3 ms·

You're not making 300k as a tradie unless you run your own business. I don't know if I'd take it over blowing out my back and knees before I can retire.

xyzelement 3y ago
The electrician we hired (biz owner) told me his guys can clear 300k in a good year.
- clusterhacks 3y ago
  Really? I looked up some data about working in the trades awhile back (so numbers maybe slightly higher in 2022 data than in my comment, but still close). The U.S. Census Bureau lists the annual real median earnings at $41,535 in 2020 for all workers with earnings[4] and lists the annual median earnings at $56,287 in 2020 for people who worked full-time, year round. [1] Plumber - median $56,330, demand growth, slower than average [2] HVAC tech - median $50,590, demand growth, slower than average [3] Electrician - median $56,900, demand growth average (actually 9%) [4] Framer(Carpenter) - median $49,520, demand growth, slower than average [5] Bricklayer(Mason) - median $47,710, declining demand. [6] Software engineer - median $110,140, demand growth, higher than average [7] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States [2] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm [3] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/heating-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-mechanics-and-installers.htm [4] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm [5] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/carpenters.htm [6] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/brickmasons-blockmasons-and-stonemasons.htm [7] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm
  - somenameforme 3y ago
    Keep in mind inflation biases in wages. Certain jobs, like software, tend to be disproportionately huddled into high inflation areas. So this drives wages up, while jobs like plumbers are spread about everywhere which (relatively) drives wages down. So for instance Salary.com puts San Francisco skilled plumbers at a $90k median wage [1], electricians at $105k [2], etc. [1] - https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/plumber-iii-salary/san-francisco-ca https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/plumber-iii... [2] - https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/electrician-iv-salary/san-francisco-ca https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/electrician...
  - hotpotamus 3y ago
    Anyone can pay their people $300K a year through the power of lying.
red-iron-pine 3y ago
Troof. I know a guy, friend's dad, who was pulling north of $300k running his own plumbing company. Corp plumbing, new builds mostly on construction sites. This was Northern VA / DC area. His guys were making around $50-70k, though friend implied some could pull ballpark of 100k with long hours / 6 days. I used to run data centers, and the master electricians who worked on my generators and ATS systems would pull 80-120, with no shortage of work. I seriously considered switching at one point, though in the long run network engineering is a better call.

xyzelement 3y ago

The electrician we hired (biz owner) told me his guys can clear 300k in a good year.

clusterhacks 3y ago
Really? I looked up some data about working in the trades awhile back (so numbers maybe slightly higher in 2022 data than in my comment, but still close). The U.S. Census Bureau lists the annual real median earnings at $41,535 in 2020 for all workers with earnings[4] and lists the annual median earnings at $56,287 in 2020 for people who worked full-time, year round. [1] Plumber - median $56,330, demand growth, slower than average [2] HVAC tech - median $50,590, demand growth, slower than average [3] Electrician - median $56,900, demand growth average (actually 9%) [4] Framer(Carpenter) - median $49,520, demand growth, slower than average [5] Bricklayer(Mason) - median $47,710, declining demand. [6] Software engineer - median $110,140, demand growth, higher than average [7] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_income_in_the_United_States [2] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/plumbers-pipefitters-and-steamfitters.htm [3] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/installation-maintenance-and-repair/heating-air-conditioning-and-refrigeration-mechanics-and-installers.htm [4] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/electricians.htm [5] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/carpenters.htm [6] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/construction-and-extraction/brickmasons-blockmasons-and-stonemasons.htm [7] https://www.bls.gov/ooh/computer-and-information-technology/software-developers.htm
- somenameforme 3y ago
  Keep in mind inflation biases in wages. Certain jobs, like software, tend to be disproportionately huddled into high inflation areas. So this drives wages up, while jobs like plumbers are spread about everywhere which (relatively) drives wages down. So for instance Salary.com puts San Francisco skilled plumbers at a $90k median wage [1], electricians at $105k [2], etc. [1] - https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/plumber-iii-salary/san-francisco-ca https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/plumber-iii... [2] - https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/electrician-iv-salary/san-francisco-ca https://www.salary.com/research/salary/benchmark/electrician...
- hotpotamus 3y ago
  Anyone can pay their people $300K a year through the power of lying.

red-iron-pine 3y ago

Troof. I know a guy, friend's dad, who was pulling north of $300k running his own plumbing company. Corp plumbing, new builds mostly on construction sites. This was Northern VA / DC area. His guys were making around $50-70k, though friend implied some could pull ballpark of 100k with long hours / 6 days. I used to run data centers, and the master electricians who worked on my generators and ATS systems would pull 80-120, with no shortage of work. I seriously considered switching at one point, though in the long run network engineering is a better call.