Location, location, location. Well, and skillset of course. I would strongly recommend against it though. The pay is terrible. There was a strong push for a fe

Location, location, location. Well, and skillset of course. I would strongly recommend against it though. The pay is terrible. There was a strong push for a few years to get people into the trades, and there was a strong misrepresentation of what the opportunities are really like. Keep in mind that government contracts are a race to the bottom. The contracts go to the lowest bidder and since materials, etc. are a given, employee pay has really suffered. Being a machinist is not the path to a middle class life anymore for most people.