Perspective: In praise of ‘low-status’ jobs
January 30, 2025
A few years ago, I called a plumber to fix a leaky pipe. After he wrapped up, we got to talking, and he mentioned that at the beginning of his career he began buying rental properties. Over the decades, he kept buying more rentals and now had around 40. I was shocked because his net worth was probably in the neighborhood of $20 million. Outside of business leaders I’ve interviewed as a reporter, he’s one of the wealthiest people I know.
I was thinking about this recently when a debate erupted over the types of jobs people, and especially young men, ought to pursue, especially in the time of soaring college costs.
