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>Today that's no longer true. Companies today want a few high skill jobs rather than many low skill. While that is true, high skill doesn't necessarily mean a

by tmh88j 15y ago

>Today that's no longer true. Companies today want a few high skill jobs rather than many low skill. While that is true, high skill doesn't necessarily mean a 4 year college education. Coming from a manufacturing background (engineer) I can assure you that good machinists are in high demand. Kids shouldn't be given the impression that shop-classes in high school are for "stupid people." Most people don't realize the demand for these kinds of jobs. Even good welders can make good money if the work is put in; the same cannot be said for all factory positions..

_delirium 15y ago
What I've read about welding, for example (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/24jobs.html http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/24jobs.html), suggests that there's no good path to break in anymore: welders with 10+ years of experience are in high demand, while novice and intermediate welders aren't, mainly because the "easier" jobs can be done by machine these days. But how are you going to get 10 years of experience if there aren't jobs for welders with 4 years of experience? And the pay even for the very highly skilled doesn't sound that great; the NY Times article linked above quoted a rate of $22/hr for a highly skilled welder, which is decent, but not particularly great for something that's considered highly skilled and has a 10-year skill ramp (works out to $44k/yr pre-tax, if you work fifty 40-hour weeks).
- tmh88j 15y ago
  That article only scratches the surface. My background in manufacturing is specifically for a welding manufacturer. There are kids graduating from high school going right into weld school, then getting jobs dealing with nuclear applications and making $35+ an hour. Background checks are needed, and many of the 35+ year old guys have DUI's, failed drug tests and other offenses given they've had a longer timeframe to acquire them. A good pipe welder can make much more than that, granted the conditions are treacherous where some of those pipelines go.
- stonemetal 15y ago
  And the pay even for the very highly skilled doesn't sound that great; Not sure what you mean, that puts them at the 70th percentile of personal income in the US. That rather sounds like highly paid professional to me.
  - _delirium 15y ago
    In some ways of looking at it yes. And yet we just had this other thread about how software engineers making $100k are just getting by "ok", not even upper-middle-class...
    - deleted 15y ago
      [deleted]
    - tricolon 15y ago
      $100k in NYC or SF is not going to get you much.
      - _delirium 15y ago
        Well, it'll get you considerably more than the majority of people living in NYC or SF have. =]
Kynlyn 15y ago
Our culture looks down upon blue-collar jobs such as plumbers, electricians and other trade-skill type jobs. Yet these jobs are becoming harder and harder to fill and pay is ever increasing. Don't believe me? Hire an independent plumber and/or electrician for a few days worth of work and see how much it cost you. Unfortunately, there is a stigma with those jobs so people borrow hundreds of thousands of dollars for a college education, then go to work making $15/hour while Joe the Plumber goes to a trade school and earns $60-$75k/year right out of school.
- yardie 15y ago
  This is very regional. Hiring a plumber to fix your plumbing is not how those guys get paid, but they do appreciate the money. The steady work for them is new housing developments, which if you are in Nevada, Florida, Arizona and most of the southern US is at excess capacity. I have friend who are master electricians doing stage and club lighting, cable and satellite installations, etc. Before 2008 they were making $150k+ annually from the construction market, now its anything to keep the lights on at home.

by tmh88j 15y ago

_delirium 15y ago

What I've read about welding, for example (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/24jobs.html http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/business/24jobs.html), suggests that there's no good path to break in anymore: welders with 10+ years of experience are in high demand, while novice and intermediate welders aren't, mainly because the "easier" jobs can be done by machine these days. But how are you going to get 10 years of experience if there aren't jobs for welders with 4 years of experience? And the pay even for the very highly skilled doesn't sound that great; the NY Times article linked above quoted a rate of $22/hr for a highly skilled welder, which is decent, but not particularly great for something that's considered highly skilled and has a 10-year skill ramp (works out to $44k/yr pre-tax, if you work fifty 40-hour weeks).

tmh88j 15y ago
That article only scratches the surface. My background in manufacturing is specifically for a welding manufacturer. There are kids graduating from high school going right into weld school, then getting jobs dealing with nuclear applications and making $35+ an hour. Background checks are needed, and many of the 35+ year old guys have DUI's, failed drug tests and other offenses given they've had a longer timeframe to acquire them. A good pipe welder can make much more than that, granted the conditions are treacherous where some of those pipelines go.
stonemetal 15y ago
And the pay even for the very highly skilled doesn't sound that great; Not sure what you mean, that puts them at the 70th percentile of personal income in the US. That rather sounds like highly paid professional to me.
- _delirium 15y ago
  In some ways of looking at it yes. And yet we just had this other thread about how software engineers making $100k are just getting by "ok", not even upper-middle-class...
  - deleted 15y ago
    [deleted]
  - tricolon 15y ago
    $100k in NYC or SF is not going to get you much.
    - _delirium 15y ago
      Well, it'll get you considerably more than the majority of people living in NYC or SF have. =]

Kynlyn 15y ago

Our culture looks down upon blue-collar jobs such as plumbers, electricians and other trade-skill type jobs. Yet these jobs are becoming harder and harder to fill and pay is ever increasing. Don't believe me? Hire an independent plumber and/or electrician for a few days worth of work and see how much it cost you. Unfortunately, there is a stigma with those jobs so people borrow hundreds of thousands of dollars for a college education, then go to work making $15/hour while Joe the Plumber goes to a trade school and earns $60-$75k/year right out of school.

yardie 15y ago
This is very regional. Hiring a plumber to fix your plumbing is not how those guys get paid, but they do appreciate the money. The steady work for them is new housing developments, which if you are in Nevada, Florida, Arizona and most of the southern US is at excess capacity. I have friend who are master electricians doing stage and club lighting, cable and satellite installations, etc. Before 2008 they were making $150k+ annually from the construction market, now its anything to keep the lights on at home.