Skilled labor and the trades are paid very, very well. I could probably make more money busting ass as a plumber or electrician than I do slinging code.

You do have to actually work though if you want to make money in trades, and sweat and get dirty. Most college-educated people are alergic to working that hard, and are looking for white-collar BS jobs that they can push paper around, go to meetings, feel good about themselves, and never actually do anything.