He dropped out of high school to work construction for $8/hour — now 22, he's making $200,000 a year
Key takeaways
- Young Americans have rarely been more pessimistic about the job market — and it’s pushing some to reconsider their career paths.
- For Matt Panella, the trades brought exactly that.
- Prime US real estate was a rich person s game — then something changed.
He dropped out of high school to work construction for $8/hour — now 22, he's making $200,000 a year Lance Nelson / Getty Images Rinna Diamantakos Tue, June 2, 2026 at 10:20 PM GMT+7 4 min read Rising layoffs, economic uncertainty, the threat of AI. Young Americans have rarely been more pessimistic about the job market — and it’s pushing some to reconsider their career paths. A growing number of young people are eyeing the skilled trades, hoping it’ll bring stability and six-figure salaries.
For Matt Panella, the trades brought exactly that. At just 15 years old, Panella faced a life-changing decision when his now-wife became pregnant with their first child. Panella’s school tried to encourage him to follow a traditional path and still apply for college. He took a different route instead.
Prime US real estate was a rich person s game — then something changed. Now everyday Americans are getting a piece of the action for as little as $100