I can't choose between white collar and blue collar!

I'm seriously at a loss. The current job market is not helping me decide.

I just turned 28, and have never had a real career path. I got a degree in French with a great GPA from a great school--I would have a strong law school or business school profile if I wanted to be a lawyer or go into business.

The thing is, I keep getting drawn to the trades. So far I've done construction, salmon fishing, restaurant work, warehouse work, and highway maintenance. I hate staring at a computer all day, I just want to be up and about and working with my hands.

However, I'm also intellectually curious. Working in the trades, you're not typically surrounded by people who share that quality. No offense, not judging, that's just what I've observed. A lot of the people I've met in blue collar work seem stuck in life, and I don't want that to be me. The real problem is I feel like blue collar work has less upward mobility, less opportunity to go and see other places. It's very localized, and it's hard on the body. There is also a ceiling to your earnings unless you start a business.

The other wild card is AI. My current job is related to tax, and I enjoy it so much that I have thought about becoming a tax accountant. However, I hear that companies are getting rid of entry-level positions and outsourcing and automating as much as possible. The starting salary for accountants is much lower than what I would expect, with entry-level associates making around $60k in my area. Working in the trades, I could make at least that much without taking on additional debt. The trades will not be majorly affected by AI in our lifetime.

So... can you guys help me out with some perspective? For example, what's it like raising a family in each case? Can blue collar wages ever outpace a white collar salary in the long term? Will I destroy my body working in a construction trade?