Six-figure plumbing and construction jobs are coming, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says—as AI data centers need to be built
Publish Date: 2026-01-21 11:07:00
Source Domain: fortune.com
- The job market for Gen Z graduates is challenging due to factors like tariffs, economic uncertainty, and AI, but Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang predicts a rise in lucrative, hands-on jobs.
- Huang envisions the upcoming $7 trillion global investment in data centers leading to what he terms the “largest infrastructure buildout in human history,” resulting in many job opportunities.
- He emphasizes new career paths in skilled trades, anticipating high-paying roles for plumbers, electricians, construction workers, and steelworkers without requiring a college degree.
- A McKinsey report suggests a significant need for additional electricians, construction laborers, and supervisors in the U.S. alone in the coming years due to expanding AI infrastructure.
- Huang’s optimism about trades’ boom contrasts with concerns from other CEOs, like Ford’s Jim Farley, who warns that AI is reducing entry-level opportunities in traditional white-collar sectors.
- Farley also points out the shortage of skilled blue-collar workers needed for manufacturing and infrastructure revival, calling for a reevaluation of education systems focusing heavily on four-year degrees.
