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Listen unless your some sort of computer genius look into a support role like electricity you can't run a computer with out electricity I'm 48 year's old and still have never used algebra
 
Most people decent at rudimentary math and understand algebra usually have solid reasoning ability and usually also mechanically inclined. Hard to put numbers into a computer if you don't understand the problem.
 
Most people decent at rudimentary math and understand algebra usually have solid reasoning ability and usually also mechanically inclined. Hard to put numbers into a computer if you don't understand the problem.
And there you go I don't understand what he means but oh well my life as a truck driver Goes on
 
Oh by the way you mentioned mechalcal inclined I know plenty of people can type a bunch of B.S. on a computer but can't change the oil on there car lol and were stupid skiny jenes and have there hair in a bun lol
 
I have been doing electrical work for wwll over 20 years. Started as a Power Lineman in the Air Force, then we got combined with the Electricians and the Alarms/Controls folks. Retired out, and went to school and got my Civil Engineering degree (which I don't use).
I am now a civilian Electrician for the Army, and I love it. I need a very broad knowledgebase for this, and I learn something new every day. Been at it over 7 years, and don't think the learning will ever slow down. Just got to keep up with the times (while not forgetting tbe old stuff still in use).
 
It is true that some trades are more physically demanding than others. It's also true that the right job for a person might not be the highest paying one.

I started out working in a fab shop and moved to automotive/4x4 shops. Then came a job rebuilding transmissions and transfer cases. Years later I was the manager of the same department dealing with all of the personnel, planning, technical inquires and warranty issues. I was very good at most of it, and decent at the rest. It paid very well. I liked my job, but had a hard time finding satisfaction
with what I did. For a multitude of other reasons I quit that job.

Pair up this thread with the one on "hitting the reset button".

I went to work at a shop that specializes in all all kinds of specialty cars; classic, antique, concourse, muscle car, Gramma's car, hot rod, rat rod and just old worn out cars (trucks, too). I work on cars that are some kind of passion for the owner. These cars are their "toys".
I would sum up my job description in a few words. "I play with other people's toys". I don't make quite as much money as I used to, but not too far off and I love what I do.

If the OP has a passion that can pay the bills, I say, "Do it!"
 
Oh by the way you mentioned mechalcal inclined I know plenty of people can type a bunch of B.S. on a computer but can't change the oil on there car lol and were stupid skiny jenes and have there hair in a bun lol

This made me laugh! good stuff.
 
One of my boys is a plumber in the Redmond area and is making 80K a year with weekends off, 3 weeks paid vacation, health care and 401K.

I have been trying to get an electrician to put a new panel in my house for the last 3 months. Never have talked to one directly just have to leave messages, and even with 4 friends who are electricians they won't even call me back.

Of all the trades, plumbing and electricians would be the best because journeymen level certification is required. HVAC and carpentry would be the next best ones. Companies that do prevailing wage and DB work would be good, that is some major money in those jobs. Probably close to $ 100 an hour for electricians maybe ??

Heavy equipment operator can be pretty good too. They are getting about $ 30 an hour now on private jobs and $ 60 plus on prevailing wage jobs. Get to be a crane operator and that is probably good for 120k a year I would think.

I will probably buy a dump truck and excavator when I move to Central Oregon next year and work part time for a few years. I can get $ 150 an hour on the excavator and $ 100 to $ 125 on the truck and put 50% easy in my pocket.
 
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I used to be a diesel mech, but I quickly saw that everybody and their dogs thought they too were a mech because they could pickup a wrench or screwdriver. Also, I knew, sooner or later, I would get old and not be able to lay on my back under some greasy dirty piece of equipment and have oil and dirt and grease fall on me anymore.

So I went into electronics because I found it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, I do have brains and a lot more people think they can't understand electronics.

From there I went where the money was - software. So now I sit in an office looking at a computer screen 8 hours a day. It does take some aptitude and attitude and persistence, but I am constantly learning new things and I taught myself. I have 25 years of experience at it and make a six figure salary. The downside is that not every city has software jobs - but if you are good enough you can work remote/from home.

It is all about supply and demand. The more demand and the less supply, the easier it is to get a job and make more money. Does everybody think they can do simple plumbing? Many people do. I think that a lot of the plumbing jobs are in construction, which is seasonal and cyclical. Others are in maintenance of buildings. Personally I don't like fixing someone's leaky toilet or sink - BTDT - and no, I don't think it takes a lot of brains once you know what to do. YMMV.
I was a journeyman IBEW industrial instrument tech for 9 years right out of the Navy where I was an electronics tech. Due to my military training and experience I was able to do 12 months of OJT instead of a 3 year apprenticeship. I then got a control technician apprenticeship. You had to be either a journeyman instrument tech or a journeyman power plant electrician to get the control tech apprenticeship. For the control tech journeyman card it required completing the requirements for whichever of the two journeyman cards you didn't already have, plus a bit more electronics. After 12 years as a journeyman control tech at a basic rate of $36/hr (about $100K with overtime), I switched to metering technician, which was yet another journeyman card (the 4th one). So another 5 years down the road, and a systems admin job in the metering field comes open and I'm behind a desk looking at computer screens all day for the next 11 years at well over $100K without any overtime.

Any time I worked more than an hour past the end of my normal day the company bought me dinner on the clock at time and a half, and another meal every 4 hours after that. Emergency call-outs were at double time with travel time and a 2 hour minimum. Call outs on a holiday were triple time.

Meanwhile, I had Cadillac benefits for me and the family the whole time, medical, dental, etc. with no deductibles and $15 co-pays, a retirement plan, and a 401k where they matched up to 6% of my salary (free money). I would have had to take a pay cut to start my own business.

In short, yeah, get a union job.
 
I highly recommend Instrumentation and Industrial Automation. One of if not the top school for it is in Central Washington and it has a 95%+ placement rating as long as you're willing to relocate.

They also have an Electrician course, HVAC course, Machining course and many more but are more known for Instrumentation.

I went through 6 years ago and have been north of 6 figures for several years and with minimal overtime.
 
Electrician would be nice too but I never hear anything about it haha
Electrician is nice. I am one. I've done just about all types of electrical work. Five year of residential to start, then a bunch of commercial tenant improvement work, and finally lots of industrial work. I specialize in industrial control work, including fire alarm and telecom work, but I can do everything any general journeyman might be asked to do.

I make a decent wage, pretty good benefits, and for the most part I stay clean. For the past 10 years or so I've been working at Intel doing mostly tool install. Do I "love" it? Not really, but I don't hate it either and after being an electrician for over 26 years, I think it is probably the best place for me to work.

Right now there aren't enough electricians in our area. If you want start in a trade, apprenticeship is the beginning. I don't think our local is currently accepting apprentice applications, but they will again sometime in the future so keep checking Apprenticeship Programs

In case you are interested: our Wage(and benefits) Package minus dues: $61.75

The fitter/plumber local is UA290 in case you want to find out more about their apprenticeship program or what their wage package looks like.
 

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