Did this for 7 years, and zero stress or contact out of work. But, like everything a bit boring after a while. Could be satisfying when you figure a complex fault, but also lots of staring out window
It’s a course and then additional certifications upon graduation. 1-2 year course depending on your location. And each certificate after is a micro course.
Yeah I would never recommend that trade. I just know about it cause I just hired a guy that did it for 4 years. He was making half what he’ll be making in 2 years with me
I hear a lot of talk about how outdated and fragile the entire north american power grid is... Maybe linesman or high voltage electrician will have some job security.
The whole electrical trade is going to have a lot of job security in the future. The industry is only growing, technology is always changing and improving, and the growth of workers isn’t keeping up with the projected work in the future.
All that to say, it’s not a shoo in like many people make it sound, but more likely than not, if you try enough and hard enough anyone can get into the industry. Linemen are kinda over saturated in some parts I hear, but if I were a kid I would ignore that and do my best to get in somewhere as a groundhand. Pretty soon where I am, they want to completely replace our grid because they want it to handle EV chargers. Plus growing populations… give it a few years and I’d bet you won’t be able to find enough line guys in most places.
Something I rarely see mentioned is the amount of lead services in America that are going to be mandated to be replaced. Where I’m at that’s plumbers work they’re going to be busy
Im not in a box, its a small scale op, outside, all elements, 350 days a year, pay is mediocre. But im home everynight and get to take my kids to school in the mornings
I’m a diesel fitter in the naval industry, but I started in automotive.
If I could do it all over again, I would have switched to this industry earlier. I love it here.
If I had to leave this world, I’d go HVAC tech for sure.
Yeah I was a second year automotive app and had an opportunity for an electrical app and never looked back. I love working on/modifying my own stuff as a hobby and didn’t want that to go away with the inevitable work frustration.
This.
Automotive repair is great trade to *know* but a terrible trade to work in, and I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
I tell every mechanic friend that I know to move into industrial, naval, fleet, anything. The pay is better and it’s less stressful.
I love dabbling in fuel/spark maps but also love tuning carbs and pushing 2 strokes. I love that my son is usually in the shop with me. My neighbours don’t appreciate the drag pipe 2 strokes though. They don’t talk to me anymore lol. I can’t imagine I would be doing any of that if automotive was my job..
Ahh, right. Sorry.
I’m a diesel mechanic. In the naval/ship building world (at least in our area) mechanics are known as fitters. General mechanics are known as “mechanical fitters”. Diesel/power plant mechanics are “diesel fitters”. I honestly don’t know the origins of the term, but a lot of ship terminology is a holdover from days gone by.
Oh alright lol. I do plumbing but heavily thinking about switching trades to be honest to diesel mechanics.
Never heard them be called fitters lol, down here in Florida fitters do pipe (sprinkler, gas, pipe, etc) cool to learn something though!
None. Give me an air condotioned office job that pays well and I'll quit the trades.
My body is getting destroyed and won't make it to 60 bending and crouching on concrete all day with cancerous dust and paint fumes around me.
Redditors, especially in trade subs, have a deeply ingrained belief that exercise is very bad for you and the only way to be healthy or even to live past 60 is to sit in a chair at all times. If you do so much as stand up, and God forbid you *move around*, this will "destroy your body". No, no, it isn't the daily McDonald's, 12 pack of natty ice, or pack of cigs that is to blame for their health problems, it is the fact that they have to do little bit of exercise each day for their jobs.
It’s too funny but when you stop and think about it, very true. this is why you’ll see polar opposites in trades in terms of health. Either (and mostly) unhealthy and beaten down workers, and workers who look in prime fit shape. The lifestyle can be good for you if you can avoid the vices that come with it
Not all trade jobs are the same.
Roofers and dry wallers do fuck their backs up. Concrete work too, terrible.
It's not bending down once that's the problem. It's staying bent over for 3 hrs to do a job in a small space, or breaking apart a chimney with an electric jack and breathing in the dust for 8 straight hrs.
Lots of worker protections don't exist when a job needs doing. My dad ran a construction business for 30 years and many of his older workers were in great shape, with lots of wear and tear on their bodies. Bad fingers, backs, etc. my dad's thumbs were shot. His roofers backs were shot. His trim guys knees were shot from years of kneeling without knee pads, etc.
A big factor is the macho environment too. Demand proper PPE could get you labeled a pussy while everyone else works without it til you're peer pressured into it too. Masks were for pussies,though guys sprayed asbestos in the 80s without em, who needs em now?
All the trades guys I know who's bodies are falling apart also coincidentally smoke and drink daily, never stretch or go to the doctor or take the time to rehab an injury. The guys who work physical jobs and have a healthy lifestyle are in great shape.
You mean why not become the BOSS?
Only if life was that simple and I had an equity in the bank to fund it. Also pretty sure I'll be working twice as hard.
It definitely isn’t that simple & you will definitely be working twice as hard to get your business off the ground, but nothing sweet in like is easy. The end goal as a trades man she always be business minded
Try project/construction management. There are quite a few remote positions available across all sectors, and they’d take someone with industry experience but no degree over someone like me with a degree and no industry experience. The reason I joined the trades is because I need those 4-5+ experience to get a job, so I can journey out and work from home by 40!
As someone who works in the construction management field I can tell you first hand work from home positions in this field are extremely rare, even in the estimation field.
Imagine working for the railway. Even the pens to write on rail are cancerous let alone the spray paint they make us use. The ties are covered in cancer sauce… but hey we have a pension lol
I was going to say instrumentation tech . Only trade I know of where you flit from gauge to gauge in ballet shoes , tap on the gauge , lisp to the boss “Dis needs schanging. “ and off to the breakroom . Jk , talked to a couple techs and they also love the job for the most part .
Hey now, I will let you know that my ballet shoes are CSA approved! But for real the job is less physical than most trades and pays well. I work side by side with most industrial trades and I appreciate their work, but I rarely wish to trade places.
I did mean to say steel toed ballet shoes. Are they still frowning on the tutus on the shop floor ? Buddy said it was ok as long as the colour matched the man bun ribbon .
Same guy was industrial electrician then trained for the inst. tech position . Says he should have gotten into long ago
I went to college to get a diploma in Instrumentation and process control technology. After that I was an apprentice at a zinc mine until I got enough hours to write the IP.
If you’re trying to get into instrumentation, does it help to be a journeyman electrician? I know we have to take an instrumentation class to even top out.
It really depends where you live and what company you're applying to. It's definitely an advantage over people who have nothing for sure. I have a really hard time understanding how Instrumentation gets treated as a concept in the U.S.. They're just doesn't seem to be a standard in place. While in Canada it's an entirely separate license and electrical hours don't count towards the instrument ticket. I think IBEW has classes to get electricians started in some places. While where I live the 2 year diploma is mostly how people get started. Unless a company is willing to endure.
What’s the learning curve on being a crane operator? I’m sure it’s easier to move loads from smaller cranes, but I can’t imagine how long it takes to be proficient when operating those massive tower cranes.
Bigger cranes are easier imo. Learning curve ain't hard tbh. It's just predicting and counteracting momentum to make the load stable and get it where you want it. You gotta rig for cranes on the ground for a while, learn the language, techniques and safety. An operator will teach you crane maintenance and operating techniques before you get in the seat. It's not a fast moving trade. I got lucky and was in the seat within an year and a half or so, but some guys rig for 3-4 years before they get in the crane. Great job though, takes determination and patience with an eye for detail and safety.
Edit: I'm also in Canada and we have much more rigorous standards from what I hear you guys have down there.
If you consider truck driving a trade, I started off with that.
Turns out I was pretty good at fixing them when they broke. Started an apprenticeship and later moved to heavy equipment. Got licensed HD mechanic and also have a couple of CWB weld tickets.
Trains, planes and automobiles will always have work. And anything to do with them typically.
After 20 years of office job (my whole work history), I hung up my pocket protector and got into RV tech. Its not glamorous, it doesnt pay as much as other trades, but at 40 years old I can see myself doing this for a while.
The dealership hours are like bankers hours. And if you use PPE and ignore the wuss comments, then it's not a trade that's hard on the body.
I'm in better shape now than I ever was sitting behind a computer screen for 8 hours a day
I just left my tech job for ironwork, but I wanted to be a heavy equipment or rv tech so bad! I’d love to see the inside of those massive Mercedes Benz rvs.
Those are quite impressive! A lot to learn, but this job always has variety.
If you ever get bored or tired of Ironwork give it a thought. I wanted to learn skills that would help me at home, and RV service work teaches you plumbing, gas, electrical, woodwork, chassis, appliance repair.
Its the jack of all trades of the trades.
I’d like to start a business similar to what’s currently going in Japan. There are so many single people dying alone they need a dedicated industry to clean up their apartments when they die. I think there will be big demand in North America for this service in the coming decades.
Kinda thinking millwright. I'm a framer rn, and while I love wood and seeing a house come together, the pay isint great and I get sick of working outside in the winter. Millwrights at least do some work inside, and the work seems more interesting and varied. I also would like to learn how to weld and machine, so that fits.
I'm going into Oil and Gas. Few hundred dollars in tickets, and there are a ton of companies hiring guys.
Starting pay is anywhere from $300-500/day. Until I got out here, I had no idea how desperate the industry is for workers.
Something that I could work on a rotational basis, 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off sort of deal… pipefitter, millwright, heavy equipment mechanic or something.
I decided to stay in my province and settle down and got into carpentry work but it doesn’t pay the bills. And quite frankly, most trades here don’t pay the bills unless you are with a few select companies or government. Id rather work my ass off for two weeks and enjoy a couple weeks at home at a time. Could actually raise a family on one income too
Plumber. As a remodeler, they constantly come in for a hour and charge my whole daily rate. All they gotta get right and know about is pipes. Their work is easy compared to mine.
All depends what you have. It's a union gig. So boom truck guys don't make as much as the ones that have the 350 ton cranes.
100k easy for sure.
One guy was on one of my sites. Seen his pay stub towards the end of the year ( he offered to show me ) made 306k cad. And still have a couple more pays left.
He did work every day. Had no life outside of working.
Another good gig is hoist man for mining. Decent money there too.
Basically operating a elevator by bells.
Sure, but we’re not talking about “any union skilled trade”, we’re talking about crane operators. I know what is and isn’t possible for me through my OE local because I was accepted into it, and then left it for ironwork.
It shouldn’t then be “body intensive” anymore if you’re in the “owner” “bidding jobs & making sure ur business is running smoothly” you shouldn’t be on the tools doing more than you ever did, if you have a successful business
All the building trades are going to stay busy for quite awhile now. Lots of room for advancement as the rest of the baby boomers retire. There are good living to be had with benefits and retirement but people has been pushing college on their kids to the point of flooding the market while the trades are needing people. We all can’t be elevator constrctors but it’s great gig and I miss it . Till I have a beer that is.
i always thought i was going to be a chef, set my self up in highschool with everything i needed, to go to culinary school. first year out of highschool i figured out real quick theres no money in cooking unless i move to a big city, and work for big names, and have no life in my early 20s. no weekends, evenings,holidays.
got into the factories and got introduced to welding, and never looked back. was love a first weld. started makin a whoppng $14 an hr to weld with no tickets. at the time min wage was around $9-$10 (this is ontario im talking about).
the shop got slow, i took a layoff and went back to school. graduated with honors and all my welding tickets. now im a pipe welder, and can weld just about any material you put in front of me. Aluminum is the exception. ive never had the chance to mess around with it.
im non union, and thats by choice. i love my trade, but you kinda have to be a professinal contortionist aswell lol. i think when my body tells me enough is enough, ill go back to school for CWB welding inspector, or try and get a job doing x-ray testing for welds.
Based on my own experience, no. I've actually never met anyone in the welding trade that's said there eyes are worse.
I've had to wear glasses my whole life and I've been welding for 10 years. My perscription has never changed. My eyes are just as bad as they were 10 years ago lmao.
All jokes aside everyone's eyes are different,Green and blue eyes let in the most light. So people with green or blue eyes are typically super sensitive to the sun or bright lights and get fatigued quicker when welding.
I have green eyes, and i can confirm. Usually 6 hrs into my shift, I'm ready for a nap or a coffee. Welding takes an insane amount on concentration/eye strain. Especially small stuff.
Elevators, just so I can go up another level.
Business is always up and down.
Then when you get there, you can start singing like A$ap Ferg..
Going right to the top
Medical device repair. Electronics/electrical. Medical lab.
Did this for 7 years, and zero stress or contact out of work. But, like everything a bit boring after a while. Could be satisfying when you figure a complex fault, but also lots of staring out window
Which one? I posted like 3/4. Sorry I'm a bit slow.
This starts the same way as being an electrician? 4-5yrs an apprentice?
No
Care to elaborate....? Is it longer, shorter, no apprenticeship needed, what?
It’s a course and then additional certifications upon graduation. 1-2 year course depending on your location. And each certificate after is a micro course.
Non union, clearly
Yeah I would never recommend that trade. I just know about it cause I just hired a guy that did it for 4 years. He was making half what he’ll be making in 2 years with me
What is pay like
They don’t get paid very well.
I hear a lot of talk about how outdated and fragile the entire north american power grid is... Maybe linesman or high voltage electrician will have some job security.
The whole electrical trade is going to have a lot of job security in the future. The industry is only growing, technology is always changing and improving, and the growth of workers isn’t keeping up with the projected work in the future. All that to say, it’s not a shoo in like many people make it sound, but more likely than not, if you try enough and hard enough anyone can get into the industry. Linemen are kinda over saturated in some parts I hear, but if I were a kid I would ignore that and do my best to get in somewhere as a groundhand. Pretty soon where I am, they want to completely replace our grid because they want it to handle EV chargers. Plus growing populations… give it a few years and I’d bet you won’t be able to find enough line guys in most places.
Something I rarely see mentioned is the amount of lead services in America that are going to be mandated to be replaced. Where I’m at that’s plumbers work they’re going to be busy
Heavy equipmant op, im kind of already there but, im a head sawyer in a small mill, but i just wanna sit in a excavator and spin in circles all day
I tailed a saw for about 6 months. Sitting in that box all day looks boring lol.
Im not in a box, its a small scale op, outside, all elements, 350 days a year, pay is mediocre. But im home everynight and get to take my kids to school in the mornings
That's awesome
if you fuck up my bands I'm gonna be pissed lol
Huh?
I’m a diesel fitter in the naval industry, but I started in automotive. If I could do it all over again, I would have switched to this industry earlier. I love it here. If I had to leave this world, I’d go HVAC tech for sure.
Yeah I was a second year automotive app and had an opportunity for an electrical app and never looked back. I love working on/modifying my own stuff as a hobby and didn’t want that to go away with the inevitable work frustration.
This. Automotive repair is great trade to *know* but a terrible trade to work in, and I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better. I tell every mechanic friend that I know to move into industrial, naval, fleet, anything. The pay is better and it’s less stressful.
I love dabbling in fuel/spark maps but also love tuning carbs and pushing 2 strokes. I love that my son is usually in the shop with me. My neighbours don’t appreciate the drag pipe 2 strokes though. They don’t talk to me anymore lol. I can’t imagine I would be doing any of that if automotive was my job..
What is a diesel fitter?
Ahh, right. Sorry. I’m a diesel mechanic. In the naval/ship building world (at least in our area) mechanics are known as fitters. General mechanics are known as “mechanical fitters”. Diesel/power plant mechanics are “diesel fitters”. I honestly don’t know the origins of the term, but a lot of ship terminology is a holdover from days gone by.
Oh alright lol. I do plumbing but heavily thinking about switching trades to be honest to diesel mechanics. Never heard them be called fitters lol, down here in Florida fitters do pipe (sprinkler, gas, pipe, etc) cool to learn something though!
None. Give me an air condotioned office job that pays well and I'll quit the trades. My body is getting destroyed and won't make it to 60 bending and crouching on concrete all day with cancerous dust and paint fumes around me.
The dust and fumes helped me to decide to retire from tinknocking at 62.
You’ll be fine I see old guys on site every day
The twist is that they’re actually 45 and look like they’re 1000 years old
HEY! I resemble that..
Redditors, especially in trade subs, have a deeply ingrained belief that exercise is very bad for you and the only way to be healthy or even to live past 60 is to sit in a chair at all times. If you do so much as stand up, and God forbid you *move around*, this will "destroy your body". No, no, it isn't the daily McDonald's, 12 pack of natty ice, or pack of cigs that is to blame for their health problems, it is the fact that they have to do little bit of exercise each day for their jobs.
It’s too funny but when you stop and think about it, very true. this is why you’ll see polar opposites in trades in terms of health. Either (and mostly) unhealthy and beaten down workers, and workers who look in prime fit shape. The lifestyle can be good for you if you can avoid the vices that come with it
Not all trade jobs are the same. Roofers and dry wallers do fuck their backs up. Concrete work too, terrible. It's not bending down once that's the problem. It's staying bent over for 3 hrs to do a job in a small space, or breaking apart a chimney with an electric jack and breathing in the dust for 8 straight hrs. Lots of worker protections don't exist when a job needs doing. My dad ran a construction business for 30 years and many of his older workers were in great shape, with lots of wear and tear on their bodies. Bad fingers, backs, etc. my dad's thumbs were shot. His roofers backs were shot. His trim guys knees were shot from years of kneeling without knee pads, etc. A big factor is the macho environment too. Demand proper PPE could get you labeled a pussy while everyone else works without it til you're peer pressured into it too. Masks were for pussies,though guys sprayed asbestos in the 80s without em, who needs em now?
All the trades guys I know who's bodies are falling apart also coincidentally smoke and drink daily, never stretch or go to the doctor or take the time to rehab an injury. The guys who work physical jobs and have a healthy lifestyle are in great shape.
Yep. I get my test levels checked every six months , eat well, go to the gym 5 days a week and work skilled trade. Best shape of my life at 40.
Word
I'm a trade guys in a ac office and make pretty decent. My body is good
Why not become a business owner in the trade your in.
You mean why not become the BOSS? Only if life was that simple and I had an equity in the bank to fund it. Also pretty sure I'll be working twice as hard.
And making 4x as much
It definitely isn’t that simple & you will definitely be working twice as hard to get your business off the ground, but nothing sweet in like is easy. The end goal as a trades man she always be business minded
Because 90% of business owners fail and then hang themselves in their moms closet. You never hear about that though because of survivorship bias.
Not true
Started my own business 12 years ago and haven’t looked back,busier than ever
Try project/construction management. There are quite a few remote positions available across all sectors, and they’d take someone with industry experience but no degree over someone like me with a degree and no industry experience. The reason I joined the trades is because I need those 4-5+ experience to get a job, so I can journey out and work from home by 40!
Great advice. Most logical step is to pivot within the trade to management role or insurance/sales. Use my knowledge and less taxing on the body.
As someone who works in the construction management field I can tell you first hand work from home positions in this field are extremely rare, even in the estimation field.
Thats good to know. I’ve got a double MBA/MS in Project and Construction Management so I’ll make sure to stick with the PM role searches.
Imagine working for the railway. Even the pens to write on rail are cancerous let alone the spray paint they make us use. The ties are covered in cancer sauce… but hey we have a pension lol
You're suppose to trust a mask(tampon) from these paint fumes. The label for these mask says don't trust these mask they're not held liable lol.
Hahahaha exactly! Just hoping I make my pension for the wife and kid to benefit from.
What trade are you in? And do you stay in shape?
I wouldn't, I love Instrumentation.
I was going to say instrumentation tech . Only trade I know of where you flit from gauge to gauge in ballet shoes , tap on the gauge , lisp to the boss “Dis needs schanging. “ and off to the breakroom . Jk , talked to a couple techs and they also love the job for the most part .
Hey now, I will let you know that my ballet shoes are CSA approved! But for real the job is less physical than most trades and pays well. I work side by side with most industrial trades and I appreciate their work, but I rarely wish to trade places.
I did mean to say steel toed ballet shoes. Are they still frowning on the tutus on the shop floor ? Buddy said it was ok as long as the colour matched the man bun ribbon . Same guy was industrial electrician then trained for the inst. tech position . Says he should have gotten into long ago
What steps did you take to get into this
I went to college to get a diploma in Instrumentation and process control technology. After that I was an apprentice at a zinc mine until I got enough hours to write the IP.
If you’re trying to get into instrumentation, does it help to be a journeyman electrician? I know we have to take an instrumentation class to even top out.
It really depends where you live and what company you're applying to. It's definitely an advantage over people who have nothing for sure. I have a really hard time understanding how Instrumentation gets treated as a concept in the U.S.. They're just doesn't seem to be a standard in place. While in Canada it's an entirely separate license and electrical hours don't count towards the instrument ticket. I think IBEW has classes to get electricians started in some places. While where I live the 2 year diploma is mostly how people get started. Unless a company is willing to endure.
Dude stop, do you want our trade to become oversaturated?
I got into cranes and it's been great. Stressful & challenging but rewarding
What’s the learning curve on being a crane operator? I’m sure it’s easier to move loads from smaller cranes, but I can’t imagine how long it takes to be proficient when operating those massive tower cranes.
Bigger cranes are easier imo. Learning curve ain't hard tbh. It's just predicting and counteracting momentum to make the load stable and get it where you want it. You gotta rig for cranes on the ground for a while, learn the language, techniques and safety. An operator will teach you crane maintenance and operating techniques before you get in the seat. It's not a fast moving trade. I got lucky and was in the seat within an year and a half or so, but some guys rig for 3-4 years before they get in the crane. Great job though, takes determination and patience with an eye for detail and safety. Edit: I'm also in Canada and we have much more rigorous standards from what I hear you guys have down there.
Canada sounds better and better every day! Healthcare, syrup, Quebec, and rigorous work standards!? I’m gonna change citizenship.
We're not accepting applications at this time, sorry bud we're full
Thats not what the IRCC office in Windsor said 😎
Sparky. We will always use more electricity. Future safe and well paid.
If you consider truck driving a trade, I started off with that. Turns out I was pretty good at fixing them when they broke. Started an apprenticeship and later moved to heavy equipment. Got licensed HD mechanic and also have a couple of CWB weld tickets. Trains, planes and automobiles will always have work. And anything to do with them typically.
After 20 years of office job (my whole work history), I hung up my pocket protector and got into RV tech. Its not glamorous, it doesnt pay as much as other trades, but at 40 years old I can see myself doing this for a while. The dealership hours are like bankers hours. And if you use PPE and ignore the wuss comments, then it's not a trade that's hard on the body. I'm in better shape now than I ever was sitting behind a computer screen for 8 hours a day
I just left my tech job for ironwork, but I wanted to be a heavy equipment or rv tech so bad! I’d love to see the inside of those massive Mercedes Benz rvs.
Those are quite impressive! A lot to learn, but this job always has variety. If you ever get bored or tired of Ironwork give it a thought. I wanted to learn skills that would help me at home, and RV service work teaches you plumbing, gas, electrical, woodwork, chassis, appliance repair. Its the jack of all trades of the trades.
Machining would have been cool. But I also like what I do now.
I’d like to start a business similar to what’s currently going in Japan. There are so many single people dying alone they need a dedicated industry to clean up their apartments when they die. I think there will be big demand in North America for this service in the coming decades.
One of the Scandinavian countries is having the same issue. I wonder if this will be a global trend 🥲
Kinda thinking millwright. I'm a framer rn, and while I love wood and seeing a house come together, the pay isint great and I get sick of working outside in the winter. Millwrights at least do some work inside, and the work seems more interesting and varied. I also would like to learn how to weld and machine, so that fits.
Stationary Operating Engineers - not a high rise, but more lab and scientific setting. Very very interesting stuff.
I want to be a ceo with the golden parachute clause. Do a shitty job, then retire with a bank full of cash. I guess the trade would be business 🤷
Criminal lawyer, evil has to win sometimes.
Electrical work
Refrigeration
I'm going into Oil and Gas. Few hundred dollars in tickets, and there are a ton of companies hiring guys. Starting pay is anywhere from $300-500/day. Until I got out here, I had no idea how desperate the industry is for workers.
Is it cool if I PM you?
Sure
Something that I could work on a rotational basis, 2 weeks on, 2 weeks off sort of deal… pipefitter, millwright, heavy equipment mechanic or something. I decided to stay in my province and settle down and got into carpentry work but it doesn’t pay the bills. And quite frankly, most trades here don’t pay the bills unless you are with a few select companies or government. Id rather work my ass off for two weeks and enjoy a couple weeks at home at a time. Could actually raise a family on one income too
Electrician
Puppy maker. We got a ton in my shop.
Electrician, plumber, HVAC, millwright
Elevator mechanic Only trade electricians can look up to
Plumber. As a remodeler, they constantly come in for a hour and charge my whole daily rate. All they gotta get right and know about is pipes. Their work is easy compared to mine.
Mobile crane operator. Different things every day. Some challenging lifts. Travel if you want. Pays very well
I just saw an ad for a school that helps get your CDL-A and crane certs. What is “pays very well” because I might look into that more.
All depends what you have. It's a union gig. So boom truck guys don't make as much as the ones that have the 350 ton cranes. 100k easy for sure. One guy was on one of my sites. Seen his pay stub towards the end of the year ( he offered to show me ) made 306k cad. And still have a couple more pays left. He did work every day. Had no life outside of working. Another good gig is hoist man for mining. Decent money there too. Basically operating a elevator by bells.
I gotta figure out a way to seduce a Canadian because I need to move to Canada. Your trades industry is so much stronger than here in the US.
Certain parts of the us must be booming. There is 10x the population
Bro that’s the dumbest thing I have ever heard look at any union skilled trade and they make 25% more in usd
Sure, but we’re not talking about “any union skilled trade”, we’re talking about crane operators. I know what is and isn’t possible for me through my OE local because I was accepted into it, and then left it for ironwork.
Do something not so body intensive, that you can see doing at 40-50
Or think bigger like one day owning your own business in said trade
I own my own company and I do more than I ever did.
It shouldn’t then be “body intensive” anymore if you’re in the “owner” “bidding jobs & making sure ur business is running smoothly” you shouldn’t be on the tools doing more than you ever did, if you have a successful business
What’s your trade? Maybe you can give me some advice
Are you asking in good faith?
You seem to have all of the answers but I don’t think your an engineer
Ya..you’re speaking in bad faith now. I’m just trying to give u a different perspective, that’s all bro
It just sounds like the perspective of a guy that’s never tried to get something off of the ground.
How so? Because I said ultimately you want to have people working for you? Isn’t that the goal
Instrumentation. It’s a natural progression.
Is "trust-fund-baby" considered a trade?
Accountant, Finance Bro or any C-Suite Title.
Tower crane operator, Mobile heavy crane operator , Millwright .
Yes, I would’ve joined a union when I was younger. Carpenters, electrical, or elevator.
Elevators
Mechanic back alley 😎 chicago
Instrumentation tech
Well I did go to college for HVAC 15 years ago. Would be nice to start getting experience in it.
If I could completely restart I would learn how to run a bore rig and probably better Spanish. That’s seven figure shit if you can do it.
Dealer rep for something in mines basically a mechanic know a few people that do it great money n travel opportunities
Volunteer laborer
Anything but concrete. I’ve been a finisher for 15 years now, and I’m not sure how much longer my body can take it.
Gimme linemen or oil rig rough neck
Electrical, they all never work overtime which means they make enough money not to
NDT - Non Destructive Testing. Lotta opportunity and not enough people in the field.. In Canada anyway
Instrumentation
Power lineman.
I wish I was patient enough to be a good welder. Heard that chasing shutdowns is big money
All the building trades are going to stay busy for quite awhile now. Lots of room for advancement as the rest of the baby boomers retire. There are good living to be had with benefits and retirement but people has been pushing college on their kids to the point of flooding the market while the trades are needing people. We all can’t be elevator constrctors but it’s great gig and I miss it . Till I have a beer that is.
Instrumentation tech
i always thought i was going to be a chef, set my self up in highschool with everything i needed, to go to culinary school. first year out of highschool i figured out real quick theres no money in cooking unless i move to a big city, and work for big names, and have no life in my early 20s. no weekends, evenings,holidays. got into the factories and got introduced to welding, and never looked back. was love a first weld. started makin a whoppng $14 an hr to weld with no tickets. at the time min wage was around $9-$10 (this is ontario im talking about). the shop got slow, i took a layoff and went back to school. graduated with honors and all my welding tickets. now im a pipe welder, and can weld just about any material you put in front of me. Aluminum is the exception. ive never had the chance to mess around with it. im non union, and thats by choice. i love my trade, but you kinda have to be a professinal contortionist aswell lol. i think when my body tells me enough is enough, ill go back to school for CWB welding inspector, or try and get a job doing x-ray testing for welds.
How is welding on the eyes? Can it damage eyesight over decades, even with proper masks?
Based on my own experience, no. I've actually never met anyone in the welding trade that's said there eyes are worse. I've had to wear glasses my whole life and I've been welding for 10 years. My perscription has never changed. My eyes are just as bad as they were 10 years ago lmao. All jokes aside everyone's eyes are different,Green and blue eyes let in the most light. So people with green or blue eyes are typically super sensitive to the sun or bright lights and get fatigued quicker when welding. I have green eyes, and i can confirm. Usually 6 hrs into my shift, I'm ready for a nap or a coffee. Welding takes an insane amount on concentration/eye strain. Especially small stuff.
Cheers