Gen Z are ditching degrees in droves and landing trade jobs. They’re finding themselves in six-figure careers that tap into their desires for more travel and less time at a desk, without any student debt.
But not all that glitters is gold. Many of these jobs come with risks of their own.
Take wind-turbine technicians, for example. It was the fastest-growing job in the U.S. last year and doesn’t require a degree. But the work is far from easy: Technicians face extreme weather, haul 50 pounds of gear, and climb tall ladders into tight spaces.
Despite the buzz, the safest non-degree role is still at a desk.
Research by Yijin Hardware analyzed jobs based on fatal injury rates, projected openings (2023 to 2033), median wages, and education requirements—and coming in at No. 1 is office admin and support roles.
These roles offer lower physical risk, consistent demand, and decent salaries—making them especially appealing for Gen Zers looking for stability without a degree.
According the research, the 5 safest jobs of 2025 that don’t require a degree are as follows:
- Office and Admin Support
- Production Workers
- Installation and Repair
- Construction and extraction
- Transportation and Material Moving
‘Safe’ office jobs may be a ticking time bomb
Entry-level office jobs in admin and support may still be the safest bet for non-grad Gen Zers right now, but unfortunately for them, they could be starting to dry up.
Even highly educated students are currently finding themselves “unemployable” as employers launch a “wait-and-watch strategy” in the midst of AI advancements and economic uncertainty. Graduates in the UK are facing the worst job market since 2018 as employers pause hiring and use AI to cut costs, warns Indeed. Companies like Intel, IBM and Google have been freezing thousands of would-be new roles that AI is expected to take over in the next 5 years.
And entry-level roles, like office admin ones, are among the first to be slashed.
At global investment firm Carlyle, previous entry-level hires who evaluated deals used to turn to Google for articles and request documents manually. Now, the work is being done by AI, and the firm is shifting toward hiring junior-level employees who can ensure the work is accurate.
CEOs have also iterated their hiring strategy. Bill Balderaz, CEO of Columbus-based consulting firm Futurety, told The Wall Street Journal he decided not to hire a summer intern.
Despite the headwinds, the research forecasts 19,000 new jobs in the sector over the next decade—far fewer than transportation’s 63,000 predicted new opportunities, but still more than in repair or construction (between 11,000 and 15,000).
‘Dangerous’ trade jobs
Trade jobs are having a moment. Touted as the smarter, safer alternative to “irrelevant” overpriced degrees and (at risk of being automated) entry-level white-collar jobs, around 78% of Americans say they’ve noticed a spike in young people turning to jobs like carpentry, electrical work and welding, according to a 2024 Harris Poll. They’re not wrong. Trade-school enrollment really has been surging post-pandemic, even outpacing university enrollment.
But the new research suggests the reality isn’t as stable—or as future-proof—as it’s being pitched.
Yijin Hardware found trade jobs are among the most “dangerous” out there for non-grads—logging, hunting, fishing and refuse have the highest on-the-job fatality rates, paired with unpredictable working conditions, and limited opportunities. Not a single entry-level office job made the bottom rankings of their list.
It’s not the first study to suggest Gen Z may be looking at manual work through rose-tinted glasses. According to another new WalletHub study ranking the best and worst entry-level U.S. jobs in 2025, trade roles dominate the bottom of the list. Welders, automotive mechanics, boilermakers, and drafters all rank among the least promising career starters.
According to the researchers, these roles scored poorly due to limited job availability and weak growth potential, as well as their potentially hazardous nature.
“While trade work isn’t as easy to automate as some office jobs, new technologies like prefabrication and robotics are starting to take over parts of the workload, which can reduce demand,” WalletHub’s analyst Chip Lupo told Fortune. They’re also not immune to mass layoffs and at the mercy of interest rates and demand.
And worse still, more often than not, many trade jobs might not actually make Gen Z happier than a desk job. Another study ranked electricians as the least happy workers of all. According to the research, the physically demanding nature of the job and 40-plus hour workweeks weren’t made up for by the just “decent” salary. Perhaps surprisingly, not a single trade job made the list of happiest jobs.
