[ajtaylor]

Or you could go into the "blue collar" trades like plumbing, electrical work, etc. After you get some experience, the trades can be a very lucrative line of work. Albeit you have to sweat and get your hands dirty. Mike Rowe has a few very persuasive thoughts on the subject as well, and can do it much more eloquently than I can.

[nightski]

It's also dooming yourself to a life of little mental stimulation and lots of repetition. I have no problem with physical labor (love house projects and hobbies), but these jobs would suck the life out of me for that reason.

[FeloniousHam]

My father was an electrician by trade, but generally very capable. He loved the problem solving aspect of his job. Wiring and code are not so far apart as you might think.

I've often felt, given the pedestrian nature of the problems I have to solve in code, he got the better end of the bargain.

[KozmoNau7]

Mike Rowe is deep in the pocket of the Koch brothers, he's very anti-union.

He wants people to work hard and suck it up, instead of unionizing and fighting for fair treatment.