Well I fully agree that some trades can pay on a comparable level to jobs that require a degree and so why go into debt, the trades often have a shorter career-span. Sure, you can make six figures as a plumber with your own shop but how long can you do a physically demanding job like that for? By your mid-50s that wear-and-tear is going to exact a toll. A lawyer on the other hand can keep practicing into their 70s. It’s not just about earnings levels but the sustainability of those levels.