Thousands of six-figure, blue-collar jobs are sitting vacant across the country because Americans don't want to get their hands dirty, experts have said.

The automotive giants that once mobilized workers in droves to build vehicles for the front lines during World War II are now struggling to recruit skilled manual labor. 

Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company had around 5,000 mechanic positions that could pay up to $120,000 a year - almost double the national average salary. 

Yet the roles were proving difficult to fill as the United States grapples with a shortage in old-fashioned trade workers.  

'We are in trouble in our country,' Farley warned. 'We are not talking about this enough. 

'We have over a million openings in critical jobs, emergency services, trucking, factory workers, plumbers, electricians and tradesmen. It’s a very serious thing.' 

He added that dealerships across the country often have a 'bay with a lift and tools and no one to work in it.' 

Part of the problem is the length of time it takes to reach the highest pay levels in the industry. Many mechanics work on a flat-rate system, meaning that earnings depend on how quickly they can complete tasks rather than hours worked. As a result, the six-figure salaries typically come only after years of experience. 

Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company had around 5,000 vacant mechanic positions that could pay up to $120,000 a year - almost double the national average salary

Ted Hummel, 39, of Ohio, is a senior master technician who specializes in transmissions and makes $160,000 per year after more than a decade in the field 

Another obstacle is how long is required to learn the trades themselves, which can be five years or more. But, for those who stick it out, the rewards can be substantial. 

Ted Hummel, 39, of Ohio, earns around $160,000 a year as a senior master technician specializing in transmissions, among the most complex and physically demanding components of modern vehicles.

However, it took more than a decade in the industry for him to even cross the $100,000 threshold. 

'They always advertised, back then, you could make six figures,' Hummel, who has an associate degree in automotive technology, told the Wall Street Journal (WSJ). 

'As I was doing it, it was like: "This isn’t happening." It took a long time.' 

He began working for Klaben Ford Lincoln in Kent, near Cleveland, in August 2012. It wasn't until 2022 that his annual earnings exceeded $100,000, he explained to the outlet. 

Ford's job center advertises starting salaries of around $42,000 a year for skilled trade workers, according to listings viewed by the Daily Mail. 

In southeast Michigan, auto mechanics start at $43,260, with a pay increase after three consecutive months of employment.