Love it or hate it, AI is emerging as the primary disruptor of the 21st century. Loads of people are hailing it as the engine of tomorrow’s prosperity, and you’ve got plenty of others who are calling it a dangerous job killer.

Well, Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang is trying to lean into a new angle nobody’s really tested out yet. He claims we’re on the cusp of an AI economic boom that won’t just benefit white-collar data scientists and software engineers. It’ll also catapult large swaths of blue-collar workers from average salaries into six-figure salaries.

Those are pretty big words from a pretty biased source, and Huang’s claim also really flips the script on the traditional narrative we keep getting about AI and mass unemployment. That being said, it’s not hard to see where Huang is coming from on this one. 

Okay, so six figures sounds like it verges on hyperbole. But AI’s rapid advance could actually unlock big opportunities for skilled workers. Let’s take a closer look at whether Huang’s bold claims hold water—and, more importantly, what they mean for the rest of us trying to make sense of a rapidly shifting economy.

What Did Jensen Huang Actually Say About AI and Blue-Collar Jobs?

Before we dissect Huang’s claims, it’s worth taking a closer look at what he actually said about AI and its impact on blue-collar workers.

This all unfolded at last month’s World Economic Forum in Davos. The Nvidia CEO was sitting down with BlackRock (BLK) CEO Larry Fink to discuss how AI could create new opportunities for workers and the industries they serve. As you can imagine, most of the discussion centered on how AI will continue to disrupt white-collar jobs.

But Huang was eager to point out that AI requires massive physical infrastructure build-out. According to researchers at McKinsey & Company, tech giants are on track to invest $6.7 trillion between now and 2030 to build and maintain new data centers. 

It goes without saying this creates an unprecedented demand for skilled trade workers. AI data centers, chip manufacturing plants, power and cooling systems, and networks are all physical projects that can’t be automated with software. These are multi-billion-dollar undertakings that require human hands to build. 

That’s why Huang thinks the AI boom is great news for plumbers, electricians, construction workers, and steelworkers. There’s going to be a lot of work to go around, and companies will have to compete to attract top talent. Huang added that the advertised salaries for a lot of these construction and maintenance jobs had already doubled to reach six figures.

“Everybody should be able to make a great living,” the Nvidia CEO said. “You don’t need to have a PhD in computer science to do so.”

Is Huang Right? Let’s Look at the Numbers

Most people don’t instantly think of electricians and plumbers when somebody mentions “AI jobs,” but Huang does have a point.

We already know that skilled trades are in short supply. Even before the AI boom, labor statistics painted a damning picture of America’s blue-collar talent pool. The demand is there, but the workers aren't.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were almost 260,000 unfilled construction vacancies in November 2025, along with a 5% unemployment rate. Yet given the huge infrastructure build-out tech companies are trying to facilitate, demand for construction laborers is expected to increase 7%. Demand for electricians is expected to go up by 9%, and plumbers will see a 6% rise.

So, companies need these workers really badly, right? Logic, and economics, dictate that the best way to fill vacancies is to offer bigger, better salaries—and wage growth has certainly been well documented. 

In November, The Wall Street Journal reported construction workers taking on new data center jobs were seeing salary increases of up to 30% compared to their previous jobs. In some cases, that has indeed driven individual wages past the $100,000 mark.

Huang isn’t the only one to point this out. Ford Motor Company (F) CEO Jim Farley has been warning everybody about a “blue-collar crisis” in America for a while now, and this is a growing macroeconomic trend that really needs to be addressed.

The new global economy Jensen Huang envisions relies on colossal infrastructure. If we can’t wire, build, plumb, and install that infrastructure, the revolution will stall—and our collective economic prospects are going to become limited.

Let’s Add a Pinch of Salt

Huang has put a really positive spin on AI disruption: Plenty of people are needed to do high-paying jobs. But there are some big caveats and market realities that both American families and Wall Street investors must bear in mind here.

First off, skills matter.

Six-figure salaries for blue-collar workers sound great, and we’ve already seen that they’re real. However, they’re not real for most trade jobs. This isn’t entry-level labor market stuff, and many of these roles will be highly specialized. To command premium pay, you might not need a PhD—but you will need to complete apprenticeships, certifications, and technical training, and then gather years of experience.

Next, it’s important to remember that high wages reflect scarcity. If America had enough skilled workers, nobody would be offering six-figure salaries. That tells us two things: The U.S. economy is suffering from a supply-constrained situation, and there’s currently no light at the end of the tunnel.

Wages may continue to climb to fund AI build-outs—but progress is likely to stall unless policymakers address this imbalance. 

Demand could also shift. This infrastructure boom requires significant construction and setup in the near term. But let’s say we do fill all these vacancies to power the future. After this huge capex wave subsides, will those six-figure jobs still be around? Or are we going to be looking at yet another sector with mass unemployment?

This is all worth thinking about if you’re considering taking up a trade or if your child is talking about switching their college major, and it also is important for investors. 

At the end of the day, markets don’t usually bet on stocks based on temporary buildouts. Companies tied to physical infrastructure and skilled labor are likely to benefit from capital investment and sky-high demand, but these gains may not survive the decade. You should also bear in mind that construction wage inflation may have a butterfly effect on real estate, labor costs, and regional activity all over America. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do a little prospecting in this area, but you should tread carefully and make sure you're playing the long game.

So, is Jensen Huang right about all this? We don’t have much reason to doubt him. Demand and salaries for blue-collar workers are going up fast, and we’ve got AI to thank. That’s something to cheer about, and it creates a new wave of opportunity. But whether that wave is sustainable remains to be seen.

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