Understood, but there are so many programmers now with low pay or out of work due to competition it's not worth the effort. A Ph.D in computer science pays the best, but there is no guarantee since so many foreigners are using our universities to compete with us and then take their education back to their nations or origin.
60-80% of STEM grads and post-grads in universities are foreigners. Asking for locals to go do plumbing or roofing instead of college is only going to make things worse.