Not even factory work, classic engineering jobs in general. SWE sucked all the air out of the engineering room, because the pay/benefits/job prospects were just head and shoulders better.

We had a fresh out of school EE hire who left our company for an SWE position 6 months into his job with us, for a position that paid the same (plus full remote with a food stipend) as our Director of Engineering. A 23 yr old getting on offer above what a 54 yr old with 30 years experience was making.

For a few years there, you had to be an idi...making sub-optimal decisions, to choose anything other than becoming an techy.