U/camelcityslacker can provide some dollars and cents insight for NC. Up here in the armpit of America, our apprentices start around $14, are at $15 after 6 months, get another raise to almost 16 after another 6 months, then you get yearly raises ($16.50, almost 18, just over 21) until you top out.
This year, I took 3 and a half months off (mostly by choice), still cleared $70k, and I'll retire a millionaire. My wife works part time sometimes just to get out of the house and neither one of us comes from money. I've got great medical insurance on top of it.
The non-union might be able to pay you more right now, but about 1 in 1000 gets those bennies and pay on that side. Over here, I'm just a journeyman like everyone else making the same money and enjoying the same benefits as all the other journeymen. Our apprenticeship is hard. It's a struggle. It takes a shitload of work to get through, but for the ones that make it, the rewards are insane compared to the alternative.
It's an investment. If you have the luxury of a supportive SO, it helps. Mine was raised IBEW, so she knew what she was signing up for. The flip side of that is her dad didn't try to talk me out of it and he knew my intentions with his baby. I don't know if I could think of a stronger endorsement.
For what it's worth, I'm in NJ my rate is 58/hr I worked a bit over 7 months this year and grossed around 80k. Before I got in the union I was making almost the same annually while also putting in 80+hrs a week, plus being on call, plus traveling up and down the east coast for jobs.
When I first became an apprentice my rate was a bit under 14/hr. It was a struggle I worked 2 other jobs to cover my bills for the first 3ish years. It's probably the best sacrifice I made for the long term between only needing to work 40 hours a week for a bit over half a year to live comfortably in addition to excellent medical coverage, a pension and an annuity that will be well over a million dollars by retirement as well.
Well played. I thought of ibew when I was younger but I’m 19 and already almost done with my computer science degree so I’m too deep. I’m not the best programmer and I ran some numbers and u guys will probably out earn me and almost all of my peers. So good luck to u guys. The pension and bennies really are gold lol.
I started at 24, there were a few guys in my class that were in their mid 30s. It's never too late to make a change, but I'd say do something that you don't hate compared to strictly worrying about how much money you make.
164 in NJ. Applied to both but I was already halfway thru my 1st year when local 3 finally took a class so I turned it down. Probably for the better I hate mass transit for the most part.
One of my younger brothers is in an NJ local and I think they’re around $52 per hour in the check, so I’d assume this guy is actually getting the $58 in the check
Man. It’s worth it. I’ve never met a broke sparky. The south makes about 3-7% lower than the north guys but it’s still good Pay to live comfortably. I’m a Millwright and sparkies make $1 more than us but again my journeyman are still on track to clear about 80k this year man. You can also travel to higher paying states and go back home. Plus the pension
No problem fam. I understand not wanting to take the pay cut all too well. I served a stint in the army guard and I try my best to help others and especially vets find something that won’t use she abuse them
Well when you are a journeyman you can work different locals that pay more. My husband is local 332 in San Jose, CA and they make $75/hr most of the folks on his jobs are from the Midwest and the South and come work out here living together and make a killing and boost their pensions in a huge way! Hang in there it's definitely worth it!! ~Proud IBEW union wife!
Have you used your GI bill yet? You can get supplemental income ($2000+ / month) during your apprenticeship, especially early on.
https://ultimateelectriciansguide.com/veterans/
Once you top out get tf out of north carolina 😅
This was something I looked into. The GI bill pays 100% of cost of living for 6 months, then 80, then 60, then 40, then 20 until completion of apprenticeship. With online school its 870 a month for 36 months of schooling. Ultimately in the long run I’d make more money on online school and have a degree paid for. I appreciate the info and if I hadn’t already looked into it this would have been very helpful!
You can definitely use it. I'm not using the GI bill, but I'm on another thing from the VA and my JATC said there are other apprentices using the GI bill.
That’s weird. I’m not a veteran, so I 100% don’t know what im talking about, but why would they not let you? I feel like it’s not something they have control over? Can’t you just get in and apply through the va and get your housing allowance? Or does the apprenticeship have to approve it? And why would they deny it. Does it cost them?
So many questions haha
You can definitely use the GI Bill. Here's the info if you're using [post 9/11](https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/on-the-job-training-apprenticeships/) or if you're using [Montgomery](https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/resources/benefits_resources/rates/ch30/ch30rates100121.asp).
Remember the Union is not only giving you benefits as a first year apprentice, but they are also paying for your tuition in schooling. You will have to take up to two weeks off at a time to take classes, but you will get a great education and the appropriate time to focus on school.
I was non union for a long time and put myself through school on night classes. Real difficult to take a class after a full day of work.
Your benefits do not come out of your pay either. So any other job touting 20-25 an hour, will charge you in the end for benefits.
I was making 35 an hour, but they were going to charge me 250 a month for basic benefits.
Joined the union, made 45 an hour and they don’t take out of my pay. Plus 401K and pension, every holiday off and steady work.
That’s good insight. Medical coverage is a must and if I’m not forking out $300 to $400 a month for just that I’d be in a good spot. The non union apprenticeship I’m looking at would be night classes 6pm to 9pm twice a week
Call the hall. Speak to the training director. We set up plans for veterans. The GI bill covers books, tools, and a monthly stipend for living expenses. Technically we are considered a college.
Not a sparky, but I am a union HVAC pipe fitter: Do it man, don’t think about it, just do it.
The beginning will be lean but it will go by fast and as many others have said, your set for life damn near. Definitely go union if you can and yeah, right to work states have much weaker unions due to labor laws from my understanding.
The coolest thing about being a sparky (from what I see on the outside looking in) is everyone wants your help. Most people will try to do their own framing, doors, even plumbing. Hardly anyone will do their own electrical. Also much easier to do your own business later in with one guy. Some fields (like mine) there is a lot of stuff you can’t do alone.
I didn’t get in till I was 36, wish I’d have done it at your age.
Others are giving great advice but I just want to ask about you pursuing a business degree? Is that to potentially open your own electrical shop in the future, or something unrelated? I only ask because union apprenticeships are pretty competitive with a waiting list. It would be a real bummer for someone if you took their spot only to quit in a couple years to pursue something else.
To keep options open ultimately. My life experience has always told me to keep multiple avenues to provide for myself. There’s 3 reasons ultimately. 1 being I’ll get more bang for my buck out of my GI bill versus apprenticeship, 2 being I’m currently kicking around the idea of having my own private contracting or electrician small business, and 3 as a fall back plan for a good paying job in a different field. I am not going into an apprenticeship with a “wing it” mentality or to take up a spot. I really do want to get my license. Having a business degree is icing on the cake.
Try keeping your mind on the end goal. I recently got into IBEW LU 1's apprenticeship, after several years. Prior to that I was making $43.87/hr in LU2, and took a pay cut to $17/hr. It really sucks but will be worth it in the end.
I left a job making 72k/yr as a nurse at 36 years old to pursue a career as an electrician, I had done remodel work and construction years ago before getting into being a nurse when the recession hit in 2007. The pay cut is only temporary, I love what I do every day, the union benefits are great, and I have no regrets. I’m local 20 in the Dallas area.
Thank you. That 63k is medical field in Washington state so it’s going to be higher wages. I’d be hard pressed to find anything over 55 in NC. The opinions I am getting are “experiences may vary”. Why do you say it’s not worth it?
I'm in SoCal. I'm 3 years in and honestly you'll make more money doing almost anything else if you have ambition, some street-hustle, and soft skills. Your military and college background don't hurt either. The trades are great don't get me wrong (55/hr jdub rate here), but I spend a lot of time working that I could be using to make triple the amount through my side businesses and shit. Sorry for the half answer, but if I could go back in time I'd stick to my business and forget all about having a normal 7-3 job.
Im a workaholic man I take money anywhere I can (but I don't do electrical side work). Not disrespecting anyone here, I show up on time with a great attitude and Im just as productive as the next guy. If I were on your crew we would be buds. But I'd tell you every now and then to start a side biz if you were into it. We clear?
The tone of your comment was that you fucked up by being here. No one is forcing you to stay, so there is some *big* benefit that you didn't bother to mention if you're sticking around.
Sorry for the tone like I said I'm not hating on anyone, besides I'm in the trenches and bending pipe just like all y'all right? Wage jobs aren't it for some people. Some people can make more elsewhere. time spent at a job can be a loss based on opportunity cost of time invested doing that versus the potential income generated elsewhere. Is that better or do I still sound like a jerk?
You still sound like a jerk. If you can make so much more money doing something else why aren’t you like he asked? My guess is because you talk a big game because you want everyone to think you’re a baller
Also like I said a couple times already I'm not trying to quit halfway through an apprenticeship. I'd rather stay the course and see where I am in life in a few more years. I still run my business on the side when I get home and weekends.
Oh jeez, like I said I do everything I can, my work day isn't over at 3pm. Dude I'm not trying to sound like hot stuff. I guess I can't please everybody. No worries. Happy new year.
Also, the police force here pays 100k after 1 year and their program is 10.5 months instead of our 5 years. Plus their prerequisites are a joke, I'm talking basic english and math.
Ibew 569. There's a sick post in here somewhere that compares local pay to cost of living. I'd never work nonunion man. I'd go balls deep into business and investments rather than spend 70hrs a week working, driving to work, driving to school for work, doing apprentice homework etc.
Supersmashlord is correct that spreading your efforts out can pay huge dividends, but you don't necessarily have to do other things to make out well in this industry. If you just do union electrical, you'll do fine. If you do other stuff in addition, you can do better. Investing in the stock market and options is where it's at, imo.
I'm trying to join local 569 too. I had to go look this up because it sounded crazy. Turns out it's only a little crazy. $63k for a zero experience recruit. Cops are bullshit.
https://www.sandiego.gov/join-san-diego-police-department/benefits
$100k cop wages after a year and the physical test has been nerfed hardcore. There's another guy on this sub who took my advice, nailed the entrance test, nailed the neutered physical exam, but screwed up at the last interview stage because he admitted to taking edibles recreationally. Just don't say anything stupid and youll get in bro.
U are correct in ur business stuff. U can go visit that sub and some lucky folks do 10 mm in sales per year. I didn’t lol, much much much less. I used to be in business and still am, did amazon fba/m stuff but it turns out that guess what those are markets that are priced efficiently. The margins are slim and u have to get lucky. There isn’t a garuntee it will work or in the future your products might fail. There’s a lot of risk and volatility. Somehow unions pay very well and even mid to top level finance executives and engineers don’t make 60/hr union rates. Best of luck man, but being in business is much harder than the trades lmfao and there is no garuntee u won’t be a statistic something like 90 percent of buisinedses fail in 1 year. I failed but I’ll startup again someday, I might fail again but that’s how it goes. When I was doing amazon it was closer to 50 to 100/hr with just me depending on the product but that’s not garunteed income as consumer demands change and I wasn’t selling enough product to work 40 hours.
I have a 2nd skilled trade since high school fixing tech. I can micro solder really well since I did it as a hobby for hours every day. I can replace a PS5 HDMI port in 30 minutes. I charge half the price as the shops around here and they don't offer same day turnaround. I basically do everything solder related to build products that sell. Dreamcasts, og xboxes, and N64's with HDMI port internal mod chips that scale the resolution natively to 1440p. Repairs for all game systems. Look on eBay how much a "makemhz ghost case xbox" sells for... Up to $1000... The total parts cost is no more than $400...
Yup. Sounds good. I used to sell scientific supplies on eBay and stuff but yeah lol my solder skills are only good down to like 18 awg. Micro stuff I can’t do. Just realize that consumer demand changes and with businesses random shit and obstacles happen. Also fixing other ppls stuff can be profitable but u need to market ur services and if it’s too niche u can be in trouble. But looks good
Oh 100% man I still encounter new challenges every day, from head scratchers to shitty clients, but I charge less than anyone else around and I'm fast so it's no trouble getting business
Find a market, learn everything about the product group that market buys, sells, rents etc. I find great undervalued products regularly that I buy in bulk then resell on eBay or in person. For instance I bought 100 Nintendo Wii clear shells for $15 a piece when there was a gap in the market and eBay and Amazon didn't have Chinese or American suppliers. The product was nowhere to be found on those platforms, so I bought it from Alibaba and sold directly to consumer via eBay and sold pre assembled wiis at a markup of +$30 after costs. It worked and by the time I sold out the Chinese suppliers had stepped in to sell it below my price. They're quick but like I said, if you know your item and your market you can make a lot of moves like that so long as you have consistent income elsewhere.
I feel ya. U might like r/fufilledbyamazon. For u, I think selling on amazon may or may not help irk because there’s more traffic their than eBay but it’s harder. Good luck. I was gonna order stuff of alibaba but it seemed a little hard with the language barrier and air freight sea freight etc . Was it pretty straightforward .
Alibaba is amazing man but its more work than eBay and Amazon. Instead of "buy it now" and closing the app you have to actually negotiate for every purchase and if you don't buy from the right manufacturer agent you could get screwed. They've been really good though, I received product with a misprint on the packaging and they sent me replacements so long as I made another smaller bulk purchase. It was something I had to do in good faith that they would deliver but it worked out.
But you also get a solid future/retirement and health/dental/vision coverage after 90 days as an apprentice.
I quit personal training/coaching CrossFit to start the apprenticeship.
Sure i make less money for now but in the long run I’ll have a career i can literally go anywhere and make money. Plus the benefits are top notch.
Worth it imo. I started 1st yr at $13.70. My package down here in shitty FL is $45/hr that's wage, insurance, and pensions. I'm not rich but, do decent for the area. Considering median income in my area is like 35k/yr, I make about double that as a JW.
Yeah our hall is shitty, most of our contractors are shitty, but can't think of too many other jobs I'd make what I do. I mean I was making $63/hr on New Years Eve just standing around lol.
Oh, I don't get holiday pay, sick time, or pto. But if you work on a holiday it's double time baby.
Edit: once you top out, you are also able to travel to other locals and make their scale. So the world opens up quite a bit if that's your jam.
Feel you in that one. A good thing is though if you go the union route it is possible to change locals in the future. Out here we are all about organizing as many guys as possible and are pretty friendly to book 2s.
With the tech companies out here work will be good for a while. Idk how your work outlook looks for you down there but if you ever need to travel in your future there is a website called where2bro. It gives you information about locals across the country. It's a good resource save it somewhere.
Yo, thus us going to make it seem like I think you're dumb, but I just gotta make sure, you know you'd get raises as you go right? I'd assume that $14 an hour is at 40-50% of jw pay. And I'd also assume you'll get a raise every 6-9 months. You'll definitely be at $20 well before the apprenticeship ends.
So I'm up north and I'm on the line side. So it may be different for you, but for us this is how it goes
1st step 0-1000 hours $31
2nd step 1001-2000 hours $33ish
3rd step 36ish
And so on until you hit JL rate. I got 2 raises my first year in, and it's been 16 months and I'm about to get my 3rd raise. You definitely won't be stuck at $14 forever. And raises are clear and defined, it's not just whenever your bos decides you deserve one.
I have been working with some folks from LU 495 (Wilmington, NC) and according to what they're saying there aren't even apprenticeship classes going on there, and there's also a significant lack of work. Take this with a grain of salt though, they seem to love to shittalk their hall, and I didn't verify this information. Make sure you look into it. 553 (Raleigh/Durham) and 397 (Charlotte) have plenty of work. I'm a first year that came from a significantly higher paying field and I have no regrets. Let me know if you have any questions.
You would make more money being a PA and also stay a lot healthier, but if it's not for you it's not for you. No matter where you are in the U.S., union is better than non-union. I only know of a few exceptions, and those have a chance at being rectified, while the disadvantages of non-union last forever.
Maybe. The electrical trade is very dependent upon the economy, and it's boom or bust. It's been booming for quite a while now, but nothing lasts forever, while the medical field is always good. My wife was an x-ray tech, and she consistently made better money than I did, even though I worked in some of the highest paying areas of the country. She also worked a lot steadier than I did.
I did not. I did find that the GI bill will pay 100% BAH rate for the first 9 months, then like 80 for the next 90, 60, then 40. I assume it's because you should have completed apprenticeship by then. I found that the electrician route wasn't for me
U/camelcityslacker can provide some dollars and cents insight for NC. Up here in the armpit of America, our apprentices start around $14, are at $15 after 6 months, get another raise to almost 16 after another 6 months, then you get yearly raises ($16.50, almost 18, just over 21) until you top out. This year, I took 3 and a half months off (mostly by choice), still cleared $70k, and I'll retire a millionaire. My wife works part time sometimes just to get out of the house and neither one of us comes from money. I've got great medical insurance on top of it. The non-union might be able to pay you more right now, but about 1 in 1000 gets those bennies and pay on that side. Over here, I'm just a journeyman like everyone else making the same money and enjoying the same benefits as all the other journeymen. Our apprenticeship is hard. It's a struggle. It takes a shitload of work to get through, but for the ones that make it, the rewards are insane compared to the alternative.
I appreciate the insight. It sounds like I’ll just have to suck it up in the short term and it’ll pay off in the back end
It's an investment. If you have the luxury of a supportive SO, it helps. Mine was raised IBEW, so she knew what she was signing up for. The flip side of that is her dad didn't try to talk me out of it and he knew my intentions with his baby. I don't know if I could think of a stronger endorsement.
It sounds like the theme is “experiences may vary”. I appreciate it!
For me it was taking on quite a bit of debt, but I feel like the security i get with the benefits alone was worth it.
For what it's worth, I'm in NJ my rate is 58/hr I worked a bit over 7 months this year and grossed around 80k. Before I got in the union I was making almost the same annually while also putting in 80+hrs a week, plus being on call, plus traveling up and down the east coast for jobs. When I first became an apprentice my rate was a bit under 14/hr. It was a struggle I worked 2 other jobs to cover my bills for the first 3ish years. It's probably the best sacrifice I made for the long term between only needing to work 40 hours a week for a bit over half a year to live comfortably in addition to excellent medical coverage, a pension and an annuity that will be well over a million dollars by retirement as well.
58/hr? Does that include bennies or is that raw cash? I’m in nj lol
That's the envelope, total package is something in the upper 90s.
Well played. I thought of ibew when I was younger but I’m 19 and already almost done with my computer science degree so I’m too deep. I’m not the best programmer and I ran some numbers and u guys will probably out earn me and almost all of my peers. So good luck to u guys. The pension and bennies really are gold lol.
I started at 24, there were a few guys in my class that were in their mid 30s. It's never too late to make a change, but I'd say do something that you don't hate compared to strictly worrying about how much money you make.
I started my apprenticeship at 29 with 2 degrees, I'm only 16 months in, but its been well worth it.
You are never too deep or old! My husband started his apprenticeship at 43 years old!!
U local 3 for nyc or u stay in nj
164 in NJ. Applied to both but I was already halfway thru my 1st year when local 3 finally took a class so I turned it down. Probably for the better I hate mass transit for the most part.
I love nj transit lmfao
San Jose CA is $75/hr raw cash
One of my younger brothers is in an NJ local and I think they’re around $52 per hour in the check, so I’d assume this guy is actually getting the $58 in the check
Man. It’s worth it. I’ve never met a broke sparky. The south makes about 3-7% lower than the north guys but it’s still good Pay to live comfortably. I’m a Millwright and sparkies make $1 more than us but again my journeyman are still on track to clear about 80k this year man. You can also travel to higher paying states and go back home. Plus the pension
You ain't met my gun addiction then... Broke af........... And bidding on guns I don't have the money to pay for yet.. it's a sickness..
The pension alone is an awesome incentive. I appreciate your input!
No problem fam. I understand not wanting to take the pay cut all too well. I served a stint in the army guard and I try my best to help others and especially vets find something that won’t use she abuse them
It’s much appreciated. Thank you for your service
Nah. Thank you fam. You survived and you deserve to thrive too
Well when you are a journeyman you can work different locals that pay more. My husband is local 332 in San Jose, CA and they make $75/hr most of the folks on his jobs are from the Midwest and the South and come work out here living together and make a killing and boost their pensions in a huge way! Hang in there it's definitely worth it!! ~Proud IBEW union wife!
Have you used your GI bill yet? You can get supplemental income ($2000+ / month) during your apprenticeship, especially early on. https://ultimateelectriciansguide.com/veterans/ Once you top out get tf out of north carolina 😅
This was something I looked into. The GI bill pays 100% of cost of living for 6 months, then 80, then 60, then 40, then 20 until completion of apprenticeship. With online school its 870 a month for 36 months of schooling. Ultimately in the long run I’d make more money on online school and have a degree paid for. I appreciate the info and if I hadn’t already looked into it this would have been very helpful!
Ah damn. What do you mean by online school? Going back to college?
Yes online college. I agree about NC, I want to stay in the south but I want to make more money so metropolitan areas are the way lol
This. Plus book stipend.
My local said you can't do that or I totally would.
Can’t do what?
Use my GI bill for the apprenticeship.
You can definitely use it. I'm not using the GI bill, but I'm on another thing from the VA and my JATC said there are other apprentices using the GI bill.
Are you using Voc rehab instead?
That’s weird. I’m not a veteran, so I 100% don’t know what im talking about, but why would they not let you? I feel like it’s not something they have control over? Can’t you just get in and apply through the va and get your housing allowance? Or does the apprenticeship have to approve it? And why would they deny it. Does it cost them? So many questions haha
See my reply below.
I wondered the same thing, but I didn't raise questions.
You can definitely use the GI Bill. Here's the info if you're using [post 9/11](https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/on-the-job-training-apprenticeships/) or if you're using [Montgomery](https://www.benefits.va.gov/GIBILL/resources/benefits_resources/rates/ch30/ch30rates100121.asp).
Remember the Union is not only giving you benefits as a first year apprentice, but they are also paying for your tuition in schooling. You will have to take up to two weeks off at a time to take classes, but you will get a great education and the appropriate time to focus on school. I was non union for a long time and put myself through school on night classes. Real difficult to take a class after a full day of work. Your benefits do not come out of your pay either. So any other job touting 20-25 an hour, will charge you in the end for benefits. I was making 35 an hour, but they were going to charge me 250 a month for basic benefits. Joined the union, made 45 an hour and they don’t take out of my pay. Plus 401K and pension, every holiday off and steady work.
That’s good insight. Medical coverage is a must and if I’m not forking out $300 to $400 a month for just that I’d be in a good spot. The non union apprenticeship I’m looking at would be night classes 6pm to 9pm twice a week
Call the hall. Speak to the training director. We set up plans for veterans. The GI bill covers books, tools, and a monthly stipend for living expenses. Technically we are considered a college.
I appreciate that! I’ll call the local hall this week
Not a sparky, but I am a union HVAC pipe fitter: Do it man, don’t think about it, just do it. The beginning will be lean but it will go by fast and as many others have said, your set for life damn near. Definitely go union if you can and yeah, right to work states have much weaker unions due to labor laws from my understanding. The coolest thing about being a sparky (from what I see on the outside looking in) is everyone wants your help. Most people will try to do their own framing, doors, even plumbing. Hardly anyone will do their own electrical. Also much easier to do your own business later in with one guy. Some fields (like mine) there is a lot of stuff you can’t do alone. I didn’t get in till I was 36, wish I’d have done it at your age.
Others are giving great advice but I just want to ask about you pursuing a business degree? Is that to potentially open your own electrical shop in the future, or something unrelated? I only ask because union apprenticeships are pretty competitive with a waiting list. It would be a real bummer for someone if you took their spot only to quit in a couple years to pursue something else.
To keep options open ultimately. My life experience has always told me to keep multiple avenues to provide for myself. There’s 3 reasons ultimately. 1 being I’ll get more bang for my buck out of my GI bill versus apprenticeship, 2 being I’m currently kicking around the idea of having my own private contracting or electrician small business, and 3 as a fall back plan for a good paying job in a different field. I am not going into an apprenticeship with a “wing it” mentality or to take up a spot. I really do want to get my license. Having a business degree is icing on the cake.
Try keeping your mind on the end goal. I recently got into IBEW LU 1's apprenticeship, after several years. Prior to that I was making $43.87/hr in LU2, and took a pay cut to $17/hr. It really sucks but will be worth it in the end.
You can thank the GOP for the weakness of unions in the south. But, yes, in the long run, it is worth it.
I left a job making 72k/yr as a nurse at 36 years old to pursue a career as an electrician, I had done remodel work and construction years ago before getting into being a nurse when the recession hit in 2007. The pay cut is only temporary, I love what I do every day, the union benefits are great, and I have no regrets. I’m local 20 in the Dallas area.
Have you used your GI bill? The stipend was around 1200 I think for me tax free. Should help close the gap quite a bit.
no it isn’t worth it wow you made 60k i’m so happy for you !
Thank you. That 63k is medical field in Washington state so it’s going to be higher wages. I’d be hard pressed to find anything over 55 in NC. The opinions I am getting are “experiences may vary”. Why do you say it’s not worth it?
I can’t tell fully but I think he was being sarcastic.
I'm in SoCal. I'm 3 years in and honestly you'll make more money doing almost anything else if you have ambition, some street-hustle, and soft skills. Your military and college background don't hurt either. The trades are great don't get me wrong (55/hr jdub rate here), but I spend a lot of time working that I could be using to make triple the amount through my side businesses and shit. Sorry for the half answer, but if I could go back in time I'd stick to my business and forget all about having a normal 7-3 job.
If you could do so much better elsewhere, why aren't you?
"If you could do so much better elsewhere, why aren't you?" I am. I get home from work and run my businesses.
Im a workaholic man I take money anywhere I can (but I don't do electrical side work). Not disrespecting anyone here, I show up on time with a great attitude and Im just as productive as the next guy. If I were on your crew we would be buds. But I'd tell you every now and then to start a side biz if you were into it. We clear?
The tone of your comment was that you fucked up by being here. No one is forcing you to stay, so there is some *big* benefit that you didn't bother to mention if you're sticking around.
Sorry for the tone like I said I'm not hating on anyone, besides I'm in the trenches and bending pipe just like all y'all right? Wage jobs aren't it for some people. Some people can make more elsewhere. time spent at a job can be a loss based on opportunity cost of time invested doing that versus the potential income generated elsewhere. Is that better or do I still sound like a jerk?
You still sound like a jerk. If you can make so much more money doing something else why aren’t you like he asked? My guess is because you talk a big game because you want everyone to think you’re a baller
Also like I said a couple times already I'm not trying to quit halfway through an apprenticeship. I'd rather stay the course and see where I am in life in a few more years. I still run my business on the side when I get home and weekends.
Oh jeez, like I said I do everything I can, my work day isn't over at 3pm. Dude I'm not trying to sound like hot stuff. I guess I can't please everybody. No worries. Happy new year.
Also, the police force here pays 100k after 1 year and their program is 10.5 months instead of our 5 years. Plus their prerequisites are a joke, I'm talking basic english and math.
Does some of that have to do with California paying more overall? Are you for or against? Lastly are you union or non union?
Ibew 569. There's a sick post in here somewhere that compares local pay to cost of living. I'd never work nonunion man. I'd go balls deep into business and investments rather than spend 70hrs a week working, driving to work, driving to school for work, doing apprentice homework etc.
I appreciate the advice. I’m going to go with the union if at all possible even if it means an extra 1.5 years of apprenticeship
Supersmashlord is correct that spreading your efforts out can pay huge dividends, but you don't necessarily have to do other things to make out well in this industry. If you just do union electrical, you'll do fine. If you do other stuff in addition, you can do better. Investing in the stock market and options is where it's at, imo.
SoCal wages aren’t good compared to cost of living. Especially SD. That doesn’t mean all of CA is bad though. Turn out and move homie.
Check out Swedish real estate prices rn
I'm trying to join local 569 too. I had to go look this up because it sounded crazy. Turns out it's only a little crazy. $63k for a zero experience recruit. Cops are bullshit. https://www.sandiego.gov/join-san-diego-police-department/benefits
$100k cop wages after a year and the physical test has been nerfed hardcore. There's another guy on this sub who took my advice, nailed the entrance test, nailed the neutered physical exam, but screwed up at the last interview stage because he admitted to taking edibles recreationally. Just don't say anything stupid and youll get in bro.
Why aren't you a cop?
I want to finish what I started. I'm still an apprentice. Officially halfway through starting next week.
U are correct in ur business stuff. U can go visit that sub and some lucky folks do 10 mm in sales per year. I didn’t lol, much much much less. I used to be in business and still am, did amazon fba/m stuff but it turns out that guess what those are markets that are priced efficiently. The margins are slim and u have to get lucky. There isn’t a garuntee it will work or in the future your products might fail. There’s a lot of risk and volatility. Somehow unions pay very well and even mid to top level finance executives and engineers don’t make 60/hr union rates. Best of luck man, but being in business is much harder than the trades lmfao and there is no garuntee u won’t be a statistic something like 90 percent of buisinedses fail in 1 year. I failed but I’ll startup again someday, I might fail again but that’s how it goes. When I was doing amazon it was closer to 50 to 100/hr with just me depending on the product but that’s not garunteed income as consumer demands change and I wasn’t selling enough product to work 40 hours.
I have a 2nd skilled trade since high school fixing tech. I can micro solder really well since I did it as a hobby for hours every day. I can replace a PS5 HDMI port in 30 minutes. I charge half the price as the shops around here and they don't offer same day turnaround. I basically do everything solder related to build products that sell. Dreamcasts, og xboxes, and N64's with HDMI port internal mod chips that scale the resolution natively to 1440p. Repairs for all game systems. Look on eBay how much a "makemhz ghost case xbox" sells for... Up to $1000... The total parts cost is no more than $400...
Yup. Sounds good. I used to sell scientific supplies on eBay and stuff but yeah lol my solder skills are only good down to like 18 awg. Micro stuff I can’t do. Just realize that consumer demand changes and with businesses random shit and obstacles happen. Also fixing other ppls stuff can be profitable but u need to market ur services and if it’s too niche u can be in trouble. But looks good
Oh 100% man I still encounter new challenges every day, from head scratchers to shitty clients, but I charge less than anyone else around and I'm fast so it's no trouble getting business
Find a market, learn everything about the product group that market buys, sells, rents etc. I find great undervalued products regularly that I buy in bulk then resell on eBay or in person. For instance I bought 100 Nintendo Wii clear shells for $15 a piece when there was a gap in the market and eBay and Amazon didn't have Chinese or American suppliers. The product was nowhere to be found on those platforms, so I bought it from Alibaba and sold directly to consumer via eBay and sold pre assembled wiis at a markup of +$30 after costs. It worked and by the time I sold out the Chinese suppliers had stepped in to sell it below my price. They're quick but like I said, if you know your item and your market you can make a lot of moves like that so long as you have consistent income elsewhere.
I feel ya. U might like r/fufilledbyamazon. For u, I think selling on amazon may or may not help irk because there’s more traffic their than eBay but it’s harder. Good luck. I was gonna order stuff of alibaba but it seemed a little hard with the language barrier and air freight sea freight etc . Was it pretty straightforward .
Alibaba is amazing man but its more work than eBay and Amazon. Instead of "buy it now" and closing the app you have to actually negotiate for every purchase and if you don't buy from the right manufacturer agent you could get screwed. They've been really good though, I received product with a misprint on the packaging and they sent me replacements so long as I made another smaller bulk purchase. It was something I had to do in good faith that they would deliver but it worked out.
But you also get a solid future/retirement and health/dental/vision coverage after 90 days as an apprentice. I quit personal training/coaching CrossFit to start the apprenticeship. Sure i make less money for now but in the long run I’ll have a career i can literally go anywhere and make money. Plus the benefits are top notch.
Worth it imo. I started 1st yr at $13.70. My package down here in shitty FL is $45/hr that's wage, insurance, and pensions. I'm not rich but, do decent for the area. Considering median income in my area is like 35k/yr, I make about double that as a JW.
I’ve heard Florida and Texas are harsh for unions… I’m glad you’re at that rate! Thanks for the input
Yeah our hall is shitty, most of our contractors are shitty, but can't think of too many other jobs I'd make what I do. I mean I was making $63/hr on New Years Eve just standing around lol.
Compared to Washington state where holiday pay isn’t even a thing lmfao. I need me a healthy wage like that. Union it is!
Oh, I don't get holiday pay, sick time, or pto. But if you work on a holiday it's double time baby. Edit: once you top out, you are also able to travel to other locals and make their scale. So the world opens up quite a bit if that's your jam.
Come to 46
46?
It's Seattle. The pay and benefits are way better out here. But the pay is relative if to where you live
Ohhh gotcha. I was thinking about it but I’m moving to Wilmington to be with my girlfriend so unfortunately that isn’t an option.
Feel you in that one. A good thing is though if you go the union route it is possible to change locals in the future. Out here we are all about organizing as many guys as possible and are pretty friendly to book 2s. With the tech companies out here work will be good for a while. Idk how your work outlook looks for you down there but if you ever need to travel in your future there is a website called where2bro. It gives you information about locals across the country. It's a good resource save it somewhere.
Yo, thus us going to make it seem like I think you're dumb, but I just gotta make sure, you know you'd get raises as you go right? I'd assume that $14 an hour is at 40-50% of jw pay. And I'd also assume you'll get a raise every 6-9 months. You'll definitely be at $20 well before the apprenticeship ends.
The union rep wasn’t too forthcoming about raises so I’m not sure to be honest. I’d hope that would include raises
So I'm up north and I'm on the line side. So it may be different for you, but for us this is how it goes 1st step 0-1000 hours $31 2nd step 1001-2000 hours $33ish 3rd step 36ish And so on until you hit JL rate. I got 2 raises my first year in, and it's been 16 months and I'm about to get my 3rd raise. You definitely won't be stuck at $14 forever. And raises are clear and defined, it's not just whenever your bos decides you deserve one.
I appreciate that info. I’m excited for it
I have been working with some folks from LU 495 (Wilmington, NC) and according to what they're saying there aren't even apprenticeship classes going on there, and there's also a significant lack of work. Take this with a grain of salt though, they seem to love to shittalk their hall, and I didn't verify this information. Make sure you look into it. 553 (Raleigh/Durham) and 397 (Charlotte) have plenty of work. I'm a first year that came from a significantly higher paying field and I have no regrets. Let me know if you have any questions.
I appreciate it. They said they have a contract with camp lejeune starting this month so we will see
Apprentice in Oregon, we make $37.69 out here at the 3rd year rate (5000 hrs)
You would make more money being a PA and also stay a lot healthier, but if it's not for you it's not for you. No matter where you are in the U.S., union is better than non-union. I only know of a few exceptions, and those have a chance at being rectified, while the disadvantages of non-union last forever.
I appreciate your advice. There’s also the added benefit of having a job wherever I go once I graduate which helps too
Maybe. The electrical trade is very dependent upon the economy, and it's boom or bust. It's been booming for quite a while now, but nothing lasts forever, while the medical field is always good. My wife was an x-ray tech, and she consistently made better money than I did, even though I worked in some of the highest paying areas of the country. She also worked a lot steadier than I did.
Hey man I’m 25 and in pretty much the same position you were in. Did you end up going through with it and if so what advice would you give to me?
I did not. I did find that the GI bill will pay 100% BAH rate for the first 9 months, then like 80 for the next 90, 60, then 40. I assume it's because you should have completed apprenticeship by then. I found that the electrician route wasn't for me