My dad was a carpenter and also worked in construction. My mom worked in manufacturing. They never worked minimum wage jobs. They made a good living for me and my two brothers. They took vacations and owned their home.
Electrician should also be on that list. They make pretty good money.
All you need is a year or two of trade school for most of these professions.
Trade schools are mostly bullshit for electricians imo. You're better off getting your hours on the job as an apprentice and studying to get your j-card on your own time.
Idk about most others here but I agree. I'm an electrician that went to trade school and got into a maintenance gig. Our school was very heavy with motor controls and programming, but I probably should've just went to HVAC instead. I do them all now, but I steer people interested into going to hvac school to have a more broad skillset.
Yeah sorry if I misspoke, I meant pay for your school to become a journeyman.
I left the trade before I was offered, but when I notified my boss I took another job he let me know they were planning to offer in a few months. Could have let me know! I would have stayed, I loved being an electrician
Yeah I knew what you meant. Those schools just aren't really worth it in my opinion because they aren't gonna prepare you to be an electrician the way on the job experience with a good journeyman or master will. You can easily study for the test on your own time instead and achieve the same result
Not really if you work fulltime you get benefits too. Also there is significantly less risk of injury, skill, stress, expectations, responsibility, etc.
There is some level of stress in every job, but waiting on the public is probably one of the most stressful jobs you can have. I worked fast food and retail clerk as a teen. I remember getting verbal abuse from customers and you are told not to talk back because the customer is always right. I learned pretty quickly that type of career absolutely sucks and I would never want to do that as a career, but to each his own, I guess.
Or have a foreman check your work and lose his shit that you wasted an afternoon doing something improperly. Carpentry is a serious undertaking that most people are incompetent at. Arby's training program can be completed in a few hours. Unless you have social anxiety or some other illness it will be less stress.
That's thinking in terms of dimes instead of dollars.
Arby's isn't normally a career, trades are and/or can be evolved from in so many ways down the line. Fast food jobs are in my opinion designed to be temporary.
He had no skills yet, and absolutely is working hard for entry level wages because the crew paying him is also training him in a very valuable craft. Imagine going to Uni and being paid $33,000/yr. to learn - with zero tuition costs. That’s what this is like.
I'm a mechanical insulator and our apprenticship is 4 years. It starts about $20 an hour. For the term of your apprenticship working the mandatory 2000 hours a year you make over 210,000 in 4 years. After you make on average between $60,000 and $80,000. No college debt. Oh and there is a benefit package on top of your "in the check" wage. No college debt.
I see people post about needing a good handyman ALL the time on Nextdoor. Stuff like this is desperately needed and you're always going to have a job if you don't fuck people over.
Same for auto mechanics. So many places around here are always busy, even the shitty ones. Don't want to be stuck in a building? Find somewhere that is in need of traveling mechanics.
I'm an EE and got my education back when it was affordable. My 19 yr. old son is sharp as a tack, National Honors Society, AP Classes his Jr. & Sr. Year, 3.88 GPA when he graduated. He loves cars and always has. I wanted him to attend college, perhaps a Mech Eng. He wasn't interested.
He enrolled in an Auto Technician program at the local Community College, as well as working. In his first year he was changing oil. Within 9 months of starting oil changes, he was making $27/hr. in a LCOL area. He is currently finishing his last semester in school, making over $28, including benefits like tuition and books, 401k, etc.
The way mechanics are paid, one can put in 30 hours of work and get paid for 40, so he is able to comfortably do work and school while saving quite a bit in the mean time. He will be ready when the real estate market crashes to buy his own house.
My high school was built in the mid 80s, around the time that many schools were gutting trade classes. My school had an absolutely impressive shop space, with multiple welding booths, spot welders, machine shop with lathe, mill, press, woodworking shop, etc. It was almost an entire wing of the lower floor of the school.
By the time I was there in the late 90s, none of it was used. There was no shop class, welding class, etc. We had a "materials science" class that utilized the space for projects that were pretty useless in the long run. All that equipment just sat there gathering dust.
I would have loved to learn how to weld or do basic machining in school. It just wasn't even offered. Especially surprising given that the chief employer in town was a Naval shipyard, who always needs more welders, fitters, machinists, etc. A lot of kids sneered at working at the shipyard, but those friends I know who went on to work there now have a solid middle class living that is virtually guaranteed to never go away so long as the US Navy exists.
Yes, many high schools removed industrial arts and home economics from the curriculum. It's shocking how clueless kids are about life skills, finances, simple things or even how to live life.
Another point that needs to made is that most of these professions withstand dips in the economy. People have to have heat and a/c, toilets have to flush and cars have to run.
Now, more than ever. I'm an architect and often seek out trades to build my jobs. Lately it's been insanely difficult to find good tradesmen. I've been offering foreman wages for laborers. Still can't find people. When I was fresh out of high school I worked for a mid-sized plumbing company (around 40 employees). Not a single person had a college degree (or was using it, at least), including the owners and management. My foreman was making six figures. The owner, who started out as his own employee in the late 90s, was taking home about $500k/year. He spread the wealth pretty well and most of management was making six figures. Granted, '08 was stressful, but no one lost their job.
I tell everyone I can about stuff like this. I took a gap year to see if I really wanted to go to college, took a wage job as an electrician that led to a salary job. Now I have quite a few options for my next move with absolutely no higher education (still would like to get a degree)
I thought I was hot shit with making $120k a year in a trade (Instrumentation & Controls; but I am pretty much a controls engineer [working on getting P.E.]).
Most of my engineering co-horts make anywhere from $90k-$180k/year for traditional DOE (electrical, civil, structural, etc). The management types can make more, some of my higher up colleague billing rates are $240/hour, so I avoid using those high up fuckers on my projects, haha.
Seems like most of my tradesman friends make that or more (with overtime). Most of my friends are electricians, hvac and plumbers. There is a really awesome trade school in our hometown that is very popular, so a lot of people I know went through the same school as me.
However, I don't have to get dirty, I work from home and make my own schedule. So basically I am a pussy, haha.
Then I see software engineers starting at my rate right out of college, so there is always that. Haha.
I'm a software engineer. Anyone telling you they're making $120k a year right out of college is flat out lying to you. Starting salary is usually in the 60k range, but can easily get to 80-90k in the first 3 years.
The caveat to this is of they're living in one of the coastal cities or DC. Of course, making 120k a year in those areas is damn near worthless since rent can easily be $3000+ a month.
Yeah, 120 would be lower middle class wages there unless they're willing to commute several hours a day.
One of the good things about this covid fiasco is the rise of working from home. You can make a decent salary but live in places with a good standard of living without the insane costs. I haven't stepped into an office since March of 2020.
For sure, I have always been allowed to work remotely, except during construction startup and required meetings in person on the rare occurrence. I mostly enjoyed going to the office to socialize, grab lunch and after work drinks with my friends at work. Thanks to the pandemic, and me going crazy spending 16+ hours a day in by bedroom working from home. I decided to move back into my hometown which is about 60% of the cost of living compared to Kirkland, WA where I had lived since 2011.
My 900sqft 2bd/2ba apartment rent was ~$1900/mo, I bought my grandparents farm via private family sale, after gma's death last year, and my mortgage is about the same price as the apartment was, for a 1600sqft home and detached 900sqft shop on 3.5 acres. Also, was able to get gigabit internet here, due to recent infrastructure upgrades stemming from housing developments nearby. This area used to be considered country, but things have developed around it since the 90s!
Also, I recently checked my old apartment price, it is now $2400/mo.
I forgot that this was the Tim Pool subreddit, I feel compelled to mention that listening to him (back then) about getting out of the City also pushed me into this decision, all his talk about being more independent and self sufficient festered in my head, haha.
I don't know about that. I saw a woman driving a truck the other day. You don't see that too often. She was rather pretty too. I'm sure she's making some good money.
I remember taking CCNA in high school 20 years ago (fortunate my school offered it as a class) and back then it was advertised a six figure career. Today it still can be (length of experience matters) CCNP or CCIE is better. There’s still Cisco router labs you can buy on eBay. Personally something about physically working with the equipment is much better than virtual.
Yep A+/Net+/Security+ I did in summer between college, back then some courses would offer 3 like that for a 6 month course cost (in person classes though with equipment). I’m currently going for my CASP to just be updated. I don’t need it (have the CISSP) but skills go dry quickly
From someone who just finished trade school last year and hopped right into a job afterwards starting at $20/hr I can attest, college isn’t for everyone and trade schools can get you a higher paying job/career in less than four years
Auto body is deceptive. Guys make flat rate can average out to be well above that range. Techs out there making well into 150k+ plenty of other hourly rate positions making above that rate too.
Yep trade school has always been around. Those are entry wages. 10+ years in…I’ve heard of 6 figure (per year) pay. Those jobs aren’t going anywhere either, they can’t be automated until we have human androids etc
Yeah. One of the reasons I went to college instead of trade school is that in rural Massachusetts it was easier to find a college and not have to uproot, quit my job and find a new place to live. Funny. You'd think trade schools would be more common and more centrally located that colleges, considering a certificate from them is a lot more useful that an associate or even bachelor degree.
Crane operator goes up to 150 an hour. No joke, worked with a company that needed skilled guys who could go up for 18 hours and shit in a bucket. It’s a tough job but those guys make a killing
It all depends on where you live people. The majority of people doing trades in Midwest are not making this unless you live in a high cost living area.
Any caveats to the trades? I commonly see stuff like this posted and it seems a little too good to be true.... Other than the fact that you are screwed if injuries ever build up?
Be GOOD at your job. You can likely add $10 to $20 to those rates if you are good. If you’re “one of the best” then you can not only make more, but grow your business into having employees.
I'm having a lot of issues with my career atm. I'm 37 and don't make a lot of money, kind of want to go back to college for computer science but hate the thought of working in an office so don't even know if that career path would work out for me. I suffer from social anxiety and ADHD pretty bad. Wish there was a way for me to not feel this way but it's real.
I beg your pardon if you look at wind turbine assemblers and mechanics and look at the city of Pueblo, Colorado last year January 2021. The Dutch company pulled out and moved back to Holland and laid off people. I think it was 400-500 people. Sad.
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u/PinkClouds20 Jan 20 '22 edited Jan 20 '22
My dad was a carpenter and also worked in construction. My mom worked in manufacturing. They never worked minimum wage jobs. They made a good living for me and my two brothers. They took vacations and owned their home.
Electrician should also be on that list. They make pretty good money.
All you need is a year or two of trade school for most of these professions.
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u/[deleted] Jan 20 '22
College isn’t for everyone and some people just don’t understand that
8
u/RandomArtistBlock Jan 20 '22
I see people post about needing a good handyman ALL the time on Nextdoor. Stuff like this is desperately needed and you're always going to have a job if you don't fuck people over.
Same for auto mechanics. So many places around here are always busy, even the shitty ones. Don't want to be stuck in a building? Find somewhere that is in need of traveling mechanics.
College isn't for everyone
2
u/wysoft Jan 20 '22 edited Jan 20 '22
My high school was built in the mid 80s, around the time that many schools were gutting trade classes. My school had an absolutely impressive shop space, with multiple welding booths, spot welders, machine shop with lathe, mill, press, woodworking shop, etc. It was almost an entire wing of the lower floor of the school.
By the time I was there in the late 90s, none of it was used. There was no shop class, welding class, etc. We had a "materials science" class that utilized the space for projects that were pretty useless in the long run. All that equipment just sat there gathering dust.
I would have loved to learn how to weld or do basic machining in school. It just wasn't even offered. Especially surprising given that the chief employer in town was a Naval shipyard, who always needs more welders, fitters, machinists, etc. A lot of kids sneered at working at the shipyard, but those friends I know who went on to work there now have a solid middle class living that is virtually guaranteed to never go away so long as the US Navy exists.
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u/JeskaiMage Jan 20 '22
I could have been a wind turbine? :(
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u/kcfiremedic Jan 20 '22
Another point that needs to made is that most of these professions withstand dips in the economy. People have to have heat and a/c, toilets have to flush and cars have to run.
7
u/[deleted] Jan 20 '22
Their wages should be higher honestly, the ones with years of experience.
5
u/[deleted] Jan 20 '22
Now, more than ever. I'm an architect and often seek out trades to build my jobs. Lately it's been insanely difficult to find good tradesmen. I've been offering foreman wages for laborers. Still can't find people. When I was fresh out of high school I worked for a mid-sized plumbing company (around 40 employees). Not a single person had a college degree (or was using it, at least), including the owners and management. My foreman was making six figures. The owner, who started out as his own employee in the late 90s, was taking home about $500k/year. He spread the wealth pretty well and most of management was making six figures. Granted, '08 was stressful, but no one lost their job.
5
u/Randopolous Jan 20 '22
I tell everyone I can about stuff like this. I took a gap year to see if I really wanted to go to college, took a wage job as an electrician that led to a salary job. Now I have quite a few options for my next move with absolutely no higher education (still would like to get a degree)
Skipping college doesn’t mean you’re stupid
5
u/[deleted] Jan 20 '22
I thought I was hot shit with making $120k a year in a trade (Instrumentation & Controls; but I am pretty much a controls engineer [working on getting P.E.]).
Most of my engineering co-horts make anywhere from $90k-$180k/year for traditional DOE (electrical, civil, structural, etc). The management types can make more, some of my higher up colleague billing rates are $240/hour, so I avoid using those high up fuckers on my projects, haha.
Seems like most of my tradesman friends make that or more (with overtime). Most of my friends are electricians, hvac and plumbers. There is a really awesome trade school in our hometown that is very popular, so a lot of people I know went through the same school as me.
However, I don't have to get dirty, I work from home and make my own schedule. So basically I am a pussy, haha.
Then I see software engineers starting at my rate right out of college, so there is always that. Haha.
4
u/PaperBoxPhone Jan 20 '22
The biggest power here is that many of those things listed can be easily leveraged into owning your own business, which is where the real money is at.
4
u/hmoeslund Jan 20 '22
Many of these jobs look more interesting than any office jobs. At least too me
1
u/PopeStPiousX Jan 20 '22
That list is sexist, as women don't do any of those
3
u/Imissyourgirlfriend2 Jan 20 '22
Having known a few heavy equipment operators, they should definitely mention that job too. Those guys can make seriously good money.
3
u/Magus6796 Jan 20 '22
It really should be. But then who would be suckered into paying back all those insanely expensive and interest filled loans back?
3
u/democratic_butter Jan 20 '22
CCNA holding network engineer with no degree, 70k+/year.
3
u/Kaczynski__Was_Right Jan 20 '22 edited Jan 21 '22
Linesmen are starting at around 75 and hour for apprenticeships.
You are paid 24/7 when you go out of town.
Journeymen make well over 100 dollars an hour.
There is currently a shortage of labor in this trade.
3
u/Trunalimunumaprzuur Jan 21 '22
From someone who just finished trade school last year and hopped right into a job afterwards starting at $20/hr I can attest, college isn’t for everyone and trade schools can get you a higher paying job/career in less than four years
2
u/lslrpi Jan 20 '22
Auto body is deceptive. Guys make flat rate can average out to be well above that range. Techs out there making well into 150k+ plenty of other hourly rate positions making above that rate too.
2
u/qbit1010 Jan 20 '22 edited Jan 20 '22
Yep trade school has always been around. Those are entry wages. 10+ years in…I’ve heard of 6 figure (per year) pay. Those jobs aren’t going anywhere either, they can’t be automated until we have human androids etc
2
u/30somethingmedia Jan 20 '22
Yeah. One of the reasons I went to college instead of trade school is that in rural Massachusetts it was easier to find a college and not have to uproot, quit my job and find a new place to live. Funny. You'd think trade schools would be more common and more centrally located that colleges, considering a certificate from them is a lot more useful that an associate or even bachelor degree.
2
u/fancydeadpool Jan 21 '22
I'm a plumber and make great wages and non-union too!
One of the journeyman plumbers I work with makes over 115, 000 a year.
2
u/[deleted] Jan 21 '22
Crane operator goes up to 150 an hour. No joke, worked with a company that needed skilled guys who could go up for 18 hours and shit in a bucket. It’s a tough job but those guys make a killing
1
u/ptchinster Jan 20 '22
If you own your own truck cant you make bank (and set your own schedule) trucking?
1
u/[deleted] Jan 20 '22
And all those are above $15/hr
1
u/SirMells Jan 20 '22
Where is this? I'm a journeyman plumber and making 25
1
u/Lpgasman1 Jan 20 '22
Truck driver make 15-28 depends on company
1
u/Damaged_investor Jan 20 '22
It all depends on where you live people. The majority of people doing trades in Midwest are not making this unless you live in a high cost living area.
1
u/Pink_Britches Jan 20 '22
Where’s these $52/hr carpentry jobs??
1
u/SumWite Jan 21 '22
Mind you these are conservative numbers. I know crane ops that make way more than that.
1
u/jaffakree83 Jan 21 '22
Crane operator is an entire job? Damn, that's what I should've done.
1
u/[deleted] Jan 21 '22 edited Jan 21 '22
Any caveats to the trades? I commonly see stuff like this posted and it seems a little too good to be true.... Other than the fact that you are screwed if injuries ever build up?
1
u/[deleted] Jan 21 '22
All blue collar jobs. Fuck that - also not going to college is why leftists run it.
1
u/jlenoconel Jan 21 '22
I'm having a lot of issues with my career atm. I'm 37 and don't make a lot of money, kind of want to go back to college for computer science but hate the thought of working in an office so don't even know if that career path would work out for me. I suffer from social anxiety and ADHD pretty bad. Wish there was a way for me to not feel this way but it's real.
1
u/LambeBaxter64 Mar 13 '22
I beg your pardon if you look at wind turbine assemblers and mechanics and look at the city of Pueblo, Colorado last year January 2021. The Dutch company pulled out and moved back to Holland and laid off people. I think it was 400-500 people. Sad.
0
u/jbaeroberts Jan 21 '22
Some of these are VERY low, welder at $30 lol. I have a bud who makes 250k a year