Nvidia CEO Says Gen Z Can Make Six Figures Without a College Degree — Here’s How
Nvidia CEO Predicts High-Paying Trades Jobs Will Outshine White-Collar Roles in the AI Era
As Gen Z graduates face a challenging job market shaped by economic uncertainty, tariffs, and artificial intelligence, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang offers an unexpected career path: pick up a wrench. According to Huang, the next wave of six-figure jobs won’t just be in Wall Street offices or Silicon Valley tech hubs—they’ll be in construction, plumbing, and electrical work, building the backbone of the AI-driven economy.
The AI Infrastructure Boom
Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos with BlackRock CEO Larry Fink, Huang highlighted the massive global investment in data centers and AI infrastructure. Companies worldwide are projected to spend $7 trillion by the end of the decade on these projects, creating an unprecedented demand for skilled labor.
“It’s wonderful that the jobs are related to tradecraft, and we’re going to have plumbers and electricians and construction and steelworkers,” Huang said.
These hands-on roles are already in short supply despite offering salaries over $100,000—without requiring a college degree. According to a McKinsey report, the U.S. alone will need:
- 130,000 trained electricians
- 240,000 construction laborers
- 150,000 construction supervisors
between 2023 and 2030.
“Everybody should be able to make a great living. You don’t need to have a Ph.D. in computer science to do so,” Huang added.
Why Trades Could Outpace Traditional White-Collar Jobs
Huang isn’t alone in predicting a boom in skilled trades. He previously told Channel 4 News in the U.K. that:
“The skilled craft segment of every economy is going to see a boom. You’re going to have to be doubling and doubling and doubling every single year.”
This outlook contrasts sharply with warnings from other business leaders, like Ford CEO Jim Farley, who has highlighted the shrinking opportunities in traditional white-collar roles due to AI:
“Hiring an entry worker at a tech company has fallen 50% since 2019. Artificial intelligence is gonna replace literally half of all white-collar workers in the U.S.”
Farley also pointed to a looming blue-collar labor shortage that could derail America’s plans to reshore manufacturing and build new infrastructure. By last summer, he noted the U.S. was already short:
- 600,000 factory workers
- 500,000 construction workers
“I think the intent is there, but there’s nothing to backfill the ambition,” Farley told Axios.
The Electrical Bottleneck
BlackRock’s Larry Fink reinforced these concerns, emphasizing the critical need for electricians to fuel AI growth:
“I’ve even told members of the Trump team that we’re going to run out of electricians that we need to build out AI data centers. We just don’t have enough.”
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 9% growth in electrician jobs over the next decade, highlighting a critical shortage that could slow down the AI infrastructure boom if not addressed.
Why This Matters for Gen Z
The combination of AI disruption in white-collar roles and massive demand for trades jobs suggests a shift in the traditional career narrative. College degrees, while valuable, may no longer guarantee high-paying opportunities. Instead, skilled trades offer a path to financial stability and career growth, especially in industries tied to AI, technology, and large-scale infrastructure.
Huang believes this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity:
“It’s the largest infrastructure buildout in human history. It will create a lot of jobs.”
From data centers to AI factories, this boom is not just about construction—it’s about the future of the global economy. Gen Z, with its creativity and adaptability, could thrive in roles that combine skill, craft, and hands-on expertise.
What This Means for Education and Hiring
The current education system largely funnels students toward four-year degrees, yet the market is signaling a growing demand for vocational skills. Companies and policymakers may need to rethink:
- How to train workers in high-demand trades
- Incentives for skilled laborers in construction, electrical, and plumbing sectors
- Alternative pathways to six-figure salaries without a traditional college degree
“There’s more than one way to the American Dream,” Farley said, underlining that the economy will increasingly reward practical skills alongside academic credentials.
The Skills of the Future
The AI and tech revolution is changing the rules of the job market. While software engineers and data scientists remain important, the unsung heroes will be the skilled tradespeople building the foundation for this technological boom.
For Gen Z and other emerging workers, the takeaway is clear: hands-on skills can lead to high-paying, stable careers, and the next wave of opportunity may lie in picking up a wrench rather than a laptop.
As Huang put it, this is a moment where practical expertise meets economic opportunity—a combination that could redefine success for a generation navigating an AI-driven world.