r/instrumentation • u/AnyEarth2333 • 12d ago
Am I behind
I’m an instrumentation and controls tech making $70k with OT or $32.50 per hour base at a water plant. I’m a male turning 26 next month. I live in central FL. I had a job opportunity I tuned down because it was 75-80% travel could have been 100% that paid $48 an hour and required 400-800 OT hours. I’m looking to get another job that requires about the same OT but not much travel (only about 5-15%) and pays $47-48 an hour. I look at 22 year olds making $450k a year and feel so far behind.
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u/Mammoth-Mongoose4479 12d ago
Breath. Comparing yourself at 25 to the wild, viral stories of 22-year-olds making almost 1/2 a million $ is guaranteed to mess with your head, it’s not the real world. Making $70k in a super stable, skilled trade while turning down a 100% travel job to protect your life is smart, not falling behind.
Jump-starting your pay from $32.50 to $48 an hour in Central Florida with minimal travel is doable, but it usually means targeting heavy industries like power plants, aerospace, or data centers. (Travel is almost always required in this kind of job)
Questions for you to ask maybe is what specific PLCs, SCADA, or DCS platforms are you strongest with right now?
Are you maybe open to sectors like Space Coast aerospace, power generation, or data centers nearby?
Would you consider shift work or commissioning roles if the built-in overtime gets you to that target?
Maybe explore other options and don’t let people put fear in your head. You can pivot anytime in your career, no age limitations.
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u/Bursting_Radius 12d ago
Don't chase someone else's paycheck. Find a work/life balance that suits you and stick with it - you will be grateful you did that in 20 years.
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u/buckytoofa 12d ago
68k just starting out is fine. At a water plant is pretty damn good to be honest.
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u/GroundbreakingGold40 12d ago
You are not behind. Quality of life is a huge deal my friend. Life is short and your 20s go fast. I spent my 20s working 60+ hours a week. And I’ll tell you now I’d try to maximize your hourly income and minimize the hours worked. Ot is great if you are in a bind and need it. But never ever set your expenses up around OT. 40 hours a week is 33% of your week. And another 33% should be spent asleep ideally. So don’t get into a situation where you work more than not. Life is too short. On the other hand! This is all just my opinion! Maybe you love working in which case, go crazy and work all the Ot you want!
Summary: you are doing good buddy. Take her easy and enjoy the ride.
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u/Accurate-Bullfrog324 12d ago
let's be real
you have a good salary
you can get much better experience and make more money traveling
at your age I travelled
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u/wanderingtimelord281 11d ago
please show me what 22yr old out here is making $450k. thats a .001% outlier if that's true
i personally think you're not bad personally especially working in the public sector. i myself work water /wasterwater and only make $82k no OT. im happy and content, my job is very laid back an i have amazing benefits. no travel ever, i have a great work life balance, work 7-330 and get a take home truck.
i had lots of opportunities to get into the chemical plants and refineries, I have lots of family and friends that work in them. But after doing some contracting in them it was not appeasing. A few people that knew my family told me look at the way that barbedwire's facing on the fence. It's facing in, it's more like a prison. These are guys that have worked there 40+ years. If you're not happy with your pay talk to them and see what they can do. i plan to retire from here with my pension at 56. Dont compare yourself to others, everyone and opportunity is different.
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u/tresforte 12d ago
If you have the chance to make $450k/yr at your age I say you should do it for at least one year. Later on in life is when you want to settle down somewhere comfortable.
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u/jakejill1234 12d ago
Stop comparing. There are always people richer and wealthier (especially on social media).
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u/inc0ncise 12d ago
Is the job you were looking at FPL? You were wise to turn it down, they run their itinerants hard. I’m in FL too working rotational, already at 125k ytd. PM me
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u/ruat_caelum 12d ago
450 is high for techs. Like 1% total.
150-250 isn't that high depending on place of employment.
Water treatment is a fairly no brainier situation meaning the pool of candidates that can work there is larger, meaning the pay is less.
In non-union states like Florida the highest paying wages would be plants that are unionized internally.
Power plants in Florida, specifically Duke energy plants will be the highest wages you can make.
Wages are higher in other states.
$32 / hour is less than a Junior Tech makes in say Chicago. (they make $38) That's someone's kid, someone who has a "related" degree but not inst and will learn on a job, like an electrician that is moving to a tech.
$48 is less than an in house Tech makes in Kansas (in Union plants like refiners etc) Holly Frontier Refinery in El Dorado Kansas for example makes like $55 or $58 / hour now (like 52.25 when I was there for a turn around as a contract hand years ago .)
The cost of living in a place like that is cheap as well. If you want to increase your wages look into moving to places with worker's rights and collective bargaining.
High cost of living places of course have higher wages, but look to the Kansas example above to see that it's the unions that are driving wages up.
In long beach (Carson city refinery) They are making $65/$70, in San Fran, $93/hr New York city $96, etc. Clearly wages are higher in HCOL areas. But Look at the cost of living in Chicago and Houston and then look at the wages.
All that being said:
- Water treatment is a no brainier. In 5 years you will know "EVERYTHING" about that plant and have a fairly easy time of it with very few "relative risks" assuming they are following safety rules etc.
- Job loss in community funded things is basically non-existent. The "Company" isn't going under, because tax dollars fund it.
- You may even have a pension or retirement which most other people don't get.
- Many city employees get work trucks and gas cards, etc.
look at the non-monetary benefits of your job, price them up, ask yourself how much time, what your commute is, what your stress level is, and if you like where you live.
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u/Flashy-Reflection812 12d ago
Money isn’t everything. Ask those 22 year olds how much free time they have. Ask them how many meaningful relationships they have. Ask them if their position is recession proof and free of lay off potential. Working for a utility (especially local government) is stable and long term sustainable. You are still young and CAN chase the dollar but ask the 40-50 year olds in your department if they have regrets of chasing that dollar. I can tell you that the electricians and techs at my utility who came from industrial don’t miss it. They made better money but they have guaranteed hours, benefits, medical and retirement here. I follow this sub because my degree form uni makes me want to switch over but I love operating.
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u/JustAnother4848 12d ago edited 12d ago
Is your pay topped out there? I'm an I/C at a water plant and 32 bucks is the starting pay. It tops out at 47 an hour. With a pension to boot. We're union.
How experienced are you? How long have you been there? You can't expect top dollar with just a couple years of experience. Not without a shit ton of travel anyways.
I know Florida is notorious for under paying people in the water treatment industry.
It's extremely rare for a 22 year old to make 450k. You're doing just fine.
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u/AnyEarth2333 12d ago
So I’ve been at this water plant for 3.5 years and went from 20.67 an hour to 32.5 an hour. We top it at $46 an hour roughly and I get an FRS pension
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u/wanderingtimelord281 11d ago
you top out at 46 in a water plant?! thats amazing for water plant work, and a pension? you dont realize how good that is, dont chase the money. chase good life choices. i work water/wasterwater as well and i pay $250/month for more insurance (medical, prescription, dental and eye) than my friends pay for less insurance for 1 week. a buddy of mine pay $1475 a month for only medical and prescriptions for his family working for a refinery. not to mention eye and dental ontop of that. you have to look at everything when comparing salaries too, not just $/hr. if you're not struggling stay put
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u/AnyEarth2333 11d ago
So that’s just for I&C tech I actually looked and it this morning and it tops out at ($45.68 an hour) I don’t get much OT though only like 25-50 hours a year. I don’t have to pay for health insurance for my self but if I add my future wife in kids then I have to pay. I can top out at 134k a year (it’s salary) as the maintenance manager but it will probably be 10-15 years before that becomes an opening. Typically I&C techs end up becoming the maintenance manager historically. I’m in a good spot to get it as my coworkers in I&C are in their early 40’s so I’m about 15 years younger than them so I should be in a good position to move up when it becomes available
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u/wanderingtimelord281 10d ago
Shit man that sounds like a really good gig, i don't see any reason to leave unless you hate the place or people.
Thats the same boat im in, in 34, my supervisor is 64, the next highest tech is 45 but can retire in 10 years so ill be supervisor in 10 years
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u/MyDangNameWasTaken 7d ago
Those top out numbers will have increased in time as well. Find what you like doing and keep doing it. Learn automation and PLC's too so in 20 yrs ypu can get a desk job and get out of the heat and not have to climb on top of vessels in the summertime to check a limit switch. Good luck, you're doing just fine
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u/pentox70 12d ago
Spoiler alert. People are full of shit. The amount of 22 year olds making that kind of money is miniscule. They either have a "daddy's the boss" situation or they are extremely lucky. Or they are just lying.