>The only people who have to take crappy jobs are those that are unwilling to learn a skill. In this country, they can't find enough welders, brick layers and plumbers. You don't need an expensive (sometimes useless) college degree to learn these skills. These people make very good money - probably better money than you make.
>
Actually, you might want to check that again.

At one time - up till the 1970's, those jobs were unionized and paid more than some programmers earned.
Since that time, union membership and union bargaining power have plummeted in the US.
Not surprisingly, wages have remained flat or declined.
There are lots or reasons.. robots have replaced many welders and many welding jobs have been shipped overseas or to Mexico or Canada via NAFTA.

I can't speak for other parts of the country, but I watched several communities being built here in Hamilton.
All the concrete and brick work was done by non-union immigrants who were brought in to do the work and then moved on. Ditto with plumbers, painters and electricians.

Brick layers, plumbers etc who lived in Hamilton would starve to death.

At one time those were union jobs that paid very well. The people would have lived in the area and contributed to the community.

Since the deregulation of the airline and trucking industries jobs that were once high paying union jobs are now low paying non-union jobs.
There are some airline pilots making less than programmer trainees now.
Union truck drivers who worked at one company their entire lives have been replaced by anyone who can get a commercial driver's license and wants to make a trip or two.
In some cases truck driver jobs are actually auctioned and go to the lowest bidder.
Try to raise a family that way.

Here's a kick... the people most responsible for these changes were Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.. both Dems!