Critical Technical Career Field Shortages Some of the most basic and in-demand jobs today require technical education expertise. For example: Custodians are confronted with toilets, sinks, and other devices which operate electronically. They need good math skills for properly mix cleaning materials, along with good reading skills for following even the basic procedures. These are not the typical skills of high school dropouts. Automotive Technicians need a strong technical background today. The era of the backyard mechanic has gone the way of dinosaurs. Cars today are highly complicated machines employing more computer technology than was used to take men to the moon in an Apollo space capsule. Their incomes range from $30,000 to $100,000 a year, depending on location.