Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What Blue Collar Trade Would You Consider?

This month marks 25 years in plumbing and HVAC for me. If I was going to change it up, I'd consider electrical work. Being a machinist would suit my mind better except for the fact that one has to work in the same location, (job changes excluded, of course) and put up with bosses being on site daily.

I've been relatively boss free since about 2.5 years into my trade when I was given the keys to my first work van and a set of blueprints. Hard to hate the kind of freedom a capable journeyman/master tradesman has in the field on a daily basis.

I was a GIS analyst for 11 years

It can be an aggravating field. It’s hard to be in so many things and be good at it.
You have to almost just be a total inside go nowhere computer fàg.
Tough to run a farm, roofing business, manage rental property and be a govt GIS professional all at the same. Also while trying to do your own home dialysis. lol

My coworkers only had one life to live, GIS and world cup soccer. Uggggh. Citidiots that lived in town with zero responsibilities. No kids and no wife and no grass to mow.

If youre young and sharp, it’s an easy and clean field get into.
Caution though, there a lot of Indians (dot) in that field too smart, and willing to work for 30k a year.

Got 20million miles behind the wheel,but always thought it would be fun to be the guy that drives the train

Oops 2 million

Welder? not sure I know a live 70 year old that did it for 40.

Machinist? Getting replaced with a robot every damn day, a big goal of industry. Be a robot mechanic or programmer...the future in manufacturing that's already here.

HVAC? Yeah!

Electrician ? yeah!

Plumer? yeah!

Replace the top 3 with trained mechanical contractor & never be without work.

Heavy equipment operator, great pay, seasonal.

Not mentioned, but a few fields mentioned need it & always will, Industrial Maintenance.

Diesel mechanic? The market was saturated for a while, but big trucking continues to grow. Electronics techs needed here more everyday.

Good information! My grandson just might fit your criteria: “Citidiots that lived in town with zero responsibilities. No kids and no wife and no grass to mow. “

I would park my azz on a blade and never leave the woods.

Was one of those jobs, where every once in a while. You stop and think "wow I'm getting paid to do this" I do miss it

I’ve read that millwrights do damn good, but probably have to know someone, apprentice for years, join a union.

I have the mental image that they are “jack of all trades” in that they can legally do many skills in their job.

IF (IF IF IF) they ever start bringing manufacturing back to the U.S. that would be a winning occupation.

This right here, especially anywhere on the coast. A good friend of mine mainly takes care of condos and restaurants. We've been in construction here for roughly the same amount of time. I build and fix stuff. He keeps people and seafood chilled. I just trimmed his second custom home in less than 4 years. He has worked very hard, being on call, in season. He will also be retiring soon, at a great age to have some fun.

Nursing for the win if you are suited.

2 year degree will get you in, 4 if management is a long term goal.

1 or 2 years on the job, making good money.
Right now I knoiw two local nurses that "travel".

One, has a gig 100 miles away.
3, 12 hour days pay her over $6k. (Not a typo)
Along with around $1k/month stipend for expenses.
She shares an apartment with several like her, keep the balance.

The other works wherever they place her daily, in a small radius.
Not quite as lucrative.

Both, can only work 2 13 week contracts before taking a break.
Unless, the hospital requests an extension, then it's another 13 weeks.

They work a few hours every month at their "home" hospital to maintain
employee status and benefits.
So 4 long days a week, for 39 weeks a year, plus part time for 3 months
gives them around $250k. Plus employee benefits.


Young and single or with a spouse who can move around?
Many chose jobs where they would like to visit.
Get paid damn good money to live there, and a stipend to cover
housing expenses.

I know another couple, both nurses, she travels now, he is soon going to start.
They want to live in Florida, so they plan to keep a home here, and
"Travel" to Florida. Pretty cheese deal there.

retired.

I have carried a CDL for more than 30 years. If I ever get tired of teaching HS I'd drive as long as it in in state and not long haul.

Been a Medic for 31 years and a Nurse for 13. Had it all to do over, I'd be a machinist. Couple buddies both worked years for a local industry that starts guys out with room to grow. One buddy is now gunsmithing full time, the other does it one the side, plus random jobs and makes more than his full time. Only keeps the real job for medical insurance and puts as much of that pay as he can in to the matched IRA.

Wow.


Rich, priveledged, entitled, types always give the same graduation speech.
"Do something you love, you will never work a day in your life."



Dad never graduated (dyslexic almost certainly), can't read well,
driven, mechanically inclined, hardest working SOB you could meet.

I would talk about wanting a job working on guns, or cars.....


He would say,
"I don't give a shït what you do, how much you like it. If you start
doing it for money, it becomes a job. After awhile, you won't like
it so much anymore."



That never happened to me in trucking.

Funny you mention JB Hunt. You have insight into that field.
Outdated? Swift is the Bïtch now.


Long haul trucking quickly got old.
The local stuff I did was among the best jobs I ever had.
Trucking is the one job I've felt I excelled at.
But...$$$
A factory offered higher /hr$. Overtime pay, x2 pay after 12,
overtime on Saturday and double on Sunday. Hauling gas was straight
time, no matter when or how long. Add in Pension, affordable health care......

Today, I'm just a general machine operator in a factory.
Grinding along, looking toward retirement.
Doing quality work, like Dad.
But my heart is dragging 80k down the road in a snowstorm.
That's living.

Production parts, yes. Service parts, no. I know GM is getting a$$ raped +P every day. They've gotten rid of the people and machines used to make replacement parts in-house, outside shops are having a field day charging a premium ×3 to make parts.

As far a millwrights go, the big three has combined every one into a mechanical trade. That includes millwrongs, welders, pipefitters, plumbers, tinsmiths, sheetmetal, machine repair, HVAC (less electrical work) and machinist/toolmakers/pattern & moldmakers.

A top welder is never out of work and I welder just shy of 50 years and I'm 71 and still going strong. I'd wager that I made more money than any of the other trades listed

My boy does kitchen appliance repair, knows refrigeration, electrical, works on all kinds of commercial kitchen equipment. He works for the school district I retired from. He makes about 30 an hour after 3 years there. He is way smarter than I am, will have good retirement if he stays.



Getting a job at a state college or school district has good retirement. There were guys that started in grounds, cutting grass, got into a trade there as a helper, make 45 an hour now plus overtime. You get 2.3 percent for every year of service. This is of your best 5 year average. My average was 130,000, had 33 yrs. I worked 60 hours a week for years. Teachers cry poor, but have a good retirement.

Learn plumbing, AC, Electric or any trade, get on at a state school in maintenance. Some hospitals like MD Anderson get teachers retirement. Some doctors will have 200,000 a year retirement.

Pick a trade you have an aptitude for, make as much as you can.... then learn to invest, as your body will not hold up doing the trades into old age.

Or take up a supervisory/management position in that trade.

Unlimited opportunity investing.... not so much working for someone