I skipped college and now earn over $40 an hour in a blue-collar job. The AI boom is creating more opportunities for me.

Cody Cole is a 25-year-old electrical field superintendent making over $40 an hour without a college degree. Courtesy of Nox Group Cody Cole started working in the electrical field at 18 years old, making $15 an hour. He now makes over $40 an hour, which has allowed him to be the sole provider for his family. Cole said the AI boom has helped open up more job opportunities within the industry. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Cody Cole, 25, an Arizona-based electrical field superintendent with Corbins, an industrial electrical contractor. The following has been edited for length and clarity. I started in the electrical field in 2019 at 18 years old, shortly after getting out of high school. At first, I wasn't particularly thrilled about doing electrical work.