04/09/2026
The average plumber in America earns $61,000 a year.
The top 10% earn over $100,000. They set their own hours, can't be outsourced to another country, and can't be replaced by AI.
Meanwhile the average college graduate carries $37,000 in student loan debt and spends the first decade of their career trying to justify the degree they were told was non-negotiable.
Lowe's sees what's coming and they're putting $250 million behind it.
The skilled trades gap in America is real and it's getting worse. The average age of a plumber in the United States is 55.
Electricians and carpenters aren't far behind. An entire generation of tradespeople is heading toward retirement and there aren't enough young workers entering the field to replace them.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects the U.S. will need 85,000 new electricians alone over the next decade just to meet demand. The pipeline to fill that gap doesn't exist yet.
What does a shortage of skilled tradespeople mean in practice?
It means longer waits and higher costs for every home repair, renovation, and new construction project in the country.
It means infrastructure projects running over budget and behind schedule. It means the housing supply problem getting worse before it gets better.
I've got four kids and I'll tell you exactly what I tell them. A skill that can't be automated, can't be offshored, and is in critically short supply is one of the most valuable things you can build.
A wrench in the right hands has always been worth more than a diploma on the wrong wall.
