Just looked into what the highest paying blue collar job actually is these days and honestly some of these trades are making serious money. Elevator techs are apparently topping out around 102k annually which caught me off guard, but makes sense when you think about being on call 24/7 and working in tight spaces. Then there's power plant operators pulling in roughly 100k plus, electrical line installers around 85k. The crazy part is most of these positions just need a high school diploma plus apprenticeship training. Aircraft mechanics, railroad workers, boilermakers - they're all in that 70-75k range. Even wind turbine techs are hitting 60k+ and those jobs are supposed to grow like 60% over the next decade. If you're trying to figure out what is the highest paying blue collar job for actual career planning, seems like the skilled trades are legit underrated. You don't need a four-year degree drowning you in debt when you could be earning solid income after an apprenticeship. Construction inspectors, stationary engineers, electronics repair - all clearing 65-70k. The barrier to entry is way lower than people think but the earning potential is definitely there if you pick the right trade.