Fernando is 24 years old and has been driving trucks for a family business since he turned 19. Jorge, 26, works as a mechanic in the railway industry. Darío, 29, spends his days surrounded by wood, tools, and orders in a family carpentry shop.
None of these three young men—who agreed to speak with Xataka while maintaining part of their anonymity—fit the mold of the careers that typically form childhood aspirations. They represent something unusual: young individuals who have chosen to dedicate themselves to technical and manual trades in sectors where generational turnover is scarce.
On the road, in factories, or in workshops, the scene is repeated. “There are hardly any young people around here,” Fernando acknowledges. Jorge echoes a similar sentiment: “In my section, I’m the youngest,” and Darío reinforces this: “It’s rare to see young people in my trade… I don’t see them around.”
For decades, the idea has been perpetuated that success only came through university, relegating trades to the corner of being “less aspirational.” However, the job market has shone a light on them again: as automation and artificial intelligence force a rethink of office jobs, the work requiring hands and skills has become indispensable. This reality, coupled with the shortage of professionals willing to fill these roles, is granting new value to these trades.
When Generational Turnover Doesn’t Happen
The sentiments expressed by Fernando, Jorge, and Darío are not isolated; data confirms the widespread aging of the workforce. The report El reto de las vacantes en España by Cepyme illustrates the age increase in many occupations: “In 2008, the sector with the oldest average age was agriculture and livestock at 43 years. Now, in 12 out of 20 sectors, the average age of workers exceeds 44 years, with five of them exceeding 46.” Although the rise in average age among the employed “is not a problem per se,” in jobs that require physical effort, it does create greater difficulties in filling vacancies.
Official data confirms that the Spanish labor market struggles with a structural problem of “mismatch between job supply and demand,” especially in technical and manual trades. The study by the SEPE on the adjustment between job supply and demand for 2025 indicates that this not only hinders individuals from finding decent employment but also hampers “employment growth, productivity, and economic and social development.”
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According to the Tendencias del mercado de trabajo en España 2025, the number of vacancies in jobs has steadily increased over the last decade: “Starting from 56,000 vacancies in 2014, this number exceeded 100,000 in 2019, and is expected to reach 150,000 by 2024.” Although the service sector will account for the majority (88% in 2024), the problem has spread to construction and industry—sectors dominated by manual labor.
This trend is common across Spain, as shown in the Catalog of Hard-to-Fill Occupations for the fourth quarter of 2025 by the Ministry of Labor.
This catalog identifies professions hardest to cover—province by province—such as electricians, metal and aluminum carpenters, assemblers, boilermakers, or drivers (of cranes and trucks). In the same vein, the SEPE notes that many of these occupations are linked to a lack of vocational training graduates—a problem diagnosed for years that has led to reforms like the Organic Law on Vocational Training.
Vocational Training Is No Longer a “Plan B”
While university remains the most common pathway to higher education in Spain, vocational training has gained ground and is no longer seen as a fallback option. According to the Panorama de la Educación 2025 by the Ministry of Education, 47% of young people starting higher education in Spain choose a university degree, while 39% opt for higher vocational training cycles—double the EU average (10%).
Michele Menghini, the Director of Employability at Davante—a Spanish employment training company—confirms a clear increase in students enrolling in industrial and technical vocational training. “The job market is sending very clear signals: there are jobs, there is stability, and there is room for advancement,” he explains, adding that “the programs with the highest job prospects are in electricity, industrial maintenance, air conditioning, renewable energy, and welding.”
Still, he notes that “all technical fields” have high employability. Jesús Vellido, head of studies at I.E.S Luis Vives in Leganés—recognized as a Center of European Excellence in Vocational Training—agrees, listing mechanical manufacturing, mechatronics, automotive, and renewable energies as their center’s educational offerings with the highest professional output.
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Students themselves highlight the rapid access to employment as one of the main attractions of vocational training. Jorge, a former vocational student, believes that a vocational degree “offers a more direct path” into the job market. This perception aligns with data from educational institutions and businesses. Menghini notes that over 80% of his students find work within the first six months, with many securing positions even before finishing their courses due to internships or prior company contacts.
In certain technical profiles, he adds, job placement “approaches 100%, as seen with Electrical Installation Technicians or Advanced Technicians in Electrotechnical and Automated Systems.”
Why Do Most Young People Avoid Manual Professions?
Although vocational training has grown in recent years, the predominant trend remains a preference for more theoretical university studies oriented toward office or liberal professions. Job placement seems almost guaranteed in many technical trades, but it doesn’t automatically translate into a surge of interest from young people. Why is this? The answer lies in a combination of factors.
Miriam González, an HR expert and co-founder of Maralma, believes that younger generations may discard these trades due to their perceptions of them: the hours, the physical labor involved, lack of work-life balance, social image (other types of jobs, like office work, are viewed more favorably), exposure to the weather, and the overall effort required.
“Young people,” she continues, “are clear that their concept of work differs significantly from that of previous generations. They want certain essential conditions that not all trades can afford to offer.”
Among those who do work in these sectors, the sentiment is similar. The long hours that Darío and Fernando work—“Many times you know when you start but not when you finish,” “A shift can be from seven to seven, Monday to Friday”—aren’t very appealing to much of their generation. Jorge wonders if this aversion stems from “fear of the unknown,” a belief that it is “too difficult,” or simply the notion that “being in an office is more attractive than doing trials with a train.”
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He adds: “In my work, young people don’t last because they don’t want to; we have very good working conditions—health insurance, retirement contributions, profit pay… I suppose shifts play a role; I have my weekends free but I work many nights (which I prefer and earn more), although I imagine that when you go for an interview and they tell you that you have to do shifts, it may not be very attractive.”
How Much Do These Professions Pay?
Technical and manual professions are no longer necessarily linked to low salaries. Today, those who become indispensable in their company can achieve competitive salaries, stability, and very good working conditions, although the path is not always linear.
Getting a complete picture of the salaries offered in these trades can be challenging, as factors like the sector, company, location, and prior experience come into play. However, the perception that salaries are rising in technical professions is widespread. According to I.E.S Luis Vives, the salaries received by their students are competitive. They even note that an employee’s salary after five years may reach levels higher than a university graduate.
In some sectors, that salary improvement is directly related to the shortage of professionals. Fernando, a truck driver, explains that a typical salary hovers around 2,000 euros per month, with slightly higher offers for national routes and even higher figures for international routes, exceeding 3,000 euros a month. “Demand has risen considerably, and there are many issues finding drivers because no one wants to put in the hours we do,” he summarizes, pointing out that salary is tied not only to qualifications but also to availability.
The idea that “huge salaries” are paid in technical trades is far from unanimous and is often influenced by optimistic views and statistics from job portals, specialized websites, or social media profiles. In these realms, salaries are often placed between 2,000 and 2,800 euros per month for professions such as air conditioning, solar panel installation, or electricity.
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This narrative clashes with the daily experience of many workers, who significantly undercut these figures. On social media, electricians or carpenters with over a decade of experience report salaries around 1,400 or 1,600 euros, while others admit to reaching around 1,800. They disagree with the generalization that these trades allow new employees to earn two thousand euros, clarifying that higher earnings often come at the cost of working 12 to 16-hour days or being self-employed.
Data from talent search engines bolsters this lack of consensus. According to Talent.com, the average salary for an electrician in Spain hovers around 20,800 euros gross annually, although clear differences exist between employees and self-employed individuals. The same applies to plumbers or carpenters: employees typically earn between 1,300 and 1,800 euros monthly, while freelancers—those with a client base and high demand—may approach or even exceed 2,000 euros.
According to Davante, “initial salaries in technical industrial profiles typically start between 20,000 and 26,000 euros, but what matters is the subsequent growth rate.”
Nevertheless, in some technical environments, market pressure is beginning to be felt. Jorge explains that their company has had to improve conditions because they could not find qualified profiles, and international competition further inflates salaries: “When a company from abroad arrives offering triple the salary, including housing, a lot of good talent leaves. I’ve considered it and it’s not off the table.”
According to many workers, the key is not so much the trade itself but the role one occupies within the workplace. Darío sums it up clearly: “You can earn a good salary if you become essential within the company. If you’re just another person working your eight hours, you won’t earn more than what the contract stipulates.”
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In other words, there doesn’t seem to be a standard salary within these trades. Pay depends on the sector, specialization, experience, location, and most importantly, the degree of skill scarcity and job replacement. What seems evident is that in a context of structural labor shortages, those who manage to stand out today have more room to negotiate better conditions than they did a decade ago.
Far from the image of “well-paid trades” circulating on social media, the testimonies gathered by Xataka suggest that young individuals aren’t drawn to these jobs primarily for financial reasons. In sectors such as carpentry, transport, or mechanics, the initial salary is rarely the main hook: factors such as the stability of a family business, the chance to start working quickly, or simply the love for the craft weigh more. Even when companies raise offers due to personnel shortages, many candidates retract upon discovering long hours, shifts, or physical requirements. While money may come with time, it usually isn’t the reason young people pursue these jobs.
“Traditional Trades Are Something Very Human”
In a labor market increasingly shaped by automation and artificial intelligence, technical and manual trades occupy a place quite different from that of yesteryears. Not because they are immune to technology, but because they offer something challenging to replicate by machines.
Darío is clear. In the day-to-day life of carpentry, AI is not a real threat. “Assemblies won’t be done by a computer, nor will the solutions to the problems you encounter daily come from AI. Traditional trades are something profoundly human,” he explains. For him, the key lies in the growing scarcity of professionals: “If you have a little ambition, you’ll likely do well. There’s less and less people, leading to more opportunities, especially if you dare to become self-employed.”
In industrial sectors, the diagnosis is similar. Jorge acknowledges that technology has changed his job, but it hasn’t replaced it. “AI can help you identify where a failure might come from, but it’s not always evident. There are things that can be streamlined, but not eliminated. Just take a walk through the factory to see that there are jobs that cannot be automated.”
As we race towards digitization, it’s the oldest jobs that are proving most resistant to change. Trades that have long been deemed less aspirational are regaining strategic value in a labor market that needs hands, experience, and physical presence.
In Xataka | Spain and Europe face a problem: 85% of their products are transported by truck, and they lack 3 million truck drivers.
In Xataka | Good news, wages in Spain are rising: the issue is that if you’re young, you may not know it.
Image | Maxime Agnelli