Skilled trades now offer direct path to six-figure pay without college debt thanks to emerging tech industry

ASHBURN, Va. — Young Americans could be earning six-figure salaries without taking on college debt as the artificial intelligence boom fuels demand for skilled electricians, according to a veteran tradesman who says he has never struggled to find work in his 26-year career.

Andrew Miller, who raised six children while working in the trades, said the rapid expansion of data centers is creating lucrative opportunities for young workers seeking financial independence without a traditional four-year college degree.

Data Center Alley

Miller explained that one of the reasons Northern Virginia is one of the wealthiest enclaves in the U.S. is "directly linked to data centers and data center development." He claimed areas that reject the data center boom — like California — are seeing wealth leave the state.

Northern Virginia has earned the nickname "Data Center Alley" for its massive concentration of data centers, with Loudoun County at the heart of the nation's rapidly expanding AI infrastructure.

As of March 2026, more than 230 data centers had been built or were under construction in the county, with another 116 projects in the pipeline.

Lucrative Apprenticeships

Bill McGraw of electrical contractor J.E. Richards said apprenticeship programs offer an alternative to traditional college degrees, allowing participants to receive classroom instruction while gaining paid, hands-on experience.

McGraw said apprentices accepted into a program through International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 26 can start at approximately $27 to $28 an hour, even without previous experience.

At the journeyman level, McGraw cited wages of approximately $62 an hour, equivalent to nearly $129,000 annually based on a 40-hour workweek year-round, before overtime.

Economic Impact

Don Slaiman said Local 26's hiring hall has grown from fewer than 9,000 workers to more than 17,500 amid Northern Virginia's data center boom.