The trick is getting in a good union, like local 6 in San Francisco.
You won't run out of job opportunities if your book 1 union.
Yes--construction is not a great job. Out if of all the Trades; Electrical is a bit better than the rest. It's less physically taxing.
Union Elevator Mechanic might be the best trade?
So much depends on your attitude. If you like going to work, sweating, getting dirty, and going home without much worry--in a good union you are making over $100/hr. Listening to some of the guys takes patience, but you will never hear, "It sounds like you have a case of the mondays, or have to listen to some jack arse pontificating in a meeting.
Non-union is just aweful. You are better off in retail. If very motivated, use the non-union shop to gain experience, and then get a C-10 contractor's licence.
That said, there's only a few cities I would consider working in.
Mike Rowe (the t.v. guy who's made himself the ambassador of "working hard". I personally think he is exploiting a bad situation.). goes around as the prince of the Trades. He always yacking about these jobs that go unfilled. Most of these jobs are non-union, in the middle of the rust belt, and are temporary. There's a reason these jobs go unfilled.
So if you don't mind getting dirty, ex king up early, being around sweaty guys all day long; keep an eye out for the union admittance test. Some unions have over 1000 people taking the test for a few spots.
It's an easy test, but get every question right. The oral interview counts for half.
(I was in the union a year. I got a better opportunity, so I left. Looking back--I probally should have finished the apprenticeship, but did not want to turn into my father. I literally saw myself turning into him. Oh yea, watch the drinking. It's ok to come in with a hangover, but heavens forbid marijuana.
In all honestly, a lot of guys smoked pot. It's only the bigger job sites that required a drug test. Even then, when I worked at Pacbell park, guys would stop smoking a few weeks before showing up for to the job site, and within a few days they were back to smoking.
There was one statistic about working construction that always bothered me. Too many guys were waiting for retirement to really live their lives. They would collect a few retirement checks, and die. A lot of that was probally the wrong diet, and too much drinking?
Electricians typically have a five year apprenticeship and apprentice pay is a percentage of the journeyman rate, for example I think a fifth year makes 80%. I think getting in unions can be hard, some more then others. NYC's Local #3 for example is notoriously difficult to get in.
Keep in mind that that is your average journeyman's pay. You'll have additional incentives depending on your workplace, role, and experience. For example a utility company substation technician will make journeyman's pay + extra substation pay, a substation foreman will also get additional pay, a licensed master electrician will earn even more, etc...there are definitely high paying "blue collar" jobs in the utilities industry.
You won't run out of job opportunities if your book 1 union.
Yes--construction is not a great job. Out if of all the Trades; Electrical is a bit better than the rest. It's less physically taxing.
Union Elevator Mechanic might be the best trade?
So much depends on your attitude. If you like going to work, sweating, getting dirty, and going home without much worry--in a good union you are making over $100/hr. Listening to some of the guys takes patience, but you will never hear, "It sounds like you have a case of the mondays, or have to listen to some jack arse pontificating in a meeting.
Non-union is just aweful. You are better off in retail. If very motivated, use the non-union shop to gain experience, and then get a C-10 contractor's licence.
That said, there's only a few cities I would consider working in.
Mike Rowe (the t.v. guy who's made himself the ambassador of "working hard". I personally think he is exploiting a bad situation.). goes around as the prince of the Trades. He always yacking about these jobs that go unfilled. Most of these jobs are non-union, in the middle of the rust belt, and are temporary. There's a reason these jobs go unfilled.
So if you don't mind getting dirty, ex king up early, being around sweaty guys all day long; keep an eye out for the union admittance test. Some unions have over 1000 people taking the test for a few spots.
It's an easy test, but get every question right. The oral interview counts for half.
(I was in the union a year. I got a better opportunity, so I left. Looking back--I probally should have finished the apprenticeship, but did not want to turn into my father. I literally saw myself turning into him. Oh yea, watch the drinking. It's ok to come in with a hangover, but heavens forbid marijuana.
In all honestly, a lot of guys smoked pot. It's only the bigger job sites that required a drug test. Even then, when I worked at Pacbell park, guys would stop smoking a few weeks before showing up for to the job site, and within a few days they were back to smoking.
There was one statistic about working construction that always bothered me. Too many guys were waiting for retirement to really live their lives. They would collect a few retirement checks, and die. A lot of that was probally the wrong diet, and too much drinking?
Good luck!