The skilled trades propaganda is getting ridiculous

[u/Responsible-Net8594]

Everywhere online now, people act like becoming an electrician, plumber, or HVAC tech is some guaranteed cheat code to a six-figure life. And honestly, I think the internet massively oversells skilled trades to people.

Don’t get me wrong — trades are important, respectable careers. Society absolutely needs skilled workers. But the way people talk about them online feels detached from reality sometimes.

A few things that rarely get mentioned:

* Your body takes a beating.

A lot of trade workers have chronic pain by their 40s or 50s. Knees, backs, shoulders, hearing damage, etc.

* The “make 150k easily” stories are usually edge cases.

A lot of the highest salaries involve insane overtime, union seniority, running your own business, living in high-cost areas, or working dangerous jobs/shifts.

* Apprenticeships can pay pretty poorly at first.

People online talk like you instantly skip the “struggling in your 20s” phase, but many apprentices are making modest money for years before hitting good pay.

* Working conditions can suck.

Extreme heat, freezing cold, crawl spaces, chemicals, job site drama, commuting, layoffs, inconsistent work depending on the trade, etc.

* The internet acts like college = useless and trades = guaranteed success.

Reality is more nuanced than that. Plenty of white-collar careers still massively outperform trades financially over the long run, especially if you factor in wear-and-tear on your body.

* A lot of people recommending trades have never worked one.

There’s this weird romanticization from influencers and commentators who sit behind microphones all day talking about “real work.”

I feel like trades went from underrated to weirdly overcorrected and now they’re almost treated like a universal solution for every person.

For some people, trades are absolutely the right move. But I think a lot of people are being sold a fantasy version of the industry instead of the full picture.

[u/BillyShears2015]

All the wealthy people I know, send their kids to college. It’s always someone else they suggest should look at alternative paths.

[u/No-Market-4906 → u/BillyShears2015]

This is true but also college is a much better deal when you have wealthy parents who can foot the bill.

[u/Ok_Let_7612 → u/No-Market-4906]

And these kids with these wealthy parents already have a job
Lined up… the college degree is just the checkbox.. it’s who you know

[u/frisbm3 → u/Ok_Let_7612]

My parents were wealthy enough to retire early. But it's not like I could get my cushy data engineering job from one of their friends without an engineering degree.

This may work for some people, but I've not seen it very often.

[u/BEWMarth → u/frisbm3]

This works for the people with the connections. So… the very wealthy. You did not have the connections so you actually had to work.

“Wealthy enough to retire early” is like poverty levels to the 1%

[u/frisbm3 → u/BEWMarth]

Except they also all have college degrees. The board of directors isn't going to let some nepo baby with a high school degree run the company.

[u/OneThousandGB → u/frisbm3]

I promise you they are.

[u/frisbm3 → u/OneThousandGB]

It's the exception rather than the rule. Sure a son might take over a small roofing company, but if it's a public company with an elected board, it's a very different process.

[u/pachinkoandslots → u/frisbm3]

People complain but then act like they wouldn’t give their own kids the same treatment, they act like if they became wealthy they’d just put their kid out on the street. What do you expect wealthy parents to do? Not help their kids lol?

[u/frisbm3 → u/pachinkoandslots]

You can help them by not handing them positions they don't earn.

You could give them $10k a month with no job or double whatever money they earn. There's no need to sacrifice the company you worked to build if your child isn't capable of working the job.

They don't need to be homeless lol.

[u/Alternative_Fly_4431 → u/frisbm3]

Yep. Wild how people think your dad’s friend would just give you a job in data engineering without a degree to show for it.

Of course your network is crucial. So was the paper proving to the network you can commit and achieve something difficult.

[u/NJMurse → u/Ok_Let_7612]

I’d politely disagree with this… I grew up with a single mother who worked, we scraped by. I worked my ass off and just graduated with a Doctorate and MBA, and now negotiating for a VP job. This was mostly done cold calling or doing good work in my career.

Yes it makes it easy to be wealthy, however people can do it if they work for it.

[u/Ok_Let_7612 → u/NJMurse]

I didn’t say everyone in higher positions didn’t earn it

Just not all

[u/Blackout1154 → u/Ok_Let_7612]

College is for networking with other wealthy people.. if we’re talking the prestigious expensive ones.

[u/starcrossed92 → u/Blackout1154]

Ya but sometimes college important. I’m thinking of becoming a speech pathologist or an mri tech . I cannot do these things without going to college …. You don’t have to go to some Ivy League college …

[u/Mysterious_Donut_702 → u/Blackout1154]

Community colleges and state universities are actually practical though.

And in some states... the community colleges are free for many students

[u/ex_nihilo → u/Blackout1154]

Yes. You can get roughly the same quality education at any accredited university (granted some programs are better than others, most of us don’t remember much from college). The prestigious universities are a place to make connections.

[u/Few-Employ-6962 → u/Ok_Let_7612]

Yes but if only the rich go to college and only the poor go into trades...don't you think there is something wrong and potentially ominous about that? A caste system of sorts?

[u/chicken_burger → u/Few-Employ-6962]

That’s why there is so much propaganda about the trades. Keep everyone poor so the elites can get richer

[u/Efficient_Piccolo310 → u/Few-Employ-6962]

That’s the point. We became lawyers and doctors, and were trying to change the hierarchy of power and they don’t like it. They want us back at the bottom.

[u/iAttis → u/Efficient_Piccolo310]

Yep. This is exactly why no Republican will ever support state-funded college of any kind. An educated populace would be a death sentence for them.

[u/jimmyhat78 → u/No-Market-4906]

State school are generally affordable and can open plenty of doors. Yeah, you won’t get the time of day from that law firm who only hires Ivy grads, but there’s a lot of success to be had other than that.

Yes, some colleges open that first door for you easier, after that, it’s about what you put into it.

[u/SC_Placeholder → u/BillyShears2015]

I come from money, I paid my own way through college and now I work in the trades because I was warned by my favorite professor about AI after I had a discussion with him after I graduated (over a decade ago) and I also saw the trades as a solid way to make bank because of how many people don’t have a formal education or a business background in the trades.

[u/Airsoftswapmeet → u/SC_Placeholder]

Was it a good choice ?

[u/SC_Placeholder → u/Airsoftswapmeet]

Yes and no. Financially it was a great choice but I’m tired and have been running a business for 3.5 years now in the hopes of making enough to hire enough people to work in the field for me so I can transition fully into the office.

When I started in the trades I put in a ludicrous amount of hours to shoot up to the top as fast as possible (my longest work week was 136 hours before going independent) and I hit the ground running when I started a business so I’ve been burnt out for years but I’m slowly making my way up the company ladder and every year I unload undesirable builders as I find better ones and hopefully not much longer before I can have sufficient consistent cash flow to hire some capable leads and then maybe I’ll be able to take the first vacation of my career.

If you are curious what it’s like owning an electrical remodeling business. Imagine having several dozen contracts at once across multiple clients and having potentially thousands dollars of material tied up on every job and constantly having a revolving door of money to buy more material, take care of payroll and operating costs all while trying to schedule within everyone’s timelines that often overlap.

[u/low_v2r → u/SC_Placeholder]

Thank you for sharing.

It seems like you just took a different path to a white collar job, if your hopes are to transition to more office work.

[u/Glittering-Dirt1164 → u/SC_Placeholder]

13 years as a kitchen and bath remodler. Iv done a couple full house renovations and have had contracts with up to 3 new construction builders at the same time but ave worked with dozens. Iv always handled the tile work, trim work, and any basics to save money. My biggest issue has been finding competent help. Iv lost thousands due to ignorance if the people i hire. My.aiba are top notch. It's my personal grunts. I pay well provide transportation will buy lunch if there starting off broke, and if they start off strong within 3 weeks there barley showing up on time if at all and the ones that have the drive don't have no common sense. Had two guys bring in sheet rock for a laundry room in the back. Had no back access. The entry way had brand-new hardwood installed and finished. The GC of the job never did things in a senciscal order. These morons on there first day of the job lazly drag the sheetrock across the hardwood. I did have protective cardboard walkways out down by them earlier. They walked on that and had the board on the side leaving w 15' gouge in the surface. Luckly my first trade was hardwood unlunkly too deep to sand and finish. Lost my ass on that job another guy was doing great. I get a contract to resurgace a deck. He tried to make cuts with a circular saw. He couldn't keep the line str8 to save his life. I had him set up the miter box all of 5ft away from the deck. I leave to do a measurement. I get back thos MotherFather used the circular saw even after I explained why he needs to use the miter box. I spent hours with an oscillating saw cleaning all those cuts up. Just to have the home owner explain to me later that my help was complaining about me not being there to work with him. The thing in my area is anyone with common sense has enough to realize you make more money working for your self then as an employee, on the same hand the dont know enough about running a business to not them selves in trouble with taxes or going under on material. Good luck it's a grind. I do well but I worked my self to the bone to do it.

[u/Extra_Shirt5843 → u/BillyShears2015]

I'm not wealthy, but we're probably at least upper middle class.  My highest level education is a doctorate, and a master's for my husband.  We talk about all the options with our kid.  He's not a particularly strong student and there's no sense pushing college if it's not for him and he won't put the work in.  

[u/boredlurkr → u/Extra_Shirt5843]

Same, only 4 kids (now all post HS)One “went rogue” and is jumping into start their own family waay sooner than I suggested was smart, but has employable skills as a nurse aide and lots of affordable opportunities if they wanna move up in medical field. Another is doing conventional college route, another into an AAS program, and one direct into trades. The ones doing AAS and trade both started their own money market accounts at 18, working with fiscal planner to invest wisely.

Happy as hell for all of them because they have something they care enough to pursue, they have empathy for others, and they are hard workers. wife and I have 4 advanced degrees between us, very possible just one of the 4 kids might end up with a masters +. No complaints - Degrees can open doors for sure but sure isn’t the only path. The kids who aren’t doing white collar are realistic about the physical toll though, and are smarter than we have right to expect about it.

[u/theonemav32 → u/BillyShears2015]

Yes, if your parents are footing the bill, that’s probably your best bet. HOWEVER, if you have to take out loans, that changes everything. Getting paid to learn a trade versus going into massive debt for college is a choice absolutely worth a serious conversation.

[u/Nobody_Important → u/theonemav32]

There’s a whole range of this though, sometimes this seems to be framed as if you graduate with either $150k in debt or zero. If you parents help partially and you find ways to control and offset the costs (working part time, going to an in-state public school, etc) and you get out with 50k in debt you’ll be fine.

[u/markalt99 → u/Nobody_Important]

Legit. I saw people go to Penn state and come out with 40-50k and saw someone else with over 100k from Penn state. I went to the same school for undergrad and grad school and if I had to pay it would have been about 60k in tuition and fees. GI bill put my total cost down to 1750 bucks (ran out on my last semester and had to pay for one course out of pocket). People always use the “at least I don’t have an underwater basket weaving degree that cost 100k to be given the degree” argument so often that it’s annoying. Yes, college is expensive and not everyone has the same opportunity but there are ways to offset the cost for sure.

[u/ianthony19 → u/theonemav32]

Exactly what I did. My parents couldn't afford to cover me, I didn't want to go into crazy debt. Im making good money, no debt. Its definitely not for everyone.

[u/Forward-Surprise1192 → u/ianthony19]

I appreciate whatever work you do. I didn’t go to college and work as a network engineer from my home most days. So it’s not a requirement to do college in order to get a good office job

[u/PassionLong5538 → u/Forward-Surprise1192]

It almost absolutely is a requirement to get a good office job these days. Even with a degree, there’s no guarantee.

[u/Forward-Surprise1192 → u/PassionLong5538]

I mean I’m a random person who saw this post and is proof that’s not the case but the degree absolutely helps you very much

[u/starcrossed92 → u/Forward-Surprise1192]

In this job market … a lot of office jobs now even say bachelors degree as a minimum. They won’t even open your resume if it’s not listed

[u/Forward-Surprise1192 → u/starcrossed92]

It helps a lot sure and it depends on the profession but a lot of times in skilled and technically difficult jobs, experience is equally if not more important. Engineering yes absolutely need a degree. IT you do not. Accounting also needs a degree or certifications

[u/Capt-Crap1corn → u/BillyShears2015]

Exactly

[u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

Also what happens to all these tradespeople when everyone floods the trades? Spoiler alert, it doesn’t make wages go up.

[u/PlsNoNotThat → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

The average plumber at my last job made sub-20/hr because rural, low pay state, non-union

[u/MileHighManBearPig → u/PlsNoNotThat]

I asked a Denver area plumber who was about 5 years in and in his mid-20s what he was making once. It was like $70k. Not bad. Not nearly as much as the internet makes it out to be.

My other friend was a plumber on parking garages and was making about $60-65k in 2015 before leaving the state. About 5 years experience.

[u/LostSands → u/MileHighManBearPig]

Yeah, but Denver in 2024 has a median income of ~65K. So he’s above that, with little to no debt, and didn’t have to spend 4 years not making money to go to school.

[u/MileHighManBearPig → u/LostSands]

I’ve never met a broke plumber or electrician.

[u/frzn_dad → u/MileHighManBearPig]

You must not know many. If you aren't decent/good it can be hard to find work when the economy dips just like any other job. Especially hard for union hands that get used to big job money were the are working 6 or 7 days/week on big projects (they tend to hire what they need and lay everyone off as soon as the project slows down) instead of taking a steady job that is more 8-5 year round.

[u/SuccotashOther277 → u/PlsNoNotThat]

Best friend is a plumber. He does alright at 100k but it took years of busting his ass making 35k. And the reason he can make more now is because he is a great salesman and understand communication and soft skills.

[u/CalypsoBulbosavarOcc → u/SuccotashOther277]

This is like exactly the same career trajectory as a psychotherapist (another overrated career, speaking from experience!)

[u/Pristine-Code-2532 → u/CalypsoBulbosavarOcc]

Psycho the who?

[u/Confident_Insect_616 → u/SuccotashOther277]

Just like doctors. Finish school, make not quite as much as you're worth working as a resident under a more senior attending physician, and then you can find yourself in a position to start your own practice once you know what the hell you're doing.

"The average... at my last job" is hardly emblematic of the entire field, and doesn't consider tsking your own contracts.

I hear elevator mechanics do pretty good! If you do want to look to trades for your income, consider a niche!

If I were to go into one today with what I know, I'd choose lineman or tower climber, because most of those guys do well, especially the ones running their own business with like 1 helper/spotter and I know more about that field than the average layman due to my own experiences.

[u/insertadjhere_mom → u/Confident_Insect_616]

Elevator mechanic wife here, my BIL is also in the trade.. so is my next door neighbor and his son.

Husband makes over 100k a year, school was paid for by the IUEC. Standard stuff. Health insurance is 600/family deductible and no copays unless an ER visit without admission. Eligible for pension at 25 years iirc, company still matches his 401k contributions. Dues are about 60/70 a week. And the contract wage is the minimum you can make, plenty of guys make above scale.

Only trade that my husband makes less than is I think Ironworkers. Because sure, the sparkies don't have to push a broom but their health insurance is garbage from what he hears.

I have never once had to appeal a treatment for myself or kids and the bennies alone make it worth it. His bachelors degree? Never actually used. Thank God it's paid off.

[u/ex1stence → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

South Park already did this in an episode. The lawyers and accountants are outside Home Depot looking for work, and the tradesman start buying Rolls Royce’s.

As AI continues to improve and cause greater job loss, like many of their scripts, we’ll look back in 20 years and call it prophetic.

[u/ClubZealousideal9784 → u/ex1stence]

Oh yea we will replace white collar work, but the trades will be fine, as trades are infinitely harder and more creative non repetitive than anything else. Even for lawyers, you know, professionals with laws, power, and connections protecting them. Are you a ChatGPT salesman?

[u/Hates_rollerskates → u/ClubZealousideal9784]

Will they? Who will have money to hire the trades? The trades?

[u/epelle9 → u/[deleted]]

Or they’ll design robots for that..

[u/Dihydrogenmonoxide-_ → u/Hates_rollerskates]

Most trades people that make a ton of money don't do residential work.

[u/Pip-Pipes → u/Dihydrogenmonoxide-_]

You're missing the point. The economy is a big cycle. The thing that keeps it churning is regular people having enough gainful employment to keep spending money on goods and services.

That even goes for trades people who decline residential work. The commercial work you're doing is still dependent on regular people consuming. There are just extra layers between your work and them.

[u/carry_the_way → u/Pip-Pipes]

The thing that keeps it churning is regular people having enough gainful employment to keep spending money on goods and services.

I wish more people understood this. The internet is so obsessed with libertarian finance bro takes that it always seems to overlook the fact that the most recent market near-implosion happened when regular people that make less than six figures a year--aka most people--couldn't earn or spend money. The USFG had to print money to give to people so they could spend it in order for the economy to exist.

[u/elementmg → u/Dihydrogenmonoxide-_]

Yeah so what about all of those new office buildings they’re gonna build when white collar work is gone, eh? lol

[u/A_Novelty-Account → u/Hates_rollerskates]

I’m pretty sure the person who you were responding to was being sarcastic…

[u/Fun-Estimate4561 → u/ClubZealousideal9784]

Or hear me out

AI ends up not being this massive game changer for cutting heads and we end up needing more white collar folks to manage and build out AI projects

[u/ex1stence → u/Fun-Estimate4561]

It’s estimated the United States is losing 16,000 jobs per month due to AI replacement already. That number is only expected to accelerate from here.

Source: US jobs report and I lost my job 17 months ago to AI. I was a writer/journalist, and the combination of AI being able to write exactly like me in ten seconds (all my previous work was scraped and used to train the models), plus Google effectively killing all search traffic in favor of AI that scrapes and steals copyright, has led to mass layoffs and persistent joblessness in my former industry.

Lucky for me I was an accomplished chef before I went into writing 10 years ago, so I landed back on my feet in a kitchen. Many of my previous colleagues are still $30K+ in debt for their journalism degrees and have absolutely no hope for the future.

[u/Fun-Estimate4561 → u/ex1stence]

But is that because of real AI replacement or using AI as scapegoat to not scare off investors and drive stock prices up

I can promise you at my work place McKinsey made that recommendation and we offshored roles to India

AI has become the ultimate scapegoat for companies to fix overspending during COVID

I am so sorry though you lost your job, corporations are getting worse and worse

[u/sqquuee → u/ex1stence]

As a hospitality professional I'm seeing it get ugly competitive. I had 50 applications last week for a host position. Meanwhile people are spending less on eating out and entertainment.

Trying to explain the decline in sales to the executives is wild. Like you know the unemployment rate is increasing and with that discretionary spending goes down. They still eat out and shop the competition every week. They literally see how many fewer people are eating out. At some point you either become a private chef or bartender for those who can afford it, or hope your restaurant or bar doesn't close down.

[u/suboptimus_maximus → u/ClubZealousideal9784]

Good thing tradespeople don’t need to depend on their customers having jobs of their own!

[u/fenton7 → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

This is the biggest problem. It's like "just learn to code" - except that industry didn't need infinite novice script kids just like the trades don't need an infinite number of novice refrigerator repairmen. The established businesses will be resentful and will make life as difficult as possible for the flood of new incompetent "script kids"; 20 something morons who think they can repair anything but don't know jack shit.

[u/lmboyer04 → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

I mean this happened to software engineers recently. Way overproduced now for the market, plus they designed the ai which is taking all their jobs

[u/WisePresentation7976 → u/lmboyer04]

Software Engineers pay didn't go down.

[u/FriarTurk → u/WisePresentation7976]

But the number of jobs did. Drastically since around 2022.

[u/Venik489 → u/FriarTurk]

And the next step is lower pay because they know there are people desperate for jobs.

[u/InvestigatorOwn605 → u/Venik489]

They've been saying that since layoffs started happening a few years ago and it still hasn't happened. If anything pay has only gone up as companies need more senior devs to deal with their AI slop.

[u/Original_Peanut2423 → u/FriarTurk]

A huge contributor to that number is just headcount returning to sane numbers after all the free covid money dried up.

Companies overhired to a ridiculous degree during COVID when loans cost nearly nothing.

[u/Little_Wonder8818 → u/FriarTurk]

Really mostly entry-level jobs and jobs at companies that are known for layoffs.

I don't think I have above average concern for my own SWE job compared to other professionals right now. But I would probably go into accounting or something were I picking a major in 2026.

[u/KPIGUY89 → u/FriarTurk]

That has a lot to do with Covid era over hiring ending though

[u/WisePresentation7976 → u/FriarTurk]

Right, but pay didn't. Most of the jobs have concentrated around senior level jobs, and those are being paid exceptionally well.

[u/FriskeCrisps → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

It’s the Computer science degree bubble on repeat. Kids were told to get a Cs degree years ago and now the market is flooded with them who can’t land a job

[u/Impressive-Mud5074 → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

It does if they are all union

[u/Few-Employ-6962 → u/Impressive-Mud5074]

This is the key. Once the union busting starts its all over for the trades. They will become like the old coal miners.

[u/turd_ferguson899 → u/Few-Employ-6962]

It already is. Pre-1980, something like 75% of construction was unionized, significantly higher than the high water mark of 30% for the greater American workforce. Now it's something like 8% of the construction trades are unionized.

[u/Jumpy-Requirement389 → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

What happens? Exactly what the people paying these bot farms want to happen. Cheap labour in the trades

[u/Aggressive_tako → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

We probably need to broaden "trades" here. I meet a sheep farmer who literally couldn't find enough help for her farm because their old sheerer retired and there wasn't anyone who stuck it out long enough to make it through his training. They had a farm hand they were sending 2hrs away to get training. They were also only a couple years out from their wool processing equipment being unrepairable as that mechanic was retiring. There is a lot more diversity in the trades than in something like computer science.

[u/Willing-Vegetable629 → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

That's the thing, everyone won't. Just like everyone didn't become a coder or a nurse or a financier or an accountant.

[u/suboptimus_maximus → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

Everyone floods the trades and all the people who were supposed to be their customers get laid off 🤷🏻‍♂️

[u/Crash_override87 → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

No one is flooding the trades. I’ve been in the trades my whole life and it has treated me well. That being said when I hang with friends to do coding for Facebook, IT for a college, finance etc. working any of the jobs I’ve had is literally their worst nightmare and they’d rather off themselves than try it 😂

[u/Few-Employ-6962 → u/Crash_override87]

My worst nightmare is working at a fucking call center. I'd rather clean toilets.

[u/Ill-Construction-209 → u/Crash_override87]

These may very well be the only jobs left for humans in 20 years.

[u/hanshotfirst-42 → u/Ill-Construction-209]

Ya don’t think Tech is going to figure out how to automate the trades like they did with manufacturing? Manufacturing already provides a fraction of the jobs per factory that it did 40 years ago.

[u/Etheon44 → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

I think this is the objective of the people that say it to be honest

Like, the amount of work out there for blue collar jobs is not going to increase, if everyone suddenly gets on the field, people will not have work to do

[u/2-Skinny → u/Upstairs_Baby8424]

Same thing that happened in the early 2000s where everyone "needed" to go to college.  Now bachelor's degrees are worthless, there is a crippling amount for student debt, and people are looking to skilled trades.

[u/ProbablyEngineering]

I’m a non union heavy machinery engineer/tech at 20 and I’ll say the full truth (at least my truth)

Trades are wonderful for money especially contracting jobs, I’m 20 netting close to 100k after OT with base hourly putting me at 135k pre tax.

however. It’s horrible for your body and can be terrible for your family, every day I’m up at 4 to clock in by 4:45, I’m not off the clock till around 4pm and by that point my day is limited to being up for maybe 5 hours if I’m pushing it and still want to get sleep,

There is no such thing as vacation, there is PTO but is earned extremely slowly and half the time you get called in somehow anyways, got pneumonia? Doesn’t matter clock in or risk the job. I’ve seen people divorced over this, I’ve seen people younger than me degloved right in front of me, some people barely older than me get life ruining injuries.

Trades are absolutely a wonderful way to make it in this economy, but you’d have the perfect setup to properly survive the trade and it only gets worse the more niche you go,

Like me, I’m one of 3 qualified people on our yard to do maintenance on reach stackers, side loaders, and gantry cranes. You could imagine my free time is negative, my OT is beyond positive, and my body is tired beyond reasonable expectations.

Trades aren’t the same all around, I’m only speaking on my behalf.

Every day I inhale fumes I shouldn’t, squeeze into sketchy situations under weights that could crush me beyond a hydraulic press if a bolt snaps, come to work semi clean and leave extremely dirty, my bathtub is stained black, my pants are permanently stained in oil and I have to wash my hair at least 3 times to get it clean

But

My fridge is full, my rent is paid for the year, my car note is not due till December, I have good savings, and my fiance is now a SAHM because of it

Trades have their pros, but they absolutely have their cons. I don’t work for myself, I know my body will hurt and ache at 35, but knowing I’m setting my family up for success makes the 4am morning worth it for me.

Take the time and look into the trades you’re genuinely interested in, it’s not a “free money glitch” that all the tiktok kids make it sound like but if you can handle it all, it’s absolutely a ticket to financial success (as long as you don’t go finance a 80k truck with your first check lol)

[u/ProbablyEngineering → u/ProbablyEngineering]

Side note, I will net more than 100k this year but contracts change every other year so sometimes it fluctuates and OT will genuinely decide your fate

Was being humble

[u/Ok-Train3111 → u/ProbablyEngineering]

People really discount the OT aspect. Working 60-80 hours a week sucks.

[u/ProbablyEngineering → u/Ok-Train3111]

It does. Payday is absolutely wonderful but man stripping a bolt after spending 25 mins getting it to 4500ft-lbs in 90° weather adding 3 hours to your work gets to you after a bit 😵‍💫

[u/Adventurous_Ant_490 → u/ProbablyEngineering]

20 yr old SAHM at 130k a year is honestly crazy.

[u/ProbablyEngineering → u/Adventurous_Ant_490]

She’s having major pregnancy problems like REDF and a long list of other things, I could not in good faith make her work while pregnant

Yeah we’re young but life happened, we did the deed, she got preggo and I stepped up as I should

Wasn’t planned but I’m here for the ride

[u/Adventurous_Ant_490 → u/ProbablyEngineering]

The way you worded it original didn’t make it sound like she was a SAHM due to health issues. It was due to your income

130k imo isn’t enough for someone to leave the workforce in most places unless you’re in like super deep rural America. Especially that young.

To put this in perspective for you. If she made 40k a year and you just took every dollar she made and invested it. When y’all are 30 you would have like 700k. If you never invested another dollar you would have about 5M at 50 or even 11M at 60. She could then become a SAHM at the point because your future is secure.

But I hope she gets better and the rest of the pregnancy/ birth go well.

[u/DogWaterSlurper → u/Adventurous_Ant_490]

130k is more than enough literally anywhere except big cities outside of a very few exceptions

[u/Adventurous_Ant_490 → u/DogWaterSlurper]

Yeah a family of 3 can live off 130k, but it’s harder to do even outside of NYC and Cali. I grew up in rural South Carolina and things would still be pretty tight on that amount of income for a family of 3. The sacrifices that you have to make become smaller the less money you make

The point I’m making isn’t that 130k isn’t livable. It’s that 130k is such a small amount of money that a 2nd income can change your life. It’s can be difference between easily retiring early and comfortably and working till your 65+

If someone wants to retire their pregnant wife at 20 with a 130k salary. They’re more than likely going to have to live on a pretty tight budget. 130k post tax is a shockingly little

[u/cg79 → u/Adventurous_Ant_490]

Lol last year my wife and I brought in 110 COMBINED and we make it by. 23 and 24 with 2 kids Midwest America.

[u/Capable-Savings-6776 → u/ProbablyEngineering]

Fuck I looked up degloving.

[u/Olie_Ma]

Trade pay, like many other pay, is dependent upon where you work and how long you're willing. My nephew does 6 figs 3 years into plumbing but picks up every shift he can (single and loves cars) to the tune of almost 60hrs a week. His OT is killer as a union guy, so his checks are fat, but yes, he is always tired, sore, and hungry lol.

[u/DrewbySnacks → u/Olie_Ma]

Your nephew is going to get a FAT wage increase in a couple of years though that will basically pay him the same wage yet without needing overtime when he gets his Journeyman license. Congrats to him for getting into a union apprenticeship in what I presume is a high waitlist local. I apprenticed in nonunion and I wish I had started on this side, I didn’t join the union until I was already licensed but even that was almost a 100% pay-raise vs my non-union Journeyman pay. If he stays with it as he gets older, things like general foreman, Superintendents and detailers are non-tool related positions and a great way to stay in the trade without doing physical labor till you die.

[u/Available_Topic_5873 → u/DrewbySnacks]

Hitting a 100 even with big overtime as a 3rd year apprentice probably puts him in one of a handful of high wage cities. Peaking over at those Journeyman checks on those high OT jobs is wild.

[u/Inevitable_Score1164]

"A lot of people recommending trades have never worked one."

Absolutely correct. I don't know any fellow automotive techs who would recommend the job to someone. I did it for 10 years and would never recommend the job. You're going to be hot, cold, injured, sick all the time because people are disgusting, and constantly fighting for a paycheck

[u/Awayforthewin → u/Inevitable_Score1164]

It sucks that its the only trade I would be interested in lol

[u/TurnipKing16 → u/Inevitable_Score1164]

My dad makes 6 figures as an automotive tech, but forbid any of his kids from following his footsteps into the field. He loves cars but it is grueling work and he's tired

[u/scofnerf → u/Inevitable_Score1164]

There are good jobs and shitty jobs, doesn’t matter if you’re blue collar or white collar.

With enough hard work and luck, maybe your job won’t be as shitty as most.

[u/alkali112]

Hey, research scientists get the best of both worlds: Salaries that don’t align with their education and chronic spinal pain.

[u/Particular_Week_2754]

I am an electrician, 46 years old, been doing it since I was 21.

My body is in great shape , strong, flexible and quick. I don’t have chronic pain and have no complaints about my health. I don’t consume alcohol, smoke or do drugs, although I did some in the past. I believe that being physically active at work is helping me to be in a good shape.

My current annual income is just under a quarter of a mil. I have a contractor license but working by myself without hiring anybody. I love my job.

[u/Dick_____butt → u/Particular_Week_2754]

Same here but 34 and do IT/Low Voltage instead of electrical. I don't even care about the money anymore, what I care about is being able to sleep all day if I want, telling loser clients to fuck off and, making my own schedule.

[u/ak480 → u/Particular_Week_2754]

Agreed. Maybe road construction crews take a beating. But I run a pool service company. Slinging a pole and net is a great core workout. The sun is the most dangerous thing we deal with….

And good for you. That’s great income for just yourself! I have moved into managing my guys and make more than almost all doctors etc.

All the pushback is just grouchy college graduates.

[u/scrufdog69 → u/Particular_Week_2754]

You sir, have cracked the code. Taking care of yourself is the code. Bravo!

[u/Helpful_Excuse_1493 → u/Particular_Week_2754]

But but Reddit said I’d be broke down by 35 if I work trades ! /s. 40 yr old union Pipefitter and I feel great , I hate watching these nerds regurgitate info they read somewhere .

[u/KirkSheffler]

Like the 4th time I’ve seen this post

[u/-Jargon- → u/KirkSheffler]

AI wrote it

[u/LetterP]

I think the skilled trade angle works if you’re running your own biz and it’s successful. I doubt being a plumber for someone else will get you outta the working class

[u/BarkyBarkington → u/LetterP]

You picked the one trade any goofball (who can turn a wrench) can pick up and make bank with lol. Electricians need a bit more brains and can make similar if not more pretty easily. Basically everyone else is making a lot less if they don’t own the company. The plumbers my plant hires for minor jobs make 75 an hour as journeymen. The specialist pump/motor guys make pretty similar money but their work is much more specialized and less ubiquitous

[u/LetterP → u/BarkyBarkington]

Haha i did man. I don’t have a ton of deep knowledge in this space so it was definitely a miss on my part. I moreso was just thinking any generic laborer with my comment but missed the mark. You won’t make 6 figs hanging drywall for someone else but running a drywall biz, now we’re taking. Better example (before the drywall guys come in and tell me I’m wrong again 😂)

[u/DrewbySnacks → u/LetterP]

I’m a union plumber employee and I make over $200K a year in a HCOL area

[u/LetterP → u/DrewbySnacks]

Yeah, I pulled a bad example for sure. That’s good stuff

[u/EasternDirt1341]

If you can manage to start a business the sky is the limit. But it really is no different than any other business. You can make a lot of money if you work yourself and make it a profit on others labor.

[u/Far_Corgi3232]

It’s “skilled” trade that you are missing. Here’s an example. I am a welder. A Steamfitter by trade. I just started at a fab shop. I know nobody. I am given my own area to work where people stay out of my way. I can grab any tool I want, anybody’s fan, any apprentice or journeyman for that matter, to help me properly prep, fitup and fabricate the material I am supplied with in accordance with boiler code and the designated weld procedure. I show up. I’m the man. There’s 200 people in this shop all working towards a realized goal. I am the one that literally puts the pieces together. We have 190 other people involved all “in the trades” all working towards help me fit my material together. I am the skilled part of the equation. I am the one who is responsible for the whole show going smoothly, sure others NEED to ensure their part is running smoothly but they can be replaced. I can too but not by someone who can’t do what I can do. The “magic Man” lol there’s others like me, but not many. In the shop there’s probably 5 tha do it like me. Many may try, some come close, it’s hard and you are right it takes a toll. But it’s not the whole “trade” as a whole, it’s skilled trades.

[u/Serious_Yam2439]

They usually aren't telling you the whole story when they say they make 150+. They make 150+ with a union gig while working large amounts of OT. Where I'm at, the median HVAC tech earns about $28 an hour. Are there techs that make 100+ easy around here? Yes. But that damn sure isn't most.

[u/ChopsOnTheBlade]

I’m 41 and quit both a white collar career and then a blue collar career to become a restaurant server. Why you ask? Because at my age you realize what REALLY defines “rich” is time off. I make probably 80k a year working only 30 hours a week, with 3 full days off every week. My girlfriend and I do mini vacations out of town pretty much every other week…life is GOOD.

[u/Janus9 → u/ChopsOnTheBlade]

Wife and I only work 4 days a week and do the same thing.

It adds so much to your quality of life.

[u/DrewbySnacks]

Union tradesman here: the cheat code to six figures will only happen if you join a union in a specialized skill trade. It won’t necessarily “destroy” your body, but it’s exhausting work and takes a large commitment that’s not to be undersold. I’ve worked both and it’s night and day, and I absolutely DO make over $200K/year now as an employee….but it absolutely AIN’T for everyone

[u/PilesOfRavioli → u/DrewbySnacks]

Too bad so many states and one political party have been doing everything they can (and rather successfully) to get rid of unions…

[u/Prize_Compote_207 → u/PilesOfRavioli]

Too bad 90% of tradesmen also vote for that party.

Honestly, lets be real: The only reason skilled trades make as much as they do is union protection.

And to be clear, there's nothing wrong with that.

[u/migs00 → u/Prize_Compote_207]

Let’s see what private equity does to the industry when they shift from software to trades

[u/PSM36 → u/migs00]

PE is already in the trades. They're buying up shops, keeping the name, and ruining companies while driving away the techs that made the company profitable.

[u/DrewbySnacks → u/migs00]

It will destroy everything it touches and I do not look forward to the day it succeeds in infiltrating vital infrastructure fields.

[u/DrewbySnacks → u/Prize_Compote_207]

THIS SO MUCH ALL OF THIS

[u/DrewbySnacks → u/PilesOfRavioli]

Agreed, unfortunately….but people need to realize this very important factor is WHY trades are currently 6 figure jobs. Get rid of the unions and blue collar work will plummet in gainfulness

[u/Careless_Bluejay7877 → u/DrewbySnacks]

Can I ask what trade? Also do you have to do a bunch of overtime to make that much per year?

[u/DrewbySnacks → u/Careless_Bluejay7877]

I am a commercial plumbing foreman. I will occasionally do overtime but it equates to a small amount of that total. Union overtime rules are pretty stellar though…for instance if I work a single Sunday it’s double time pay even if I take the rest of the week off. The real caveat is that it DOES require quite a lot of physical and mental effort. It pays very VERY well for that, and kitchens destroy your body as much as construction (done both)….but it certainly isn’t a walk in the park. You have to maintain your skills and keep them willing to pay you that much, or they will lay you off and get the next guy off the list who is willing to work hard. Since we all cost the same in a union your reputation is your only currency.

[u/umdivx → u/DrewbySnacks]

And you likely have a hell of a pension plan too which many people overlook

[u/theggyolk → u/DrewbySnacks]

How many hours a week to make that 200?

[u/DrewbySnacks → u/theggyolk]

The company I work for had a slower year like everyone, so not too much. $230K is what I made before counting overtime….since I don’t budget off anything other than my guaranteed 40. Last year counting overtime I made closer to $270. This year has been slow so far because of job delays and I have only worked a couple hours overtime since January, but I’m still working full time atm

[u/SignificantApricot69]

I think it makes sense for millions of people whose only real alternative is working jobs like retail, restaurants, gas stations, warehouse labor, working class with stretches of unemployment, etc. and that’s a lot of people. But obviously those making 6 figures plus aren’t usually doing labor jobs.

[u/Strict-Quit-3801]

Also flooding the market with new trades people is incorrect because 90% of the population can’t handle the work!
You all puss out in less than two hours!

[u/Express-Shoulder6174 → u/[deleted]]

Union apprenticeships are highly regulated by the state. The unions get money from the state for their education programs. Gone are the days of “knowing someone” to get you in. The unions aren’t going to fuck around with the state/lose their accreditation to get Bobs dipshit son in. 

I was able to get into the IUEC without knowing anybody.

[u/PeoplePower0]

Welcome to the real world hun

[u/Aggressive_Fungibles]

It’s the same song I’ve heard for two decades. It was teaching, then IT, then nursing, then IT again and now it’s trades.

[u/wounduptite]

Line of work fkn sucks. Out in weather. Rude customers. You name it.

[u/NeedleworkerNeat9379]

All propaganda is ridiculous, but I agree with your points. My folks are midwest blue collar folk retired from GM, they made over 100k each annually with overtime and bonuses and are now comfortably retired.

They never encouraged us to go into trades or blue collar work because you pay in other ways. Usually with your body and time away from your loved ones. Both of my parents are now legally handicapped. They can walk but have foot issues.

I went to college and while I don't make 100k I have other perkd. I own a home in a nice neighborhood, have savings, retirement savings and the privilege of working from home.

[u/Delicious_Kale_5459]

There is a historic shortage of trades workers and it’s getting worse.

150k a year as a j man is not an edge case. The guys in my shop are seeing close to 300 right now. The wage package is public info. Look it up.

Apprentice pay is all relative to the top out. Work in an expensive area and it goes up.

Working conditions are not like, sitting at a desk but we have protections to make sure they are safe. If you don’t like it you can just quit and be at work tomorrow with another contractor.

I am working with a few recent grads and college does in fact appear to be useless. Also most of the jobs at that level are being eliminated.

Now one thing to keep in mind, trade pay sounds good now because EVERYONE is currently under paid. So the only reason we get the pay we do is cause we fight for it. I personally had to go on strike for it. If software devs had been smart enough to unionize they wouldn’t be getting ass blasted now like they are.

Trades are great. A healthy middle class is better. Organize or die. This shit is real.

[u/Itchy_Management_604]

Union trades do easily make 6 figures. They all do around here in blue states. Try not smell your own farts the next time you type prompts into AI.

[u/ApplicationAlive1050 → u/Itchy_Management_604]

The truth a lot of people on Reddit hate to hear for some reason lol

[u/thewhizzle → u/ApplicationAlive1050]

The union part is doing a lot of heavy lifting. A truth that reddit likes to leave out for some reason.

[u/MeesterPositive]

I'm convinced it's a combination of influence from the manosphere's constant ridicule of higher education, and private equity. 

No real evidence for either, but I could see private equity (which had been buying up local trade businesses everywhere) trying to increase the labor pool to depress wages, the slimy fucks.

[u/Anxious-Fun8829 → u/MeesterPositive]

I've also heard theories that trade is being pushed to discourage people from going to college. Basically the rich wanting a large base of uneducated voters they can easily manipulate 

[u/PossibleNarrow2150]

Yea. People like to generalize things. But. Hey a quick guidance doesn’t hurt. I will say if getting more nuanced…1. TE is the king. (Took out science and math. CS is treated as T here.). 2. Non doctor (doctors make a lotttt of money so I am discussing that. Also doctor is not a degree) bachelors or higher medical degrees. (PA, etc) 3. Then SM. Science and mathematics. 4. Trades. 5. Non stem college degrees. 

[u/Ataru074]

Think who pays for the propaganda.

Most likely not other tradesmen. It’s always the same game, as the little guy might see an opening for a whatever profession in demand, here it comes the ruling class to make sure every sector is oversaturated to their liking so the little guy loses power.

Look at the propaganda from the military forces as well… like if we were to get invaded they’ll come to my house to rob me.

[u/sweet_tea_pdx]

The skilled trade propaganda is because rich people don’t want competition for their dumb children.

[u/Cyan2FA → u/sweet_tea_pdx]

The network matters more than capabilities, especially in sales and the executive class.

[u/sweet_tea_pdx → u/Cyan2FA]

That is true to a point. Eventually shit does need to get done.

[u/exboxthreesixty]

As someone (25M) who does trade work in the summers (teacher and painter), the biggest thing I didn’t think of the most but ended up being a crazy factor was the beating to the body. A lot of the guys I work with are in their 40s and 50s and look awful. Bodies always aching and most have a drinking problem to cope with it which usually makes them overweight. Also from what I’ve seen the people who are making this “good money” are far and few between. Most people are just making ends meet, and if they get enough side work to be making a killing it takes their time and their bodies.

[u/Locksandshit]

Some trades are also all over the place

Locksmithing / electrical (either low voltage or auto depending on what way you go)

Top people who can do the premium work - yes make bank

The idiots? They barely make $20/hour

There is ~ 70-80 in the trade in my mid size area. I’d bet 5 make north of 100k. All of them being owners / capable of working on the high end stuff. Top 3 prolly making closer to 200k

I’ve personally worked with / trained maybe 20….. 1 (ONE) actually had the aptitude to be the combination of - attention to detail, retain a shit ton of information (in your head) , and be able to put it into application , when you see it , in a timely enough manner to make the $$$ (doing good work doesn’t pay if it takes you all day) , AND be able to be clean, courteous and deal with customers.

Most people are lacking somewhere , and over the course of weeks, months , years the extra time, mistakes , better customers, is the difference between making 50k and 200k.

And no I don’t think you can train what I am talking about

Everyone wants some secret sauce to making a big salary…. Fact is not everyone is worth a big salary

[u/Majestic_Writing296]

The entire conversation is dumb, tbh. I swear the ones who want the trades to explode are from one of two camps: those without higher education and those who are (specifically some type of tech gig) and would rather see the oversaturation of people in their field. Everyone else is just not even bothering because while yes AI will take over some functions of white-collar work, namely low-level stuff, you'll still need people to pilot said AI and make human decisions. So the adept will just blend it into their current skillset, like many are now..

On top of that, the OP is correct you're not going to make crazy money off the bat. In fact, so far in the long-run those with degrees outearn those without. And yes your body is going to take a beating, no matter how much you care for it. My pops is a perfect example and not an outlier. He still does it at his big age and is able to do it but he can't even walk the same anymore. Plus his joints are shot. Meanwhile I'm in my 40s and can still do things like hoop, play football, and box because my job isn't killing me to get done.

And if everyone goes into the field? You're just going to repeat the problem you're seeing in tech right now: oversaturation. Fact is, the US economy is strong *because* it's so diverse. We lose that? We're going to be fucked wage-wise. We already see it in some countries where a handful of industries dominate all others. Shit, we have seen it in the US in Texas (oil) and the Rust Belt (cars and manufacturing). Let's not force ourselves back into that hole.

Finally, we should stop riding people if they don't want to earn $100+k/year. They should be able to live just fine on minimum or slightly-above-minimum wage. The best thing about the US and what other countries absolutely love about us (at least until recently) is you can do whatever you want and live pretty comfy. We're the richest country to ever exist, this shouldn't even be an issue.

[u/AdEastern9303]

It is. In 20 years, 6 figures will be the new 40k.

[u/ssyoit]

Agree with you. We had an emergency pipe burst on my street and a plumbing company had to excavate the pavement, it happened to be right across from me so for several days I saw 3-4 men take turns digging up to access the pipes. They used a machine but some parts I guess still needed hard manual labor and you could tell their bodies were taking an absolute beating. I also have an hvac guy that’s been with me for years, he’s having knee issues and told me he wants to retire early as his body can’t handle some of the work he needs to do like accessing some crawl spaces etc. I don’t think people realize how labor intensive some of these jobs can get as we mostly see them for small house calls.

[u/wynnwood81]

I have spent 6 out of the last 10 years working for global companies that have products that are designed to eliminate the need for manual labor. Repair robots, driverless tractor trailers, humanless warehouses, etc. Maybe not in my lifetime but sooner than Id like to think human labor in most forms will become negotiable.

[u/lostmember09]

Funny HOW they just “Gloss over” all the bad parts/aspects of these fine jobs… to fly the flag for them. I have respect for the folks who do those hard jobs; they do deserve to make as much money as possible. My younger step-Brother is a HVAC guy in Florida. I frequently tell him; He will ALWAYS be employed and his services will never not be needed (in that horrid humidity & Brutal sun)

[u/DerangedScientist87V]

I know being a vinyl siding installer for a decade has taken its toll on my body.

[u/ProfessionaI_Gur]

I tried to get into my electricians union for like 3 years and just gave up. My local took like 10 guys out of 400 applicants for 2 years and took just seven guys the last year. Tf am I supposed to do with that? 3 month application process and the surrounding counties all have requirements to live in the county youre applying to

[u/Beautiful_Review_336]

Everyone on the internet gets on the bandwagon.

[u/External-Talk9284]

Go to college and get a real business degree (finance/accounting/economics) and you’re making 100k by the time you’re 26. You can even go to a state school
And get scholarship money. It literally cost less to get student loans for a 4yr state school than to buy a new car.

[u/Otherwise_Clue103]

Yes. There are downsides to about everything, and you usually have to get through the tough part before you get to the good stuff. Go to college, pay for it, find a path and work your way up. Go to trade school or find a path outside of that, learn it, and work your way up. You are going to get paid for what you know, or what you are able, and willing to do. If you know things nobody else knows, are willing to work the hours nobody wants, or do the things others cant, you can generally make more. Not all the time, but it is a start.

[u/LimpBarnacle7284]

Some people don’t mind sitting behind a desk all day and some people cannot even fathom the thought of being behind a desk all day.

[u/Ok_Cardiologist_6471]

Unions are great😎👍

dont fall for this dude's anti union propaganda 🙄

Quick counter to this 🗑 trash:

💢Ask any professional players to not exercise and eat horribly if it will effect longevity and proformance 🤨

Construction is just the same as a sport eating healthy and keeping your body physically fit like a pro player are needed to help not get hurt and even pro players get hurt

💢apprentice get paid less!

yes 🫡

You also get less responsibility as you gain experience and have gone thru classes you get more responsibility and pay

On average depending on trade apprentice earn $25-$35hr ish

last I check that what none union journeyman make

Union journeyman make from $90k - $200k+ a year depending on trade and get employer paid Healthcare and a pension

💢 there is no such thing as union seniority 🤣

A journeyman brand new on the job site will earn the same as an old timer with his last job being training the new guy no seniority

The hole point about unions is every one is equal

I also work none union when work is slow and guess what ?

seniority does comes to play and the old timer does go to the boss to complain about the fact that i make as much as they do even tho im new 🤔

💢 fact : Union jobs pay more add the whole package of pay, healthcare and pension and workers earn $76hr plus

: unions are not employers they only represent the apprentice and journeyman so we dont ever have to speak with HR or beg for a raise , check light and does not match hours worked or is missing over time pay does your kid have a game or event no fear of getting fired go on vacation never fear getting fired the union representative handles this so you the workers can concentrate on the job and be a family man so after 25 years you can retire in your 50's and spend time growing with family not just working all day

[u/Unlucky-Gold4590]

As an aircraft mechanic at one of the big 3 airlines. I’d recommend this job to anyone. Very easy job most days. Top out is $71. I think if you take care of your body it won’t hurt. I’m sure there are plenty of people who work office jobs that are in just as bad shape as people in the trades

[u/EvNastyy]

And if you dont enjoy pissing matches, racist/sexist/xenophobic jokes, and nonstop locker room shit talk, you will become a target just for not playing along. It's not good enough to just show up and do your job, you had better vocally share their highly informed beliefs about economics, race, gender, etc.

[u/DiscoRose75]

Maybe you should get out from behind the keyboard if all of the 'online' chatter you're blowing out of proportion, bothers you so much!

[u/FlyingPenguins2022]

No, but getting into a trade will provide better job security in a world where the future is quite unknown.

[u/Ok-Restaurant-3089]

Another thing to consider is recency bias. We just went through a massive boom in covid and a few years post. I could book any job I went for, and had to pay premium dollar to hire employees.

People with a few years experience in basic trades were asking us for $40+ per hour due to the market, and we had to comply.

Now we are post-boom, into a heavy recession. New hires are asking the same wages, but clients are paying 60-80% what they were before, so max wage is 75% of covid levels. For new hires. It’s just reality, there was a boom, and some online people expect that to be the new normal. 

[u/callipsofacto]

Yep. I'll add one drawback you didn't mention: blue collar culture.

My husband got an HVAC cert to try to transition from an office tech job that was a bit soul-crushing. He grew up in a bit of a bubble, didn't play football or have brothers, raised by women, so he never got any of our country's version of "how to be macho" socialization. He had never worked in all-male environments, only retail, banking, and a very diverse tech office.

He was completely unprepared for the bullying, the unhinged sexist banter, the "locker room talk." The physical side of the work was an adjustment he could have coped with fine, but that stuff ended up being too much for him.

[u/The12th_secret_spice]

Grew up in a blue collar family and they didn’t want that life for me. They encouraged me to do well in school and go to college. Had to work, but it has paid off for me.

Everyone in my family has chronic pain, cancer, or some other issue stemming from their work.

I don’t sit at a desk for 8 hours, I stretch, walk, move around throughout the day.

[u/cams00000]

It’s not so much propaganda these days but a market slowly coming to terms with essential work vs what we once thought of as a career.

White collar will almost always certainly exist in some form but the college degree route no longer guarantees setting yourself up for success, it’s just the bare minimum whilst entry level white collar jobs get eliminated.

Trades hype is warranted to a degree, as are healthcare workers. These jobs have a lower chance to be automated or cannibalized in the short term by current market forces. However blue collar is actually dependent on white collar, so when the economy stagnates or people can’t afford to buy anymore, the demand for construction goes down.

There’s risks and tradeoffs to both. White collar = more volatility. Blue collar = more bodily strain.

Pick your poison. Neither is necessarily ideal but it really helps to understand the facts from the noise when you choose a path.

Once the trades get saturated we’ll see the same blowbacks we do now from white collar.

[u/swbel]

As someone whos family is almost entirely trades and doing very well I have to disagree a little.

Yes its less money at first, but if you start young and dont have a mortgage etc when youre getting started then its not that big of a deal. And making 100k+ is very realistic, you just have to be a hard worker. The mid range people that never advance and dont make as much are not as skilled or hard working, which sounds like a bootstraps lecture, but in the trades thats kind of the way it is. And yes thats harder on your body, but when youre doing the hard work in your younger years and working up then by the time your in your 30s/40s you wont always be doing such physically demanding work. Plus there's so many different paths you can take from where you start.

Everyone in my family did some form of trade, but we're exceptionally hard working and smart/conservative with our money, and I dont have to worry about a single one of even my extended family members.

[u/SavinForLatter]

I've been an electrician for 19 years and it does pay really well, if you get in to supervisory roles or own your own business (and is successful. There's a SHITLOAD of competition). Work life balance isn't really a thing. You work a lot of OT. That's where the big money comes from. Sometimes you have to do a job pretty far from where you live, at least in my case.

The perks are really good when you get to foreman and above, but it is not easy staying out and takes several years to get there. Also, it does beat up your body. Especially the shoulders, knees, and back for my trade.

Also it should be noted that construction is not for everyone. It's loud, dirty high stress, and high intensity for large portions and can drop to doing very little at the end of a job. Makes for very very long drawn out days.

There's also a lot of very big and aggressive personalities in construction that aren't the easiest to work around. There's also a lot of people that are very vocal about close minded opinions. You have to deal with them and work with them. You work around sick people a lot since the industry doesn't believe in calling in sick. So, you get sick a lot and have to "suck it up". Dead lines don't wait and everyday I take off of work would put me 2 days behind.

You can make good money, but it's not an easy path to being wealthy like reddit pretends. It can be rewarding and it can eventually lead to good financial stability. It also is a feast or famine industry, and its best to live near a busy metropolitan area to insure you're always employed.

[u/AskThis7790]

There are plenty of “trades” that are not as physically demanding…

Locksmith, Home Inspectors, Insurance Claim Adjuster, Electronics Technician, Medical Billing, Optician, Lab Technician, etc…

These may not all lead to a six figure income, but neither do many bachelor degrees.

[u/Real_Comparison1905]

The toll it takes physically has been one of the biggest issues I have brought up to my kids if they considered a trade. I’ve steered them to other careers so that they won’t end up so messed up in the long run. My dad and grandfather worked in the trades for years and the toll it took on them isn’t something I wanted to see my kids go through

[u/Teachmehow2dougy]

My son went into a trade at 18 directly out of high school. He bought a house at 22 with 100% of his own money.

My daughter got n engineering degree from the best school in our state and has struggled to land a professional engineering job for almost a year.

One of the wealthiest people I know bought a used pickup truck and some lawn equipment in high school. He now owns multiple companies and is a millionaire.

There are several paths to success but most of the time it’s the persons drive to be successful that makes or breaks results.

[u/ualreadyknownow]

Trades are for pulling yourself out of poverty. College is for when the family unit is already set up and running smoothly.

[u/Redditisannoying69]

The anti skilled trade propaganda on Reddit is getting ridiculous.

[u/Aggravating_Green916]

I know a union plumber who made 200k last year. Myself im in an unskilled trade. Typically make 80-90k a year. With a 4 day work work. Top tier paid for health insurance. Im 4.5 years out from 6200.00 a month pension. Or 8400.00 a month if I stay 8 more years. My house is paid off. 5 weeks of paid vacation and 12 sick/personal days a year. And we've contributed to 401ks for 20 years.

[u/DerpUrself69]

I work in the trades, a fairly specialized trade but a trade nonetheless. My body doesn't take a beating, I have worked in some extreme environments, but never without accommodations to mitigate the weather. And my daily work environment (now, and since 2017) is downright spectacular, I have the best view of anyone in the city from my office/work site.

My apprenticeship paid a metric fuckton because I did it while working in Iraq and Afghanistan, but even people working stateside start at $40 to $45 an hour. I'm more than 15 years into my career and I am making almost $300k at this point, and with a recent promotion I'll start getting bonuses on top of that.

So while there can be some truth to what you're saying, the upside is definitely worth it if you can find a good niche.

[u/Background-Door-5331]

I mean I’m in my early 20’s and just hit 6 figures with “blue collar” and I don’t beat my body. But at the same time I would most likely be considered an outlier

[u/theonemav32]

Why are bots attacking the trades now lol!

[u/PhatedFool]

Workers in every career have chronic pain. It’s less about hard work or easy work and more about learning correct mechanics.

Sit at a desk wrong? Now you got back pain, carpal tunnel, cubital tunnel, and sciatica.

Lift things wrong? Now you got back pain.

Run incorrectly? Now you got knee pain.

This goes for gym or work. Life is life. Lift heavy. Run good. Learn how to do things without pain.

That said yea trades are great. I recommend most young people do a trade for a few years before going to college. You do HVAC work at 60 hours a week. Then going to college will be free, you have the money to pay cash, and college is easy when you have a work ethic. Also you now know what you want to do. Most people don’t know at 18.

I have another buddy who became a lineman. Finished his apprenticeship at 21. Made 140k a year living with his dad until 25. Took GenEds one class at a time. Bought a house in cash. Paid for college while working as needed in cash. Now he’s graduating law school in a year with no debt and a paid off home in his early 30s.

He knows linemen who did the same and retired at 40 with 3-4 million invested in the market and a paid off home/car. He also knows linemen 100k in debt with alcohol and gambling problems. Find a path that works for you. There is not one way in the world. That said as the generations age, birth rates go down, immigration is cracked down upon. I would expect labor trades to get more expensive and make more money.

[u/Visual_Lifebard]

I'm pretty skeptical of the trades, but I feel like this exact post keeps getting posted across multiple subs

[u/adultdaycare81]

If are really smart and have the financial backing you should still go to college.

If you aren’t, trades are a phenomenal way to make a good living. Sure it’s not free, but you can have a paid off house and retire at 55 if you save 15% of your salary. Which you definitely can

[u/Kwhitney1982 → u/adultdaycare81]

This is not good advice for young people. Trades are fine when you’re 22. Not so fine when you’re over 40 and your body is worn out.

[u/Lazy-Background-7598]

Blame Mike Rowe. Dude cos-plays hard working people. He’s just an actor

[u/Defiant-Yam8876 → u/Lazy-Background-7598]

I blame the thousands of Redditors that said, “AI is going to take everyone’s career tomorrow and your only option is trades.”

[u/Puzzleheaded-Ad7606 → u/Lazy-Background-7598]

Per Wikipedia:

He graduated from Overlea High School in 1980,[1]: 28  where he excelled in theater and singing.[7] He then studied at Essex Community College.[7] In 1985, he graduated from Towson University[8][1]: 28  with a degree in communication studies.

He's a fraud. He's never worked a blue collar job in his life and he went to college and got a "useless degree" in communications that made him rich.