber because they think AI is going to take all the white collar jobs, such as software developers. But I looked into the trades and it seems kind of garbage.”

What Are the Limitations of Trade Careers?

The Redditor outlined several challenges:

• Limited perks and pay: “For example, you don’t even get vacation days or holidays. Some locals have money you set aside for vacation, but it’s only a couple dollars an hour.”
  
  
• Market saturation and layoffs: “There are IBEW locals with full journeymen laid off for months at a time with no pay and hundreds of people on their books waiting for work. This isn’t every local, but it is happening and will only get worse.”
  
  
• Low apprenticeship wages: “The trades pay like shit for the first 1-3 years of your apprenticeship. As in $15-20 an hour.”
  
  
• Physical strain: Long hours, exposure to chemicals, and early wake-up times make trades physically demanding.
  
  
• Earning Potential Compared to STEM Careers: Even at top pay levels, trades rarely reach the earning potential of tech careers: “And when you do hit top rate, it’s usually in the $80-110k range. Which sure is solid, but it’s nowhere near the $150k+ that lots of senior software developers make. (And in some cases they make several hundred thousand a year).”

Reddit Users Share Their Perspectives on Trades vs STEM Degrees

Other Reddit contributors provided additional insights:

• “No, most people in trades need to work for years before they make good money and by then their bodies are pretty banged up. Unless you enjoy working with your hands and not being stuck behind a desk, not a good option.”
  
  
• “If you can own your own business, trades are great. If you just want to be an employee forever, I would pick a STEM degree.”
  
  
• “If you don’t want to go to college, sure trades are a good option. But if you can handle STEM courses why pass up a comfortable six figures while sitting at a desk, with 4-5 weeks of annual PTO, probably a grad degree partially paid for, and a nice nest egg in your 401K?”
  
  

Several commenters shared additional perspectives:

• “There's no such thing as better. It all depends what you're good at, what type of lifestyle you want to have, and what type of job you want to do.”
  
  
• “I know people in trades that make well over 250k a year. It's no different than STEM. If you want to be in charge and you're capable, you're going to make more money. If you want to run your own construction company, you can make millions.”
  
  
• “This new trend of crapping on the trades is amusing. Perhaps it's a lot of coping. Anyway, if you enjoy working in a trade, get a job in it, and do well at it, guess what? The trade was a good idea. If not, not.”
  

FAQs:

Q1. Are trades safer than STEM careers from AI disruption?
Trades such as plumbing and electrical work are often regarded as AI-proof. However, STEM careers provide adaptability, higher pay, and innovation opportunities despite AI challenges.

Q2. Do electricians and plumbers earn more than software developers?
Entry-level trades begin at $15–$20 per hour, reaching $80K–$110K after years of experience. Senior software developers can earn $150K+ and sometimes several hundred thousand each year.