Annual Salary Reaches $330,000! Huang on '4 Professions' as Lucrative Careers in the AI Era, No High Academic Degree Required

As technology advances, artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly penetrating various industries. Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, has pointed out that skilled trades such as plumbing, electrical work, and construction will become high-income professions in the future, prompting many to consider career changes. However, a plumbing business owner from Hualien posted on Threads, stating that working in plumbing and electrical systems is not as easy as it seems. The real challenge for technicians isn't technical skills, but the years of accumulated experience required to solve diverse problems across different building conditions.

The AI wave is driving massive infrastructure development. Huang stated that the world is at the beginning of what he calls the 'largest infrastructure buildout in human history.' With tech giants racing to build vast data centers, global capital expenditures are projected to reach $7 trillion by the end of this decade. Huang emphasized that this surge will create abundant job opportunities.

He noted a shortage of skilled workers for chip, computer, and AI factory operations, with many positions offering over $100,000 annually without requiring a college degree. According to a McKinsey report, the U.S. alone will need 130,000 trained electricians, 240,000 construction workers, and 150,000 construction supervisors between 2023 and 2030.

Huang made these remarks at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, stating that the jobs created by this infrastructure boom are highly technical and include plumbers, electricians, construction workers, and ironworkers. He stressed, 'Everyone should be able to live a prosperous life. You don’t need a Ph.D. in computer science to achieve that.' Many of these roles offer salaries exceeding $100,000 (approximately NT$3.3 million) without requiring a university degree.

Inspired by this information, many people are now considering switching to plumbing or electrical trades. However, one active electrician commented that after Huang’s statement about high future salaries, many individuals believe plumbing is easy after watching a few videos or taking short courses. 'Plumbing isn’t just about replacing pipes or connecting wires. Online tutorials offer general knowledge, but real-world problem-solving relies on experience,' he said.

He emphasized that plumbing depends heavily on experience. Every building has unique conditions—even minor details can affect the entire project. The real difficulty lies in handling unexpected situations not covered in textbooks. That’s why veteran craftsmen with 10 to 20 years of experience are invaluable. Their expertise isn’t just about memorizing knowledge, but about countless real-world problem-solving experiences—the most valuable and irreplaceable skill.

The post received widespread agreement from other users: 'The more I learn about plumbing and electrical work, the more cautious I become—there are so many small details,' 'The more you know, the more you respect water and electricity—many colleagues have died from accidents involving them. Enter the field with reverence,' and 'I agree. I switched from another industry and after 20 years, I still encounter unfamiliar problems. Learning never ends.'