There is an alternative: Learn another language, a very third or even fourth world language, move there and set up shop. Of course, you'll need to have an electronics degree, supplies and equipment, but when things break, you'll be the only one around to fix it. And you will fix it or you might get invited for dinner--as the dinner!
One of my classmates is in Ecuador or Brazil and he keeps things running for the locals, sometimes military units, and missionaries. He also does pretty much everything else, too. Cars, trucks, buses, and farm equipment. Baby-sits and herds goats. Because of what he can do, he's a man of some stature in his community.
If you want to work in electronics at component-level repair then you're going to have to go where that's the only option. Most work in the Western World is at best, (for us), board-level and in a lot of cases, unit-level, which means just throw it away and buy another one.
I wish you the best of luck and if you make it, send us a postcard from the jungle.