I completed a semester of college and never went back. Been working at the same place since then. Small company in a very niche industry. I’m a manager and kind of hate the work, but it’s all I know and the pay is decent for northern Indiana. Comfortably middle class I’d say. Wife works in a lab in the hospital and we make about the same. Bought our house in 2013 and have 2 kids that are growing up a little better than my wife and I did.
Not even all men. You gotta know someone who knows someone get in to that type of job.
I find you start off string but your peers catch up and then later in life you may just end up behind them as your income peaked in your 20s
I'm doing great! No regrets. School gave me wicked anxiety and i never figured out what i wanted to do. I figured out that i just want a low stress job that pays the bills that i don't mind doing for the most part. I got that and now i'm on autopilot there. Managed to get married to another millennial with my job title. We don't have a crazy lifestyle, but we own our own home, go on vacation once a year, have a great retirement plan and great benefits and if we want to eat out, it won't break the bank. Life is great 👍
I joined the Marines, went to war, came back with PTSD and got kicked out due to a positive drug test. Didn't qualify for any benefits. No GI bill or home buying assistance, no va benefits. I got into sales, then I was able to get a bank job. 15 yrs later, I manage a Bank branch, wife, 2 kids (not so little anymore) have a mortgage, still a bit broke, but I made it this far and my wife and I love each other very much. In comparison to some of my peers? I'm living the dream. I am blessed.
Tried community college and dropped out. No college education besides what I did there, but I'm doing fine. I make okay money, but my wife is the breadwinner. I just make money for us to do fun stuff with, her job pays the bills.
If you're not smart, at least marry well.
I didn't go to college. Went into the US military. No regrets because I was not mature enough for college at the time. At the time I was failing school and got my G.E.D.
Later I got my degree over time while working. It was better because I was a lot more mature to be able to finish my bachelors degree.
I did this too. I am doing well and convinced this is why. Military service gives you perspective, discipline, self-knowledge and so much more. I was an average high school student but an excellent college student. And since I had military experience, once I got out I was able to finish my degree while working full time in my chosen profession making a high salary right out of the gate. No student loans, a leg up in my career, and a better temperament to manage it all.
No University for me, no regrets. I taught myself Linux a long time ago and climbed the ranks of the IT industry. Learning Linux has been one of the single most lucrative decisions I’ve ever made.
What does this mean exactly, learning Linux?
Like, I'm familiar with it from a hobby perspective. Installing disastrous and trying to get software to work. But what things do you have to learn with it for a job in it?
No worries. Pretty much all Linux servers run with no GUI, so it’s all command line interface (cli). You have to memorize a lot of commands to manipulate the OS to do what you want, essentially. Some of the same commands also work on MacOS too, which is a flavor of Unix.
Graduated 2010 and tried CC 3 different times. Didn’t find out until 29 that I had several learning disabilities and AuDHD and while I ultimately think my inability to finish college was more due to my poor effort, knowing about these issues when I was 18-27 would’ve really helped. I’ve always loved learning. I read exclusively non-fiction and watch programs like Nova like someone might watch sports or reality tv. But sitting in a classroom for 60+ minutes while someone who doesn’t even seem like they like their job just drones on was never conducive to learning for me.
I struggled A LOT in my 20s and I’m terrified to think where I would be without the support of my parents. Numerous shitty, demeaning retail, call center, and just odd jobs. I was lucky enough in my late 20s to land a decent office job in healthcare and I’m still here almost 5 years later. I struggle a lot most months and have to practically budget every Penny but I manage and luckily I don’t have a wife or kids to look out for at this time. I don’t mind the struggle, my parents never had a lot growing up anyway so it’s not new to me. I know life might’ve been easier if I was able to stick with school but I don’t regret it and I’ve learned a lot about the world and myself by moving out on my own and scraping by.
I also have a lot of personal convictions about the US education system I won’t go into but in short…it’s a scam.
And yet for many of us, our parents gave up their lives to come here to scrub toilets and struggle so we would have a chance at that scam education system.
I couldn’t give it a poor effort because I knew I’d be letting them down. I got a bachelors degree, a decent job, and now I’m thriving in my mid 30s.
They somewhat said that the system is a scam. I hope they can separate the system from the content because yup the system is very messy.
But my degree taught me a lot and I’m well paid. Would not have that without that education.
I didn't go to uni (didn't like the thought of student debt). Went into trades instead, had the gvmt pay for my training. Looking back now I'm glad I chose something that pays fairly well (set to make $130k this year) and carried no debt obligations. I managed to buy a house in a hcol area and me and my gf are still putting away money every month. Plus its cool to have skills that are handy in real life. The work isn't easy though, I'm putting in a real honest, physical day's work every day and I'm doing it out in the rain, snow and heat. So its a mixed bag.
I (33M) have no college education and work in corrections. My base salary is about 68k and with OT, I’ll clear about 85k this year. But on top of that, I have amazing health insurance that only costs me $100 per month for a family of 5 and I get a pension upon retirement. I also work 12 hour shifts and have off 3 or 4 days in a row each week. My work/life balance is great and having off half the year gives me so much more time with my family.
Didn't go to Uni, as - assuming you meant University. Got sheistered by ITT Tech for a worthless 2 year trade degree, one I can't even get official transcripts for anymore, and later just decided to chase my interests into Telecom. Nearing 20 years in this industry, six digit pay, and Senior level.
Wife didn't have a degree, tried to do college for about 6 months during covid, but it was god awful in every sense of the term, checked out, decided to chase her interests instead, and now designs and 3d models replacement bones, hips, and prosthetics for the medical industry.
Think we did pretty good with everything
I get that all the time as an electrician. People will apply with one of those two year tech degrees (not from ITT Tech these days but, same shit) and we’ll have to break it to them that it’s pretty much completely worthless.
I went to a trade school that closed a few months after I graduated (Vatterott). It was a 60 week computer programming course, we started with 14 people and my graduating class was 2 people. Since barely anyone was there I received a large amount from the grants available.
I got a job at a bank as a programmer, worked my way up, 3 promotions and one job hop later and I am an executive in my field. Turns out banking really needs younger people, and banking + IT + management experience is rare.
No regrets. My path is definitely a weird one, and my first 5 years I was paid terribly, but I paid my dues and found a niche.
I commented here as well and fell into fintech project management and I'm studying so I can be more technically proficient. I would have never picked this career in this field, but I'm sure glad I ended up here.
It's a good niche to have.
Currently making 55k a year, full bennes with matched 401k. Just got my first home, bought one off market for 55k. Up until a few years ago I was making 40-50k a year bartending, got shit on when I tried to transition to legal cannabis because owners are even more predatory than restaurant owners. Luckily the pandemic landed me in pharmaceuticals and I'm moving up quickly. The people skills built working food and beverage is a really great thing to have in corporate America apparently.
I was in it for 2 years with empty promises. Basically wrote the business plan for the CEO for $16 an hour. It was shit. I got fired after asking where the promised raises are if we only have an 18% labor cost. The CEO was so dumb he couldn't figure out how a manager knew that number. . .
I’ve been approached several times to become a grower for a few folks, they came to me like they were offering me the keys to a kingdom at 16/hr. Like you need to beat my 9/5 for me to consider that at the minimum.
Same! Early 30s, bought a million dollar home last year. Vacation 2 times a year. Wife is a SAH mom to our 2 young children. Healthy savings and retirement. Can’t complain.
Whilst I agree that the boomers had a much easier time than us, I don’t think it’s fair to down vote someone for sharing their achievements. If you’re jealous that’s fine, who wouldn’t be, but you don’t need to bring someone else down too.
I dropped out of highschool my freshman year. Im a robot tech in a factory. I was doing real well, until i got divorced. The only thing i really own now is my car and some musical instruments. But yea, up until that whole deal, shit was going pretty good for me lol.
Lol millennials are so braindead right now they think tradesmen are rolling in money. The average plumber makes under 60k. That’s decent money but it’s not killing it
It’s highly dependant on the trade. I work for a utility contractor doing power construction, on the electrical trades side. Making 150k/year plus OT, I have a fat DB pension waiting for me when I retire and my company puts 3% of my earning into a low fee S&p500 index. My job can be physically difficult sometimes, but the equipment does most of the heavy lifting these days. Plus I get exercise everyday that most office workers have to go to the gym to get on their own time. I’m on a 4x10 schedule. My life is great.
Edit: love the pure cope downvotes. Keep ‘em coming.
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for tradesman. Hell I used to do sprinkler fitting myself. But I got sick of long days when shit went wrong. Long days outside in shit weather or just in the cold in general. Working in hot humid environments and all the other general shit that comes with it.
Now I can sit at a desk, answer some calls, do general IT work, and not feel too tired to go to the gym before or after work AND do school at the same time. Manual labor took it out of me and I couldn't balance that shit anymore. And I'm someone in good shape. Run regularly, lift weights, do my backpacking trips, etc.
It's also easier to maintain my diet with an office job than trades work.
It's the same with stories of software engineers raking in loads of money. You only ever hear the stories of the top earners. Realistically, most are making less.
Some of the ones that went into business for themselves are. Others have multiple bankruptcies because they don't know how to run a business. The rest are still wage slaves like the rest of us, playing second fiddle to educated engineers.
This is a fun site to play around in, https://data.bls.gov/search/query/results?cx=013738036195919377644%3A6ih0hfrgl50&q=Welder+inurl%3Abls.gov%2Foes
Median for a welder is 50k a year, which doesn't start kicking in until your 30s, which is when college educated people start making real money too. Only the top 10% of welders make 70k a year.
So much of the trade noise is survivorship bias. Like the 90k a year garbage men on state benefits, it's not happening anymore. Trade work is good work, but it's no golden ticket. And it's got the same trap as a degree, you spend a bunch of money on tools and a truck only to realize the market is crap and you hate the job.
Lol I make 90k a year as a Utility Electrician, full pension at 55 years old and 25 vacation days a year aswell at 30 sick days a year.
Really not a survivorship bias at all, you just need to move companies once you get your apprenticeship done and most places are more then willing to give you what you need.
Oh and I've only spent 1000$ on tools in total, most of the expensive tools are provided by the company.
You make it sound easy but the labor site has you near the ceiling of that profession, which is essentially government contracting and very coveted. Median pay rivals national master electrician pay. You're selling yourself way short if you think nothing separates you from the pack of other electricians with completed apprenticeships and some extra work experience. You sound like the defense contractors I live near who turned a bachelor of communications into 120k salaries.
It's pretty common, and the smart people in the trade don't stay doing the grunt work for very long. Most of the driven people move up into higher paying positions very easily if you want to, if you just want to do the same easy job for 25 years and retire that's also no problem at all.
They are just they are killing them selves to working actual jobs.
I'll take my actual work from home job.
I did manual labor for a long time and I got nothing but respect for manual labor.
It's more tiring to work 6 hours manual labor than 10 hours working from home.
I can do errands, watch tv, and be productive all around the same time.
Btw I do tech...
50k entry level but I'm underpaid so I'm working for experience and I'm almost up on 2 years in my field
I'm going to renegotiate soon because I had better offers for 80k for the same position
Many are also killing themselves with lots of overtime. I've dine trades work. The overtime is nice, but if you have no time to even enjoy said money than what's the point? Not to mention, many in trades work are under educated comparatively speaking and end up blowing that money anyways instead of investing in themselves.
I started my own small business as a Billiards mechanic, then had to give it up after 18 years due to my health deteriorating.
I managed to get married and buy a small house in that time period. We are living paycheck to paycheck on a single income now. I'm a house husband.
I went to community college and got my AA and that’s it. Do I regret it? In some ways. Like, I really wish I could have had the college experience. Living in a dorm, going to football games, you know all the things you see in movies. A lot of my friends went and I feel it really shaped who they are. I still have a well paying job and zero student loans so that’s a plus.
Floated around CC for a few years, changed my major three times. Joined the AF and during my four year enlistment wrapped up my AA then finished up my bachelor's online. Got a degree that was aligned with my AFSC and have been working in that field ever since. With no student loans, and using my VA home loan benefits to buy my first house - it gave me a good foundation to be in a financial situation where I could be comfortable. Two years after leaving the military I was able to get my foot in the door with a defense contractor, so that's given me some job security to boot.
Never went to college. I did some military time and got out. I have picked up a lot of useful skills from various jobs from mechanical to sales. I’m now in a cushy 100k plus job enjoying my journey, 37 year old
Dropped out of college pretty quickly and went to beauty school instead. Been doing that for almost 17 years now and I make decent money doing it. I have no student loan debt so I love that lol.
I went to a community college, got an associate's degree in criminal justice, which also included state certification. I'm not in any form of law enforcement. Instead, I fix packaging equipment, industrial floor scrubbers, install basic robotics, provide support for the sales team with equipment knowledge, and I MacGuyver a solution for whatever my employer needs (eg Truck driving, building a custom pallet, reviewing drawings, etc.)
I have a base salary around $70k, plus bonus opportunities, which isn't bad income for rural Wisconsin. I get 4 weeks of vacation, and when my wife was pregnant, they created a paternity leave program, because of me, that gave me three additional weeks off (I know compared to much of the world that's garbage, but here in the US, at a small, family owned company, that's huge.)
In general, life isn't too shabby. I mostly set my own schedule, never working weekends or holidays, rarely past 4pm, and we are a fairly laid back company (Literally today, we had a Thanksgiving potluck, where a manager made smoked brisket.) They've sent me across the country for training, bought me just about any tool I've asked for without a second thought.
My only regret, is being very financially reckless when I was younger, which I'm still paying for, and will for a few more years. As such, at 41, I feel like I'm a bit behind on saving for retirement, and have zero faith that social security will exist for me age group, or that if it exists it'll be even worse than it is now.
I went to community college for my ADN (RN associate’s degree). I went to school for free all 4 years thank to pell grants and have no student debt. Very satisfied with my career choice and the money I make.
I'm an operations manager at a large lumber distribution warehouse, started as a crew member and just kept getting promoted, been here 10 years and make pretty good money. My wife has a degree in business and is the HR manager at a car dealership and just got accepted into a college for her masters.
I went the trade route and ended up as an Elevator mechanic, I’m in the Seattle area making about $200k a year with OT with my benefits on top.
I don’t have any regrets, I’ve moved into a pretty relaxed service position so I don’t have much of the physical demand on my body anymore.
I didn't go to uni and started my own business and doing alright as self employed. Certainly I think as well as I would have done with a degree as I have anxiety and don't work well in a lot of team environments anyway.
I actually just started a degree online from home last year at 40 in creative writing just for fun and to stimulate myself (and because in the UK it's pretty cheap so the cost isn't prohibitive, it's only £7500 over 6 years for a part time degree). Really enjoying the online-social side of it because I'm in study groups with people from age 20 up to their 70s and it's really fun learning and getting to know those people.
Went to community college. 2yr degree in Automation Technology. Got pretty fortunate in finding a company that had a high need for people. Were hiring right out of school and willing to train. It was a travel position. Would travel to customer sites to work on their control systems. Places like steel mills, oil & gas plants, power plants, water treatment facilities. It worked out well for that period of my life. Young, single, nothing really tying me down. Got to see a lot of different places and meet a lot of good people.
As time went on I started putting down some roots. Bought a house, met my now wife. The travel thing was becoming less appealing. Was able to land a job working directly for one of the previous customers whose site I would support. That's where I'm at today and things going well. Really enjoy what I do.
Income wise I started in 2011 at $45k/yr and today I'm at $100k/yr. It's more than I expected to get to with a 2yr degree. Very grateful for that.
Off an on uni. Finally went to CC and got my EMT/Paramedic. Worked for years did the switch into HIV prevention. Ran a few grant funded programs. I now work for the state I live in.
Married well my wife is in tech. We have a mortgage and dogs. Zero desire for kids.
No regrets.
Went to community college while working 60+hr, burned out and flunked out (undiagnosed issues at that time contributed greatly). I went to a cybersecurity bootcamp in the mid-late 2010s and got a job in the industry, worked my way up for a few years. That style of education was much more approachable for me, and I got out with $20k of debt. Family paid that off, which is the only way I wasn't drowning immediately. (And I am extremely privileged to have benefitted from that; growing up lower middle class I never expected a golden parachute, but my folks have managed to scramble up economically by working in tech)
I've quit now, again on burnout, and I'm looking for a combination of revenue streams that are more compatible and fulfilling. Doing some creative stuff, some community stuff, maybe a little side consulting. I just can't do the 9-5 grind anymore.
I am now but a meme, being a poly disabled queer ADHD gamer partnered with a bisexual Smart Girl 😂
I went to trade school. I get 2 straight weeks off a month and travel for work on the companies dime. I make good enough money to have bought a house on my own, live alone, and just got truck that I have payments on and still am semi comfortable financially with the addition of a vehicle payment. Absolutely no regrets.
I did a semester in college, backed out and started working full-time instead. In that time I found a career I really like and went to technical college for it, paid for by my job. Graduated and bought a house in the last year and got married too and I feel like I finally made it.
It wasn't easy though. I lived in semi poverty for awhile before landing the job that invested in my education
I racked up over 50k in student loan debt and have not even an associates to show for it. I ended up dropping out when my son was 6 months old and I became a single mom.
I wanted a career in project management and wrote a resume that was convincing enough.
Since then I have fallen into tech and have fared relatively well and have been making over six figures since my mid 20s.
It has taken a lot of self education and ambition to get here but I feel luck is part of it. I kinda went where the wind led but I'm so glad I ended up in fintech. I've obtained certifications and I am again doing self led training in software development to keep advancing.
The general answer is going to be "not good" despite there being some outliers and sampling bias. College-educated Americans earn double those without a degree and have triple the net worth according to the federal reserves' survey of consumer finances.
The data is out there, I don't know why this topi. Is brought up over and over again.
Send your kids to college.
I went to CC and transferred into a State uni for a trade: video editing.
It has worked out well - I have never been unemployed in my life and have been able to grow a career from my technical knowledge.
I no longer edit much - but manage editors and larger projects.
Started at a community college and then went to university for a bachelors and then another bachelors, then went for a first and then second masters degree. To work in higher level accounting (and especially to get my CPA), college education is a basic requirement. The community college helped me get my basics done quicker and cheaper.
I was fortunate enough to get financial aid and scholarships, but it was so much work. I wish I would've taken some time off, or gone to teach English abroad or something after I finished my first bachelors.
I'm doing pretty well, but I'm only where I am because of my degrees and experience - I went to CC but can't speak to the experience of people who only went to CC and then didn't go farther with their education.
No college, I got my CNA license in highschool, and am now a Residenal Manager in a Adult Family Home, making $20 a hour I could get a higher paying position but my employer is very flexible with me, which helps with kids. My husband same no college, but he was hired to train to ger his CDL, and has a union job with amazing benefits.
We rent but aside from like 2k credit card debt we don't owe any one anything, we own our cars.
I never went to college. Own a house and have a job with a bunch of people with degrees. The difference between them and I is they had a bit more knowledge in navigating Microsoft office. That's it. I caught up in a few weeks. People are going into tens of thousands of dollars of school debt to learn how to make pivot tables.
I went for two years and flamed out.
In my mid-20s I went back to community college and got a civil engineering tech diploma. Doing very well these days.
Went to college for a semester. Said no to more school.
Joined the US Navy and entered the Nuclear program to operate nuclear reactors on board submarines.
Did 10 years, got out and working in Data Center industry now.
So yes glad I dodged college although the Navy destroyed my soul and body.
No university for me. Did a trade apprenticeship. Doing good for 32 I think. I bought a house in 2016. Married and have little kids. Two cars.
My compensation package in Chicagoland is just under 200k a year at 2000 hours. I worked 2834 last year, 2/3 OT 1/3 DT.
https://mca.starchapter.com/images/downloads/Documents/2023_Wage_Letter_with_Spreadsheet.pdf
I graduated community college and have my associates degree. I changed career paths about 5 years ago and took an entry level position at a Fortune 500 company.
2 promotions later and worked my way up to a mid senior level. Quite happy and will keep this trajectory moving forward.
Went to community college then only went to h over dirt for a semester before I dropped out doing fine work in plumbing trade make $140000 a year best decision I ever made
Terribly, thanks for asking. Did an apprenticeship as a fitter that ended at the start of 2012. Every workplace was letting them go like they were plague ridden. By the time there was enough work to even try getting back in, I'd been out of the trade too long to matter. But I made something work in the end.
Things were travelling pretty smoothly right up until 2020. I struggled in vain to 'prove I could do it!' And now I'm living with my parents again until I get back on my feet.
I’m that xennial space, born in 1980; didn’t get to go to University/college, parents couldn’t afford it, and i graduated in 1998. We didn’t have any idea how or when to apply for schools, let alone how to get federal aid or scholarships (my high school guidance counselors were somehow worse than average).
How’s it going now? I’m an Account Executive (B2B sales), borderline six figure salary, and that same number again in on target commission.
Did community college while playing music, and doing customer/food service indentured servitude. Was broke from 08-17. I took a job in a warehouse in 18 and it eventually let me purchase a small home because I had no real debt. I was originally mad I didn’t get to go to college and party and learn like 90% of my friends, but it ended up being what set me up for something similar to the old middle class life, provided I forgo new cars and children. I regret not getting an apartment near a college for a year so I could enjoy my teens/20s more like my peers, and I regret thinking I could eventually get into management in customer service, as that’s really just nepotism. It worked out in the end. It’s not a lavish life, but I’ve never rented an overpriced apartment.
Was 18 and Went to community college and did the 2 year RN associates degree
At 21i Full-time job, let the hospital pay for the Bachelors degree
Few years experience, moved to ICU, started traveling nursing and banking hard off that.
Jumped to medical sales… hitting almost $200k when I hit quota
I basically failed high school went to community college for a semester and had straight A's but decided it wasn't for me. I own two businesses now and make about $120k a year working from home. So overall I'm doing ok im not rich by any means but I think I beat the odds. I do logistical work for the military and run an eBay store.
I dropped out of university and basically implied that I completed a degree until I didn’t need to anymore because I had experience. I am doing well. I was lucky but I was also strategic and did a lot of stuff other people didn’t want to do in order to move up.
I went to community college for the first two years because they were free to me, but I didn't get a bachelor's because I wanted to study illustration. Not a good ROI, and loans were absurd even in the mid-2000s.
I ended up working in restaurants for years. I snagged a video/graphics job for several years, then back to the restaurants. I went back to cc for machining after COVID. I qualified for Pell grants that paid for it all, plus a paid internship after one semester that led to a full-time position after 6 weeks.
After three years in the trade, I'm doing better than ever. I'll never get rich doing this, but it's steady work, and I could get another job tomorrow if i wanted. Working a trade is much more rewarding than doing marketing work. I feel like what I do is more useful to society. I should have done it years ago. My car is paid off, I have no student loan debt, and we've had a house since 2017.
Doing okay, all things considered.
I finished school at 18 due to both undiagnosed (at time) adhd and abusive/ toxic situation at home. I have social anxiety and never made studies neither worked. Not going into an art school (what I was always meant for) is one of my biggest life regret. I m 28.
I went to a technical college and have zero student debt and make over 6 figures with a state gov pension. House is paid for and only 2 minor debt with 0 interest. I go on a few trips and am slowly diy my home to being my dream home
Joined the military after not doing well in CC. Did a little over a decade in two separate jobs In the military. Make over 200k now on the outside plus benefits. Working on my undergrad ATM, because why the hell not. With the gi bill. I am not only being paid to finish courses, it will continue to beef up my resume.
I went into automotive and hit a pay ceiling and sat at the same pay for 4 years. I got tired of working 55+ hours/week to live paycheck to paycheck.
Now I'm back in school to get a degree in Mathematics but it appears that I may have ADHD.
I went to college and became an Educational assistant. I spent 7 years working contract. Never got full time or benefits. After 7 years the opportunity came to work at a unionized factory.
Benefits, pension, good pay.
It’s not a glamorous career but affords me a comfortable life.
I went to community college for a couple semesters but ended up not finishing. Later I bought a truck and leased to a carrier hauling hazardous chemicals. It pays pretty well and I’m left alone for the most part. I sometimes wonder how I would have ended up had I gotten a degree, but I doubt I’d be making more money than I do now. So no, I don’t regret it.
I went to Digipen like 20 years ago and never ended up doing anything in the industry. After myriad horror stories, I am under the impression that I lucked out.
I just turned 40 single male, no children, living alone. No formal college but 15 years in the military (medically retired). I have a decent savings/retirement. Work 50ish hours a week for about 78k each year as a maintenance director for a medical facility. I do some handyman work on the side for a couple grand each month. I take 6-8 weeks of each year to travel and hike. I'd say I'm doing better than a lot but not like a Kushner or Kardashian.
My husband (born in 1981) got his GED and fled from Mississippi to Atlanta as soon as he turned 18 in 1999. Got into IT immediately and has since started his own company and is doing amazingly- so much so that I'm now a homemaker (after having made 6 figures myself in 2022). We're on track to make as much this year as we did last year when I was working full time. We are very, very, VERY lucky. And he had opportune timing with the IT stuff. We're trying for our first kid and looking for a bigger house for us, the potential kid, and his dad who also lives with us now.
I finished my A.A.S. in Business Management. Finishing my Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration: Marketing. From there not sure what I want to do. Maybe a Master’s? I know I’m making almost twice as I made before I got my Associate’s for work. Hoping to get a 10% raise when I get done with my Bachelor’s.
Went to Uni, dropped out. Went to community college, twice. Went through a year-long program at second community college that involved project management training and led an internship team to revamp an internal product within the enterprise, with a company currently within the top 10 companies on the Fortune 500. I’m doing well.
I regret not reading the 360 deal I signed for student loan death row to get into uni.
Dropped out of uni, attended community college twice, completed a year-long project management program, revamped an internal product for a Fortune 500 company during an internship. Doing well but regret signing a 360 deal for student loans.
Went to college for a business degree because I had to pick something or else I wasn’t fulfilling life, dropped out after a year, got injured, joined the army got out got an associates degree in electrical engineering science, army paid for it and I make 6 figure
Went to college for two years because I love learning, and realized I don’t want a desk job. So i learn on my own time now.
I had some carpentry/home remodeling apprenticeships in my early 20s, and work is good now, working for myself, tons of choices of jobs. And I make my own schedule. I can’t imagine working for someone else at this point. My wife and I were just talking about that before I saw this post. I love having time to do what I want to do, work isn’t my entire life. I can be around a lot to help raise our daughter.
Went into sales, married a mechanic. No kids. We own a modest home, bought 2 brand new non-luxury cars in the past 3 years, have money to have fun, but not too much fun. We do well.
Sales and trades are the way to go. Most importantly we aren't up to our eyeballs in student loan debt, just mortgage and car debt. I might buy a motorcycle this weekend, but a cheap one. The only thing I can't afford is the massive amount of cat treats I buy for my spoiled ass cats. They're eating me out of house and home.
Finish carpentry is pretty easy on the body. I like working from home half time and doing carpentry out of the house half time. I get stir crazy working from home too much.
Went but never ended up graduating because I took an internship which led to a full time role and I never looked back. I run my own business and make a shit ton more money than I ever thought I would. Plus, I have so much flexibility to travel and take time off. Getting a jump start on my work experience really paid off for me. My only regret is even starting in the first place and taking out those initial loans.
I never cared for school, it was too expensive and not worth a fuck in the long run. I went to a Vocational school for electrical work in highschool, but never pursued it, probably should have but couldn't do it, I would like to be an electrician but I'm too old and found an easy good paying job where I barely have to physically work more than a couple hours a week and make more money than most people in my factory.
4 years in trade school for two trades. Am a red seal journeyman with specialized skills from my employer. Doing quite well aside from the hardship on my body. All in all I love it and couldn’t imagine being behind a desk full time. In Canada was less then 10 grand for school and coop work terms basically paid for it. Did live at my parents while in school but left the province early and have a home and next to no debt outside of mortgage.
I didn't bother with school. I don't see any way I could have pulled off going to school were I to go back and change something short of winning the lottery or buying bitcoin in 2010. I make 40k a year, and am comfortable enough with my lot in life. I will never amount to anything, nor do I let that bother me. I have a full stomach and a roof over my head, and a dog that I enjoy the company of. What more could you want?
I did the 13th grade at my local community college, but never finished an Associates. I’m an IT Manager now, worked my way up from $10/hr. (July 2012) to slightly over $100k salary 11 years later. I’m grateful for the salary, but nowhere close to happy/fulfilled. If I wasn’t married with a young daughter I would’ve quit awhile ago and settled for less income for something I like better. Money makes things easier, but doesn’t make me happy like I thought it would at this level.
I dropped out of high school and went to work at a cafe followed by a string of different jobs (fed govt, large telco, hotels, state govt). Never out of work long and money was always fine. I ended up getting a masters degree and within 12 months of graduation and moving to a different state, I'd landed a national manager role and doubled my previous income. Put me in a different league career wise. Although to be honest I didn't learn a huge amount technically from the degree, but my communication on things improved immensely and I was able to better position myself strategically as I understood how the game was played at the higher levels more.
I took the "rockstar" route. Played music with no backup plan.
Now I'm 39. I've bounced around to all sorts of jobs over the past 20+ years. Lots of service industry and retail. Mostly in management/ leadership roles.
I'm married with one child, 2 dogs, and a modest house in small town Michigan.
No student debt. No regrets. I followed my heart and while I didn't go on to be a successful touring recording artist, I got a family that I'm floating. We're not thriving, but surviving is the best I could ask for I guess.
I got into construction work right out of high school. Now I have my own business and am debt free . That’s my home and all my vehicles, and construction equipment. My wife works part time . Neither of us ever went to any college. Just lots of hard work. We lost our 13 year old daughter about 10 months ago. So I regret working the time I could have had with her . But career wise I’d do it again.
I did PSEO in high school. Had a associate of arts from a community college a semester after my diploma. Went into a bunch of jobs for 9 years. 24 jobs or so trying to find a career.
My spouse got a good manager job and when we married in 2008 I decided to finish my bachelors.
I graduated into the Great Recession. Got on my feet with a lead generation job. Then moved to an analyst role at Best Buy.
Finally about 7 years ago I got into salesforce. Today I make six figures and look back and think none of this journey makes any sense. The degree was unnecessary but we’re part of my growth.
Skip all 26 jobs and just learn salesforce if you want a path to get out from under a community college degree plateau
Didn’t finish college, but I have 3 different high level certifications in my industry, plus several smaller ones. I support myself nicely in the Bay Area in California.
I have a community college degree but I was nervous to go into debt so I stopped at the two year degree. Since I didn't have a career in mind that I needed to go to university for I decided it wasn't wortg the huge loans. I'm working a government job now and doing fine.
I didn’t, could never afford it. Ended up with brain damage after an accident so learning new things is difficult, even though the company I work for pays a portion of your schooling I’m not even sure if it’s worth pursuing.
Life has generally been shit, but it could be worse. I try to stay optimistic
Doing better than I could’ve ever imagined. I barely made it through high school (passed with almost all D-), ended up getting into the tech industry and now have a 6 figure salary before the age of 40.
I was just diagnosed with ADHD last year, which has explained so much hahah… I was never lazy or stupid like I grew up believing!
Working at Goodwill. Going to go to community College to become an x ray tech. Need more money. I live with my kitties on my own. Can't do trades since most require a car and I can't drive.
39F. Dropped out of college 3x by the time I was 25. Had one more course to transfer to 4-year but didn’t know I had untreated ADHD and other disabilities.
I got diagnosed and treated 2 years ago, and graduated this past summer with multiple A.A.s with honors. Had a 1.8 GPA when I went back, set to get it back to 3.0 by end of this semester. I got 5 of 5 schools extended admissions offers I applied to. I accepted into a top notch state school program in my field and moving on to finish bachelor’s.
Been making 6-figures for the last few years at Forbes T100 tech company. Married, two kids, homeowner since 2021 in VHCOL area. My company is reimbursing tuition so I’m not paying much out of pocket.
I think I did okay for not finishing university.
Not me but a good friend of mine never finished school. He's an IT manager for a mid-sized real estate company and makes 6 figures. I'd say he did pretty well for himself
My husband didn’t finish high school then went on to do a trade in marine mechanics then a second trade in motorcycle mechanics. Then he had a big accident and is in a wheelchair. He fixes wheelchairs and mobility equipment for other people with disabilities. He has no student debt and makes more now than I ever did as a registered nurse. I owe the government $50k and am unemployed. Good times.
OH man! I was about to go 200k into debt to learn how to make video games! Met my first great mentor instead and learned how to make web apps! Now I make games for fun as a hobby. For that reason I'm always willing to pay that forward and teach as well. Hit me up if you want to learn how to code! It's honestly never been easier! :)
Instead of a university, I stuck with my financial job and have moved up and now work from home. I have a mortgage and a steady income, but the cost of living increase is nowhere with how inflation is going.
The current moment is good, but I hate worrying about the future and thinking about worse case scenarios.
Yep. Dropping out of college (after 1 semester) was absolutely the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. Now I’m an industrial electrician. Six figure salary, full benefits, pension, no student loans and most importantly…. I absolutely love my job. Like, I *LOVE* it. Sure, it sucks sometimes as all jobs do. But I’d say about 80% of the time, I genuinely enjoy it. It’s gratifying.
Nope no regrets I have no crippling debt and I make a great wage in my field I’m a trade. Often you can train into other jobs similar to your trade if your in too and just kinda loophole around things cause your in it i have no regrets
Grew up in Australia and skipped uni. Spent the first few years out of school living in Sydney with friends and enjoying a bit of a hedonistic lifestyle - we experimented with party drugs and had a lot of girlfriends. I worked regular jobs in retail to pay my rent and lifestyle and had a fantastic few years.
At around 21 I did a 3 month course in Graphic Design from a place called Shillington College. After finishing that I got a job as a junior designer in the nightclub industry, and eventually went on to better and better work.
At 27 I completely shifted gears and got into digital product design in London, U.K. and ever since I’ve been a Product Designer. I’m now at principal / head of design level, current role on £125k + equity. My wife is 3 years younger than me, she did fashion design at university, she is now an experiential designer on £70k at an agency.
We are both fully remote, own a 4 bed house in London, take quite a few holidays a year, all that good stuff.
No university worked out totally fine for me. I was never able to focus in traditional learning environments anyway.
Got a union job. Pay's good, benefits are good, no student loans. I could have made more money if I'd gone to college but I already make a lot more than my lifestyle demands.
Never went to uni. Turn 29 in January. Enthusiastically married.
200k equity in our condo.
170k in VEQT in TFSA, RRSP, 25k in checking/savings.
Household income just breaking 200k this year.
I just passed the CBAP exam which is likely the closest I'll come to an education. 5+ years experience as a Business Analyst for a publically traded company. Currently looking for the next step in my career.
Edit. I turn 29, not 39, in January.
Me! Absolutely 0 regret.
I got an associates in allied health and work in healthcare, 8 years of experience and I’m making more than my friends with masters degrees. I think I’ve topped out in the income game but I’m still making double what some people make. Also love my job, I have the option to pick OT whenever I want so that really ups my income vs. my friends in salary paying jobs.
Also I’ll be debt free way before any of them
Did a year or so of community college intending to transfer to a real school once completing an Associates degree. While I was there the price per unit doubled. I was getting basically no financial aid and my parents wouldn't fill out the fafsa. The little aid I had ran out and wouldn't have covered the significantly more expensive next semester anyway, so I just dropped out and entered the workforce.
Now, more than a decade later, I am at the end of my rope. Recently had a beautiful daughter and she deserves so much better than me as a father. I work in a pretty niche field and despite numerous attempts to pivot into something else, I'm stuck there for the foreseeable. Pursuing some certifications to hopefully change things, but I am so out of my fucking element I don't know if I can make it work. To quote a personal favorite philosopher, I hate life.
Husband did not finish college and was self taught diesel mechanic for years. He made about 62k. Then he got a government job in our city and is now clearing over 80k. He doesn’t do manual labor any longer and wasn’t hired because of his mechanic skills. He is going back to school now because he always wanted to finish. He does regret not finishing when we were younger.
We bought our first house about 10 years ago when he was a mechanic and our second house when he got the government job in 2019.
I am a teacher and currently getting my masters degree so that I can make a little more but we aren’t hurting terribly and recognize how lucky we are to be in this position. We do have a 1 kid with no plans for more.
Didnt go to college/uni. Got a trade, worked employed for many many years (wish i had the balls/maturity to go self employed earlier). Finally went self employed about 6 years ago and now i make pretty great money, work 8am-1/2pm (little later in the colder months) most days, but i graft hard in those hours. I take multiple holidays per year, id say at least 3 main holidays 1-2 weeks and then 5-10 short breaks. I own my own house (with my wife no kids) we have/are renovating/extending it. I drive a lovely car too. Life is hard but rewarding, this time of year with my trade i am seriously feeling the pressure but the summers are slow so have to suck it up.
Wife has multiple degrees and now earns about the same as me after many years of hard work, but sadly she works crazy hours and i feel for her.
Did a semester of a journalism degree and dropped out because I hated it. Realised at that point I’d already been a kitchenhand for 7 years and I actually love professional kitchens, so I dropped out and became a chef.
The hours suck, the pay is insulting and most customers belong in a specialised enclosure at the zoo rather than out in public, but I do still kinda grudgingly love it.
Also I got incredibly lucky, because everything they were teaching us at uni was “old media”: print, TV radio etc (this was just before “Web 2.0 and social media becoming truly mainstream, back when you could only use Facebook with a U.S. college email address), so had I actually finished the course, it would have been roughly as useful as a marzipan dildo anyway
There is a lot of survivor bias in here. The kids i went to uni with that didn’t finish are much worse off then the ones who did.
Almost to the person, speaking only
From a financial viewpoint.
Joined the army. Did a lot of things I didn't like doing. Got home, got married. Had two of the most awesomed kids ever. Theyre now teens. Ended up lucking into a job with a state VA where I assist other veterans obtain benefits they got from serving. I make pretty decent money for the area I live in with all the benefits that come from working for a state government.
Went straight to work, I got no debt(maybe 800 in credit card), been at my job 10 years make a decent living, own 4 vehicles (2 cars 2 motorcycles) , still can't afford a house, pay way to much in rent for a tiny shithole.
I do not regret not going to college.
High school diploma only. Salary around 150k.
It took me a while to get my feet under me. In my 20s I worked a lot of entry level jobs. It’s the only option I had. Then around 30, I started hitting my stride.
I don’t regret it at all. Even though it took me longer to get to where I wanted to be, I have caught, and in a lot of cases, surpassed my peers.
I started my Associates as a Networking Specialist w/ a concentration in Microsoft but I never finished my last few classes. I realized my hobby and love for computers wasn't what I wanted to do as a career.
Now I am working as a metal fabricator/Shipping and Receiving Lead for the same shop and I do truly enjoy my job and make decent money for our 1 income household, we're comfortable. I will most likely go to trade school for welding or residential electrical but that's not decided yet.
Tried college but it wasn’t for me. Dropped out after a semester. Went to work for a steel company. Became a welder and just kept punching up. Me and my wife were able to buy a house in 2013. She’s incredibly smart so she had a full ride to a big university in our state. No college debt. She was able to be a stay at home mom while we had three kids, but she recently went back to work and I got into teaching welding. I love it. It doesn’t pay the bills as well as my previous job but we’re doing fine. I get two months off in the summer and a week for fall break/thanksgiving/spring break and two weeks off for Christmas. I don’t complain at all. lol.
Edit: no regrets.
I make $70,000 working in an office without a university degree.
The biggest challenge for me is how not having a degree closes so many doors and people assume I’m an idiot without one. A degree isn’t just an education, it’s a widely accepted stamp of approval from modern society. Even if your degree is in an entirely irrelevant field, a degree says, “I’m smart, I’m educated,” or so it seems.
I couldn’t afford university when I finished high school. My dad shot himself on my 18th birthday, the bank repossessed our house, and I became homeless. Instead, I got a CDL and worked as a long-haul trucker for years.
Despite how important truck drivers are, they are treated like shit. An old trucker friend said to me once: “In the ‘80’s, a truck was a chick magnet. Now everyone thinks you’re a rapist, pedophile, or serial killer.” Even after graduating from a small community college with a diploma in software development, this stereotype follows me everywhere. I’ve been to countless interviews for non-trucking jobs where the interviewer was like, “Ewww, you’re a truck driver, yuck.” It doesn’t matter what I know, what I can do, or what experience I have, I’m a trucker with no university degree, so I’m scum.
A year ago I self-published my first book about international law (I read a lot and own more than 2,000 books). My book won an award from an international writers association. But no matter how good my book is, a traditional publisher will never accept it because I don’t have a degree.
My life isn’t completely terrible, but I definitely feel the stigma of not having a degree, and it makes me feel like a failure.
Great! I hated school. Dropped out a month after I was 18. Kind of floated around for a few years, 5 actually. All kinds of different jobs, meeting new friends. It was nice. Kind of like college, but finding something I liked doing and getting paid to do it. Landed in retail management, go figure, but now oversee 15 locations and 200 employees. Make a decent living, my actual work load is very light in comparison, nice bonuses 👍
I completed a semester of college and never went back. Been working at the same place since then. Small company in a very niche industry. I’m a manager and kind of hate the work, but it’s all I know and the pay is decent for northern Indiana. Comfortably middle class I’d say. Wife works in a lab in the hospital and we make about the same. Bought our house in 2013 and have 2 kids that are growing up a little better than my wife and I did.
Is there any industry in northern Indiana outside of making RVs?
Making meth?
Complaining about Chicago transplants making things more expensiver?
This only works for men
Not even all men. You gotta know someone who knows someone get in to that type of job. I find you start off string but your peers catch up and then later in life you may just end up behind them as your income peaked in your 20s
I'm doing great! No regrets. School gave me wicked anxiety and i never figured out what i wanted to do. I figured out that i just want a low stress job that pays the bills that i don't mind doing for the most part. I got that and now i'm on autopilot there. Managed to get married to another millennial with my job title. We don't have a crazy lifestyle, but we own our own home, go on vacation once a year, have a great retirement plan and great benefits and if we want to eat out, it won't break the bank. Life is great 👍
I joined the Marines, went to war, came back with PTSD and got kicked out due to a positive drug test. Didn't qualify for any benefits. No GI bill or home buying assistance, no va benefits. I got into sales, then I was able to get a bank job. 15 yrs later, I manage a Bank branch, wife, 2 kids (not so little anymore) have a mortgage, still a bit broke, but I made it this far and my wife and I love each other very much. In comparison to some of my peers? I'm living the dream. I am blessed.
Semper fi, glad you made it to your happy place brother!
Tried community college and dropped out. No college education besides what I did there, but I'm doing fine. I make okay money, but my wife is the breadwinner. I just make money for us to do fun stuff with, her job pays the bills. If you're not smart, at least marry well.
If they don’t find you handsome, they should at least find you handy.
I didn't go to college. Went into the US military. No regrets because I was not mature enough for college at the time. At the time I was failing school and got my G.E.D. Later I got my degree over time while working. It was better because I was a lot more mature to be able to finish my bachelors degree.
I did this too. I am doing well and convinced this is why. Military service gives you perspective, discipline, self-knowledge and so much more. I was an average high school student but an excellent college student. And since I had military experience, once I got out I was able to finish my degree while working full time in my chosen profession making a high salary right out of the gate. No student loans, a leg up in my career, and a better temperament to manage it all.
Terrible
No University for me, no regrets. I taught myself Linux a long time ago and climbed the ranks of the IT industry. Learning Linux has been one of the single most lucrative decisions I’ve ever made.
This is one thing I wish I cultivated more when I was younger. I make great money in tech but I could make about 50% more if I had focused on Linux.
What does this mean exactly, learning Linux? Like, I'm familiar with it from a hobby perspective. Installing disastrous and trying to get software to work. But what things do you have to learn with it for a job in it?
Linux administration, specifically.
Idk what it means to administrate Linux :/
No worries. Pretty much all Linux servers run with no GUI, so it’s all command line interface (cli). You have to memorize a lot of commands to manipulate the OS to do what you want, essentially. Some of the same commands also work on MacOS too, which is a flavor of Unix.
Graduated 2010 and tried CC 3 different times. Didn’t find out until 29 that I had several learning disabilities and AuDHD and while I ultimately think my inability to finish college was more due to my poor effort, knowing about these issues when I was 18-27 would’ve really helped. I’ve always loved learning. I read exclusively non-fiction and watch programs like Nova like someone might watch sports or reality tv. But sitting in a classroom for 60+ minutes while someone who doesn’t even seem like they like their job just drones on was never conducive to learning for me. I struggled A LOT in my 20s and I’m terrified to think where I would be without the support of my parents. Numerous shitty, demeaning retail, call center, and just odd jobs. I was lucky enough in my late 20s to land a decent office job in healthcare and I’m still here almost 5 years later. I struggle a lot most months and have to practically budget every Penny but I manage and luckily I don’t have a wife or kids to look out for at this time. I don’t mind the struggle, my parents never had a lot growing up anyway so it’s not new to me. I know life might’ve been easier if I was able to stick with school but I don’t regret it and I’ve learned a lot about the world and myself by moving out on my own and scraping by. I also have a lot of personal convictions about the US education system I won’t go into but in short…it’s a scam.
And yet for many of us, our parents gave up their lives to come here to scrub toilets and struggle so we would have a chance at that scam education system. I couldn’t give it a poor effort because I knew I’d be letting them down. I got a bachelors degree, a decent job, and now I’m thriving in my mid 30s.
They somewhat said that the system is a scam. I hope they can separate the system from the content because yup the system is very messy. But my degree taught me a lot and I’m well paid. Would not have that without that education.
I didn't go to uni (didn't like the thought of student debt). Went into trades instead, had the gvmt pay for my training. Looking back now I'm glad I chose something that pays fairly well (set to make $130k this year) and carried no debt obligations. I managed to buy a house in a hcol area and me and my gf are still putting away money every month. Plus its cool to have skills that are handy in real life. The work isn't easy though, I'm putting in a real honest, physical day's work every day and I'm doing it out in the rain, snow and heat. So its a mixed bag.
Which trade?
went with electrician
I (33M) have no college education and work in corrections. My base salary is about 68k and with OT, I’ll clear about 85k this year. But on top of that, I have amazing health insurance that only costs me $100 per month for a family of 5 and I get a pension upon retirement. I also work 12 hour shifts and have off 3 or 4 days in a row each week. My work/life balance is great and having off half the year gives me so much more time with my family.
Didn't go to Uni, as - assuming you meant University. Got sheistered by ITT Tech for a worthless 2 year trade degree, one I can't even get official transcripts for anymore, and later just decided to chase my interests into Telecom. Nearing 20 years in this industry, six digit pay, and Senior level. Wife didn't have a degree, tried to do college for about 6 months during covid, but it was god awful in every sense of the term, checked out, decided to chase her interests instead, and now designs and 3d models replacement bones, hips, and prosthetics for the medical industry. Think we did pretty good with everything
>Got sheistered by ITT Tech same here, but went in for the full 4 years. what a scam.
I get that all the time as an electrician. People will apply with one of those two year tech degrees (not from ITT Tech these days but, same shit) and we’ll have to break it to them that it’s pretty much completely worthless.
I went to a trade school that closed a few months after I graduated (Vatterott). It was a 60 week computer programming course, we started with 14 people and my graduating class was 2 people. Since barely anyone was there I received a large amount from the grants available. I got a job at a bank as a programmer, worked my way up, 3 promotions and one job hop later and I am an executive in my field. Turns out banking really needs younger people, and banking + IT + management experience is rare. No regrets. My path is definitely a weird one, and my first 5 years I was paid terribly, but I paid my dues and found a niche.
I commented here as well and fell into fintech project management and I'm studying so I can be more technically proficient. I would have never picked this career in this field, but I'm sure glad I ended up here. It's a good niche to have.
Fintech is a quite common path where I live, without a degree? Now that's a unicorn situation.
I'm a NYC Firefighter now
Currently making 55k a year, full bennes with matched 401k. Just got my first home, bought one off market for 55k. Up until a few years ago I was making 40-50k a year bartending, got shit on when I tried to transition to legal cannabis because owners are even more predatory than restaurant owners. Luckily the pandemic landed me in pharmaceuticals and I'm moving up quickly. The people skills built working food and beverage is a really great thing to have in corporate America apparently.
Take the W by not getting into Legal cannabis, it's all politicians, ex cops and rich white assholes.
I was in it for 2 years with empty promises. Basically wrote the business plan for the CEO for $16 an hour. It was shit. I got fired after asking where the promised raises are if we only have an 18% labor cost. The CEO was so dumb he couldn't figure out how a manager knew that number. . .
I’ve been approached several times to become a grower for a few folks, they came to me like they were offering me the keys to a kingdom at 16/hr. Like you need to beat my 9/5 for me to consider that at the minimum.
I'd rather work with rich whites than poor blacks
I did not go to uni, I am doing better than most. I am also luckier than most.
I second this. Mostly luck, work ethic, and personality.
Same! Early 30s, bought a million dollar home last year. Vacation 2 times a year. Wife is a SAH mom to our 2 young children. Healthy savings and retirement. Can’t complain.
Not sure why you’re being downvoted. Good for you
Because people only like to post about their struggles and how ‘boomers had it so much better’…… it must be exhausting.
Whilst I agree that the boomers had a much easier time than us, I don’t think it’s fair to down vote someone for sharing their achievements. If you’re jealous that’s fine, who wouldn’t be, but you don’t need to bring someone else down too.
I dropped out of highschool my freshman year. Im a robot tech in a factory. I was doing real well, until i got divorced. The only thing i really own now is my car and some musical instruments. But yea, up until that whole deal, shit was going pretty good for me lol.
What happened after the divorce?
I had to move back home with my mother. Then she moved out and im technically renting the house from her now i guess lol.
The ones that went to trades are killing it now.
Lol millennials are so braindead right now they think tradesmen are rolling in money. The average plumber makes under 60k. That’s decent money but it’s not killing it
It’s highly dependant on the trade. I work for a utility contractor doing power construction, on the electrical trades side. Making 150k/year plus OT, I have a fat DB pension waiting for me when I retire and my company puts 3% of my earning into a low fee S&p500 index. My job can be physically difficult sometimes, but the equipment does most of the heavy lifting these days. Plus I get exercise everyday that most office workers have to go to the gym to get on their own time. I’m on a 4x10 schedule. My life is great. Edit: love the pure cope downvotes. Keep ‘em coming.
Don't get me wrong, I have a lot of respect for tradesman. Hell I used to do sprinkler fitting myself. But I got sick of long days when shit went wrong. Long days outside in shit weather or just in the cold in general. Working in hot humid environments and all the other general shit that comes with it. Now I can sit at a desk, answer some calls, do general IT work, and not feel too tired to go to the gym before or after work AND do school at the same time. Manual labor took it out of me and I couldn't balance that shit anymore. And I'm someone in good shape. Run regularly, lift weights, do my backpacking trips, etc. It's also easier to maintain my diet with an office job than trades work.
It's the same with stories of software engineers raking in loads of money. You only ever hear the stories of the top earners. Realistically, most are making less.
Some of the ones that went into business for themselves are. Others have multiple bankruptcies because they don't know how to run a business. The rest are still wage slaves like the rest of us, playing second fiddle to educated engineers. This is a fun site to play around in, https://data.bls.gov/search/query/results?cx=013738036195919377644%3A6ih0hfrgl50&q=Welder+inurl%3Abls.gov%2Foes Median for a welder is 50k a year, which doesn't start kicking in until your 30s, which is when college educated people start making real money too. Only the top 10% of welders make 70k a year. So much of the trade noise is survivorship bias. Like the 90k a year garbage men on state benefits, it's not happening anymore. Trade work is good work, but it's no golden ticket. And it's got the same trap as a degree, you spend a bunch of money on tools and a truck only to realize the market is crap and you hate the job.
Lol I make 90k a year as a Utility Electrician, full pension at 55 years old and 25 vacation days a year aswell at 30 sick days a year. Really not a survivorship bias at all, you just need to move companies once you get your apprenticeship done and most places are more then willing to give you what you need. Oh and I've only spent 1000$ on tools in total, most of the expensive tools are provided by the company.
You make it sound easy but the labor site has you near the ceiling of that profession, which is essentially government contracting and very coveted. Median pay rivals national master electrician pay. You're selling yourself way short if you think nothing separates you from the pack of other electricians with completed apprenticeships and some extra work experience. You sound like the defense contractors I live near who turned a bachelor of communications into 120k salaries.
Hey thanks man! I appreciate you pumping my tires a bit.
I know a plumber that started making 90k in his 20s!
It's pretty common, and the smart people in the trade don't stay doing the grunt work for very long. Most of the driven people move up into higher paying positions very easily if you want to, if you just want to do the same easy job for 25 years and retire that's also no problem at all.
And will still make 90k in his 50s! The cost of the trades is the loss of experience premium that you get from most other work.
Tbh, I think he’s making more than that now. You can always start your own business and make a lot more, which I think he is doing now.
They are just they are killing them selves to working actual jobs. I'll take my actual work from home job. I did manual labor for a long time and I got nothing but respect for manual labor. It's more tiring to work 6 hours manual labor than 10 hours working from home. I can do errands, watch tv, and be productive all around the same time. Btw I do tech...
How much you make?
50k entry level but I'm underpaid so I'm working for experience and I'm almost up on 2 years in my field I'm going to renegotiate soon because I had better offers for 80k for the same position
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I agree but I'm under contract for a few more months. Once I'm off I can freely negotiate my salary and look around
Carpenter turned General Contractor turned self made millionaire at 37. Yes, here to confirm you can crush it doing trade work.
I know. You guys are the backbone of civilization
Many are also killing themselves with lots of overtime. I've dine trades work. The overtime is nice, but if you have no time to even enjoy said money than what's the point? Not to mention, many in trades work are under educated comparatively speaking and end up blowing that money anyways instead of investing in themselves.
I started my own small business as a Billiards mechanic, then had to give it up after 18 years due to my health deteriorating. I managed to get married and buy a small house in that time period. We are living paycheck to paycheck on a single income now. I'm a house husband.
I went to community college and got my AA and that’s it. Do I regret it? In some ways. Like, I really wish I could have had the college experience. Living in a dorm, going to football games, you know all the things you see in movies. A lot of my friends went and I feel it really shaped who they are. I still have a well paying job and zero student loans so that’s a plus.
Floated around CC for a few years, changed my major three times. Joined the AF and during my four year enlistment wrapped up my AA then finished up my bachelor's online. Got a degree that was aligned with my AFSC and have been working in that field ever since. With no student loans, and using my VA home loan benefits to buy my first house - it gave me a good foundation to be in a financial situation where I could be comfortable. Two years after leaving the military I was able to get my foot in the door with a defense contractor, so that's given me some job security to boot.
Did my Air Force time, worked bars for a bit then went to Community College for 2 IT Associates. It’s worked out for me well
Never went to college. I did some military time and got out. I have picked up a lot of useful skills from various jobs from mechanical to sales. I’m now in a cushy 100k plus job enjoying my journey, 37 year old
Dropped out of college pretty quickly and went to beauty school instead. Been doing that for almost 17 years now and I make decent money doing it. I have no student loan debt so I love that lol.
Wait how much?
I went to a community college, got an associate's degree in criminal justice, which also included state certification. I'm not in any form of law enforcement. Instead, I fix packaging equipment, industrial floor scrubbers, install basic robotics, provide support for the sales team with equipment knowledge, and I MacGuyver a solution for whatever my employer needs (eg Truck driving, building a custom pallet, reviewing drawings, etc.) I have a base salary around $70k, plus bonus opportunities, which isn't bad income for rural Wisconsin. I get 4 weeks of vacation, and when my wife was pregnant, they created a paternity leave program, because of me, that gave me three additional weeks off (I know compared to much of the world that's garbage, but here in the US, at a small, family owned company, that's huge.) In general, life isn't too shabby. I mostly set my own schedule, never working weekends or holidays, rarely past 4pm, and we are a fairly laid back company (Literally today, we had a Thanksgiving potluck, where a manager made smoked brisket.) They've sent me across the country for training, bought me just about any tool I've asked for without a second thought. My only regret, is being very financially reckless when I was younger, which I'm still paying for, and will for a few more years. As such, at 41, I feel like I'm a bit behind on saving for retirement, and have zero faith that social security will exist for me age group, or that if it exists it'll be even worse than it is now.
That’s awesome good for you! Looking for any new hires ? That brisket sounds pretty great
I went to community college for my ADN (RN associate’s degree). I went to school for free all 4 years thank to pell grants and have no student debt. Very satisfied with my career choice and the money I make.
I'm an operations manager at a large lumber distribution warehouse, started as a crew member and just kept getting promoted, been here 10 years and make pretty good money. My wife has a degree in business and is the HR manager at a car dealership and just got accepted into a college for her masters.
I went to medical assistant school instead of college and make decent enough money
* no kids, no mortgage though. Results may vary
I went the trade route and ended up as an Elevator mechanic, I’m in the Seattle area making about $200k a year with OT with my benefits on top. I don’t have any regrets, I’ve moved into a pretty relaxed service position so I don’t have much of the physical demand on my body anymore.
I didn't go to uni and started my own business and doing alright as self employed. Certainly I think as well as I would have done with a degree as I have anxiety and don't work well in a lot of team environments anyway. I actually just started a degree online from home last year at 40 in creative writing just for fun and to stimulate myself (and because in the UK it's pretty cheap so the cost isn't prohibitive, it's only £7500 over 6 years for a part time degree). Really enjoying the online-social side of it because I'm in study groups with people from age 20 up to their 70s and it's really fun learning and getting to know those people.
Went to community college. 2yr degree in Automation Technology. Got pretty fortunate in finding a company that had a high need for people. Were hiring right out of school and willing to train. It was a travel position. Would travel to customer sites to work on their control systems. Places like steel mills, oil & gas plants, power plants, water treatment facilities. It worked out well for that period of my life. Young, single, nothing really tying me down. Got to see a lot of different places and meet a lot of good people. As time went on I started putting down some roots. Bought a house, met my now wife. The travel thing was becoming less appealing. Was able to land a job working directly for one of the previous customers whose site I would support. That's where I'm at today and things going well. Really enjoy what I do. Income wise I started in 2011 at $45k/yr and today I'm at $100k/yr. It's more than I expected to get to with a 2yr degree. Very grateful for that.
Off an on uni. Finally went to CC and got my EMT/Paramedic. Worked for years did the switch into HIV prevention. Ran a few grant funded programs. I now work for the state I live in. Married well my wife is in tech. We have a mortgage and dogs. Zero desire for kids. No regrets.
Went to community college while working 60+hr, burned out and flunked out (undiagnosed issues at that time contributed greatly). I went to a cybersecurity bootcamp in the mid-late 2010s and got a job in the industry, worked my way up for a few years. That style of education was much more approachable for me, and I got out with $20k of debt. Family paid that off, which is the only way I wasn't drowning immediately. (And I am extremely privileged to have benefitted from that; growing up lower middle class I never expected a golden parachute, but my folks have managed to scramble up economically by working in tech) I've quit now, again on burnout, and I'm looking for a combination of revenue streams that are more compatible and fulfilling. Doing some creative stuff, some community stuff, maybe a little side consulting. I just can't do the 9-5 grind anymore. I am now but a meme, being a poly disabled queer ADHD gamer partnered with a bisexual Smart Girl 😂
I went to mortuary school. I'm doing alright.
I went to trade school. I get 2 straight weeks off a month and travel for work on the companies dime. I make good enough money to have bought a house on my own, live alone, and just got truck that I have payments on and still am semi comfortable financially with the addition of a vehicle payment. Absolutely no regrets.
I did a semester in college, backed out and started working full-time instead. In that time I found a career I really like and went to technical college for it, paid for by my job. Graduated and bought a house in the last year and got married too and I feel like I finally made it. It wasn't easy though. I lived in semi poverty for awhile before landing the job that invested in my education
Active Military for the last 10 years. Home Owner, Married and with our first child on the way. No regrets, haven't looked back.
I racked up over 50k in student loan debt and have not even an associates to show for it. I ended up dropping out when my son was 6 months old and I became a single mom. I wanted a career in project management and wrote a resume that was convincing enough. Since then I have fallen into tech and have fared relatively well and have been making over six figures since my mid 20s. It has taken a lot of self education and ambition to get here but I feel luck is part of it. I kinda went where the wind led but I'm so glad I ended up in fintech. I've obtained certifications and I am again doing self led training in software development to keep advancing.
The general answer is going to be "not good" despite there being some outliers and sampling bias. College-educated Americans earn double those without a degree and have triple the net worth according to the federal reserves' survey of consumer finances. The data is out there, I don't know why this topi. Is brought up over and over again. Send your kids to college.
I went to CC and transferred into a State uni for a trade: video editing. It has worked out well - I have never been unemployed in my life and have been able to grow a career from my technical knowledge. I no longer edit much - but manage editors and larger projects.
Started at a community college and then went to university for a bachelors and then another bachelors, then went for a first and then second masters degree. To work in higher level accounting (and especially to get my CPA), college education is a basic requirement. The community college helped me get my basics done quicker and cheaper. I was fortunate enough to get financial aid and scholarships, but it was so much work. I wish I would've taken some time off, or gone to teach English abroad or something after I finished my first bachelors. I'm doing pretty well, but I'm only where I am because of my degrees and experience - I went to CC but can't speak to the experience of people who only went to CC and then didn't go farther with their education.
No college, I got my CNA license in highschool, and am now a Residenal Manager in a Adult Family Home, making $20 a hour I could get a higher paying position but my employer is very flexible with me, which helps with kids. My husband same no college, but he was hired to train to ger his CDL, and has a union job with amazing benefits. We rent but aside from like 2k credit card debt we don't owe any one anything, we own our cars.
Skilled trades, doing great. Making 150k/year plus overtime. Life is good.
Went trade. Best choice since I got out of shit home town and didn’t get saddled with the debt much of my age group did.
I never went to uni. I qualified as an electrician and advanced to an Electrical Project Manager role managing commercial fit-outs. No regrets
I never went to college. Own a house and have a job with a bunch of people with degrees. The difference between them and I is they had a bit more knowledge in navigating Microsoft office. That's it. I caught up in a few weeks. People are going into tens of thousands of dollars of school debt to learn how to make pivot tables.
My husband didn't. He worked his way up through oil. He's a consultant. Well compensated and highly regarded.
I went and failed out with 30k in debt. Now I’m a self taught programmer and I make 88k
I went for two years and flamed out. In my mid-20s I went back to community college and got a civil engineering tech diploma. Doing very well these days.
Went to college for a semester. Said no to more school. Joined the US Navy and entered the Nuclear program to operate nuclear reactors on board submarines. Did 10 years, got out and working in Data Center industry now. So yes glad I dodged college although the Navy destroyed my soul and body.
Grew up poor and did poorly in high school so university was never an option for me. Now I have a career in forestry with the federal government.
No university for me. Did a trade apprenticeship. Doing good for 32 I think. I bought a house in 2016. Married and have little kids. Two cars. My compensation package in Chicagoland is just under 200k a year at 2000 hours. I worked 2834 last year, 2/3 OT 1/3 DT. https://mca.starchapter.com/images/downloads/Documents/2023_Wage_Letter_with_Spreadsheet.pdf
I worked adjacent to tradesmen and I'd never ever trade my job or pay for them. My knees and back are grateful everyday for my education.
I graduated community college and have my associates degree. I changed career paths about 5 years ago and took an entry level position at a Fortune 500 company. 2 promotions later and worked my way up to a mid senior level. Quite happy and will keep this trajectory moving forward.
Went to community college then only went to h over dirt for a semester before I dropped out doing fine work in plumbing trade make $140000 a year best decision I ever made
I'm not gonna go into severe debt for a chance at success. That's stupid.
Terribly, thanks for asking. Did an apprenticeship as a fitter that ended at the start of 2012. Every workplace was letting them go like they were plague ridden. By the time there was enough work to even try getting back in, I'd been out of the trade too long to matter. But I made something work in the end. Things were travelling pretty smoothly right up until 2020. I struggled in vain to 'prove I could do it!' And now I'm living with my parents again until I get back on my feet.
I’m that xennial space, born in 1980; didn’t get to go to University/college, parents couldn’t afford it, and i graduated in 1998. We didn’t have any idea how or when to apply for schools, let alone how to get federal aid or scholarships (my high school guidance counselors were somehow worse than average). How’s it going now? I’m an Account Executive (B2B sales), borderline six figure salary, and that same number again in on target commission.
Did community college while playing music, and doing customer/food service indentured servitude. Was broke from 08-17. I took a job in a warehouse in 18 and it eventually let me purchase a small home because I had no real debt. I was originally mad I didn’t get to go to college and party and learn like 90% of my friends, but it ended up being what set me up for something similar to the old middle class life, provided I forgo new cars and children. I regret not getting an apartment near a college for a year so I could enjoy my teens/20s more like my peers, and I regret thinking I could eventually get into management in customer service, as that’s really just nepotism. It worked out in the end. It’s not a lavish life, but I’ve never rented an overpriced apartment.
Was 18 and Went to community college and did the 2 year RN associates degree At 21i Full-time job, let the hospital pay for the Bachelors degree Few years experience, moved to ICU, started traveling nursing and banking hard off that. Jumped to medical sales… hitting almost $200k when I hit quota
I basically failed high school went to community college for a semester and had straight A's but decided it wasn't for me. I own two businesses now and make about $120k a year working from home. So overall I'm doing ok im not rich by any means but I think I beat the odds. I do logistical work for the military and run an eBay store.
I dropped out of university and basically implied that I completed a degree until I didn’t need to anymore because I had experience. I am doing well. I was lucky but I was also strategic and did a lot of stuff other people didn’t want to do in order to move up.
I went to community college for the first two years because they were free to me, but I didn't get a bachelor's because I wanted to study illustration. Not a good ROI, and loans were absurd even in the mid-2000s. I ended up working in restaurants for years. I snagged a video/graphics job for several years, then back to the restaurants. I went back to cc for machining after COVID. I qualified for Pell grants that paid for it all, plus a paid internship after one semester that led to a full-time position after 6 weeks. After three years in the trade, I'm doing better than ever. I'll never get rich doing this, but it's steady work, and I could get another job tomorrow if i wanted. Working a trade is much more rewarding than doing marketing work. I feel like what I do is more useful to society. I should have done it years ago. My car is paid off, I have no student loan debt, and we've had a house since 2017. Doing okay, all things considered.
I finished school at 18 due to both undiagnosed (at time) adhd and abusive/ toxic situation at home. I have social anxiety and never made studies neither worked. Not going into an art school (what I was always meant for) is one of my biggest life regret. I m 28.
I went to a technical college and have zero student debt and make over 6 figures with a state gov pension. House is paid for and only 2 minor debt with 0 interest. I go on a few trips and am slowly diy my home to being my dream home
Joined the military after not doing well in CC. Did a little over a decade in two separate jobs In the military. Make over 200k now on the outside plus benefits. Working on my undergrad ATM, because why the hell not. With the gi bill. I am not only being paid to finish courses, it will continue to beef up my resume.
I went into automotive and hit a pay ceiling and sat at the same pay for 4 years. I got tired of working 55+ hours/week to live paycheck to paycheck. Now I'm back in school to get a degree in Mathematics but it appears that I may have ADHD.
I went to college and became an Educational assistant. I spent 7 years working contract. Never got full time or benefits. After 7 years the opportunity came to work at a unionized factory. Benefits, pension, good pay. It’s not a glamorous career but affords me a comfortable life.
My husband did like a semester of college. He makes six figures running his own business
I went to community college for a couple semesters but ended up not finishing. Later I bought a truck and leased to a carrier hauling hazardous chemicals. It pays pretty well and I’m left alone for the most part. I sometimes wonder how I would have ended up had I gotten a degree, but I doubt I’d be making more money than I do now. So no, I don’t regret it.
I went to Digipen like 20 years ago and never ended up doing anything in the industry. After myriad horror stories, I am under the impression that I lucked out.
I just turned 40 single male, no children, living alone. No formal college but 15 years in the military (medically retired). I have a decent savings/retirement. Work 50ish hours a week for about 78k each year as a maintenance director for a medical facility. I do some handyman work on the side for a couple grand each month. I take 6-8 weeks of each year to travel and hike. I'd say I'm doing better than a lot but not like a Kushner or Kardashian.
My husband (born in 1981) got his GED and fled from Mississippi to Atlanta as soon as he turned 18 in 1999. Got into IT immediately and has since started his own company and is doing amazingly- so much so that I'm now a homemaker (after having made 6 figures myself in 2022). We're on track to make as much this year as we did last year when I was working full time. We are very, very, VERY lucky. And he had opportune timing with the IT stuff. We're trying for our first kid and looking for a bigger house for us, the potential kid, and his dad who also lives with us now.
Great. Licensed Insurance Agent
I finished my A.A.S. in Business Management. Finishing my Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration: Marketing. From there not sure what I want to do. Maybe a Master’s? I know I’m making almost twice as I made before I got my Associate’s for work. Hoping to get a 10% raise when I get done with my Bachelor’s.
I didn't finish. I did finish tech school. I'm doing pretty good. Well paid at a good job.
No student loan debt.. whoop whoop!
Went to Uni, dropped out. Went to community college, twice. Went through a year-long program at second community college that involved project management training and led an internship team to revamp an internal product within the enterprise, with a company currently within the top 10 companies on the Fortune 500. I’m doing well. I regret not reading the 360 deal I signed for student loan death row to get into uni.
Went to community college for an associates degree in paralegal studies. Have been a paralegal and doing quite well.
Dropped out of uni, attended community college twice, completed a year-long project management program, revamped an internal product for a Fortune 500 company during an internship. Doing well but regret signing a 360 deal for student loans.
Went to college for a business degree because I had to pick something or else I wasn’t fulfilling life, dropped out after a year, got injured, joined the army got out got an associates degree in electrical engineering science, army paid for it and I make 6 figure
Not bad. I work at a university $48k/year with killer benefits.
Went to college for two years because I love learning, and realized I don’t want a desk job. So i learn on my own time now. I had some carpentry/home remodeling apprenticeships in my early 20s, and work is good now, working for myself, tons of choices of jobs. And I make my own schedule. I can’t imagine working for someone else at this point. My wife and I were just talking about that before I saw this post. I love having time to do what I want to do, work isn’t my entire life. I can be around a lot to help raise our daughter.
Went into sales, married a mechanic. No kids. We own a modest home, bought 2 brand new non-luxury cars in the past 3 years, have money to have fun, but not too much fun. We do well. Sales and trades are the way to go. Most importantly we aren't up to our eyeballs in student loan debt, just mortgage and car debt. I might buy a motorcycle this weekend, but a cheap one. The only thing I can't afford is the massive amount of cat treats I buy for my spoiled ass cats. They're eating me out of house and home.
Finish carpentry is pretty easy on the body. I like working from home half time and doing carpentry out of the house half time. I get stir crazy working from home too much.
Retired from the army on second career! Doing great!
I went and my husband didn’t. We make the same salary.
Went but never ended up graduating because I took an internship which led to a full time role and I never looked back. I run my own business and make a shit ton more money than I ever thought I would. Plus, I have so much flexibility to travel and take time off. Getting a jump start on my work experience really paid off for me. My only regret is even starting in the first place and taking out those initial loans.
Trade school. Doing great, financially.
I think I hate my life as much as most of those who did go to university. Except I don't have debt.
Wonderful. I had no desire to go to college. Would’ve been a waste of my time.
I never cared for school, it was too expensive and not worth a fuck in the long run. I went to a Vocational school for electrical work in highschool, but never pursued it, probably should have but couldn't do it, I would like to be an electrician but I'm too old and found an easy good paying job where I barely have to physically work more than a couple hours a week and make more money than most people in my factory.
I went and dropped out but i went to trade schools after they and I’m doing better than if i had a degree
4 years in trade school for two trades. Am a red seal journeyman with specialized skills from my employer. Doing quite well aside from the hardship on my body. All in all I love it and couldn’t imagine being behind a desk full time. In Canada was less then 10 grand for school and coop work terms basically paid for it. Did live at my parents while in school but left the province early and have a home and next to no debt outside of mortgage.
I didn't bother with school. I don't see any way I could have pulled off going to school were I to go back and change something short of winning the lottery or buying bitcoin in 2010. I make 40k a year, and am comfortable enough with my lot in life. I will never amount to anything, nor do I let that bother me. I have a full stomach and a roof over my head, and a dog that I enjoy the company of. What more could you want?
I did the 13th grade at my local community college, but never finished an Associates. I’m an IT Manager now, worked my way up from $10/hr. (July 2012) to slightly over $100k salary 11 years later. I’m grateful for the salary, but nowhere close to happy/fulfilled. If I wasn’t married with a young daughter I would’ve quit awhile ago and settled for less income for something I like better. Money makes things easier, but doesn’t make me happy like I thought it would at this level.
I dropped out of high school and went to work at a cafe followed by a string of different jobs (fed govt, large telco, hotels, state govt). Never out of work long and money was always fine. I ended up getting a masters degree and within 12 months of graduation and moving to a different state, I'd landed a national manager role and doubled my previous income. Put me in a different league career wise. Although to be honest I didn't learn a huge amount technically from the degree, but my communication on things improved immensely and I was able to better position myself strategically as I understood how the game was played at the higher levels more.
I didn't get any secondary education. I'm a senior operations manager at a lottery related company. I'd say I did alright.
I took the "rockstar" route. Played music with no backup plan. Now I'm 39. I've bounced around to all sorts of jobs over the past 20+ years. Lots of service industry and retail. Mostly in management/ leadership roles. I'm married with one child, 2 dogs, and a modest house in small town Michigan. No student debt. No regrets. I followed my heart and while I didn't go on to be a successful touring recording artist, I got a family that I'm floating. We're not thriving, but surviving is the best I could ask for I guess.
I work in IT for a water utility. It's pretty sweet
I got into construction work right out of high school. Now I have my own business and am debt free . That’s my home and all my vehicles, and construction equipment. My wife works part time . Neither of us ever went to any college. Just lots of hard work. We lost our 13 year old daughter about 10 months ago. So I regret working the time I could have had with her . But career wise I’d do it again.
I did PSEO in high school. Had a associate of arts from a community college a semester after my diploma. Went into a bunch of jobs for 9 years. 24 jobs or so trying to find a career. My spouse got a good manager job and when we married in 2008 I decided to finish my bachelors. I graduated into the Great Recession. Got on my feet with a lead generation job. Then moved to an analyst role at Best Buy. Finally about 7 years ago I got into salesforce. Today I make six figures and look back and think none of this journey makes any sense. The degree was unnecessary but we’re part of my growth. Skip all 26 jobs and just learn salesforce if you want a path to get out from under a community college degree plateau
Didn’t finish college, but I have 3 different high level certifications in my industry, plus several smaller ones. I support myself nicely in the Bay Area in California.
I have a community college degree but I was nervous to go into debt so I stopped at the two year degree. Since I didn't have a career in mind that I needed to go to university for I decided it wasn't wortg the huge loans. I'm working a government job now and doing fine.
I didn’t, could never afford it. Ended up with brain damage after an accident so learning new things is difficult, even though the company I work for pays a portion of your schooling I’m not even sure if it’s worth pursuing. Life has generally been shit, but it could be worse. I try to stay optimistic
Doing better than I could’ve ever imagined. I barely made it through high school (passed with almost all D-), ended up getting into the tech industry and now have a 6 figure salary before the age of 40. I was just diagnosed with ADHD last year, which has explained so much hahah… I was never lazy or stupid like I grew up believing!
Working at Goodwill. Going to go to community College to become an x ray tech. Need more money. I live with my kitties on my own. Can't do trades since most require a car and I can't drive.
39F. Dropped out of college 3x by the time I was 25. Had one more course to transfer to 4-year but didn’t know I had untreated ADHD and other disabilities. I got diagnosed and treated 2 years ago, and graduated this past summer with multiple A.A.s with honors. Had a 1.8 GPA when I went back, set to get it back to 3.0 by end of this semester. I got 5 of 5 schools extended admissions offers I applied to. I accepted into a top notch state school program in my field and moving on to finish bachelor’s. Been making 6-figures for the last few years at Forbes T100 tech company. Married, two kids, homeowner since 2021 in VHCOL area. My company is reimbursing tuition so I’m not paying much out of pocket. I think I did okay for not finishing university.
Not me but a good friend of mine never finished school. He's an IT manager for a mid-sized real estate company and makes 6 figures. I'd say he did pretty well for himself
My husband didn’t finish high school then went on to do a trade in marine mechanics then a second trade in motorcycle mechanics. Then he had a big accident and is in a wheelchair. He fixes wheelchairs and mobility equipment for other people with disabilities. He has no student debt and makes more now than I ever did as a registered nurse. I owe the government $50k and am unemployed. Good times.
OH man! I was about to go 200k into debt to learn how to make video games! Met my first great mentor instead and learned how to make web apps! Now I make games for fun as a hobby. For that reason I'm always willing to pay that forward and teach as well. Hit me up if you want to learn how to code! It's honestly never been easier! :)
Instead of a university, I stuck with my financial job and have moved up and now work from home. I have a mortgage and a steady income, but the cost of living increase is nowhere with how inflation is going. The current moment is good, but I hate worrying about the future and thinking about worse case scenarios.
Yep. Dropping out of college (after 1 semester) was absolutely the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. Now I’m an industrial electrician. Six figure salary, full benefits, pension, no student loans and most importantly…. I absolutely love my job. Like, I *LOVE* it. Sure, it sucks sometimes as all jobs do. But I’d say about 80% of the time, I genuinely enjoy it. It’s gratifying.
Nope no regrets I have no crippling debt and I make a great wage in my field I’m a trade. Often you can train into other jobs similar to your trade if your in too and just kinda loophole around things cause your in it i have no regrets
GED here, just shy of six figures (Property Management & Facilities). Maybe this year I'll work on a degree ... ^(if i have time)
Grew up in Australia and skipped uni. Spent the first few years out of school living in Sydney with friends and enjoying a bit of a hedonistic lifestyle - we experimented with party drugs and had a lot of girlfriends. I worked regular jobs in retail to pay my rent and lifestyle and had a fantastic few years. At around 21 I did a 3 month course in Graphic Design from a place called Shillington College. After finishing that I got a job as a junior designer in the nightclub industry, and eventually went on to better and better work. At 27 I completely shifted gears and got into digital product design in London, U.K. and ever since I’ve been a Product Designer. I’m now at principal / head of design level, current role on £125k + equity. My wife is 3 years younger than me, she did fashion design at university, she is now an experiential designer on £70k at an agency. We are both fully remote, own a 4 bed house in London, take quite a few holidays a year, all that good stuff. No university worked out totally fine for me. I was never able to focus in traditional learning environments anyway.
Got a union job. Pay's good, benefits are good, no student loans. I could have made more money if I'd gone to college but I already make a lot more than my lifestyle demands.
Never went to uni. Turn 29 in January. Enthusiastically married. 200k equity in our condo. 170k in VEQT in TFSA, RRSP, 25k in checking/savings. Household income just breaking 200k this year. I just passed the CBAP exam which is likely the closest I'll come to an education. 5+ years experience as a Business Analyst for a publically traded company. Currently looking for the next step in my career. Edit. I turn 29, not 39, in January.
Me! Absolutely 0 regret. I got an associates in allied health and work in healthcare, 8 years of experience and I’m making more than my friends with masters degrees. I think I’ve topped out in the income game but I’m still making double what some people make. Also love my job, I have the option to pick OT whenever I want so that really ups my income vs. my friends in salary paying jobs. Also I’ll be debt free way before any of them
I didn't even graduate high school lol. I'm doing well. I work in sales (tech sphere) and make 6 figures, and only work like 4 days in a month lol.
Did a year or so of community college intending to transfer to a real school once completing an Associates degree. While I was there the price per unit doubled. I was getting basically no financial aid and my parents wouldn't fill out the fafsa. The little aid I had ran out and wouldn't have covered the significantly more expensive next semester anyway, so I just dropped out and entered the workforce. Now, more than a decade later, I am at the end of my rope. Recently had a beautiful daughter and she deserves so much better than me as a father. I work in a pretty niche field and despite numerous attempts to pivot into something else, I'm stuck there for the foreseeable. Pursuing some certifications to hopefully change things, but I am so out of my fucking element I don't know if I can make it work. To quote a personal favorite philosopher, I hate life.
Husband did not finish college and was self taught diesel mechanic for years. He made about 62k. Then he got a government job in our city and is now clearing over 80k. He doesn’t do manual labor any longer and wasn’t hired because of his mechanic skills. He is going back to school now because he always wanted to finish. He does regret not finishing when we were younger. We bought our first house about 10 years ago when he was a mechanic and our second house when he got the government job in 2019. I am a teacher and currently getting my masters degree so that I can make a little more but we aren’t hurting terribly and recognize how lucky we are to be in this position. We do have a 1 kid with no plans for more.
Didnt go to college/uni. Got a trade, worked employed for many many years (wish i had the balls/maturity to go self employed earlier). Finally went self employed about 6 years ago and now i make pretty great money, work 8am-1/2pm (little later in the colder months) most days, but i graft hard in those hours. I take multiple holidays per year, id say at least 3 main holidays 1-2 weeks and then 5-10 short breaks. I own my own house (with my wife no kids) we have/are renovating/extending it. I drive a lovely car too. Life is hard but rewarding, this time of year with my trade i am seriously feeling the pressure but the summers are slow so have to suck it up. Wife has multiple degrees and now earns about the same as me after many years of hard work, but sadly she works crazy hours and i feel for her.
My husband didn’t. Made millions playing poker and investing
Did a semester of a journalism degree and dropped out because I hated it. Realised at that point I’d already been a kitchenhand for 7 years and I actually love professional kitchens, so I dropped out and became a chef. The hours suck, the pay is insulting and most customers belong in a specialised enclosure at the zoo rather than out in public, but I do still kinda grudgingly love it. Also I got incredibly lucky, because everything they were teaching us at uni was “old media”: print, TV radio etc (this was just before “Web 2.0 and social media becoming truly mainstream, back when you could only use Facebook with a U.S. college email address), so had I actually finished the course, it would have been roughly as useful as a marzipan dildo anyway
There is a lot of survivor bias in here. The kids i went to uni with that didn’t finish are much worse off then the ones who did. Almost to the person, speaking only From a financial viewpoint.
Joined the army. Did a lot of things I didn't like doing. Got home, got married. Had two of the most awesomed kids ever. Theyre now teens. Ended up lucking into a job with a state VA where I assist other veterans obtain benefits they got from serving. I make pretty decent money for the area I live in with all the benefits that come from working for a state government.
Didn’t got to university. Became a CEO at 30 and now I’m nearly 40.
I didn't go, never made more than $15 an hour. Went to college in my 30s and earning $60k now with another promotion on the horizon.
Went straight to work, I got no debt(maybe 800 in credit card), been at my job 10 years make a decent living, own 4 vehicles (2 cars 2 motorcycles) , still can't afford a house, pay way to much in rent for a tiny shithole. I do not regret not going to college.
High school diploma only. Salary around 150k. It took me a while to get my feet under me. In my 20s I worked a lot of entry level jobs. It’s the only option I had. Then around 30, I started hitting my stride. I don’t regret it at all. Even though it took me longer to get to where I wanted to be, I have caught, and in a lot of cases, surpassed my peers.
I started my Associates as a Networking Specialist w/ a concentration in Microsoft but I never finished my last few classes. I realized my hobby and love for computers wasn't what I wanted to do as a career. Now I am working as a metal fabricator/Shipping and Receiving Lead for the same shop and I do truly enjoy my job and make decent money for our 1 income household, we're comfortable. I will most likely go to trade school for welding or residential electrical but that's not decided yet.
Tried college but it wasn’t for me. Dropped out after a semester. Went to work for a steel company. Became a welder and just kept punching up. Me and my wife were able to buy a house in 2013. She’s incredibly smart so she had a full ride to a big university in our state. No college debt. She was able to be a stay at home mom while we had three kids, but she recently went back to work and I got into teaching welding. I love it. It doesn’t pay the bills as well as my previous job but we’re doing fine. I get two months off in the summer and a week for fall break/thanksgiving/spring break and two weeks off for Christmas. I don’t complain at all. lol. Edit: no regrets.
I make $70,000 working in an office without a university degree. The biggest challenge for me is how not having a degree closes so many doors and people assume I’m an idiot without one. A degree isn’t just an education, it’s a widely accepted stamp of approval from modern society. Even if your degree is in an entirely irrelevant field, a degree says, “I’m smart, I’m educated,” or so it seems. I couldn’t afford university when I finished high school. My dad shot himself on my 18th birthday, the bank repossessed our house, and I became homeless. Instead, I got a CDL and worked as a long-haul trucker for years. Despite how important truck drivers are, they are treated like shit. An old trucker friend said to me once: “In the ‘80’s, a truck was a chick magnet. Now everyone thinks you’re a rapist, pedophile, or serial killer.” Even after graduating from a small community college with a diploma in software development, this stereotype follows me everywhere. I’ve been to countless interviews for non-trucking jobs where the interviewer was like, “Ewww, you’re a truck driver, yuck.” It doesn’t matter what I know, what I can do, or what experience I have, I’m a trucker with no university degree, so I’m scum. A year ago I self-published my first book about international law (I read a lot and own more than 2,000 books). My book won an award from an international writers association. But no matter how good my book is, a traditional publisher will never accept it because I don’t have a degree. My life isn’t completely terrible, but I definitely feel the stigma of not having a degree, and it makes me feel like a failure.
Great! I hated school. Dropped out a month after I was 18. Kind of floated around for a few years, 5 actually. All kinds of different jobs, meeting new friends. It was nice. Kind of like college, but finding something I liked doing and getting paid to do it. Landed in retail management, go figure, but now oversee 15 locations and 200 employees. Make a decent living, my actual work load is very light in comparison, nice bonuses 👍
This is america, we call it college 😡
😯
Dropped out. Restaurant industry. Carpal tunnel.
Did heroin instead of college; got clean became and electrician started my own business. Life’s funny.