The Rise of Blue-Collar Jobs in the Age of AI

In the United States, a trend known as "blue-collar billionaires" is gaining attention. Skilled and manual jobs that AI cannot easily replace have become significantly more lucrative in recent years.

Signs of the same trend are emerging in Japan, sparking renewed interest in making on-site work more attractive. While Japan's labor market still relies heavily on foreign workers, particularly in service and manufacturing sectors facing shortages, improving pay and working conditions could help attract more domestic talent.

"I earn my income every day through my own efforts, and that gives me a real sense of fulfillment," says Nobuo Matsumoto, 51, a taxi driver at Fuji Kotsu in Tokyo. He started his current job in 2016 after 11 years at a car dealership and a period working as school staff.

Matsumoto works under a commission-based pay system, bringing in around ¥600,000 ($4,000 USD) in monthly sales and receiving about 60 percent as his salary. "I work while caring for my parents, so I can go at my own pace. Many of my colleagues earn over a million yen a month," he says. Interest in the company is growing. "We used to hire seven or eight people a year, but in recent years that number has doubled or tripled. Many applicants are women or young people," Matsumoto adds.

Salaries Exceeding ¥1 Million

Satoru Kudo, 55, a first-class auto mechanic and factory manager at Fukui Motors in central Tokyo, says, "My salary has risen by about a million yen over the past few years." Four years ago, the company introduced a system that ties pay to skill level. "When employees improve their skills and work more efficiently, we can take on more orders. As revenue rises, so can salaries," explains Chie Tsuchida, the company's CEO.

*Satoru Kudo, an auto mechanic whose annual income has risen by about ¥1 million in recent years, in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on January 22. (©Sankei by Hikaru Ichinosawa)*

The growth of these high-paying skilled and manual jobs is largely driven by AI taking over desk work. Many manual roles cannot be performed by AI, keeping demand for human labor high. In the U.S., median annual earnings for elevator and escalator installation and repair reached $106,580 in 2024. Studies also show that workers moving from white-collar to blue-collar roles can see substantial income gains. In Japan, career changes like Matsumoto's are becoming increasingly common.

Technical High Schools in High Demand

Educational institutions that train job-ready talent are also seeing significant changes. According to the National Association of Principals of Technical Senior High Schools, the jobs-to-applicants ratio for 2024 graduates reached 31.9, the highest on record. The ratio has been steadily rising since 2011, when it was just 3.9, with particularly sharp growth in recent years.

At Tokyo Metropolitan Kuramae Technical High School, 101 students seeking jobs in 2025 received 4,880 offers from 2,731 companies, and every student secured a position. A third-year student who was offered a job as a robotics technician automating manufacturing processes says, "I knew there were many job openings, but I didn't expect it to be this many." The school's vice principal adds, "Starting salaries are extremely high, even from the first year, which is quite surprising."

*Students at Tokyo Metropolitan Kuramae Technical High School practice using industrial robots in Taito Ward, Tokyo, on January 21. (©Sankei by Mariko Hasegawa)*

If Japanese society increasingly recognizes the value of skilled and manual work and continues improving wages and conditions, it could reduce its reliance on foreign labor. Eiji Hara, head of a policy think tank, notes, "It's important to reconsider the excessive dependence on foreign workers. With AI and other technological developments changing the nature of skilled jobs, more of these positions are likely to be filled by Japanese workers."