- Gen Z and young millennial men and women without degrees are turning to traditional jobs like chefs, waitresses, nurses, and sales supervisors. They have the potential to make upwards of six-figures annually—but men are taking on more physical, back-of-house work, while women are leveraging their communication and empathy skills.
Young workers no longer aspire to white-collar jobs, typing away in temperate-controlled offices. Disillusioned with the high costs of college and sluggish job opportunities, more Gen Z are turning to trade professions.
About 78% of Americans have noticed a rising interest in these jobs among young adults, according to a 2024 Harris Poll survey for Intuit Credit Karma. Many of these roles, from carpenters to electricians, offer the ideal of being your own boss while making good pay. And young workers can make six-figures without being burdened by student loans.
But Gen Z and young millennial men and women without degrees are taking very different career paths, according to a study from The Pew Research Center. While men are in the back of house working the kitchen as chefs, women are in the front waitressing. They’re each on their own paths, with the potential to earn comfortable pay. But it’s inadvertently creating an “occupational segregation.”
Men are becoming truck drivers and chefs—and can earn over $170,000
Perhaps unsurprisingly, many young men between the ages of 25 and 34 who don’t have college degrees are taking on gigs rooted in physical labor—jobs men have historically taken up at higher rates.
While the work can be grueling, they can promise high-paying salaries. Truck drivers can make between $62,000 to $101,000 a year, but tout long hours and weeks away from home. Construction laborers typically earn up to $62,000 annually, and first-line supervisors bring home between $56,000 and $94,000.
But the most intriguing job is working in the kitchen. Professional chefs can rake in up to $173,000 a year—no college degree required. And while working their way up the blue-collar totem pole, funneling into cook roles in the back of restaurants, these men can earn about $47,000.
The top five largest occupations for degree-less working men, according to Pew Research, include:
- Driver/Sales workers and truck drivers
- Construction laborers
- Laborers and freight workers
- First-line supervisors of sales employees
- Chefs and cooks
Women are all-in on nursing, and can rake in nearly $120,000
Besides sharing a role supervising sales workers, women are on a much different career trajectory. While men are whipping up meals over hot stovetops, women are overwhelmingly running the front of house.
Pew’s research shows top five jobs for young working women without college degrees are:
- Customer service representative
- Nursing, psychiatric and home health aids
- First-line supervisors of sales workers
- Cashiers
- Waitresses
Men are taking on the physical strain while women, having traditionally shouldered more social and nurturing duties, are leaning on high EQ jobs. Their top roles revolve around communication skills and caregiving—historically female occupations, which are paid less compared to degree-less men’s top roles. Customer service representatives can earn up to $56,000 annually. Meanwhile, cashiers make upwards of $50,000 yearly, and waitresses bring in $66,000.
However, nursing is hot among young women without degrees. Many roles in the profession don’t require a bachelor’s and can pay anywhere from $66,000 to $119,000 annually. Medical industry jobs including occupational therapy aides, patient care technicians, medical assistants, health home aids, and licensed practical nurses are all skills-based occupations. No degree needed—just a lot of patience, empathy, and mental fortitude.
Why Gen Z is picking trade jobs over college degrees
News of suffocating student loan debt and rising university costs have left a sour taste in the mouth of Gen Z.
“Folks have really prioritized a college education as a path to the middle class and a path to a cushy office job,” Lisa Countryman-Quiroz, CEO of nonprofit Jewish Vocational Service, told NPR. “Over the last 10 to 15 years, we are seeing a trend among young people opting out of universities. Just the crushing debt of college is becoming a barrier in and of itself.”
That’s why they’re turning to trade school; enrollment in vocational-focused community colleges rose 16% in 2023, according to 2024 data from the National Student Clearinghouse. There was a 23% jump in people studying construction and a 7% bump in HVAC program attendance. Trade work like plumbing, welding, and carpentry have become new ‘it’ jobs for young workers. After all, the fastest growing job in the U.S. back in 2023 was wind turbine technicians, which can pay upwards of $103,000 annually.
This interest in trade jobs could also be magnified by the rise of AI at work. Companies like Klarna and Workday are slashing staffers to make way for ‘digital employees,’ and it could only be the tip of the iceberg. White-collar workers have a lot of uncertainty about the stability of their jobs, but leaders say there’s still work to be done before robots can really replace human physical labor. By taking on trade work, Gen Z might feel more immune to AI-based layoffs.
Trade jobs can also promise better work-life balance. Laborers describe striking the right balance between their jobs and hobbies, family, and other fulfilling pursuits. This can be a huge draw for young workers; according to a 2024 study from Deloitte, work-life balance is the top trait that Gen Z and millennials admire in their peers and their top consideration when choosing an employer.
