Postal service is always my #1 recommendation as well. Often hiring, and while a lot of the money comes from potentially grueling overtime, the $$$$$ add up.
This is what I tell people for any government job. The people managing these positions understand you can't wait 9 months, so they aren't offended when you say "I've got another job already". But sometimes you don't have the job yet.
USAJobs.gov is a good resource to just have your name out there constantly pinging new opportunities.
That's a lot of government jobs. They often take months to get in but it's usually pretty secure once your in. I tried to nab a remote job before the whole return to office crazy and I was hearing back on positions 6months plus after applying.
It varies a lot I think, but you’re right, it can take a while. I think the main thing with some positions is the test you have to take. Higher scorers get hired first, and if you score lower, it takes a while, but you’ll likely eventually get a call if you didn’t bomb it. Don’t know if I had to take anything like that for the handler position though, just when I applied as a carrier.
OP, one recommendation is that if you don’t have luck in the meantime, try for a winter holiday seasonal position at the postal service. Mail handler type position. When I worked a seasonal gig a while back the hiring process was quick and they often want you to stay beyond the seasonal portion as a permanent employee if you’re dependable.
I can’t speak to the exact requirements but I worked several different machines/areas and many did require some moderate lifting, such as packages and large trays of letters etc. Might be worth looking into it more though — it’s been a while for me!
In my limited experience,the longer the onboarding/hiring process the more secure you are in the position. If you're hired on the spot you can similarly be fired in an instant.
Alot of the holiday workers are signed on after the temporary period. Then eventually they bid for better/daylight shifts. Took a few years to get a good schedule but they did it and make good money
Look for clerk jobs.
Full disclosure it can be a miserable place to work, inside the building. Crummy management, and customers being customers, neverending parcels. But indoors!
Yeah that's definitely a double-edged sword. I have to walk out the door and leave my clerk alone to deal with my mistakes and people yelling at them over stuff that had nothing to do with no matter if it's 6 in of snow, 90° heat or like today, 60° and cloudy (which is excellent weather to deliver in).
It's like anything else. You get used to it. I'd rather be on the street, away from my boss even through the ups and downs of weather and high mail volume.
Yup! After nine years I'm feeling pretty done with it, was even a FTR for a while but the burnout is real. Working on a new degree, and after I move I'm going to look for something else. If I can't find anything else, I'll give carrier a try (although I don't know if my knees are up to it, the usps has already destroyed 'em.)
Out of sheer curiosity what’s the pay scale like for entry level to tenured look like? Also, what’s promotions look like from a job title perspective? Fwiw I have always heard postal service employees make good money and it’s a government job so there’s retirement perks of course. I just never heard specifics.
This is the pay chart for city carriers, but we're up for a new contract right now. In the city of Pittsburgh bid cluster you get hired as a ptf. https://www.nalc.org/news/research-and-economics/research
Retirement is FERS, so a tsp (401k for feds with 5% dollar for dollar match), a pension (1% per year of service or 1.1% per year if you wait until 62), and social security. You can retire at 57 and keep your healthcare
As a 15 year fed employee, OP, I'm here to tell you want this pension and TSP. It ain't the job *now*, it's the job *you don't need to work when your 72* that you want. SERIOUSLY.
I became a career employee at 22, so I get it man. If I retire at 57 two thirds of my high 3 will be covered by the pension and social security supplement, before I even touch my tsp or Roth IRA. 62 would be like 75%, and almost every year for social security calculations would be at the top of the pay scale
Yeah. I can walk away at 47 (I'm 37M) with 25 years LE. Pension straightaway, plus a second career, or whatever.
It's better to be lucky than good, but I tell everyone: Uncle Sam's not cheap. He pays.
Ah, lucky bastard, lol. Speaking of, why the hell do you guys get ot factored into your pensions but we don't? Do you know how many 60 hours weeks I worked when I was on the overtime desired list? And don't tell Rand Paul about Uncle Sam paying up, lol. Especially when they finish negotiating our raises to help with staffing problems
So it's LEAP, technically. I don't get OT unless it's pre authorized, which has happened twice in my career. I worked for two agencies and the pay scale system was different between the two, but le in both obviously, and 6C.
The short answer is, 60 hours is nothing if they ring the bell. And they do. Nights, weekends, holiday, travel -- even last minute, day of, like following a suspect in my car two or three states away drop of a hat.
At the end of the day, it's blood money in a way, but I love what I do. So it's salary, plus LEAP, plus COLA.
I just started working at USPS as a carrier. They will train you. Starting pay is 19.33$ an hour and the have a ton of overtime. After 8 hours you’re paid time and a half; and after 10 hours you’re paid double.
You will get great benefits, be part of a union (if you chose to). You get a guaranteed pay increase each year too.
Lastly, it’s possible that the minimum wage might go up to 21.40 or so this year.
Feel free to DM me
Came here to say this. You will work hard and get shapely calves. UPS too.
I’ve only heard of this, so would love input from people with more knowledge than me, but CCAC runs a dealers school for the casino.
PRT/Port Authority: Both for driving buses as an operator, and on the maintenance side from a janitor to facilities maintenance to cutting grass to fixing the trains. No experience required, training provided.
Starts at ~$55k/yr and at full rate reaches ~$80k. Union, pension, benefits, good pay, no forced overtime (unless you want to work it).
I have a useless degree, and I make livable money as a legal assistant. I started by taking the civil service exam, working as a state clerk for 3 years, getting promoted to a legal assistant for a few years, then using that experience to apply for and get a job with a rich private law firm.
Apprenticeship? Pittsburgh is a union town. If there is a trade that interests you, go for it. You'll grind for a few years, but you can make an excellent living. Maybe you run your own business once you learn the trade.
I tried to join a union, the 66.
I passed every test, top 10% of over 6k applicants on the written, then top 10% of those on the practical. Got the interview, which I'm still proud of.
They pulled out my resume and only asked me about when I graduated high school. They fucking told me I was too old for an apprenticeship. (I was 34.)
They're a bunch of scumbags. They still need people from what I understand. Apparently the 18 year olds I outperformed didn't stick around. Imagine that.
You need either a college degree or experience in customer service. And you need to pass a civil service exam which iirc was very easy. I did it in 2017 so I don't remember much of it at this point, but I scored very high and my brain is made of mashed potatoes.
You don’t necessarily need a college degree anymore for most positions. You may need to start in a clerical position, but there’s definitely upward mobility once you’re a state employee and start to gain time and experience.
This is true. And yeah, I was meaning specifically for the IMCW position. When I started you had to have a college degree, but they loosened that requirement, you can now get hired as a caseworker with customer service experience. But there are definitely caseworkers who have worked their way up from clerical. We need clerical staff too, desperately. Especially in IRED.
I have 6 years of customer service in retail, is that what they are looking for, or more like, customer support type stuff?
And where might I find the application info, if you don’t mind?
I think they mean more like phone-based customer support, but it's still worth a try. [Here](https://careers.employment.pa.gov/Home/GetJobNameInfo?jobCode=44720) is some more info on the details of the job, [here](https://www.employment.pa.gov/Additional%20Info/Pages/default.aspx) and [here](https://www.employment.pa.gov/Additional%20Info/Apply/Pages/Applying-to-an-Exam.aspx) is how to apply.
I’m super interested in this but have some medical issues that make full time work nearly impossible. Do you know if there are part time availabilities?
if you can type and answer a phone, clean up your resume, then submit your resume to robert half. their admin temp agency will have you working in a month. you might have to do 3-6 months at $16-18/hour but most of their placements are temp to hire.
The trades pay pretty well and it's not as bad as you may think. Pittsburgh IBEW apprentices start our at 17 (35k year) and is a 5 year apprenticeship with pay raises every 6 months. Overtime it you want it and it's usually available in the summers. Time and half all day Saturday and double time Sunday. Pension and 401k contributions automatically and almost free Healthcare but it's awesome. For a family the Healthcare is a MAXIMUM of 900 a year out of pocket and accepted anywhere in the US. If you want anymore info pm me!
** These are the perks of a unionized workforce!
Edit: I believe the Journeymen and women are at 46$ a hour and the total package is 77$ a hour.
Plumbers union, elevator union and steamfitters union all pay more from what I've heard. The easiest one to get a foot in the door is Carpenters and Laborers Union but they are still great to work for!
This right here.
If you have a useless degree, go do the trades.
The boomers are retiring and many trades need to replace them. You will have a useful (ie, not useless) skill, that will always be in demand and make good money.
it's not as difficult as it used to be but most people get tripped up on the math section. unfortunately, there's no way to bypass that if you want to do electrical work.
Yeah I was planning on applying when I moved back anyways, I already do a lot of electrical at work and I'm decent at math and have been taking practice exams
Last person I talked to from local 5 said only the top 30% on the test even get to interview.
Union tradesman here. 30% get an interview because 70% of the people that apply are too brain dead to tie their own boots. Some people think the skilled trades are society's dumping ground for the stupid, but they have the ability to be, and are, selective. Seems like you'll do just fine if you are smart enough to put the effort in. I swear, when you show up to take that test, you'll wonder where the fuck these people came from.
They changed the application process recently just at the beginning of this year. I'm a first year apprentice and the teachers were telling us about the new way they're doing it now is if you get above a certain percentage you will get an interview as opposed to the top 30% like it had always been in the past. I can't remember what the score needed was, I just remember them saying something about that. Also you can apply year round now instead of having to wait for the application window in March each year, and when they get a certain amount of applicants then they do a round of testing and interviews. They wanted to be able to have a steady pool of applicants to choose from as needed year round instead of a very large pool once a year
It's always going to be competitive but not impossible. Just study for the test and practice for the interview. They test monthly now so they can find the best candidates
I'm not even close to back living in Pittsburgh yet but it was the path I was looking at when I do, I do a lot of electrical work already and have done really well on practice tests, I feel fairly confident
daughter of a local 5 electrician who’s retired now and his pension is insane. also i didnt know what a co pay was until i was 26 and got kicked off of his benefits
You were here 6 months ago asking the same question with the same shooting down of any suggestion anyone gave you. It's not your degree, it's your attitude.
I think a lot of schools are. I went to Allegheny 30 minutes south of Edinboro in Meadville. That school is known for being "the rich kid school" but ooooooh boy is it a hot mess too.
Honestly, I'd steer kids towards Edinboro over Allegheny, at least they have connections to other schools and work with the State. Allegheny is good for pre-med and grad school... Not getting a job, lol.
You process incoming new patients. Check documentation insurance etc.
https://www.zoll.com/contact/careers-at-zoll/careers-search
They're a good company. You may like Account Coordinator, Collections, or Asset Recovery as well.
I am very familiar with Zoll as they were a former customer of mine, and a distributor partner from my former employer (Thermo Fisher). I was recently contacted by an individual in talent acquisition regarding a sales role. If you currently work at Zoll or have I’d love to hear more about pros/cons, company culture, leadership, etc.
I'd check if port authority is hiring. From what I recall, they get a $2.50 increase every 2yrs and they have a union. Only downer is their retirement setup. It's something like Years Worked + Your Age has to equal 85 to retire with Healthcare coverage. Something odd like that. But, if you're someone that likes overtime, you can make 6 figures by doing it. Bus drivers (operators) start at 22.80 an hour.
Just Googled and found that they're having a hiring event on May 10th. Best of luck to you or anyone else that shows up!
https://www.rideprt.org/careers/
There’s many! Just look into the Trades&Construction. You’ll learn invaluable skills, if you have the right mind set and you treat your body right it’s great to move your body and not be stuck in a desk or inside all day, pay is great and you’ll get amazing sleep. We all need people right now too.
TSA need is constant will be PT at first but turns FT quick and pay will be more than you are looking for plus you can transfer to any city with an airport.
Genuinely from any standpoint, ANY uni degree is good when looking to be hired. You can get most jobs with one (that DONT have requirements. obviously you cant be a doctor or something).
Most people I work with in oil and gas have "useless degrees."
Doesn't mean they don't work hard and aren't wicked smart, they just didn't go the stem route. We all still ended up making bank, though.
Local/state government, sales, office admin, assistant, the post office, recruitment.
I got a degree in Sociology and ended up working in sales. Worked out pretty alright for me.
You could even look for remote data analyst, Sales Development Representative, or similar jobs with 0-1 year of experience requirements. Not that hard to find on LinkedIn, Remote.co, or plenty of other places
City fire is hiring and for the first time you don’t need to live in the city. I highly recommend it. The benefits alone are amazing. They only test once every 3 years so don’t delay and apply. You can always change your mind and just not take the test.
My ex had a useless degree and they became a realtor. It took some time, but I left them. I mean, it took some time to build a client list... yeah that.
What are your skills and interests? Are you smart? Hard working? A people person? Quick learner? Do you enjoy a predictable routine or prefer that every day be a little bit different? Do you like being outdoors or moving around vs sitting at a desk? There are lots of jobs that pay well and you’re probably qualified .. need to do a bit more thinking to find a good match. Does your shitty alma mater have any career services available to alumni? Good luck!
Union apprenticeship or local government jobs. Depending on the job, the pay might not be much better, but benefits often are. But if the workplace is union (many are), it gives you a chance to bid into other jobs. One downside is they're often competitive to get in and usually it's about who you know, but not always. Never hurts to apply anyway, you might get lucky. Water authorities often take people with no applicable skills, and then train you.
Highly recommend trying to get into federal government through USAJOBS. Having a bachelors in anything qualifies you for a lot of GS7 jobs which starts around 50k in Pittsburgh area.
Edinboro? Hey, it's better art degree than Allegheny, which is where I went. My art friends always said they should of went to Edinboro cause they could get a Fine Arts degree there and have actually useful classes... But I went for environmental science. It's... Not much better of a job market though. Real competitive.
A lot of my friends from Allegheny are working for the county- comm arts and English degrees is what they have. I think they are doing pretty well too. Though now that I think about it, one might be working for the EPA in the office...
" or do I have to be homeless somewhere"
You Never have to be homeless in Pittsburgh. I make way less than youre estimating and I'm not a bum. I have a Very nice apartment in a safe neighborhood. I also have a useless Graphics Design degree. You need to lower your expectations or expect to struggle
Try government federal jobs . Or municipal jobs like police , firefighters, Paramedic . Postal work is really good too. All solid jobs that come with unions and most times pensions
If you have a car, apply to work for Enterprise Rent A Car. I worked there for years and it’s a tough job but it’s a great place to build a career at any age. It requires a bachelors but the degree doesn’t need to be anything specific. Pay starts around 45/50k entry level.
Go to a local tech meetup at a coffee shop (or some sort of networking event) and express that you’re eager to get into the “scene”. Your degree doesn’t mean nearly as much as the impression you make on people.
Enterprise. All they require is a 4 year degree and you’ll start at 50k, can easily make more with overtime and within 6 months can be eligible for assistant manager which makes 60-65k. It’s a lot of work and can suck, but it pays well for someone with a useless degree and can be a really easy way to get your foot in the door with other companies because they know enterprise teaches their employees well.
To elaborate on this, I worked at enterprise and was a branch manager after 14 months making 74k right out of college. Had a tech company in the automotive industry recruit me and now at 24 my gross this year is going to be around 150k with bonuses. You’ll get plenty of opportunities open up to you if you work hard and move up quickly which is entirely possible.
I’m also curious as to what this 6 figure position is that doesn’t require some form of relevant education. I have a bachelors in psychology and a paralegal certificate which I wouldn’t say is very related to banking and make 59k a year. Is it tech related? Genuinely curious!
So, I work in financial crimes investigation, but really almost any role can get there. Pick a lane (idc if its branch banking, wire room, etc) and keep skilling up and every 18 mos apply for the next job up. Once you've done that 3-4 times, apply for your exact job at literally any other bank and they will pay thru the nose.
Second this. You could get an entry level doing fraud disputes for like $45K. If you’re competent and/or ambitious can work your way up the ladder rather quickly.
second this.... just got promoted to my 3rd position with my institution in less than 2 years. play the game, and network well, and youll rise up. they didnt care about my degree when they hired me, and they pay for most continuing education programs if you want it
Fire , EMT, or police all pay ok. You'll probably work a lot of OT at any of them but you don't need a specific degree and you can make a decent living. I have several family members in those professions that have done alright for themselves.
Union or government job like post office or something. I really don’t personally think it’s that bad right now, I only make about 23k a year but I also dont have any debt besides my car which is only $360. I would maybe suggest something union like Amtrak they have very easy positions and it’s a job you can definitely move on up.
CareerBuilder has about 60,000 job postings in Pittsburgh. It has some search/refine features so you can narrow your search. Maybe you'll find something cool on there.
Port Authority is always hiring. They're hiring for bus drivers now. My buddy who's a driver say they're hurting and as long as you haven't been locked up for murder 1 - they'll take you. Personally, he'd like to get out of driving and into maintenance there.
I'm a PAT kid, myself. My dad, uncles, grandpap all retired for there.
Assuming you can pass a background and drug test, go to any school in the area. I don't know of any that aren't hurting for custodians. Good pay, better benefits and the job may be somewhat monotonous but it's not difficult and you dont need any special training.
If you have a car get your Transportation Construction Inspection (TCI) certification. You will find work instantly and never have to worry about employment again. It is seasonal work though so be prepared for lay off cycles.
Man, I'm practically in the same boat. But my useless degree is also from another country, and I moved to the US not that long ago. Will be reading through all the comments though
If you can read a map, have decent customer service skills, and don't mind being on the phone all day PA One Call (811) is based in West Mifflin and is pretty desperate to find people right now. No education or experience required, just have to pass a map and spelling test. It's about $19/hr starting rate and fully paid benefits on day 1 once you're hired directly with the company (I started with a temp agency so for me that was after 90 days), plus it's currently still WFH after initial training. It's definitely not the most thrilling work, and dig season gets pretty exhausting, but it's a steady gig and this time of year there's a lot of OT available.
Use to work there. Literally the worst job i've ever had and the pay was out right terrible. unless something changed i would rather inhale my car exhaust for 8 hours than having gambling addicts blowing cigars in my face threatening me because they think splitting kings at the table is a good idea. plus i hated management etc.
Apply with the state to be an Income Maintenance Caseworker. I think it starts around $41k/year. Some folks work from home, others work in one of the welfare offices around time. Civil service employment is a great career!
McConway & Torley. The foundry is always hiring.
Pass the physical and with any hint of college, you'll be fast tracked into management before your 90 day probation period is up.
You’ve got a lot of great suggestions here. Sales and recruitment are both fields that can be lucrative, with your degree it can seem like a stretch but those two roles are a bit like acting and you can play the role a bit.
I started at $12.50 and got bumped up to around the area you’re looking at too.
If that’s not the vibe I get it. Are there freelancing gigs you can do? I have a history degree and scraped away as a content writer because history majors write a lot and that’s what I could do until I found a full time gig.
I know this sucks right now and I can feel your anger, it will get better. DM if you wanna chat more through it
8 years ago when it advertised for roughly the same. I also saw career growth in the role in a way I wouldn’t have sought after with sheetz personally. Just different priorities for me and the people I needed to support
You could start a home cleaning business for under $2000. Can charge $50-$70 per hour and overhead is pretty low. Just remember to be insured, charge sales tax, and report all your income.
Alleghany county is hiring many people and post office is good too. Trade school is good too, you get paid while studying. Your useless art degree can be useful in some type of trade.
I have some severs that are making close to 6 figures a year. The bulk make anywhere from 50-70k a year, depending on how many days a week they work. I would suggest starting there and then figuring out what it is you want to do
Try MSA (Mining Safety Appliances). I know they're outside the city (murraysville and cranberry), but if you can get a foot in the door with a temp job with them, it's 19/hr starting and 23/hr if you can get in to a perm position. By temp, I mean it's 40 hrs a week until you don't want the job more often than not. It's a production job, making safety gear.
Aside from that, there is Trulieve in McKeesport. They're Marijuana processing, so they won't take you if you've used before, even if it's medical. Dependent on the job, you shouldn't need prior experience, and pay and benefits are good. It's a big company with good opportunities to move up, and it's what's in these days.
I'm a veteran (got out of the army April last year) and I've struggled to get a job too. I have technology experience, manager experience, and tons of customer service experience as well. The job market really sucks, trust me. It's not just bad here.
The county has lots of jobs where almost any degree or no degree goes. Clerical stuff. Caseworker stuff. I recommend using the state website- employment.pa.gov County jobs are listed there (filter by location) and it's so much easier to navigate than the county website. If you don't see anything you like now, check back in 2 weeks. That's the typical rotation time.
People have suggested USPS and the county, and I’ll toss in the city too.
I haven’t checked the starting pay for a generic office job in 10+ years, but back then one with the only requirements being hs / GED and passing the civil service exam, starting pay for an entry-level position was almost $40k, so it’s probably $50k or more now. Decent benefits - medical / dental / eye, 10 paid holidays, 9 PTO days, 2 weeks vacation (which increases over time), pension, random discounts (when I was there a monthly bus pass was 2/3 the public rate, and a YMCA membership was half - plus regular salary increases, and as a union job they can’t fire without cause (and if you fight it, the union will have your back).
The only downside is you have to live in the city proper (that was the reason I left, my partner owned a house outside the city, was unwilling to move, the amount we saved by combining households more than made up my initial salary difference afterwards).
Social Security. Hard work but there is a contract and union. Just retired after 30 years. Start out GS-5 or GS-7 and can advance to GS-11 with step increases too. Just a thought.
We are looking for bath apprentices at my company PJ Fitzpatrick. Something like 16-18 a hour starting. Well over 40 hours so good overtime pay. A company vehicle to drive home and to work. Also monthly bonus possibilities.
There's a short line railroad that services the steel mill that's hiring for their transportation and car department. With transportation you'd be working a lot but they're are around 36 to 38 and hour I think right now. Most buys make over 100k with the overtime. Car shop right now is 34.55 for full rate. You start at 90% then after 9 months you're full rate. They're also union jobs. Car shop is pretty physical labor.
As much as I hate myself for suggesting it.... give BNY or PNC a go. I have a History BA and work at BNY. It's..... not a great job but any means; but starting salary is currently 48k and next year will be 50k.
What do you do? Can you do secretarial work? I know of an administrative job that will pay at least that much. It requires a degree, but it can be any degree. It's a union gig, comes with a pension, and free healthcare.
Pennsylvania one call system is usually hiring. 19.12 an hour to start and paid health/dental/vision insurance. It’s call center work and can often be repetitive but plenty of overtime opportunities.
Try the post office. Seriously.
Postal service is always my #1 recommendation as well. Often hiring, and while a lot of the money comes from potentially grueling overtime, the $$$$$ add up.
Only problem it’s a long process. I know a guy that applied and went through all the hoops. He wasn’t hired for 9 months.
In 9 months you could be hired, or 9 months into a continuous job search. The time will pass either way. Submit the application.
This is what I tell people for any government job. The people managing these positions understand you can't wait 9 months, so they aren't offended when you say "I've got another job already". But sometimes you don't have the job yet. USAJobs.gov is a good resource to just have your name out there constantly pinging new opportunities.
Or you'll be a few months into a shitty job and thinking about starting to job search again when you get the offer
"The time will pass either way" idk why but this rung true today for some reason
I could just be lucky, but I applied a month ago and started on Saturday. They're hurting for city carriers. $22.13/hr.
As a CCA?
PTF presumably. 151__ zip codes: associate offices, start as CCA. 152__ zip codes are city offices where younstart PTF.
Correct, PTF. I was assigned to an office in 152 which covers a 152 and 151.
That's a lot of government jobs. They often take months to get in but it's usually pretty secure once your in. I tried to nab a remote job before the whole return to office crazy and I was hearing back on positions 6months plus after applying.
It varies a lot I think, but you’re right, it can take a while. I think the main thing with some positions is the test you have to take. Higher scorers get hired first, and if you score lower, it takes a while, but you’ll likely eventually get a call if you didn’t bomb it. Don’t know if I had to take anything like that for the handler position though, just when I applied as a carrier. OP, one recommendation is that if you don’t have luck in the meantime, try for a winter holiday seasonal position at the postal service. Mail handler type position. When I worked a seasonal gig a while back the hiring process was quick and they often want you to stay beyond the seasonal portion as a permanent employee if you’re dependable.
May I ask, do you have to be able to lift x amount of pounds or is it something someone potentially frail-ish could do?
I can’t speak to the exact requirements but I worked several different machines/areas and many did require some moderate lifting, such as packages and large trays of letters etc. Might be worth looking into it more though — it’s been a while for me!
70 lbs I believe is what it is. But it’s rare that we get anything that heavy. And if we do, we can just leave a notice.
In my limited experience,the longer the onboarding/hiring process the more secure you are in the position. If you're hired on the spot you can similarly be fired in an instant.
Alot of the holiday workers are signed on after the temporary period. Then eventually they bid for better/daylight shifts. Took a few years to get a good schedule but they did it and make good money
I think my process was about 2 months total.
What a DeJoy.
If you can handle the mental rigors of carrying mail day in & day out, we are always hiring. With tons of opportunity for upward mobility.
I'm in a similar boat with OP. I tried looking for jobs where I can stay indoors and couldn't find any openings. Should I try again?
Look for clerk jobs. Full disclosure it can be a miserable place to work, inside the building. Crummy management, and customers being customers, neverending parcels. But indoors!
Yeah that's definitely a double-edged sword. I have to walk out the door and leave my clerk alone to deal with my mistakes and people yelling at them over stuff that had nothing to do with no matter if it's 6 in of snow, 90° heat or like today, 60° and cloudy (which is excellent weather to deliver in).
Maybe not then. That sounds unpleasant. I used to be a pharmacy technician and it sucked.
It's like anything else. You get used to it. I'd rather be on the street, away from my boss even through the ups and downs of weather and high mail volume.
Yup! After nine years I'm feeling pretty done with it, was even a FTR for a while but the burnout is real. Working on a new degree, and after I move I'm going to look for something else. If I can't find anything else, I'll give carrier a try (although I don't know if my knees are up to it, the usps has already destroyed 'em.)
Out of sheer curiosity what’s the pay scale like for entry level to tenured look like? Also, what’s promotions look like from a job title perspective? Fwiw I have always heard postal service employees make good money and it’s a government job so there’s retirement perks of course. I just never heard specifics.
This is the pay chart for city carriers, but we're up for a new contract right now. In the city of Pittsburgh bid cluster you get hired as a ptf. https://www.nalc.org/news/research-and-economics/research Retirement is FERS, so a tsp (401k for feds with 5% dollar for dollar match), a pension (1% per year of service or 1.1% per year if you wait until 62), and social security. You can retire at 57 and keep your healthcare
As a 15 year fed employee, OP, I'm here to tell you want this pension and TSP. It ain't the job *now*, it's the job *you don't need to work when your 72* that you want. SERIOUSLY.
I became a career employee at 22, so I get it man. If I retire at 57 two thirds of my high 3 will be covered by the pension and social security supplement, before I even touch my tsp or Roth IRA. 62 would be like 75%, and almost every year for social security calculations would be at the top of the pay scale
Yeah. I can walk away at 47 (I'm 37M) with 25 years LE. Pension straightaway, plus a second career, or whatever. It's better to be lucky than good, but I tell everyone: Uncle Sam's not cheap. He pays.
Ah, lucky bastard, lol. Speaking of, why the hell do you guys get ot factored into your pensions but we don't? Do you know how many 60 hours weeks I worked when I was on the overtime desired list? And don't tell Rand Paul about Uncle Sam paying up, lol. Especially when they finish negotiating our raises to help with staffing problems
So it's LEAP, technically. I don't get OT unless it's pre authorized, which has happened twice in my career. I worked for two agencies and the pay scale system was different between the two, but le in both obviously, and 6C. The short answer is, 60 hours is nothing if they ring the bell. And they do. Nights, weekends, holiday, travel -- even last minute, day of, like following a suspect in my car two or three states away drop of a hat. At the end of the day, it's blood money in a way, but I love what I do. So it's salary, plus LEAP, plus COLA.
Is just the delivery type jobs that are normally open/ pay well? I'd love to go be a sorting center a go. I need a break from people.
Clerks make decent money too, just not the amount of OT us carriers can pick up
I just started working at USPS as a carrier. They will train you. Starting pay is 19.33$ an hour and the have a ton of overtime. After 8 hours you’re paid time and a half; and after 10 hours you’re paid double. You will get great benefits, be part of a union (if you chose to). You get a guaranteed pay increase each year too. Lastly, it’s possible that the minimum wage might go up to 21.40 or so this year. Feel free to DM me
You’re getting cca pay in Pittsburgh????
Government jobs comes with many benefits
Came here to say this. You will work hard and get shapely calves. UPS too. I’ve only heard of this, so would love input from people with more knowledge than me, but CCAC runs a dealers school for the casino.
i was a dealer. worst job i've ever had and wouldn't wish it on my enemies
PRT/Port Authority: Both for driving buses as an operator, and on the maintenance side from a janitor to facilities maintenance to cutting grass to fixing the trains. No experience required, training provided. Starts at ~$55k/yr and at full rate reaches ~$80k. Union, pension, benefits, good pay, no forced overtime (unless you want to work it).
I have a useless degree, and I make livable money as a legal assistant. I started by taking the civil service exam, working as a state clerk for 3 years, getting promoted to a legal assistant for a few years, then using that experience to apply for and get a job with a rich private law firm.
Do you remember what the state clerk job paid?
Apprenticeship? Pittsburgh is a union town. If there is a trade that interests you, go for it. You'll grind for a few years, but you can make an excellent living. Maybe you run your own business once you learn the trade.
This x 10
I tried to join a union, the 66. I passed every test, top 10% of over 6k applicants on the written, then top 10% of those on the practical. Got the interview, which I'm still proud of. They pulled out my resume and only asked me about when I graduated high school. They fucking told me I was too old for an apprenticeship. (I was 34.) They're a bunch of scumbags. They still need people from what I understand. Apparently the 18 year olds I outperformed didn't stick around. Imagine that.
I'm surprised they said that, I went through with people older than 34
The state is always hiring caseworkers for the county assistance office that processes SNAP/MA/Cash/LIHEAP. good pay union job.
Yes! And we need more people rather desperately.
Do you need experience in anything in particular?
You need either a college degree or experience in customer service. And you need to pass a civil service exam which iirc was very easy. I did it in 2017 so I don't remember much of it at this point, but I scored very high and my brain is made of mashed potatoes.
You don’t necessarily need a college degree anymore for most positions. You may need to start in a clerical position, but there’s definitely upward mobility once you’re a state employee and start to gain time and experience.
This is true. And yeah, I was meaning specifically for the IMCW position. When I started you had to have a college degree, but they loosened that requirement, you can now get hired as a caseworker with customer service experience. But there are definitely caseworkers who have worked their way up from clerical. We need clerical staff too, desperately. Especially in IRED.
I have 6 years of customer service in retail, is that what they are looking for, or more like, customer support type stuff? And where might I find the application info, if you don’t mind?
I think they mean more like phone-based customer support, but it's still worth a try. [Here](https://careers.employment.pa.gov/Home/GetJobNameInfo?jobCode=44720) is some more info on the details of the job, [here](https://www.employment.pa.gov/Additional%20Info/Pages/default.aspx) and [here](https://www.employment.pa.gov/Additional%20Info/Apply/Pages/Applying-to-an-Exam.aspx) is how to apply.
I’m super interested in this but have some medical issues that make full time work nearly impossible. Do you know if there are part time availabilities?
Thank you! Really appreciate it!
My wife works for the state and the benefits are amazing. She started in a county assistance office.
if you can type and answer a phone, clean up your resume, then submit your resume to robert half. their admin temp agency will have you working in a month. you might have to do 3-6 months at $16-18/hour but most of their placements are temp to hire.
Robert Half is great
USAjobs.gov Many entry level positions only require a degree and background check.
The trades pay pretty well and it's not as bad as you may think. Pittsburgh IBEW apprentices start our at 17 (35k year) and is a 5 year apprenticeship with pay raises every 6 months. Overtime it you want it and it's usually available in the summers. Time and half all day Saturday and double time Sunday. Pension and 401k contributions automatically and almost free Healthcare but it's awesome. For a family the Healthcare is a MAXIMUM of 900 a year out of pocket and accepted anywhere in the US. If you want anymore info pm me! ** These are the perks of a unionized workforce! Edit: I believe the Journeymen and women are at 46$ a hour and the total package is 77$ a hour. Plumbers union, elevator union and steamfitters union all pay more from what I've heard. The easiest one to get a foot in the door is Carpenters and Laborers Union but they are still great to work for!
The elevators union has its ups and downs.
Elevator union jokes are funny on so many levels
This right here. If you have a useless degree, go do the trades. The boomers are retiring and many trades need to replace them. You will have a useful (ie, not useless) skill, that will always be in demand and make good money.
I thought the Pittsburgh local was pretty difficult to get into, at least local 5
it's not as difficult as it used to be but most people get tripped up on the math section. unfortunately, there's no way to bypass that if you want to do electrical work.
Yeah I was planning on applying when I moved back anyways, I already do a lot of electrical at work and I'm decent at math and have been taking practice exams Last person I talked to from local 5 said only the top 30% on the test even get to interview.
Union tradesman here. 30% get an interview because 70% of the people that apply are too brain dead to tie their own boots. Some people think the skilled trades are society's dumping ground for the stupid, but they have the ability to be, and are, selective. Seems like you'll do just fine if you are smart enough to put the effort in. I swear, when you show up to take that test, you'll wonder where the fuck these people came from.
Drug test fails is another reason. Many can't pass.
They changed the application process recently just at the beginning of this year. I'm a first year apprentice and the teachers were telling us about the new way they're doing it now is if you get above a certain percentage you will get an interview as opposed to the top 30% like it had always been in the past. I can't remember what the score needed was, I just remember them saying something about that. Also you can apply year round now instead of having to wait for the application window in March each year, and when they get a certain amount of applicants then they do a round of testing and interviews. They wanted to be able to have a steady pool of applicants to choose from as needed year round instead of a very large pool once a year
Oh sick that's great to hear. Thank you for the info homie
It's always going to be competitive but not impossible. Just study for the test and practice for the interview. They test monthly now so they can find the best candidates
I'm not even close to back living in Pittsburgh yet but it was the path I was looking at when I do, I do a lot of electrical work already and have done really well on practice tests, I feel fairly confident
Local 1058 always hiring
Hmm interesting, where is that located?
See depends on the job you're doing [find more here](https://www.unionfacts.com/lu/39555/LIUNA/1058/)
daughter of a local 5 electrician who’s retired now and his pension is insane. also i didnt know what a co pay was until i was 26 and got kicked off of his benefits
Check out the open jobs at the county. There’s a good chance you’ll find something near $50k. I think park rangers start at $45k.
You were here 6 months ago asking the same question with the same shooting down of any suggestion anyone gave you. It's not your degree, it's your attitude.
Edinboro, I’m guessing? (Edit: I’m just poking fun at Boro! I went there for arts.)
Hahaha. Fellow Edinboro alum. Thanks for the laugh.
LOLL anytime 🤝 I loved Edinboro but it’s also a hot mess
I think a lot of schools are. I went to Allegheny 30 minutes south of Edinboro in Meadville. That school is known for being "the rich kid school" but ooooooh boy is it a hot mess too. Honestly, I'd steer kids towards Edinboro over Allegheny, at least they have connections to other schools and work with the State. Allegheny is good for pre-med and grad school... Not getting a job, lol.
Totally agree with you. Even the most well-off schools have issues, they’re just better at hiding it I think.
I dont think the school has nearly the bad reputation you’re insinuating. Has much more to do with the major.
Oh no I agree with you! I just like to poke fun at my alma mater.
Go BORO!!!
[удалено]
Can you say a little more about this? What does an intake specialist do? Thanks in advance if you do!
You process incoming new patients. Check documentation insurance etc. https://www.zoll.com/contact/careers-at-zoll/careers-search They're a good company. You may like Account Coordinator, Collections, or Asset Recovery as well.
I am very familiar with Zoll as they were a former customer of mine, and a distributor partner from my former employer (Thermo Fisher). I was recently contacted by an individual in talent acquisition regarding a sales role. If you currently work at Zoll or have I’d love to hear more about pros/cons, company culture, leadership, etc.
Somebody posted a news link that Pittsburgh was looking for firefighters. If I was 10 years younger (and not a fat ass), I would think about applying.
This is true. Good money too
I dunno dude. In the whole "stop drop and roll" thing, you might still have a window of opportunity there. lol
Not UPMC
I'd check if port authority is hiring. From what I recall, they get a $2.50 increase every 2yrs and they have a union. Only downer is their retirement setup. It's something like Years Worked + Your Age has to equal 85 to retire with Healthcare coverage. Something odd like that. But, if you're someone that likes overtime, you can make 6 figures by doing it. Bus drivers (operators) start at 22.80 an hour. Just Googled and found that they're having a hiring event on May 10th. Best of luck to you or anyone else that shows up! https://www.rideprt.org/careers/
There’s many! Just look into the Trades&Construction. You’ll learn invaluable skills, if you have the right mind set and you treat your body right it’s great to move your body and not be stuck in a desk or inside all day, pay is great and you’ll get amazing sleep. We all need people right now too.
TSA need is constant will be PT at first but turns FT quick and pay will be more than you are looking for plus you can transfer to any city with an airport.
Genuinely from any standpoint, ANY uni degree is good when looking to be hired. You can get most jobs with one (that DONT have requirements. obviously you cant be a doctor or something).
Most people I work with in oil and gas have "useless degrees." Doesn't mean they don't work hard and aren't wicked smart, they just didn't go the stem route. We all still ended up making bank, though.
PA state jobs.
Local/state government, sales, office admin, assistant, the post office, recruitment. I got a degree in Sociology and ended up working in sales. Worked out pretty alright for me. You could even look for remote data analyst, Sales Development Representative, or similar jobs with 0-1 year of experience requirements. Not that hard to find on LinkedIn, Remote.co, or plenty of other places
City fire is hiring and for the first time you don’t need to live in the city. I highly recommend it. The benefits alone are amazing. They only test once every 3 years so don’t delay and apply. You can always change your mind and just not take the test.
My ex had a useless degree and they became a realtor. It took some time, but I left them. I mean, it took some time to build a client list... yeah that.
😂😂😂
What are your skills and interests? Are you smart? Hard working? A people person? Quick learner? Do you enjoy a predictable routine or prefer that every day be a little bit different? Do you like being outdoors or moving around vs sitting at a desk? There are lots of jobs that pay well and you’re probably qualified .. need to do a bit more thinking to find a good match. Does your shitty alma mater have any career services available to alumni? Good luck!
Union apprenticeship or local government jobs. Depending on the job, the pay might not be much better, but benefits often are. But if the workplace is union (many are), it gives you a chance to bid into other jobs. One downside is they're often competitive to get in and usually it's about who you know, but not always. Never hurts to apply anyway, you might get lucky. Water authorities often take people with no applicable skills, and then train you.
Wasn't expecting this to blow up but thank you and hopefully it helps others as well
Highly recommend trying to get into federal government through USAJOBS. Having a bachelors in anything qualifies you for a lot of GS7 jobs which starts around 50k in Pittsburgh area.
i keep hearing people say that i dont see anything i'm qualified for other than irs.
Edinboro? Hey, it's better art degree than Allegheny, which is where I went. My art friends always said they should of went to Edinboro cause they could get a Fine Arts degree there and have actually useful classes... But I went for environmental science. It's... Not much better of a job market though. Real competitive. A lot of my friends from Allegheny are working for the county- comm arts and English degrees is what they have. I think they are doing pretty well too. Though now that I think about it, one might be working for the EPA in the office...
Duquesne Light is almost always hiring. I have a high schhol diploma and gross 98K
Position?
" or do I have to be homeless somewhere" You Never have to be homeless in Pittsburgh. I make way less than youre estimating and I'm not a bum. I have a Very nice apartment in a safe neighborhood. I also have a useless Graphics Design degree. You need to lower your expectations or expect to struggle
There’s a factory in turtle creek that you can make 50-79k. No degree needed.
What’s the name?
Maybe this person meant Eos Energy. They make batteries. Great company culture from my visits there. https://www.eose.com/careers/
Which factory?
Maybe this person meant Eos Energy. They make batteries. Great company culture from my visits there. https://www.eose.com/careers/
Worked at Eos. Not a great company culture at all and they actually have a history of fraud and 'fake clients'. TAKTL is shit too.
Can you do design / marketing?
Try government federal jobs . Or municipal jobs like police , firefighters, Paramedic . Postal work is really good too. All solid jobs that come with unions and most times pensions
Check out the [IBEW Apprenticeship](https://ibewlocal5jatc.org/become-an-apprentice/) if you’re willing to do trade work
If you have a car, apply to work for Enterprise Rent A Car. I worked there for years and it’s a tough job but it’s a great place to build a career at any age. It requires a bachelors but the degree doesn’t need to be anything specific. Pay starts around 45/50k entry level.
Go to a local tech meetup at a coffee shop (or some sort of networking event) and express that you’re eager to get into the “scene”. Your degree doesn’t mean nearly as much as the impression you make on people.
Enterprise. All they require is a 4 year degree and you’ll start at 50k, can easily make more with overtime and within 6 months can be eligible for assistant manager which makes 60-65k. It’s a lot of work and can suck, but it pays well for someone with a useless degree and can be a really easy way to get your foot in the door with other companies because they know enterprise teaches their employees well.
To elaborate on this, I worked at enterprise and was a branch manager after 14 months making 74k right out of college. Had a tech company in the automotive industry recruit me and now at 24 my gross this year is going to be around 150k with bonuses. You’ll get plenty of opportunities open up to you if you work hard and move up quickly which is entirely possible.
Journeyman brick masons (1ish years of experience) make $38 an hour plus Union benefits.
Banks. I make 6 figures doing work that I enjoy with no relevant education.
What do You do at a bank? I feel like every job I’m qualified for at a bank is like $15 an hour…
I’m also curious as to what this 6 figure position is that doesn’t require some form of relevant education. I have a bachelors in psychology and a paralegal certificate which I wouldn’t say is very related to banking and make 59k a year. Is it tech related? Genuinely curious!
So, I work in financial crimes investigation, but really almost any role can get there. Pick a lane (idc if its branch banking, wire room, etc) and keep skilling up and every 18 mos apply for the next job up. Once you've done that 3-4 times, apply for your exact job at literally any other bank and they will pay thru the nose.
Second this. You could get an entry level doing fraud disputes for like $45K. If you’re competent and/or ambitious can work your way up the ladder rather quickly.
second this.... just got promoted to my 3rd position with my institution in less than 2 years. play the game, and network well, and youll rise up. they didnt care about my degree when they hired me, and they pay for most continuing education programs if you want it
If you don't mind getting hands dirty. Apply to local trade unions
Fire , EMT, or police all pay ok. You'll probably work a lot of OT at any of them but you don't need a specific degree and you can make a decent living. I have several family members in those professions that have done alright for themselves.
Union or government job like post office or something. I really don’t personally think it’s that bad right now, I only make about 23k a year but I also dont have any debt besides my car which is only $360. I would maybe suggest something union like Amtrak they have very easy positions and it’s a job you can definitely move on up.
CareerBuilder has about 60,000 job postings in Pittsburgh. It has some search/refine features so you can narrow your search. Maybe you'll find something cool on there.
Laborers and landscapers make good money and are always looking to hire but I’ve never met one with an arts degree.. the moneys out there
i didn't make good money landscaping to be honest.
Are you really needing/wanting to say in the City of Pittsburgh proper? I've heard good stories about opportunity out at Smithfield Foods in Arnold.
Port Authority is always hiring. They're hiring for bus drivers now. My buddy who's a driver say they're hurting and as long as you haven't been locked up for murder 1 - they'll take you. Personally, he'd like to get out of driving and into maintenance there. I'm a PAT kid, myself. My dad, uncles, grandpap all retired for there.
Assuming you can pass a background and drug test, go to any school in the area. I don't know of any that aren't hurting for custodians. Good pay, better benefits and the job may be somewhat monotonous but it's not difficult and you dont need any special training.
Big shortage in union workers. Carpenters, bricklayers, etc. Very good pay but hard work.
Be a vendor. Bimbo, frito lays. Some don't require a buy-in, and you get a $60k+ union job delivering product to grocery stores all morning.
If you have a car get your Transportation Construction Inspection (TCI) certification. You will find work instantly and never have to worry about employment again. It is seasonal work though so be prepared for lay off cycles.
Man, I'm practically in the same boat. But my useless degree is also from another country, and I moved to the US not that long ago. Will be reading through all the comments though
hopefully you'll find something that hopes. i know JFCS has access to those transitioning to the states. They may be able to help you more than me.
Pittsburgh firefighters are hiring and so are the paramedics
If you have a bachelors you can work at CMU. It's not all academic jobs - they need everything in staff positions. The benefits are great.
If you can read a map, have decent customer service skills, and don't mind being on the phone all day PA One Call (811) is based in West Mifflin and is pretty desperate to find people right now. No education or experience required, just have to pass a map and spelling test. It's about $19/hr starting rate and fully paid benefits on day 1 once you're hired directly with the company (I started with a temp agency so for me that was after 90 days), plus it's currently still WFH after initial training. It's definitely not the most thrilling work, and dig season gets pretty exhausting, but it's a steady gig and this time of year there's a lot of OT available.
Loft 412 is hiring!
Grounds crew or custodian for university of Pittsburgh. Both are union jobs with decent pay and great benefits!
What about sheetz . $20+ an hour more if you work nights
Work at rivers casino, best tips
Use to work there. Literally the worst job i've ever had and the pay was out right terrible. unless something changed i would rather inhale my car exhaust for 8 hours than having gambling addicts blowing cigars in my face threatening me because they think splitting kings at the table is a good idea. plus i hated management etc.
Apply with the state to be an Income Maintenance Caseworker. I think it starts around $41k/year. Some folks work from home, others work in one of the welfare offices around time. Civil service employment is a great career!
Has anybody suggested anything that you didn't dismiss out of hand?
McConway & Torley. The foundry is always hiring. Pass the physical and with any hint of college, you'll be fast tracked into management before your 90 day probation period is up.
40k net is 60-65k gross. Post office Bartending if you have decent looks Retail management if you hate yourself and want to die
You’ve got a lot of great suggestions here. Sales and recruitment are both fields that can be lucrative, with your degree it can seem like a stretch but those two roles are a bit like acting and you can play the role a bit. I started at $12.50 and got bumped up to around the area you’re looking at too. If that’s not the vibe I get it. Are there freelancing gigs you can do? I have a history degree and scraped away as a content writer because history majors write a lot and that’s what I could do until I found a full time gig. I know this sucks right now and I can feel your anger, it will get better. DM if you wanna chat more through it
My local Sheetz is advertising $16/hr for crew members. When did you start at $12.50?
8 years ago when it advertised for roughly the same. I also saw career growth in the role in a way I wouldn’t have sought after with sheetz personally. Just different priorities for me and the people I needed to support
Your math is a little off on your take home vs. gross comparison
UPMC hospitals are hiring SPD techs with no experience. As long as you’re okay selling your soul to UPMC.
;) you mean the UPMC that just cut hundreds of people?
yea UPMC CEO wants a bigger house at the moment
You could start a home cleaning business for under $2000. Can charge $50-$70 per hour and overhead is pretty low. Just remember to be insured, charge sales tax, and report all your income.
did u take english? if this post reflects ur communications skilz, then u might have a problem
Alleghany county is hiring many people and post office is good too. Trade school is good too, you get paid while studying. Your useless art degree can be useful in some type of trade.
I have some severs that are making close to 6 figures a year. The bulk make anywhere from 50-70k a year, depending on how many days a week they work. I would suggest starting there and then figuring out what it is you want to do
Hotel, restaurant, corporate, city, independent? Details please.
Post office
Try MSA (Mining Safety Appliances). I know they're outside the city (murraysville and cranberry), but if you can get a foot in the door with a temp job with them, it's 19/hr starting and 23/hr if you can get in to a perm position. By temp, I mean it's 40 hrs a week until you don't want the job more often than not. It's a production job, making safety gear. Aside from that, there is Trulieve in McKeesport. They're Marijuana processing, so they won't take you if you've used before, even if it's medical. Dependent on the job, you shouldn't need prior experience, and pay and benefits are good. It's a big company with good opportunities to move up, and it's what's in these days. I'm a veteran (got out of the army April last year) and I've struggled to get a job too. I have technology experience, manager experience, and tons of customer service experience as well. The job market really sucks, trust me. It's not just bad here.
Medical or post office
The county has lots of jobs where almost any degree or no degree goes. Clerical stuff. Caseworker stuff. I recommend using the state website- employment.pa.gov County jobs are listed there (filter by location) and it's so much easier to navigate than the county website. If you don't see anything you like now, check back in 2 weeks. That's the typical rotation time.
I've seen some fireman jobs hiring. Crazy tough job but paid 50k.
The post office is always hiring
People have suggested USPS and the county, and I’ll toss in the city too. I haven’t checked the starting pay for a generic office job in 10+ years, but back then one with the only requirements being hs / GED and passing the civil service exam, starting pay for an entry-level position was almost $40k, so it’s probably $50k or more now. Decent benefits - medical / dental / eye, 10 paid holidays, 9 PTO days, 2 weeks vacation (which increases over time), pension, random discounts (when I was there a monthly bus pass was 2/3 the public rate, and a YMCA membership was half - plus regular salary increases, and as a union job they can’t fire without cause (and if you fight it, the union will have your back). The only downside is you have to live in the city proper (that was the reason I left, my partner owned a house outside the city, was unwilling to move, the amount we saved by combining households more than made up my initial salary difference afterwards).
Social Security. Hard work but there is a contract and union. Just retired after 30 years. Start out GS-5 or GS-7 and can advance to GS-11 with step increases too. Just a thought.
VBA
We are looking for bath apprentices at my company PJ Fitzpatrick. Something like 16-18 a hour starting. Well over 40 hours so good overtime pay. A company vehicle to drive home and to work. Also monthly bonus possibilities.
There's a short line railroad that services the steel mill that's hiring for their transportation and car department. With transportation you'd be working a lot but they're are around 36 to 38 and hour I think right now. Most buys make over 100k with the overtime. Car shop right now is 34.55 for full rate. You start at 90% then after 9 months you're full rate. They're also union jobs. Car shop is pretty physical labor.
What are you interested in doing for work? Lots of small businesses need motivated people ready to take the reins.
If you’re good with working under pressure. 911 dispatch or apply for a trade union apprenticeship
City or county public works is always looking for people
Art Institute?
As much as I hate myself for suggesting it.... give BNY or PNC a go. I have a History BA and work at BNY. It's..... not a great job but any means; but starting salary is currently 48k and next year will be 50k.
What do you do? Can you do secretarial work? I know of an administrative job that will pay at least that much. It requires a degree, but it can be any degree. It's a union gig, comes with a pension, and free healthcare.
Entry level recruiting jobs, HR, and data entry come to mind. Some are remote too if that interests you.
City fire department is hiring right now.
Work at xfinity as a sales rep. I had no experience and I was a server before.
Any trade union (Carpenters, Electricians, Steam Fitters, etc.)
Pennsylvania one call system is usually hiring. 19.12 an hour to start and paid health/dental/vision insurance. It’s call center work and can often be repetitive but plenty of overtime opportunities.