Americans have many better options than IT to make a good living. Many of those options though, are slowly getting eaten up by tech (Amazon, Walmart - Jet)
In India, IT sector escaped the clutches of red tape, and thrived. So it became a very good option to make a living.
Seconded. In fact I am in full agreement with mike row from the tv show "dirty jobs". There are plenty of jobs in the trades that pay damn good money. Americans just aren't doing them. Plumbers, carpenters, hvac, electrician, etc. Somehow Americans have evolved to see these jobs as beneath them or jobs that people don't respect. But the fact is trade skills are in high demand and if you've ever needed trade skill labor you know they make a damn good living. America needs to give up on this nonsense that only white collar STEM jobs are what kids should be training for. America needs to BUILD things again. Boys and girls need trade skills.
I don't see how that is possible unless you work for someone else perhaps. If you are a licensed, bonded electrician and work for yourself (which a sizable portion of trade workers do) your earning potential is only limited by the amount of work you are willing to do. Stay busy and you make a lot, work one day a week and you starve. YMMV.
> The middle 50 percent of Electricians earn between $17.00 and $29.88 per hour, for an average annual income ranging between $35,360 and $62,150.20.
...that's a living, but it's not "damn good money" or "only limited by the amount of work you are willing to do". It's not even very competitive with entry-level salaries for IT jobs. It's competitive with "support" roles in those organizations. Like admins, entry-level HR jobs, etc.
That being said, I have a lot of respect for people with "dirty jobs" (my family and I have had them myself), and likewise, I have a lot of respect for Mike Rowe and his message. I'd be very happy if there were a newfound respect for those roles.
...but the money, work conditions, and career advancement prospects are certainly better for STEM degrees.
For those who don't have the equity required to invest in a medical or legal education - what are those options? I'd imagine banking is largely based on what school you attend.
You might not need the equity to invest in a medical degree, aside from cost of living and some pre-med catchup. Many states offer free medical education if you are willing to serve an underprivileged population for 5 years. I researched for a bit. Parts of Indianapolis, a fairly metropolitan city, count as under served. I don't think you get cost of living, but you might be able to find a similar grant that pairs with the free schooling.
In India, IT sector escaped the clutches of red tape, and thrived. So it became a very good option to make a living.