I’m currently topped out at my job making 65,000. I work for a public works department so the vacation/time off is nice. I don’t see any good raises coming in the near future and as a single guy making what I make isn’t enough to prosper in life. I do not have a college degree. I’m debating joining an HVAC union. I have no kids so I could take a pay cut temporarily and be alright. Any recommendations or advice?
Know anyone you could shadow to see if it is something that would keep you interested?
Being single you have what many guys don’t have and thats time. Maybe keep the currant job and learn a side job that you can make extra cash at. HVAC folks will always be in demand. That Public Works gig will offer plenty of job security and I’m guessing the benefits aren’t bad either.
You didn’t mention your age but if you are in your early 20’s you have plenty of time to pile cash.
Hvac guys can make great money all of my union hvac buddies all are doing very well. Not a bad career to look in to. I don’t know there apprenticeship program but in a couple years you will be making good money and can double your yearly income. Hvac can lead to big money side jobs as well.
No I don’t know anyone who does it that I could shadow. I’m 35 years old so not too young anymore. I’m pretty sick of the public works job. Everybody is lazy and useless and the money will never be there. I know I can do better.
Most every union I know of has an apprenticeship program. I can’t think right off the top of my head what union that is right now! 
I’d suggest calling or googling the building trades or call them.
Nothing wrong with that decision. Sprinkler fitters is another good union. My neighbor across the street is low voltage union.
35 is young.
What are your goals? How much ya wanna make?
Google any union trade your interested in. Give them a call and ask how to get in. Or you can find a warehouse or truck driver job at a union shop. The last shop I worked for regularly moved the good workers from the warehouse into fitter/plumber/tinner/electrical apprenticeships.
Roch is booming and 4 billion getting pumped in by Mayo over the next decade. Mayo been paying my bills for over 25 years. IBEW almost 30 years. we can’t find enough bodies…………
Is HVAC similar to pipefitters or completely different?
Diversify yourself and have multiple ways to earn income.
Stick with your current gig while learning something on the side that is a marketable skill. Invest your money when you can. “Flip” your way forward with homes if the opportunity arises.
I am in my 30s as well. My main job only nets me $60k a year with the opportunity to likely top out around $75k anytime real soon. In the other 3 months where that job requires very little in-person work I work with a lumber yard doing a few sales, deliveries, or even working on jobs with contractors. Last, we’ve invested in agricultural land one 40 at a time.
It’s not what you make, it’s what you do with it and how you market yourself and your work ethic. The most common career of a retired millionaire in the United States is a public school teacher.
Diversify yourself and have multiple ways to earn income.
Stick with your current gig while learning something on the side that is a marketable skill. Invest your money when you can. “Flip” your way forward with homes if the opportunity arises.
I am in my 30s as well. My main job only nets me $60k a year with the opportunity to likely top out around $75k anytime real soon. In the other 3 months where that job requires very little in-person work I work with a lumber yard doing a few sales, deliveries, or even working on jobs with contractors. Last, we’ve invested in agricultural land one 40 at a time.
It’s not what you make, it’s what you do with it and how you market yourself and your work ethic. The most common career of a retired millionaire in the United States is a public school teacher.
Hvac, plumber, fitter, concrete cutter all get you lots and lots of big money side work. But when you double his income he doesn’t have a big need for side cash.
I do side work because I can’t ever stop moving, need to stay busy. I was able to pay cash for a truck with side cash cutting for hvac, and plumbers off there side jobs.
Roch is booming and 4 billion getting pumped in by Mayo over the next decade. Mayo been paying my bills for over 25 years. IBEW almost 30 years. we can’t find enough bodies…………
Do you work for hunt ? We are at the mayo very often cutting
Any union trade would train and pay well. Some can be tough to get into. I believe the pipefitters are some of the highest paid.
Other option would be linemen. Know a couple of them and they do very well for themselves
I’m in the stay with the job you have and Look at what you do with your current time and skills and explore the work you love to do and see if you can become self employed on side jobs. Its hard to become a millionare working for somebody else, unless you market your free time wisely.
I’m in the stay with the job you have and Look at what you do with your current time and skills and explore the work you love to do and see if you can become self employed on side jobs. Its hard to become a millionare working for somebody else, unless you market your free time wisely.
^^^
As long as the thread has swung towards self employment i’ll offer this. Not everyone is cut out to own a business. You must be willing to be the last guy paid, the first guy called when something goes wrong. Long hours with some jobs where you make next to nothing. Insurance and taxes are a killer. Your home time and family life will suffer at times. Competition is cut-throat. Employees can and will push you to your limits.
That said, it can be a great life if you are willing to make the sacrifices it requires.
Best of luck in what you decide.
Spot on DB.
When I walk away and am sitting on my dock watching 2 corks I’ll ask myself –
“was it all worth it?”.
I can tell you that if I ask that question to myself today the answer is somedays yes and some days “oh He!! no”
No brainer if you’re interested in the trades – do it. Just about anyone who enters the union trades now and works for 25-30 years will have a million dollars++ worth of retirement no problem. Total packages for trades today are in the $65-$70/hour range including benefits, which is health and retirement 100% paid for. Take home is pushing $40/hr for most, and as mentioned there is a ton of opportunity to make more. If you want to work for yourself eventually, learn the trade first then go for it.
Here’s a link that shows earnings info for carpenters but the same logic applies to most trades: https://www.swacca.org/wage-comparison/
35 is young.
What are your goals? How much ya wanna make?
Being a single guy that doesn’t plan on getting married $65,000 a year just isn’t enough, especially if I want a house. I’d like to do something that is more gratifying (I’m basically a laborer now). Making six figures would be nice, but isn’t that what everyone wants?
Being a single guy that doesn’t plan on getting married $65,000 a year just isn’t enough, especially if I want a house. I’d like to do something that is more gratifying (I’m basically a laborer now). Making six figures would be nice, but isn’t that what everyone wants?
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I’m a laborer in local 563, you can make north of a 100k as a laborer. Package pay out is almost 80 a hour. Great benefits hourly take home as a journeyman is 42 something and can easily make 5 to 10 over scale with the right company. I am a specialty laborer so i get over scale for the saws i run. Every December I pull close to 5k out of my vacation fund that’s saved all year through the union. Pays all of Xmas for us plus more.
I’m in the stay with the job you have and Look at what you do with your current time and skills and explore the work you love to do and see if you can become self employed on side jobs. Its hard to become a millionare working for somebody else, unless you market your free time wisely.
Be coming a millionaire I believe is much more to do with how you manage your money than what you make. Also keep in mind being a millionaire sure isn’t the bench mark it used to be.
Being a single guy that doesn’t plan on getting married $65,000 a year just isn’t enough, especially if I want a house. I’d like to do something that is more gratifying (I’m basically a laborer now). Making six figures would be nice, but isn’t that what everyone wants?
Being single and making that should put you in a decent house, depending on where you live. I bought my first house for about $200k when I was single making less than that about 10 years ago.
Working for a public entity like a parks dept may not put you in a high pay category, but I’ll bet you already have good health benefits, retirement, and a lot of time off. Those are items you need to consider. Is making more money potentially worth losing those perks? Just something to weigh on such a decision.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Bluegill89 wrote:</div>
Being a single guy that doesn’t plan on getting married $65,000 a year just isn’t enough, especially if I want a house. I’d like to do something that is more gratifying (I’m basically a laborer now). Making six figures would be nice, but isn’t that what everyone wants?Being single and making that should put you in a decent house, depending on where you live. I bought my first house for about $200k when I was single making less than that about 10 years ago.
Working for a public entity like a parks dept may not put you in a high pay category, but I’ll bet you already have good healthy benefits, retirement, and a lot of time off. Those are items you need to consider. Is making more money potentially worth losing those perks? Just something to weigh on such a decision.
Basically, the only benefit of my jobs the time off that I get. The health benefits and retirement aren’t as good as what everybody thinks they are working for a public entity. I would have zero issue giving up days off to make more money.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Eelpoutguy wrote:</div>
35 is young.
What are your goals? How much ya wanna make?Being a single guy that doesn’t plan on getting married $65,000 a year just isn’t enough, especially if I want a house. I’d like to do something that is more gratifying (I’m basically a laborer now). Making six figures would be nice, but isn’t that what everyone wants?
Why set your goals that low?
Being single and making that should put you in a decent house, depending on where you live. I bought my first house for about $200k when I was single making less than that about 10 years ago.
Working for a public entity like a parks dept may not put you in a high pay category, but I’ll bet you already have good health benefits, retirement, and a lot of time off. Those are items you need to consider. Is making more money potentially worth losing those perks? Just something to weigh on such a decision.
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The union has all those perks but better and some.
If I had to do it over again I would get into CNC machining.
Someone who can program and set up these machines can make a nice living.Its amazing what these machines can do.
Most shops are air conditioned and its not physically demanding work.
Years ago I had a couple old timers working for me. Both mid sixties. One was a machinist and the other a sheet metal fabricator. Both highly skilled and experienced. The sheet metal fabricator had 2 back surgeries and both knees replaced. No work related surgeries or injuries for the machinist.
I’ve done pretty well in IT since graduating with a Computer Science degree 37 years ago. If I did it over again, I would have chosen HVAC tech. My cabin buddy just sold his HVAC company over a year ago. He built one of the biggest HVAC companies in the Twin Cities. He had over 500 employees when he sold. He is a year younger than me (58). To say he hit it out of the park is an understatement. All the HVAC guys I know make very good money working their day jobs. They can take as many side jobs as they want. They can make bank on the side jobs (not uncommon to make a couple grand on a weekend). I worked masonry growing up and HVAC work is a cake walk compared to masonry.
The union has all those perks but better and some.
Being a public employee I’m sure he’s already part of a union.
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