I was a laid-off software engineer who pivoted into blue-collar work because of AI. One year in, I couldn't be happier.

Tech Insider : Business
Tabby Toney's headshot after work and an image of her in uniform welding.
Tabby Toney was laid off from her tech role and started her welding job immediately after completing her certification.

Courtesy of Tabby Toney

I make 6 figures as an electrician. Trades like mine may be the last safe haven from AI.

Tech Insider : Business
a man poses for a photo in front of a wooden wall
Carl Murawski.

Courtesy of Carl Murawski

The CEO of a $15 billion AI company says the biggest AI winners won't be software — they'll be mines, farms, and trucks

Tech Insider : Business, Economy, Technology
Qasar Younis
Applied Intuition's CEO says AI will reshape farms, mines, and trucks as labor shortages hit physical industries.

Sam Barnes/Sportsfile for Web Summit Qatar via Getty Images

I quit my tech job to grind tree stumps. I'm outdoors, working with my hands, on my own schedule, and making a good living.

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
headshot of a man in a white t-shirt in a field
Tyler Mumford.

Courtesy of Tyler Mumford

900 workers will share a $75 million pot after KKR sale — with some getting $325,000 windfalls

Tech Insider
GeoStabilization workers
GeoStabilization workers will share a $75 million pot.

Business Wire

I make $140,000 working in plumbing. The trades allow me to support my family in an expensive city.

Tech Insider
headshot of a man in a red shirt outside
Joseph Ahrens is a plumbing superintendent.

Courtesy of Joseph Ahrens

Blue-collar entrepreneurs say it's harder to turn a profit with startups like cleaning or pest control as competition heats up

Tech Insider : Economy
A man in a suit holding a plunger
Business owners of sweaty startups like cleaning and pest control told BI that they love the work, but it's getting harder to grow.

iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BI

I skipped college and became a boatbuilder. My friends who aren't in trade jobs envy me.

Tech Insider
Clémentine Mollier, wearing a hard hat and fluorescent vest, standing in front of metal construction beams.
Clémentine Mollier works at the National Museum of the Royal Navy in England.

National Museum of the Royal Navy.

I floundered in white-collar jobs until I found my calling as an electrician in my 40s

Tech Insider
The rear view of a woman construction worker in a white hard hat with a hi-vis orange jacket on and a plaid shirt facing solar panels.
Rachel Hoobing (not pictured) said she didn't realize that blue-collar work was a viable career choice when she was growing up.

Credit: Getty Images/serts

Dating a carpenter taught me my career is not my identity. He doesn't worry about getting laid off and just focuses on the next job.

Tech Insider
Nia Springer-Norris and her partner, Tom, standing in front of bookshelves. She is wearing a yellow printed dress and he is in a red t-shirt and jeans.
Nia Springer-Norris and her partner work in different industries and learn from each other.

Courtesy Nia Springer-Norris

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