Will plumbers and electricians become the new top earners due to AI?
The Strategic Newb Editorial Team
Updated:
Translated from the original; figures and sources have been preserved. Read the original →
This article uses Dutch labor market examples. The overview for Midden-Holland is regional and not an international wage forecast.
AI writes texts, makes analyzes and helps with programming. But who will repair your leak and build that custom cabinet? Practical craftsmanship can gain in value, although a top salary is not a certainty.
You let your child study for a good future. But what if the plumber earns more than the person behind the desk?
It's a provocative question, not a fixed prediction. Yet she touches on an important shift: as digital tasks become cheaper through AI, skills that require physical presence, experience and practical problem solving may become relatively more valuable.
Anyone looking for which professions will continue to exist due to AI will therefore get a better answer by looking at tasks. A profession consists of more than the parts that software can perform.
Why AI is changing our view of a good job
For many people, a diploma, a desk and a laptop were symbols of progress. Generative AI puts pressure on that image because knowledge work can also be partially supported or automated.
The International Labor Organization, ILO, concluded in its 2025 study that administrative professions have the highest exposure to generative AI. Exposure describes how many tasks can be affected; it is not a count of jobs disappearing. ILO
That nuance determines how you should read the future. An employee can work faster, be given different tasks or do the same work with fewer colleagues. The outcome also depends on business choices, demand and the reliability of the technology.
So the interesting question is not only: can AI do my job? It is also: what part of my value remains scarce if everyone has better software?
Why a leak is more difficult to automate than a text
A text appears on a screen. A leaking pipe is behind a wall, under a floor or in a place that deviates from the construction drawing.
To automate the entire work of a plumber, a system must assess the situation, handle materials, use tools and check the result. In addition to software, this also requires physical automation that works reliably and affordably in various environments.
Something similar happens with an electrician. A digital tool can help with documentation or preparation, but an installation must be assessed on site and carried out carefully.
This leads to a plausible expectation: practical work in varying environments may be more difficult to fully automate than certain digital tasks. That means no protection forever. Robots and production methods can further develop, while some preparatory tasks are already digital.
Will plumbers and electricians really become top earners?
There is a concrete basis for optimism about technical professions. UWV mentions plumbers and electricians in its national overview of promising professions 2025–2026. The regional overview for Midden-Holland 2026–2027 also mentions these professions. UWVUWV
That points to job opportunities, not to a guaranteed income boost. For high earnings, several factors must come together: sufficient demand, limited availability, specialist knowledge and customers who are willing to pay for quality.
It also matters who you mean by top earner. An employee receives a salary. A self-employed person invoices turnover. An entrepreneur can make a profit with a team. These amounts are not directly comparable.
A high hourly rate also pays for tools, transportation, insurance, administration and hours that are not charged to customers. For a fair comparison, what counts is what someone ultimately has left and how many hours are needed for this.
AI can therefore strengthen the position of a good professional. That this makes every plumber rich does not follow from the available sources.
Will a woodworker soon be able to earn gold?
Designing a cupboard is different from making a cupboard that fits perfectly in a crooked old house. This is precisely where a woodworker can distinguish himself.
Consider a built-in cupboard under a sloping hood, restoration of old furniture or a table with a special finish. In addition to material, the customer also buys fit, execution, taste and trust.
For woodworking, the distinction between mass production and customization is essential. For standard products, factories, machines and economies of scale can determine the competition. With special customization, the personal implementation can form a larger part of the value.
This offers a possible route to higher margins, but requires more than talent with wood. A furniture maker must also reach the right customers, limit material loss, budget realistically and make quality visible.
The expectation that craftsmanship can become more attractive is therefore mainly an argument about scarcity and distinction. It is not a proven general wage trend for all woodworkers.
The professional who uses AI himself can be in a stronger position
The greatest opportunity may lie in the combination of manual work and digital tools.
An installer can use AI for an initial quotation design, customer communication or organizing work notes. A furniture maker can experiment with it with concepts, product descriptions and the preparation of a customer meeting.
These are applications for self-assessment, not a promise of fixed time savings. The professional remains responsible for sizes, prices, technical choices and the work performed.
If tools shorten administration, there may be more room for execution or customer service. A small business can benefit from this, especially if the time released actually yields something.
The promising combination is professional knowledge, practical problem solving, customer trust and sensible use of AI.
What could stop this prediction?
Craftsmanship also responds to the economy. Customers can postpone renovations. Material costs may increase. More people can learn the same trade, which increases competition.
In addition, there are physical boundaries. A self-employed person cannot sell more hours indefinitely. Growth may require specialization, better processes or personnel, and with that comes new costs and responsibilities.
Finally, productivity gains can accrue to an employer or client, without an equal increase in wages. More economic value for a sector does not automatically mean more income for everyone who works in it.
These are reasons to take the perspective seriously while staying away from quick promises of riches.
What does this mean for your career choice?
Don't choose AI just out of fear. Also look at aptitude, interest, physical load and the training route. A technical profession requires practice, responsibility and the willingness to continue learning.
Anyone who wants to switch can start with discussions with employers, an orientation day and information about suitable training courses. Anyone who is already a professional can investigate which specialization customers need and which administrative tasks can be simplified.
For parents, the broader lesson is that practical talent deserves a full-fledged foundation for a career. Being able to make, repair and install properly remains a skill with economic significance.
A plumber, electrician or woodworker can earn excellent money in the AI era. The strongest starting position is created when demonstrable craftsmanship comes together with a good reputation and business acumen.
Perhaps that is the question we should ask more often: why do we still so often treat working with our hands as a second choice?
Frequently asked questions
Which professions will survive because of AI?
There is no reliable list of professions that are safe forever. Work that requires physical execution, on-site assessment, and human responsibility can be more difficult to fully automate. Individual tasks can also change in this regard.
Will a plumber earn more thanks to AI?
That is possible, but not guaranteed. Income depends, among other things, on demand, specialization, competition, employment conditions and operating costs. A job opportunity is something different than a guaranteed high salary.
Is an electrician a profession of the future?
UWV mentions electricians in overviews of promising professions. That supports the perspective on work. It does not predict what salary each electrician will receive later. UWVUWV
Can a woodworker make a lot of money?
This is possible, for example, with distinctive custom work or restoration. Earnings also depend on sales, pricing, material use and available production capacity.
Can AI help a professional?
AI can be used for preparatory and administrative tasks, such as draft texts and organizing information. Technical results, calculations and agreements must be checked by the responsible professional.
Sources
ILO, Generative AI and Jobs: A Refined Global Index of Occupational Exposure, May 20, 2025
UWV, Promising professions 2025–2026, national overview
UWV, Promising professions 2026–2027 Midden-Holland, regional overview
Sources checked on October 21, 2026. The income expectations and examples of customization are analysis, not results of these studies.