Depending on where you are, a tugboat captain can clear $500k/year, and you'll have a 6 figure pension when you retire. Other hands on jobs that have lots of overtime potential (e.g. police or fire department, oil, welding, etc) can also pay really well depending on your level.
How much is a tugboat?
I think the term I should've used is "pilot boat captain", or "harbor pilot" actually. The ones by me work for the government. They don't need to provide their own boats.
If you're good you can do well with a lot of career paths, e.g. master woodworker, or expert welder or a good accountant. Of course, you'd have to learn a lot of new things first and that takes years, so it's probably not such a good idea to switch profession without a good reason, and it's even more unlikely that you'll really have to switch it ever...
Master? Expert? That are some high goals - not everyone can be the best. Not everyone should be.
Well, in this context it doesn't mean "the best", it's more of a honorable title for highly skilled craftsman - something achievable with a lot of practice and hard work and love for that job. And while you're totally right, and it's totally fine to be a part of mediocrity (like most of us are), people usually don't quit their well-paid jobs and change carriers completely in hope to be crappy at something else...