Gen Z workers are turning away from traditional college degrees and opting for trade jobs instead. A recent survey found that 78% of Americans have noticed a rise in interest in these roles among young adults.
Young men without degrees are taking on physically demanding jobs like truck driving and chef positions, with some earning upwards of $170,000 per year. Meanwhile, women are dominating the front-of-house sector, with nursing being one of their top choices.
According to The Pew Research Center, the top five largest occupations for degree-less working men include driver/sales workers and truck drivers, construction laborers, laborers and freight workers, first-line supervisors of sales employees, and chefs. Women, on the other hand, are excelling in roles like customer service representatives, nursing, psychiatric and home health aids, first-line supervisors of sales workers, cashiers, and waitresses.
The shift towards trade jobs is driven by student loan debt and rising university costs, with Gen Z prioritizing a college education as a path to the middle class. As a result, enrollment in vocational-focused community colleges has increased 16% in 2023, according to data from the National Student Clearinghouse.
Trade work like plumbing, welding, and carpentry have become new ‘it’ jobs for young workers, offering better work-life balance and financial stability. With AI at work on the rise, some argue that taking on trade jobs makes Gen Z more immune to job uncertainty.
Source: https://fortune.com/2025/03/02/gen-z-men-women-without-degrees-top-jobs-chefs-nurses