Looking at my dismal future...

As a warehouse and tradie brah I've gone from making $40k to $60k (with a few years making $70k working massive OT in warehouse) over about 8 years. Started at $12/hr and got up to $28/hr till I relocated and now make ~$25/hr in Nebraska. Things are ok but every year expenses creep up, chit happens, etc. and I'm not getting ahead.

In that time period I've gotten my AA (HVAC/R) at a community college and figured things would shape up. Well fuk....I *might* be able to make decent coin if I stick with a company 5-10 years or land a sweet gig by chance, but truthfully the tradie life is wearing thin and opportunities for true growth seem limited. Feels like a constant grind. Most advanced stuff in my field here brings maybe $30-$35/hr which is good as far as I'm concerned but I want to break away.

Former tradies wut do? I want to get into that $100k club, or at least on the path. Been contemplating going back to school for logistics/manufacturing. I'm checking out postings on indeed right now for opportunities to shoot for and the requirements to get there...big surprise that most listings push for 5+ years experience lol. Any lesser known or up and coming fields to check out?

I left a comment in your CP.

In on this

Left my tradie job 1 year 3 months ago

Not sure if I wanna do another trade or maybe do something medical or computer (I don’t like being behind a computer for hours )

Kinda where I was, being I hated the desk life many years ago but now IDGAF anymore as long as the money is there. I'll peck at a keyboard all day if the money is there. There was a thread a few days ago on logistics that DeadlyStriker posted in that actually got me sort of investigating this direction.

yeah true

At least in the shop with the boys or the job site it gets kinda fun but at the same time sometimes u ain’t in the mood to crack jokes at 6 am

Everytime I’m at a clinic / hospital for a check up the waiting rooms just kill me

I’d rather be anywhere else

Couldn’t see myself in there day in day out

Would lose my ****

Damn..40-60k isn't much, could be a school bus driver or postman for that kinda money. I'm getting out of construction as well, have a couple businesses, a rental, and starting another business, find your passion and go after it, work some menial job in the meantime if you must

$60k ain't bad here, bus drivers def don't get paid that here though lol. Posts like this have caused me to reassess where I'm at though...

The trick is to get really good at a trade so you become a technical expert and tell the engineers how to do their job. Now you’re irreplaceable in your field. That was my pivot and now run a team of engineers while working from home.

Interesting. I'd like to hear more if you'd care to share.

Bump for the e'nen tradie surge heh.

You could consider other trades like driving Uber, a gas station attendant, a baker, or USPS.

That's the position I'm in.

Feelsgoodmayne. The engineers depend on me to do their job most of the time.

I started out as an auto tech, and now I'm working on diesel engines for Caterpillar. I imagine HVAC can take you far, but I don't know if you'll clear 6 figures in Nebraska. I only make 70K living in Wyoming, and honestly my cost of living is low enough to where I don't need to grind to be happy.

Try Construction Sales op. That's what I'm gunning for. I'm a poor *******.

Yeah I'd like to have a word with some of the engineers designing stuff I've worked on lately. I know my company actually has some say in design modifications, be an interesting avenue to investigate.

I work in precision manufacturing as a machinist. If you can pursue some CNC machining trades and also teach yourself/learn on the job CAM modeling and programming your skill set will hold a lot of value. Most very experienced machinists are aging out of the profession and the there just aren't that many workers in the pipeline to replace them.

The downside is that the entry-level can be bad pay at like $20-$25 hr but that is largely dependent on the company. Something worth looking into in your area.

If you have a background in HVAC or related field already and you want to move up, try getting into project management or estimating.

Money is better, easier on the body and a lot more mentally challenging.

It would be less like starting over like you are considering since you already have some first hand knowledge.

Of you're looking for a more cushy role get into IT.

Google certificates can land you a job starting at $75k for entry level. You don't even need a college degree and if a job requires experience, just build a portfolio (which the Google certificate program will teach you how to do).

And if you're worried that there are no tech jobs in Nebraska, just apply for remote jobs you could be making California wages while living in Nebraska!

The certificate programs only takes about 6 months if you study for 1 hour per day, but that metric is mainly for boomers that don't even know how to type. Most people that know how to use a computer can complete the program in 2 Months.

Landing a Data Analyst position can eventually get you a Data Scientist role which pays as much as $200k/year depending on the company.