Workers in These 5 Jobs Could See the Biggest Pay Bumps in 2026
Written by
Marc Guberti
Edited by
Zuri Anderson
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The workplace is shifting, with blue-collar jobs poised to gain ground on white-collar jobs. Labor shortages and AI infrastructure are some of the catalysts that are changing how companies value job positions.
Getting a head start on changes to the economy can position you for higher-paying job opportunities. While it’s hard to switch careers, people may be able to boost their income if they can align themselves with any of these types of jobs.
Retail Workers
According to USA Today, almost half of U.S. states raised their minimum wages in 2026, and that should help retail workers. Not every retail worker earns minimum wage, but there is a heavy concentration of minimum wage workers in the industry, especially among new hires. While a slight bump to the minimum wage won’t produce life-changing income gains, it’s worth noting.
Construction Workers
The construction industry is facing a shortage, with approximately 20% of workers aged 55 or older, according to Construction Dive. It’s hard to hold a hard labor job into your 60s and 70s, and as older people retire, the shortage will grow. It’s harder to find high-skilled workers, and the AI ramp-up will boost demand for construction services.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang believes the AI boom will create six-figure construction jobs as tech giants rush to build AI data centers, Fox Business reported. Each of those AI data centers will also require additional construction services after they are completed.
“This is the largest infrastructure build-out in human history. That’s going to create a lot of jobs,” Huang said at the World Economic Forum.
Data Scientists
Artificial intelligence is disrupting white-collar jobs, but this technology has also created the need for additional jobs. Data scientists are some of the top beneficiaries since they manage data that goes into AI models. Artificial intelligence tools are only as good as their users, which makes creativity a key skill for data scientists.
Companies are also searching for specialized data scientists who have relatively new skills like managing LLMs, retrieval-augmented generation and machine learning. According to Hyper.ai, most data scientists are younger than 35, which means Gen Z won’t have to compete with many boomers for these lucrative positions.
Registered Nurses
Registered nurses are in a good spot to boost their earnings thanks to three tailwinds. The first two revolve around aging populations.
As people get older, the need for registered nurses grows. However, those same registered nurses are getting older, prompting more of them to retire. A labor shortage, combined with rising demand for services, gives registered nurses a compelling advantage to negotiate higher salaries.
However, there is a third tailwind. This career has plenty of barriers, such as a rigorous education requirement. Even after getting a sufficient education, some registered nurses get burned out and look for different careers. It’s a hard profession, and their wages should continue to climb higher as an aging population boosts the demand for their services.
Plumbers
Job shortages are prevalent in the trades, especially plumbing. This industry will enjoy the same tailwinds as construction workers since AI infrastructure requires good plumbing. Microsoft views artificial intelligence as the Fourth Industrial Revolution, which should lead to a heyday for plumbers. A six-figure income is possible in this industry and may be more achievable due to the AI buildout.
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