If you were advising a widely talented 17-year-old today who wanted the safest path to the upper middle class, what would you say?
That was the question posed by X (Twitter) user @coldhealing and the replies revealed a truth about modern career planning: the safe paths of yesterday aren’t as safe today. Automation, AI, shifting economies, and cultural change are reshaping the professional map.
From engineering labs to construction sites, from medical wards to entrepreneurial garages, the answers were as varied as they were revealing. Here’s what we can learn.
If you were advising a widely-talented 17yo today who wanted the safest path to the upper middle class what college major would you recommend? I genuinely don’t know. The world is changing a lot. It’s probably not computer science. Maybe it’s mechanical engineering or math?
— cold 🥑 (@coldhealing)
1. The Traditionalists — Pharmacy, Engineering, and Medicine
Some advice still leaned on familiar “future-proof” careers.
Pharmacy remains a strong contender thanks to high demand, good pay, and strict licensing requirements that keep the profession relatively shielded from oversupply. With aging populations and expanding healthcare needs, pharmacists will continue to play a critical role in patient care especially in clinical settings where automation has less reach.
Other suggestions included electrical engineering, mechanical or robotics engineering, and mid-level medical careers such as physician assistant (PA), nurse practitioner (NP), and certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA). These fields offer stability because they serve essential, ongoing human needs — whether that’s delivering treatment or building the systems society relies on.
Electrical Engineering, because with the mass proliferation of high electrical demand Artificial Intelligence (AI) data centers, the electrical demands are way higher than the supply, and high-tech data center investors will pay a lot to get the power they need as soon as possible.
— Kevin Stankiewicz ✝️ 🇺🇸 (@KevinStankiewi5)
The caveat: While these professions are stable, they’re not immune to change. AI and robotics will influence both engineering workflows and aspects of pharmaceutical dispensing, making adaptability as important as expertise.
2. The Pragmatists — Trades and Business Acumen
A strong current in the replies: skip the ivory tower and head for the workshop.
Plumbing, HVAC, welding, and electrical work were named repeatedly. These skilled trades are facing shortages, offer solid pay (often six figures), and — most importantly — require physical presence. Robots and AI can’t crawl under a house to fix a leaking pipe.
HVAC systems, Plumbing, Welding, or other vocational trade that can be turned into a profitable business which robots won’t be able to do for a long time. Anything that can be done by tapping your fingers on a keyboard is going to be replaced by AI soon.
— Dave Stephens (@DaveStephens11)
Several people suggested pairing a trade skill with a business degree or entrepreneurial know-how. The idea: start as the expert technician, then become the owner who hires technicians. This shift from “doing the work” to “running the work” can multiply earning potential and create lasting wealth.
3. The Philosophers — Passion Over Prescription
Not everyone believes the answer lies in picking the “right” field at all.
One reply argued that your major doesn’t matter nearly as much as your life habits and ways of being. Another pointed out that enjoying what you do enough to fully embrace it is essential — because you’ll spend a third of your life working.
Probably a controversial answer but I don’t think your college major matters. It’s your life habits and ways of being that lead to success, in many cases no matter what your major is or even if you don’t go to college at all.
— Amanda Fortini (@amandafortini)
This view says the safest path isn’t about industry forecasts — it’s about alignment. Skills sharpen faster and last longer when fueled by genuine interest.
4. The Realists — Skip College, Build Wealth Early
A few replies rejected college entirely as the starting point for financial security.
Instead:
- Learn an in-demand skill that earns money immediately.
- Live frugally from 18 to 24.
- Invest as much as possible in that window.
- Train yourself to be proficient with AI tools.
Skip college. Learn an in demand skill that will let you earn money immediately. Live frugally from 18 – 24. Invest as much as you can. During that time, train yourself to be ridiculously proficient with AI and look for longer term career opportunities that match your interests.
— Wayne Vaughan (@WayneVaughan)
It’s essentially the Financial Independence, Retire Early (FIRE) strategy adapted for the AI age. The focus isn’t just earning, but keeping and multiplying earnings — while preparing to pivot careers as technology shifts.
5. The Wild Cards — Adaptability Above All
One of the most memorable replies summed up the uncertainty bluntly: “There are no safe paths, become pirate.”
It’s tongue-in-cheek, but it points to a hard truth: no career choice today is 100% safe. Industries can change, markets can collapse, and technology can rewrite the rules overnight.
There are no safe paths, become pirate
Ink Blot (@inkblotistan)
The real safety net is adaptability — the ability to learn quickly, pivot confidently, and see opportunities where others see dead ends.
The Real ‘Safest Path’
Looking across the spectrum — from pharmacy to plumbing, from nursing to entrepreneurship — the safest path in today’s world seems less about a single choice and more about a combination:
- Resilient skills — work that’s hard to automate or outsource.
- Adaptability — readiness to change direction as markets shift.
- Financial literacy — keeping and growing what you earn.
- Personal alignment — choosing work you can sustain for decades.
For a talented 17-year-old standing at the edge of adulthood, the best advice might be this: pick something valuable, learn it deeply, run it like a business, and never stop being ready for the next wave.
If you’re 17, your first career choice doesn’t need to be perfect — but your ability to keep building and reinventing yourself might be the most valuable skill of all.