Unpopular opinion: The trades are underpaid

[jwitten82]

People pushing the trades for younger kids always say, "You can make six figures", but forget to tell them that you have to work a lot of OT to hit those to hit six figures.

Licensed journeyman electricians and some places offering less than $30. Im sorry, be the hazards that come with a trade like that definitely deserves a six figure salary for their license

 

[Reality]

I am guessing it has more to do with location, connections and employers.

The job market right now is tough regardless of your profession and experience, and when that happens supply outweighs demand and gives employers leverage over salaries.

It may vary across the country, but from my experience, independent contractors tend to rarely pay their subcontract workers more than they have to, so I am not surprised to hear the pay is not as great as some people say it is.

That said, I have had friends that have done quite well in industries like engineering, fiber optics, etc. but they worked for large corporations and they mainly worked on company projects, not client projects.

 

[Creeper]

People pushing the trades for younger kids always say, "You can make six figures", but forget to tell them that you have to work a lot of OT to hit those to hit six figures.

Licensed journeyman electricians and some places offering less than $30. Im sorry, be the hazards that come with a trade like that definitely deserves a six figure salary for their license

I know a guy who was a journeyman plumber working for a union in NJ. He was making close to 6 figures until the economy crashed in 2008. All the union guys were laid off, and put on a list. There were literally hundreds of plumbers on the list waiting for the union to call them back. Some never got that call. Anyone who took a job outside the union was moved to the bottom of the list!

This guy I know moved to California and looked to get into the union out there. They told him he had to start as an apprentice again and the wages were a lot lower than NJ, despite CA being a high cost place to live. He wound up getting out of plumbing despite all the years of experience he had.

I have heard the trades have been ravaged in some areas by the influx of labor. At the same time, where I live you can't get people to answer your calls when you need work done. My neighbors and I commiserate over calling trades people and not getting anyone to call us back.

 

[jwitten82]

I know a guy who was a journeyman plumber working for a union in NJ. He was making close to 6 figures until the economy crashed in 2008. All the union guys were laid off, and put on a list. There were literally hundreds of plumbers on the list waiting for the union to call them back. Some never got that call. Anyone who took a job outside the union was moved to the bottom of the list!

This guy I know moved to California and looked to get into the union out there. They told him he had to start as an apprentice again and the wages were a lot lower than NJ, despite CA being a high cost place to live. He wound up getting out of plumbing despite all the years of experience he had.

I have heard the trades have been ravaged in some areas by the influx of labor. At the same time, where I live you can't get people to answer your calls when you need work done. My neighbors and I commiserate over calling trades people and not getting anyone to call us back.

What state you live in?

 

[Creeper]

What state you live in?

I am in northern NJ.

 

[gtb1943]

Plumbers and electricians and people who do such necessary work will always find jobs.
BUT you might have to move.
Away from a state that has union shops for example
and frankly $30 an hour means over a full year $60,000 which is a good yearly wage in MOST of the US. Obviously not in NY or Sand Francisco or places like that but then move.
Getting so attached to an area that you are desperately scratching and clawing to survive when you can go elsewhere and live pretty well is bad judgement.
I can understand you maybe living there all your life and having family and friends; but what good is all of that when you are under constant stress and tension trying to make ends meet?

 

[jwitten82]

Plumbers and electricians and people who do such necessary work will always find jobs.
BUT you might have to move.
Away from a state that has union shops for example
and frankly $30 an hour means over a full year $60,000 which is a good yearly wage in MOST of the US. Obviously not in NY or Sand Francisco or places like that but then move.
Getting so attached to an area that you are desperately scratching and clawing to survive when you can go elsewhere and live pretty well is bad judgement.
I can understand you maybe living there all your life and having family and friends; but what good is all of that when you are under constant stress and tension trying to make ends meet?

It works both ways, yea you can move and get your bills paid but not having your family and friends around is huge. Also not sure where $60k isnt barely getting by. I also forgot to mention how the trades take such a toll on your body and mind, I believe construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates

 

[gtb1943]

It works both ways, yea you can move and get your bills paid but not having your family and friends around is huge. Also not sure where $60k isnt barely getting by. I also forgot to mention how the trades take such a toll on your body and mind, I believe construction industry has one of the highest suicide rates

Everything has their plusses and minuses. As regards $60,000 a year I know a number of places I have been that would be a good yearly wage. I think making $5000 a month is pretty good
Not everything is about big cities and high cost of living areas
Let me put it this way: look at the cost of college now and all the student debt for so many who cannot get great jobs and are struggling
biggest problem with trades in my eyes is that the unions control them so heavily. Unions used to be great for the workers; not so much anymore

 

[jwitten82]

Everything has their plusses and minuses. As regards $60,000 a year I know a number of places I have been that would be a good yearly wage. I think making $5000 a month is pretty good
Not everything is about big cities and high cost of living areas
Let me put it this way: look at the cost of college now and all the student debt for so many who cannot get great jobs and are struggling
biggest problem with trades in my eyes is that the unions control them so heavily. Unions used to be great for the workers; not so much anymore

I don't think unions are the issues, all the lower paying jobs are the non unions

 

[gtb1943]

I don't think unions are the issues, all the lower paying jobs are the non unions

You missed the point about the guy who was basically kept from working because he was at the bottom of a union list
I have had had a number of friends over the years penalized by union rules. As I said they were once great; not so much now

 

[BrAinPaiNt]

I imagine that someone could make a living in my area fixing Washers/Dryers and dishwashers and the like.

There was two people in the past that worked on these things in our area. One guy moved. The other guy worked as an older man until his health prevented him from working.

Nobody has filled that void.

Now it seems most people will just buy a new one instead of paying way too much to take it to a place like sears that over charged...and I am not even sure they do it anymore.

Some goes for TV repairs. People just go get new ones cause they can not find a repair man around my area.

Thankfully we still have a couple of places for small engine repairs like push mowers, riding mowers and weed eaters.

 

[CyberB0b]

I imagine that someone could make a living in my area fixing Washers/Dryers and dishwashers and the like.

There was two people in the past that worked on these things in our area. One guy moved. The other guy worked as an older man until his health prevented him from working.

Nobody has filled that void.

Now it seems most people will just buy a new one instead of paying way too much to take it to a place like sears that over charged...and I am not even sure they do it anymore.

Some goes for TV repairs. People just go get new ones cause they can not find a repair man around my area.

Thankfully we still have a couple of places for small engine repairs like push mowers, riding mowers and weed eaters.

This is by design. The manufactures want it this way. A 50 cent capacitor blew on my dryer. Easy fix if you’re handy with a soldering iron, but they coat the entire board in epoxy you can’t remove. I had to buy a new control board for $200. Do I spend that to fix it or just buy a new one for $500?

 

[jwitten82]

You missed the point about the guy who was basically kept from working because he was at the bottom of a union list
I have had had a number of friends over the years penalized by union rules. As I said they were once great; not so much now

Im not saying they're perfect, but their standards for wages are way better

 

[VaqueroTD]

Everything has their plusses and minuses. As regards $60,000 a year I know a number of places I have been that would be a good yearly wage. I think making $5000 a month is pretty good
Not everything is about big cities and high cost of living areas
Let me put it this way: look at the cost of college now and all the student debt for so many who cannot get great jobs and are struggling
biggest problem with trades in my eyes is that the unions control them so heavily. Unions used to be great for the workers; not so much anymore

IMO, $60k a year even for a single person is barely enough no matter where you live now. Unless you have the house/car paid off.

 

[VaqueroTD]

Im not saying they're perfect, but their standards for wages are way better

Seen many a company and industry destroyed by them. IMO, what holds them back is they still operate like they did 50 years ago. Not a bad concept because no company will ever look out for you. But corporations and industry modernized or changed, unions never did.

 

[jwitten82]

IMO, $60k a year even for a single person is barely enough no matter where you live now. Unless you have the house/car paid off.

Bingo, ive seen some state jobs looking for LICENSED electricians and offer less than $27 an hour

 

[jwitten82]

Seen many a company and industry destroyed by them. IMO, what holds them back is they still operate like they did 50 years ago. Not a bad concept because no company will ever look out for you. But corporations and industry modernized or changed, unions never did.

What do you think they need to change?

 

[Runwildboys]

I know a guy who was a journeyman plumber working for a union in NJ. He was making close to 6 figures until the economy crashed in 2008. All the union guys were laid off, and put on a list. There were literally hundreds of plumbers on the list waiting for the union to call them back. Some never got that call. Anyone who took a job outside the union was moved to the bottom of the list!

This guy I know moved to California and looked to get into the union out there. They told him he had to start as an apprentice again and the wages were a lot lower than NJ, despite CA being a high cost place to live. He wound up getting out of plumbing despite all the years of experience he had.

I have heard the trades have been ravaged in some areas by the influx of labor. At the same time, where I live you can't get people to answer your calls when you need work done. My neighbors and I commiserate over calling trades people and not getting anyone to call us back.

I'd think a plumber would be better off working independently. He could make good money, while not charging as much as the bigger companies.

 

[gtb1943]

IMO, $60k a year even for a single person is barely enough no matter where you live now. Unless you have the house/car paid off.

I have done it and I know others have done it; you really have never see it so of course its impossible.
To start with you cannot afford a $1500 or more mortgage a month or paying $300 a month payments for two cars or $1000 a month on credit cards
Got news for you; lots of people live pretty well not spending that much
You clearly are not informed of reality; as the AVERAGE US YEARLY WAGE IS UNDER $60,000 a year

 

[gtb1943]

Im not saying they're perfect, but their standards for wages are way better

you still have rose colored glasses on about unions
I saw them destroy the economy in a town driving a business out of there due to unreasonable union officers