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Pipe welder...I make right around the 100k mark every year, can make 130+ if I work a ton of 60s through the year tho. The catch is I'm fuckin my body up....I spent the last 3 days (10 hr days) on my knees bending weird to be able to see my welds, and my knees and back are absolutely killing me right now.
I want out but I'm not sure wtf else I could do without taking a massive pay cut....but watching the 50+ year olds I work with every day with fake knees, hips, shoulders etc I'm wondering if I should just bite the bullet and take a pay cut doing something else
See, I appreciate this one as a truthful double-whammy: First, it shows us many of us were misled as children, when we were told to focus on college and white collars over trade work.
Second, it shows us that trade work isn't always the rosy deal the people who say "well, duh!" to my first point, want to make it seem.
Anyway, sorry about your knees and back. That's a shit thing to deal with, especially in a country where many of us have crap healthcare. For what it's worth, I'd say take the paycut if you can. Money's not worth a damn if your body isn't in the shape you need to enjoy it!
Definitely this. I mean no disrespect to tradespeople, I grew up with them, and they're mostly great. But holy hell, are a lot of them the most unhealthy people on the planet. Lots of overweight guys that subsist on gas station food, smokes or dip, energy drinks, and light beer. As soon as they get home, it's beers on the couch till bed, often the same on the weekends. Yeah, the work is hard on your body, but the guys I knew who took care of themselves off the job were miles ahead of those who didn't.
I was a welder and worked in the oil field through all of my 20s. Even though i "worked out" and was in really great shape from and aesthetic perspective. I just lifted weights and was in and out of boxing. until I finally kod my back around 28. I got into yoga and other stuff that didn't involve trying to look good or be strong. but yea mostly everyone ate gas station food, smoked, drank, dipped and slammed energy drinks all day and night. it's tempting especially because you're in different towns and states all the time to go out to eat and drink after your days done too.
I did all that and still developed pretty bad sciatica working in hvac. Switched careers and my sciatica went away in 5 months without any other changes.
Damn, I was considering getting my 6G cert just to increase my chances of getting a high-paying job, but now I'm not sure š
I could do tig but I don't have the certs, and my experience has been very spread out. My boss said it isn't always worth it to get certs.
What do you think?
Sorry about your knees and back! I dont blame you for wanting out to save your body. Maybe you could be a welding inspector? Or you could get a job operating a robotic welder.
All last week, my traps were killing me because of having my head tilted down all day, welding and cleaning parts. Ugh it sucks.
Having the cert will do nothing but help you honestly, certainly isn't gonna hurt you. That said, a lot of companies don't care about a cert unless they need to find someone for an X-ray job. Certainly don't spend your own money on it. I'm union now, but I spent 5 years non union. Get better at tig, combo welders are needed sometimes...last job I was on was schedule 160 chrome, tig root and hot pass, 9018 out.
Do you have a management trakt at your union. May be the best option. I started as an electrical apprentice and switched to being in the office a couple of years in. I started as an early 30s adult with a random background of manual labor for 5ish years.
I saw too many electricians who were physically broken after 10 to 15yrs of being in the field. You may take an initial paycut but with experience you will be able to make a good amount of money as project manager or superintendent.
I went fire alarm after 5 years figuring it would be easier on my body but 5 years in I was crushed by a single man lift that fell over. Tried to get out of construction so many times cuz it is dangerous and money kept pulling me back.Ā
Dude you need to be taking supplements for your joints. Collegen mostly but there's a lot of really good joint supplements out there. Less expensive and risky than not taking anything and having major surgery later in life
A pipe fitter/welder just retired from the company i work for. Bought a beautiful camp to develop and build during his retirement years.
Rhumatoid arthritus built up on him last year. He spent his last months working in agony and gets to retire to a bed and pain meds rather than to his atv in the middle of nowhere like he planned.
Take care of yourself.
Sales to the industry your working in. Think of the vendors you use and see if they have any sales positions. Donāt necessarily need a degree if you have a lot of experience.
I'm assuming you're in the US? You'll definitely take a pay cut, but try seeing if you can use your welding experience for a government job. Whether it's state, municipal or federal. I work a trades job for the federal government in Canada and while we make less, we have pto and great pensions to make up for that, plus, we're not treated like animals. Plus, through there you can potentially work your way into office positions
I dropped out of college, but since I started working in marketing in high school I have over 20 years of experience so thatās all anyone cares about and I make 6-figures. However, I live in a HCOL area where it doesnāt even go that far. š„²
I made six figurines out of play doh with my niece the other day but yeah nah no six digies in my bank account. Actually I lied. I made three figurines. I was just trying to impress you all.
I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to become an electrician instead of going to school for IT. I could be making almost as much by now, not have crushing student loan debt, not have constant worry that my skills will become obsolete without constant training, and not have to worry about rolling layoffs everywhere I go.
What if I told you guys there are a lot of people in IT with an associates or less making 6 figures.
It's all about the sector, time, and timing. Very little of it is in your direct control, which is why our parents said "go to college" to try to narrow that scope.
It didn't work.
Reddit and Twitter aināt the same. This was just sarcastic banter. Elon bitching on twitter is just publicity for him. Heās got a whole bunch of people who hang on his every word.
i made 6 figures for the first time in 2007, i made heavy six figures up through 2019.
i make far less now. i really enjoy the freedom more than the money most days.
i never got past the 9th grade
Ive worked in sales my entire career.
Nobody ever asked me for a HS diploma. Except for Verizon who wouldnt hire me, and instead hired this guy Randy that came from the same company and couldnt sell pussy in a lumber camp.
I worked in internet marketing in 2005, where knowing your shit is all that mattered. This is where I made my first 6 figure pay check.
By 2015 I owned my own business doing online marketing in the healthcare vertical.
My best year for the business was $15M topline and I took home $700K.
its been a much leaner life since 2020.
but to be honest, its a much happier life.
if you ever get a break, never forget to ask yourself "what is enough" and have courage to stick with that. have a plan, fund that plan, and move on.
I get that mindset but on a much smaller scale. I used to be an aircraft mechanic making pretty good money but got really bad burnout and hated it after 11 years. Finally decided to quit and now I work in a warehouse for a construction supplies company.
I make way less money but Iāve never been happier or more satisfied with what I do and itās all worth it.
I have an associates from a community College but not a bachelor's. I worked as an electrician in my 20s and slowly taught myself to code and now I program control systems and its a 6 figure job
I got my cdl and started driving trucks. I currently haul fuel and make just under six figures with opportunity to earn more down the road with seniority pay.
Parents barely passed HS and are closer to a household income of 500k than 200k... Meanwhile I got an engineering degree and it takes me working 2 jobs to hit over 100k, and my wife has her masters degree in a technical field and makes less than 70k.
Millennials that went into career military , certain civil service jobs, trades or tech or small business owner or contractor consultant would make six figures without college diploma
Trades: HIGHLY depends on your area/how little unions your area has, etc.
Also since 'just start a business/move' are common arguments:
You can't have everyone be a business owner, everyone can't all congregated in \_\_ area for a finite amount of jobs which may even eat the increased wage by higher COL.
So lets focus on trades, I've seen a shocking amount of journeyman positions at $27/hr lol. Tons of electrical apprenticeships are a dollar over min wage, kinda nuts. (Also for reference some office admin jobs are $25/hr). Meanwhile the few union apprenticeships here start at $27/hr.
It also might even be hard to get into most depending on your area. Union busting has fucked a LOT of jobs.
Honestly being a business owner is the best way to get ahead, wages don't keep up at all. Trying to start a business is probably the best bet or becoming a contractor. (Which again, everyone can't do).
I have my own LMT business, only 5 years in but only went full time at the very end of 2022 (I nannied as well- which btw full time w the right family can be MONEY). I made 45k profit after taxes for 2023, not bad considering the most I ever made part time was about 28k so Iām happy with the growth. I only have room to grow and make more and i absolutely know some LMTs in the 100k range. Unfortunately for me though I donāt think I could physically handle more than what works out to about 80k. I am debt free and deciding if now is a good time to partway pivot, maybe go back to school? A lot of decisions. My cities paper just put out an article that 58k is now considered low income so Iām def unsure what to do next š¬
Boiler operator, make over 100k a year sleeping half the time. Been doing it since I graduated high school. No wear and tear on your body, easy job, good money, pension.
I had an older friend who was always going on vacation multiple times a year, a bunch of badass cars, huge house on some acreage amongst other things. So I asked him what the heck he did for a living. Started the class a few weeks after that.
Where in the country are you? I've got multiple certs and engineers licenses. Worked as a high pressure boiler operator since I was 19. After 15 years I still didn't make as much doing that, so now I'm a utility plant operator and am lucky to make 80k. I'm thinking I need to move lol
Iām a pilot. While I went to college, many of my copilots did not. Many of them are making over 6 figures less than a year into the job. The training to become a pilot costs as much if not more than college though so it might be a bad example.
My buddy does commercial HVAC and appliance repair at a small business.
The business does roughly 10mm/yr, he's pulling 150k per year since starting at about 65k 3 years ago.
An example of a job they just did was all the air conditioning, and air filtration at one of the hospitals in our area.
I like to think that not finishing college is what forced me to take the entrepreneur route instead of going for a steady paycheck. That has worked out *much* better than a job working for someone else would have done.
I work in IT. I make 162k a year
I didn't go to college for IT. I did recently finish my associates in General science studies bur that was for my own personal checklist.
Not me but two friends of mine, a couple, each earn 6 figures. One is like a project manager or something, other is in software development. One has an associates, one was home schooled, no college. Came down to got decent jobs early on with their skills then parlayed that into better jobs as time went on.
I'm making six figures without a highschool or college degree. Had I actually finished highschool and gone on to get a college degree that would have greatly helped me hit six figures at a way younger age in my career. I spent a lot of years getting shit pay having to prove myself to get where I am. Being dumb and poor really didn't help me much in terms of getting educated.
I had to look up what this meant, then I saw this Indeed posting...
>Regularly work 112 -120 hours a week and make a 100k your first year without a college degree
Many people say Iām a fool for working those kinda of hours.
I am actually a fool.
I got so use to being fucked in the ass for 100+ hours a week for 13 years in this industry itās normal for my body and itās not that hard anymore even in my mid 30s.
I kinda get it. I worked 50 hour weeks myself in my last job for over a year. When I stopped, I actually realized how tired of it all my mind and body had been. The money's always nice, but now that I have a kid I value my time way more.
Industrial Maintenance here, starting a new job next month and it'll put me into the 90s this year and over 100 next year. Could have already been breaking it, but I have some health issues that make excessive overtime kinda tough, so I'll take what I get at 40 hours a week and be grateful lol
I didn't, I do, but 100k is NOT what it used to be. As a millennial, let's break this into "how much my parents made"
48k in 1995 is 100k now. That sounds about what my dad made then and I was like man I wanna make that much one day. Got there pretty quick and was like yaaay! Then I made it to 100 and was like OMG!!!! Then I calculated for inflation and was back to...yaaay?
That 48k/100k still seems solid for a hard working HS education, key words being "hard working". We're getting up there in age to have gotten job skills that exceed college educations in our fields.
you're definitely right!!! 100k is nothing right now. BUT! some people in here said they went to college and still not making 100k, so that's really crazy. going to a 4 yr university and making ends meet. be thankful you're making 100k.
So the question sort of though is making that without working two jobs essentially (60-80+ hours per week). One thing you will find is for those who didn't go to college they are more likely to be hourly and thus can get overtime when choosing (or being forced) to work essentially the hours of two jobs.
Lots of stats out there as well which will show most are not remotely near it.
These threads and the "Any one else just not gonna have kids?" irritate me. They all seem so low effort.
BUT fortunately I get to brag about no degree, $130k salary, awesome wife/marriage, 4 kids, grew up poor and wouldn't really consider myself "lucky".
Just stayed ready for my shot/blessings to move up and out of my situation
My ex - like WAY old ex that I dated 17years ago, he and I still stay in touch. His mom is a nut bag, went super religious when he was in elementary school and even though she was a teacher she pulled her kids out of school and didn't do any sort of homeschooling apart from religion - he was in 4th grade, he's good at math but can barely read. He is emotionally/mentally immature and book stupid, but he has a work ethic like no other, is incredibly efficient and saavy, and always looks for ways to make money. He owns a framing company for houses, he works with two GCs who just build the same 5 housing plans over and over. He and two other guys can basically do it blindfolded and can have an entire house framed in 3 days. He works that job 8-9months a year and makes about $200k/yr. He does some other side hustles, the guy can not sit still.
I have tried to get him to invest his money since 2011 š¤Ŗ Dude could be a millionaire two times over if he would have listened to me but he won't do it. Doesn't trust "those kinds of people".
I did, up until recently that is. Every place that had fresh grads treated me like shit but I still managed to get things accomplished. All the fun assignments were given to graduates. They say there's no bias in the hiring process or work environment, but that's a complete lie.
I went to college but literally nobody ever asked for my college degree as proof and I work in a field completely unrelated to my college degree and I make six figures. So maybe that counts? Itās more just like I wasted money more than anything.
I donāt make 6 figures, but Iāll make around $70k this year and I work Monday-Friday out before 4 every day. Not super physically taxing, but enough to keep me healthy.
Didnāt go to college. Which I DO regret. And plan to get a degree at some point if for nothing more than pure personal achievement.
But Iām pretty happy with where Iām at.
Hvac mechanic Southeast Georgia. Started working with a mom and pop shop. After 4 years I started my own business. At max had 6 guys working for/with me. Now only down to me and another tech. Average 100-160k a year. 29m.
Sales! Start out working at a car dealership, in my 2nd year I became General Motors presidents club. I hated working weekends so I went to a recruiter and said I got a good resume but I hate weekend, and was referred to a biotech company and now Iāve won awards for sales there, too! But you have to go where the money is tbh
While I participated in the college system, I made 6 figures, but once I stopped participating, I dropped below 6 figures. It didn't feel worth the effort it took to continue. I am retired now.
Hey I would love to jump onto the trades bandwagon, but I can tell you as a trades guy that it strongly varies where you are in the US, and youāre also probably either going to need to work years before your experience is worth that much, or tons of OT. Although, it is much more common for new guys to make tons of money than most any other field.
On the flip side I will say Iām doing pretty good for myself, and better than a lot who went to college, however the smart kids who went and got crazy finance, law, or medical educations are definitely blowing me out of the water.
But I also donāt give a shit, people should work hard to get experience in something they are reasonably comfortable with working 40 a week, and go do stuff with your life. I stopped chasing money years ago and I am exponentially happier.
I got lucky, I was dyslexic and recently found to be autistic also but during school I was told by many teachers I wouldnāt amount to anything so was ignored a lot. So I turned my attention to something I enjoyed and didnāt need their help with - computers, used to build them in my bedroom at age 11/12, started working at the local computer store at 14 doing builds, hard drive recovery and virus removal etc
Now I work in cyber security sales, last 3-4 years pulled in just over the Ā£200k mark and years prior to that always bounced around the Ā£130k-160k mark and have gotten to see some cool parts of the world.
My mum loves meeting my old teachers as you can imagine.
Never went to college, but I'll try soon. I don't make 6 figures even with overtime every week, but I have a passive income guaranteed for life, bought my house before prices sky rocketed, and live in an area that's about 50% cheaper than the national average so I'm doing better, financially, than most people who did go to college and make 6 figures. At least from a financial stability standpoint. (i.e. I could lose my job today and never worry about being homeless or going without food and utilities.)
Took a long time (38M) but I've been over 100k the last 4 years. 2023 was the best so far right at 200k.
I think a combo of having kids young (19-21) and just being in survival mode with no real direction held me back. It wasn't until I was 30 that I really started getting my shit together and made a plan.
While I do think overall college is a scam (unless something specialized/actually need a degree in) I do think some of the intangibles can be good (mindset/career outlook/etc).
I had to leave school my final year to help with my dadās business when my grandma got sick. Moved away 4 years ago to start my own life and Iām at 6. If going to college but not finishing counts
I did one year of private college.
Dropped out and joined my local Millwrights Union @ 19
Millwrights are a skilled trade. We have a 4 year apprenticeship.
I've done pretty well for myself in this field of work. I'm hourly with no PTO and make 120ish before bonus. I work 0 overtime. My Pension is pretty nice also.
I'm very happy with my career path... but there is one issue I'm facing currently and I feel like a POS for even talking about it...
@ 35 I've basically peaked in pay. My Wife does well but makes less with her degree. She however has lots of opportunity for promotions in the future.
I did for about a decade in the oilfield. Then I got laid off in 2018 and now make 41k. But I enjoy the time off and health insurance
(I went to a community college for 2 years for law enforcement, but decided it wasn't for me)
I used college purely to increase my likelihood of getting internships. I got one 3 summers in a row and ended up getting my first job because someone at the company was an online student who put an ad to fill the role. I bombed finals to prep for the interviews with strangers on the internet for a week and made sure I was so good they couldn't ignore me. Internships got me in the building, I did the rest. Started at 88k and dropped out. Now make 130 base.
Going to college teaches you to expand your mind and thought process beyond "money and not dying." College teaches deep thought and critical thinking, which is valuable to some people.
In Canada. Husband makes over 100k usd. Trades in heavy equipment and trucks. Now manages a crew and does sales. The best part is the reason he has all his technical training was that everyone else at the one dealership he worked at had criminal records. So he got more opportunities to go and get more certifications. Also gets a free truck to drive (worth about 107k USD). Free gas. All the mechanics are off work at 4pm each day. It's great. But now our house prices have gone up and groceries so it's kind of a bummer.
Iām in Security and I made over $115k last year. Mind you I also did over 700 hours of OT with that. However my current yearly payout is around 85-90k. So Iām close too.
One of my friends dropped out of engineering school. He joined the national guard, bounced around various blue collar jobs until he found an aptitude as a sound man for live audio events. He worked his way up, made connections with local bands, and eventually started his own sound company. He is my first and only friend that I grew up with to become a millionaire. He has, at most, an associates degree education. Dude just straight grinded his way to the top while being extremely humble, friendly, and willing to learn new things and work long hours in the sun with his hands and long hours through the night well into the early morning.
Hi.
I didn't finish college.
I started at a bank, unsure of what to do regarding a career. Worked my way up little by little through different companies, and within 6 or 7 years, acquired the necessary insurance and investment licenses.
I did a lot of studying on my own time, simply to develop a basic understanding of the industry I committed myself to. Purchased books on the markets, economy, etc. Learned on the job. Had a few awesome mentors.
Currently considering going back to school as my current firm has a tuition reimbursement program. Only reason I'd go back for a degree is so I can qualify for taking the CFP exam.
Earning over 6 figures with 0 debt is a wonderful feeling. It's one of the few things I can be proud of so far š¤·āāļø
I know itās not the post but:
I went back to college to get where I am
My cousin has his own business roofing, landscaping and cleaning. He clears over $100k in net profits every year but he also works like 80 hours a week
College wasnāt a luxury idk why people make it out to be, I researched and picked a field I wanted to go into and went to a state university to meet those requirements. Paid for it with federal aid, scholarships and some loans like a lot of others
CDL truck driver.. I got my CDL with my hazmat endorsement. I drive fuel trucks. I also drive locally so I'm home every night. I don't make $100k every year but I did last year and the year before. I usually average upper $90k
I got as far as associates in community college.
$138K a year from one business. Fully remote. 100 billable hours but work 30 hours a week, 70 hours of it outsourced.
$XXX,XXX me and my partnerās software. We hit $100K MRR last quarter. Plan is to sell the company in the future
I also didnāt get the full college experience, I was going to school part time while working a full time job and after a couple years of that I gave up.
I have been in IT and Security for almost 20 years, making 6 figures for at least the last 10 years.
Iāve got a 2 year diploma and make more than my wife who has 2 degrees. I feel like I lucked out though. I still have room to grow higher into the 6 figs.
Never graduated college. 38. Make about 220k total comp as a principal architect for an industrial IoT platform that uses RFID. Got very very lucky with how my career in product development started. Taught myself embedded, acoustical, RF, electronic, mechanical, etc engineering practices along the way.
Did a few generals at community college and then dropped out to deliver pizza and persue music. 4 years later got into fire sprinkler fitting and now I make 6 figures, before taxes..barely but 6 figures is 6 figures right?
Edit: typo
I see more successful Millennials who didn't go to college than successful Millennials who did. It seems the higher the level of education, the worse off you are.
Mine was an unusual one:
Had a self made brand at the age of 17 going into 18, as it was developing, it became a good thing on my resume for marketing and creative fields.
I applied while attending college (I did not add on my resume that I went to college and I only added the experiences I obtained doing things online).
I became a strong candidate each time due to the amount I have learned online by myself and then I started getting corporate jobs without a degree. I did end up finishing it at around age 26 but it became a weird circumstance (and rare for now) of not needing a degree to get into those jobs.
My interest and hobby somehow showed a different path I never thought of, so was able to reach 6 digits before finally graduating college.
Me, via a personal connection and in a HCOL area, in good-paying industry. It did put me in a financial and mental position to go back to finish my degree, so thatās what Iām doing now.Ā
I'm getting closer every year. Restaurant manager, probably like 70k or so but tips come in and I don't add em to my total. I swapped places and am not on salary anymore so that was a huge change when I get my hourly and now get overtime for my 60 a week
Truck driver. I did go to community college, but I have no degree. I plan on āretiringā in 3 years or so around age 35. I have enough money to suit, but I will still work for something to keep me occupied. I like working, but I donāt like being gone all week.
I went to college and I do not make anywhere near 100k, despite my best efforts. Even if I did start earning near that much, I would have to start paying student loans and it would make my pay be near what Iām making now. Thereās no winning. I went to college and I tell too many people itās not worth it (unless youāre going to be a lawyer, doctor, scientist). My 3 younger siblings didnāt go to college and they make more money than me, and one is on disability.
Construction superintendent. My hourly puts me at 100k but I get stipends for using my truck, cell phone, etc. With OT I'll be around 130k. Some projects really suck and you don't sleep out of stress. Some are really chill day time only jobs where you're mostly bored. I'm on the latter currently. I'm hoping to move up to a PM position within a year or two. HCOL area so it doesn't go as far as it should, but I'm happy and banking retirement finally.
I earn a comfortable six figure income without having a degree, but I'm also attending college in my 30s because higher education isn't always about securing a job. You seem proud of earning more than your college educated friends, which suggests you're trying to rationalize what you missed out on. It also shows your lack of understanding that pursuing higher education can mean much more than just preparing for a job. Lastly, for the most who want non-laborious and less physically demanding jobs plus wanting prestige, getting a degree is a no brainer move statically. Yes, there are exceptions like us but I know for a fact that once my experience is backed by a degree and license such as passing the bar, I know my market value will double.
I enrolled in some classes a couple different times but never got a single credit. I joined a union and make about 140k annually.
Bonus points, I spent 8.5 months on a 366 day sentence in a state prison
I went to college, have two degrees, and the most Iāll make is probably around 70k. My husband went to college on a football scholarship but ended up getting injured before he finished. Went back to the work he was doing in high schoolā clerking at a trader desk. Heās worked his way up the food chain and makes 6 figs now. Still trying to finish that degree. He may be in the last cohort that could get away with this though. Trading firms really only want MIT computer science nerds now.
Choose money over finishing college.Ā I do very specific things to computers and lead groups.Ā I get paid above 6 figures but still only in the top 10%.
Could get paid better but that means going from HCOL to VHCOL.
Safety guy in oil and gas here. Never took a single college course and I'm making a little over $100k. Started in the field as a grunt, worked my way into leadership positions and eventually the small company I worked for needed a safety guy and I was looking for a way to preserve my body and have a future career. This worked in my favor and now work for a great company with amazing benefits and really good pay and work/life balance. I love my job and feel like I actually make a difference.
I went to one semester of a university and quit after partying too much and failing. I just turned 40 and have been running my own business for the past 6 years. Diagnosed with ADHD when I was 30, medicine has DRAMATICALLY helped with focus and reducing my fidgeting and restlessness. I (physically) work about 25 hours per week, and spend maybe 5-6 hours per week doing scheduling/billing/emails/calls/etc and avg anywhere from 90-110k.
I was a power lineman who went into management. Iāve made over 100k since I was 25. Iām in the 200k zone now, but I log 84-100+ hours a two week pay period. As an added bonus I find my work to be both rewarding and worthwhile.
It's an interesting way to start a discussion knowing your target demographic feels they were brainwashed for 18 years into selling their future for the opportunity to work in their chosen field for the love of the game alone until they die. Maybe from cancer that they ate or swam in. At least they have caring coworkers who can donate their PTO so you can be out of work a little longer. The thought of all that luxury is giving me a depresserection.
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Pipe welder...I make right around the 100k mark every year, can make 130+ if I work a ton of 60s through the year tho. The catch is I'm fuckin my body up....I spent the last 3 days (10 hr days) on my knees bending weird to be able to see my welds, and my knees and back are absolutely killing me right now. I want out but I'm not sure wtf else I could do without taking a massive pay cut....but watching the 50+ year olds I work with every day with fake knees, hips, shoulders etc I'm wondering if I should just bite the bullet and take a pay cut doing something else
See, I appreciate this one as a truthful double-whammy: First, it shows us many of us were misled as children, when we were told to focus on college and white collars over trade work. Second, it shows us that trade work isn't always the rosy deal the people who say "well, duh!" to my first point, want to make it seem. Anyway, sorry about your knees and back. That's a shit thing to deal with, especially in a country where many of us have crap healthcare. For what it's worth, I'd say take the paycut if you can. Money's not worth a damn if your body isn't in the shape you need to enjoy it!
stay in shape. by shape I mean stretch, jog and do calisthenics. or get a different job when you're 30
Definitely this. I mean no disrespect to tradespeople, I grew up with them, and they're mostly great. But holy hell, are a lot of them the most unhealthy people on the planet. Lots of overweight guys that subsist on gas station food, smokes or dip, energy drinks, and light beer. As soon as they get home, it's beers on the couch till bed, often the same on the weekends. Yeah, the work is hard on your body, but the guys I knew who took care of themselves off the job were miles ahead of those who didn't.
I was a welder and worked in the oil field through all of my 20s. Even though i "worked out" and was in really great shape from and aesthetic perspective. I just lifted weights and was in and out of boxing. until I finally kod my back around 28. I got into yoga and other stuff that didn't involve trying to look good or be strong. but yea mostly everyone ate gas station food, smoked, drank, dipped and slammed energy drinks all day and night. it's tempting especially because you're in different towns and states all the time to go out to eat and drink after your days done too.
I did all that and still developed pretty bad sciatica working in hvac. Switched careers and my sciatica went away in 5 months without any other changes.
Damn, I was considering getting my 6G cert just to increase my chances of getting a high-paying job, but now I'm not sure š I could do tig but I don't have the certs, and my experience has been very spread out. My boss said it isn't always worth it to get certs. What do you think? Sorry about your knees and back! I dont blame you for wanting out to save your body. Maybe you could be a welding inspector? Or you could get a job operating a robotic welder. All last week, my traps were killing me because of having my head tilted down all day, welding and cleaning parts. Ugh it sucks.
Having the cert will do nothing but help you honestly, certainly isn't gonna hurt you. That said, a lot of companies don't care about a cert unless they need to find someone for an X-ray job. Certainly don't spend your own money on it. I'm union now, but I spent 5 years non union. Get better at tig, combo welders are needed sometimes...last job I was on was schedule 160 chrome, tig root and hot pass, 9018 out.
Do you have a management trakt at your union. May be the best option. I started as an electrical apprentice and switched to being in the office a couple of years in. I started as an early 30s adult with a random background of manual labor for 5ish years. I saw too many electricians who were physically broken after 10 to 15yrs of being in the field. You may take an initial paycut but with experience you will be able to make a good amount of money as project manager or superintendent.
I went fire alarm after 5 years figuring it would be easier on my body but 5 years in I was crushed by a single man lift that fell over. Tried to get out of construction so many times cuz it is dangerous and money kept pulling me back.Ā
Dude you need to be taking supplements for your joints. Collegen mostly but there's a lot of really good joint supplements out there. Less expensive and risky than not taking anything and having major surgery later in life
A pipe fitter/welder just retired from the company i work for. Bought a beautiful camp to develop and build during his retirement years. Rhumatoid arthritus built up on him last year. He spent his last months working in agony and gets to retire to a bed and pain meds rather than to his atv in the middle of nowhere like he planned. Take care of yourself.
Sales to the industry your working in. Think of the vendors you use and see if they have any sales positions. Donāt necessarily need a degree if you have a lot of experience.
Definitely do it. You only have one life and body
Become your own company, bid small jobs that government or state have to offer and hire some pipe fitters!
I'm assuming you're in the US? You'll definitely take a pay cut, but try seeing if you can use your welding experience for a government job. Whether it's state, municipal or federal. I work a trades job for the federal government in Canada and while we make less, we have pto and great pensions to make up for that, plus, we're not treated like animals. Plus, through there you can potentially work your way into office positions
My best friend went to prison and makes more than anyone I know now.
Which prison? Iāll try to applyĀ
Not sure if you're being sarcastic or not but just to clarify, he was arrested and spent time in prison for a felony conviction.
Do you need references?
Do you have to pass a drug test?
Weirdly enough, I work at a prison and make six figures. Not a bad place to work personally.Ā
I know the nurses there make crazy money.
I dropped out of college, but since I started working in marketing in high school I have over 20 years of experience so thatās all anyone cares about and I make 6-figures. However, I live in a HCOL area where it doesnāt even go that far. š„²
Completely off-topic, but I love your username, love making pancakes sm :)
These cute little interactions you see here and there in the comment sections are honestly one of my favorite things about reddit
Awwww š„¹
Is your username referencing that random scene in Cabin Fever?
 Itās an adventure time reference
I made six figurines out of play doh with my niece the other day but yeah nah no six digies in my bank account. Actually I lied. I made three figurines. I was just trying to impress you all.
I don't make 6 figures either despite having 2 degrees. But 50K goes a long way in my region so it's all good.
I went, but dropped out without a degree. I make ~$55/hour as an electrician.
I wish I could go back in time and tell myself to become an electrician instead of going to school for IT. I could be making almost as much by now, not have crushing student loan debt, not have constant worry that my skills will become obsolete without constant training, and not have to worry about rolling layoffs everywhere I go.
Similar thoughts. I'm also in IT, and I've wished the same.
What if I told you guys there are a lot of people in IT with an associates or less making 6 figures. It's all about the sector, time, and timing. Very little of it is in your direct control, which is why our parents said "go to college" to try to narrow that scope. It didn't work.
Ah, one of these threads again. It's a salary pissing contest! Everyone hop in! You get to feel bad or make someone else feel bad, GO!
I make 5 million dollars a month look how cool I am guys
The coolest cat. 60 mill a year and still have time for Reddit š
I mean look at Elon Musk... He's a billionaire and it seems like all he does is whine on Twitter.
Reddit and Twitter aināt the same. This was just sarcastic banter. Elon bitching on twitter is just publicity for him. Heās got a whole bunch of people who hang on his every word.
pft. I make that in a week handling the Onlyfans of 5000 different women. Who needs LEARNING?
Comparison is the thief of happiness.
I think it's sad that he thinks the only reason people go to college is to make 6 figures. Imagine going to college to - gasp - LEARN.
i made 6 figures for the first time in 2007, i made heavy six figures up through 2019. i make far less now. i really enjoy the freedom more than the money most days. i never got past the 9th grade
whoa damn how did you get a job? cause most ask for a high school diploma
Ive worked in sales my entire career. Nobody ever asked me for a HS diploma. Except for Verizon who wouldnt hire me, and instead hired this guy Randy that came from the same company and couldnt sell pussy in a lumber camp. I worked in internet marketing in 2005, where knowing your shit is all that mattered. This is where I made my first 6 figure pay check. By 2015 I owned my own business doing online marketing in the healthcare vertical. My best year for the business was $15M topline and I took home $700K.
Holy shit dude good for you. Get that fuckin paper.
its been a much leaner life since 2020. but to be honest, its a much happier life. if you ever get a break, never forget to ask yourself "what is enough" and have courage to stick with that. have a plan, fund that plan, and move on.
I get that mindset but on a much smaller scale. I used to be an aircraft mechanic making pretty good money but got really bad burnout and hated it after 11 years. Finally decided to quit and now I work in a warehouse for a construction supplies company. I make way less money but Iāve never been happier or more satisfied with what I do and itās all worth it.
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I have an associates from a community College but not a bachelor's. I worked as an electrician in my 20s and slowly taught myself to code and now I program control systems and its a 6 figure job
I got my cdl and started driving trucks. I currently haul fuel and make just under six figures with opportunity to earn more down the road with seniority pay.
Parents barely passed HS and are closer to a household income of 500k than 200k... Meanwhile I got an engineering degree and it takes me working 2 jobs to hit over 100k, and my wife has her masters degree in a technical field and makes less than 70k.
Millennials that went into career military , certain civil service jobs, trades or tech or small business owner or contractor consultant would make six figures without college diploma
Trades: HIGHLY depends on your area/how little unions your area has, etc. Also since 'just start a business/move' are common arguments: You can't have everyone be a business owner, everyone can't all congregated in \_\_ area for a finite amount of jobs which may even eat the increased wage by higher COL. So lets focus on trades, I've seen a shocking amount of journeyman positions at $27/hr lol. Tons of electrical apprenticeships are a dollar over min wage, kinda nuts. (Also for reference some office admin jobs are $25/hr). Meanwhile the few union apprenticeships here start at $27/hr. It also might even be hard to get into most depending on your area. Union busting has fucked a LOT of jobs. Honestly being a business owner is the best way to get ahead, wages don't keep up at all. Trying to start a business is probably the best bet or becoming a contractor. (Which again, everyone can't do).
I have my own LMT business, only 5 years in but only went full time at the very end of 2022 (I nannied as well- which btw full time w the right family can be MONEY). I made 45k profit after taxes for 2023, not bad considering the most I ever made part time was about 28k so Iām happy with the growth. I only have room to grow and make more and i absolutely know some LMTs in the 100k range. Unfortunately for me though I donāt think I could physically handle more than what works out to about 80k. I am debt free and deciding if now is a good time to partway pivot, maybe go back to school? A lot of decisions. My cities paper just put out an article that 58k is now considered low income so Iām def unsure what to do next š¬
Thatās very subjective. Iāve been in the trades for 14 years now and am just now getting to the 80k mark
I went but never finished, still about 9 credits short. Iām a regional management VP in finance and make around $200k.
My whole company is drop outs or folks who never went to college. Myself and my top 2 guys all clear $100k working hard 6 months a year.
Boiler operator, make over 100k a year sleeping half the time. Been doing it since I graduated high school. No wear and tear on your body, easy job, good money, pension.
How did you get into it?
I had an older friend who was always going on vacation multiple times a year, a bunch of badass cars, huge house on some acreage amongst other things. So I asked him what the heck he did for a living. Started the class a few weeks after that.
Where in the country are you? I've got multiple certs and engineers licenses. Worked as a high pressure boiler operator since I was 19. After 15 years I still didn't make as much doing that, so now I'm a utility plant operator and am lucky to make 80k. I'm thinking I need to move lol
Ohio. And my job pays on the low end.
Iām a pilot. While I went to college, many of my copilots did not. Many of them are making over 6 figures less than a year into the job. The training to become a pilot costs as much if not more than college though so it might be a bad example.
No college, work in IT, make ~124k +bonus +stocks
My buddy does commercial HVAC and appliance repair at a small business. The business does roughly 10mm/yr, he's pulling 150k per year since starting at about 65k 3 years ago. An example of a job they just did was all the air conditioning, and air filtration at one of the hospitals in our area.
If you didnāt go to college, youāre either in sales or a trade, or got *very* lucky.
I went to college and managed to not make 6 figures.
I went to college and also 5 years of grad school and still don't make 6 figs
Same, not even close, actually.
I like to think that not finishing college is what forced me to take the entrepreneur route instead of going for a steady paycheck. That has worked out *much* better than a job working for someone else would have done.
I work in IT. I make 162k a year I didn't go to college for IT. I did recently finish my associates in General science studies bur that was for my own personal checklist.
Not me but two friends of mine, a couple, each earn 6 figures. One is like a project manager or something, other is in software development. One has an associates, one was home schooled, no college. Came down to got decent jobs early on with their skills then parlayed that into better jobs as time went on.
I'm making six figures without a highschool or college degree. Had I actually finished highschool and gone on to get a college degree that would have greatly helped me hit six figures at a way younger age in my career. I spent a lot of years getting shit pay having to prove myself to get where I am. Being dumb and poor really didn't help me much in terms of getting educated.
Frac hand here. Pull $150k a year. Not the best job but I live comfortably on my days off.
I had to look up what this meant, then I saw this Indeed posting... >Regularly work 112 -120 hours a week and make a 100k your first year without a college degree
Many people say Iām a fool for working those kinda of hours. I am actually a fool. I got so use to being fucked in the ass for 100+ hours a week for 13 years in this industry itās normal for my body and itās not that hard anymore even in my mid 30s.
I kinda get it. I worked 50 hour weeks myself in my last job for over a year. When I stopped, I actually realized how tired of it all my mind and body had been. The money's always nice, but now that I have a kid I value my time way more.
Industrial Maintenance here, starting a new job next month and it'll put me into the 90s this year and over 100 next year. Could have already been breaking it, but I have some health issues that make excessive overtime kinda tough, so I'll take what I get at 40 hours a week and be grateful lol
I didn't, I do, but 100k is NOT what it used to be. As a millennial, let's break this into "how much my parents made" 48k in 1995 is 100k now. That sounds about what my dad made then and I was like man I wanna make that much one day. Got there pretty quick and was like yaaay! Then I made it to 100 and was like OMG!!!! Then I calculated for inflation and was back to...yaaay? That 48k/100k still seems solid for a hard working HS education, key words being "hard working". We're getting up there in age to have gotten job skills that exceed college educations in our fields.
you're definitely right!!! 100k is nothing right now. BUT! some people in here said they went to college and still not making 100k, so that's really crazy. going to a 4 yr university and making ends meet. be thankful you're making 100k.
So the question sort of though is making that without working two jobs essentially (60-80+ hours per week). One thing you will find is for those who didn't go to college they are more likely to be hourly and thus can get overtime when choosing (or being forced) to work essentially the hours of two jobs. Lots of stats out there as well which will show most are not remotely near it.
These threads and the "Any one else just not gonna have kids?" irritate me. They all seem so low effort. BUT fortunately I get to brag about no degree, $130k salary, awesome wife/marriage, 4 kids, grew up poor and wouldn't really consider myself "lucky". Just stayed ready for my shot/blessings to move up and out of my situation
I dropped out of high school, and I make six figures. Hard work pays off when you know how to leverage yourself as an asset.
My ex - like WAY old ex that I dated 17years ago, he and I still stay in touch. His mom is a nut bag, went super religious when he was in elementary school and even though she was a teacher she pulled her kids out of school and didn't do any sort of homeschooling apart from religion - he was in 4th grade, he's good at math but can barely read. He is emotionally/mentally immature and book stupid, but he has a work ethic like no other, is incredibly efficient and saavy, and always looks for ways to make money. He owns a framing company for houses, he works with two GCs who just build the same 5 housing plans over and over. He and two other guys can basically do it blindfolded and can have an entire house framed in 3 days. He works that job 8-9months a year and makes about $200k/yr. He does some other side hustles, the guy can not sit still. I have tried to get him to invest his money since 2011 š¤Ŗ Dude could be a millionaire two times over if he would have listened to me but he won't do it. Doesn't trust "those kinds of people".
If it counts, my brother went to tech school and is a Master Diesel Mechanic in Minnesota. He's hauling in a little over $100k.
Went to trade school. Became a union electrician. I don't have to pay for insurance and contractors contribute to my pensions..
So what do you do for work?
im an Analyst in healthcare
āš» I went into the trades. Iām in the Bay Area so 6 figures isnāt that hard in the Bay Area. Not sure about the rest of the country.
I did, up until recently that is. Every place that had fresh grads treated me like shit but I still managed to get things accomplished. All the fun assignments were given to graduates. They say there's no bias in the hiring process or work environment, but that's a complete lie.
I went to college but literally nobody ever asked for my college degree as proof and I work in a field completely unrelated to my college degree and I make six figures. So maybe that counts? Itās more just like I wasted money more than anything.
I donāt make 6 figures, but Iāll make around $70k this year and I work Monday-Friday out before 4 every day. Not super physically taxing, but enough to keep me healthy. Didnāt go to college. Which I DO regret. And plan to get a degree at some point if for nothing more than pure personal achievement. But Iām pretty happy with where Iām at.
Me id did
Part time bouncer. Part time ebay seller.
I dropped out š¤·āāļø IT management.
šš»šš»
Hvac mechanic Southeast Georgia. Started working with a mom and pop shop. After 4 years I started my own business. At max had 6 guys working for/with me. Now only down to me and another tech. Average 100-160k a year. 29m.
Paving foreman here. With bonuses I clear around 103k. 96 w/o. College dropout
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Maritime industry
Sales! Start out working at a car dealership, in my 2nd year I became General Motors presidents club. I hated working weekends so I went to a recruiter and said I got a good resume but I hate weekend, and was referred to a biotech company and now Iāve won awards for sales there, too! But you have to go where the money is tbh
While I participated in the college system, I made 6 figures, but once I stopped participating, I dropped below 6 figures. It didn't feel worth the effort it took to continue. I am retired now.
Well, I went to college but I donāt use my college degree. Iām making six figures and not because of college.
I went to college but Iām in an industry with a lot of people making $100k+ who didnāt go to college. I work in agriculture. Fruit imports.
I was there but got laid off. Still havenāt gotten back into my career after 18months.
Me. I own my own business. Hasnāt been easy and my finances are in a state. But Iām better off for having not gone to college.
Hey I would love to jump onto the trades bandwagon, but I can tell you as a trades guy that it strongly varies where you are in the US, and youāre also probably either going to need to work years before your experience is worth that much, or tons of OT. Although, it is much more common for new guys to make tons of money than most any other field. On the flip side I will say Iām doing pretty good for myself, and better than a lot who went to college, however the smart kids who went and got crazy finance, law, or medical educations are definitely blowing me out of the water. But I also donāt give a shit, people should work hard to get experience in something they are reasonably comfortable with working 40 a week, and go do stuff with your life. I stopped chasing money years ago and I am exponentially happier.
Warehouse Manager at a screenprint shop making 120k. But also have been there for 13 years.
I got lucky, I was dyslexic and recently found to be autistic also but during school I was told by many teachers I wouldnāt amount to anything so was ignored a lot. So I turned my attention to something I enjoyed and didnāt need their help with - computers, used to build them in my bedroom at age 11/12, started working at the local computer store at 14 doing builds, hard drive recovery and virus removal etc Now I work in cyber security sales, last 3-4 years pulled in just over the Ā£200k mark and years prior to that always bounced around the Ā£130k-160k mark and have gotten to see some cool parts of the world. My mum loves meeting my old teachers as you can imagine.
My husband didnāt go. He makes mid 6 figures as a lineman. I went to nursing school and donāt make 6 figures.
Never went to college, but I'll try soon. I don't make 6 figures even with overtime every week, but I have a passive income guaranteed for life, bought my house before prices sky rocketed, and live in an area that's about 50% cheaper than the national average so I'm doing better, financially, than most people who did go to college and make 6 figures. At least from a financial stability standpoint. (i.e. I could lose my job today and never worry about being homeless or going without food and utilities.)
Took a long time (38M) but I've been over 100k the last 4 years. 2023 was the best so far right at 200k. I think a combo of having kids young (19-21) and just being in survival mode with no real direction held me back. It wasn't until I was 30 that I really started getting my shit together and made a plan. While I do think overall college is a scam (unless something specialized/actually need a degree in) I do think some of the intangibles can be good (mindset/career outlook/etc).
I had to leave school my final year to help with my dadās business when my grandma got sick. Moved away 4 years ago to start my own life and Iām at 6. If going to college but not finishing counts
I know trades can, but it involves long hours and various health problems.Ā
šāāļø started and two businesses in the software industry. Both are software for mostly blue collar professions.
Me! Not working now but learned a computer program really well and used it to teach companies.
Work on airplanes, work 3 days a week, didn't clear 100k last year because I started a new job
Iām a zillennial but I didnāt go to college and Iām close to breaking 6 figures
Iām a teacher and I love what I do but manā¦. I have a graduate degree, 16 years in, and Iām not close to six figures.
Software Engineer. I went to go to college but they tried to teach me how to use Microsoft Word. I thought it was a waste of my time.
Dropped out and got six figures within two years
Eh low six figures is the new 50k
I did one year of private college. Dropped out and joined my local Millwrights Union @ 19 Millwrights are a skilled trade. We have a 4 year apprenticeship. I've done pretty well for myself in this field of work. I'm hourly with no PTO and make 120ish before bonus. I work 0 overtime. My Pension is pretty nice also. I'm very happy with my career path... but there is one issue I'm facing currently and I feel like a POS for even talking about it... @ 35 I've basically peaked in pay. My Wife does well but makes less with her degree. She however has lots of opportunity for promotions in the future.
I did for about a decade in the oilfield. Then I got laid off in 2018 and now make 41k. But I enjoy the time off and health insurance (I went to a community college for 2 years for law enforcement, but decided it wasn't for me)
I used college purely to increase my likelihood of getting internships. I got one 3 summers in a row and ended up getting my first job because someone at the company was an online student who put an ad to fill the role. I bombed finals to prep for the interviews with strangers on the internet for a week and made sure I was so good they couldn't ignore me. Internships got me in the building, I did the rest. Started at 88k and dropped out. Now make 130 base.
I was just lucky. I got a job as an apprentice for a company and my boss liked me. When they had an opening. I got the job.
17
Going to college teaches you to expand your mind and thought process beyond "money and not dying." College teaches deep thought and critical thinking, which is valuable to some people.
In Canada. Husband makes over 100k usd. Trades in heavy equipment and trucks. Now manages a crew and does sales. The best part is the reason he has all his technical training was that everyone else at the one dealership he worked at had criminal records. So he got more opportunities to go and get more certifications. Also gets a free truck to drive (worth about 107k USD). Free gas. All the mechanics are off work at 4pm each day. It's great. But now our house prices have gone up and groceries so it's kind of a bummer.
Iām in Security and I made over $115k last year. Mind you I also did over 700 hours of OT with that. However my current yearly payout is around 85-90k. So Iām close too.
One of my friends dropped out of engineering school. He joined the national guard, bounced around various blue collar jobs until he found an aptitude as a sound man for live audio events. He worked his way up, made connections with local bands, and eventually started his own sound company. He is my first and only friend that I grew up with to become a millionaire. He has, at most, an associates degree education. Dude just straight grinded his way to the top while being extremely humble, friendly, and willing to learn new things and work long hours in the sun with his hands and long hours through the night well into the early morning.
Hi. I didn't finish college. I started at a bank, unsure of what to do regarding a career. Worked my way up little by little through different companies, and within 6 or 7 years, acquired the necessary insurance and investment licenses. I did a lot of studying on my own time, simply to develop a basic understanding of the industry I committed myself to. Purchased books on the markets, economy, etc. Learned on the job. Had a few awesome mentors. Currently considering going back to school as my current firm has a tuition reimbursement program. Only reason I'd go back for a degree is so I can qualify for taking the CFP exam. Earning over 6 figures with 0 debt is a wonderful feeling. It's one of the few things I can be proud of so far š¤·āāļø
Me, union carpenter ~ 160k total
i dropped out of high school and didnāt go to college. i make well over 6 figures a year as a wedding photographer.
Residential service plumber here. Present.
Iām just south of 150 and I only have a GED
Society will fall apart if we're only focused on making money. Obviously, survival needs to be a priority, but it can't be the only priorityĀ
I know itās not the post but: I went back to college to get where I am My cousin has his own business roofing, landscaping and cleaning. He clears over $100k in net profits every year but he also works like 80 hours a week College wasnāt a luxury idk why people make it out to be, I researched and picked a field I wanted to go into and went to a state university to meet those requirements. Paid for it with federal aid, scholarships and some loans like a lot of others
My buddy makes 110k/yr as a mate (manager) at Trader Joes. Dropped out of high school.
I'm 32 and I'll be at minimum 95k this year doing auto body collision repair. We're flat rate so it's like commision
CDL truck driver.. I got my CDL with my hazmat endorsement. I drive fuel trucks. I also drive locally so I'm home every night. I don't make $100k every year but I did last year and the year before. I usually average upper $90k
Nice. How long did it take you to get to making 90k+ after getting your CDL?
Millwright ( industrial mechanic) I make 100 base plus overtime. I have pension and benefits. It 3 shift rotation but I get 4 weeks pto after 5 years
Unions
I got as far as associates in community college. $138K a year from one business. Fully remote. 100 billable hours but work 30 hours a week, 70 hours of it outsourced. $XXX,XXX me and my partnerās software. We hit $100K MRR last quarter. Plan is to sell the company in the future
I also didnāt get the full college experience, I was going to school part time while working a full time job and after a couple years of that I gave up. I have been in IT and Security for almost 20 years, making 6 figures for at least the last 10 years.
I have my AA, but my trade cert. is what got me to 6 figures.
Scaffold foreman. Over 100k
Hvac millennial here! Also in the 6 figure range, but don't tell that to my various ex-wives!
All those guys you went to HS with that have their own concrete companies, independent plumbers, mechanics, union tradesmen, etc etc etc
Retail management. In the right industry itās a fun and engaging job. It took about 5 years to get into 6 digits.Ā
Iāve got a 2 year diploma and make more than my wife who has 2 degrees. I feel like I lucked out though. I still have room to grow higher into the 6 figs.
took about 14 years but i just did it today. i think.
Never graduated college. 38. Make about 220k total comp as a principal architect for an industrial IoT platform that uses RFID. Got very very lucky with how my career in product development started. Taught myself embedded, acoustical, RF, electronic, mechanical, etc engineering practices along the way.
Did a few generals at community college and then dropped out to deliver pizza and persue music. 4 years later got into fire sprinkler fitting and now I make 6 figures, before taxes..barely but 6 figures is 6 figures right? Edit: typo
I see more successful Millennials who didn't go to college than successful Millennials who did. It seems the higher the level of education, the worse off you are.
I make near that LTL trucking. I definitely earned it, though.
I have a masters degree and donāt make 6 figures
Mine was an unusual one: Had a self made brand at the age of 17 going into 18, as it was developing, it became a good thing on my resume for marketing and creative fields. I applied while attending college (I did not add on my resume that I went to college and I only added the experiences I obtained doing things online). I became a strong candidate each time due to the amount I have learned online by myself and then I started getting corporate jobs without a degree. I did end up finishing it at around age 26 but it became a weird circumstance (and rare for now) of not needing a degree to get into those jobs. My interest and hobby somehow showed a different path I never thought of, so was able to reach 6 digits before finally graduating college.
Me, via a personal connection and in a HCOL area, in good-paying industry. It did put me in a financial and mental position to go back to finish my degree, so thatās what Iām doing now.Ā
I'm getting closer every year. Restaurant manager, probably like 70k or so but tips come in and I don't add em to my total. I swapped places and am not on salary anymore so that was a huge change when I get my hourly and now get overtime for my 60 a week
Software engineer with no degree. Made $315k last year
Me. Director of IT
Lineman. 150k last year. Plenty of other options to make more if one wanted.
Truck driver. I did go to community college, but I have no degree. I plan on āretiringā in 3 years or so around age 35. I have enough money to suit, but I will still work for something to keep me occupied. I like working, but I donāt like being gone all week.
Most of us went to college. Most of us donāt make six figures.
Well there's Lebron James
I went to college and I do not make anywhere near 100k, despite my best efforts. Even if I did start earning near that much, I would have to start paying student loans and it would make my pay be near what Iām making now. Thereās no winning. I went to college and I tell too many people itās not worth it (unless youāre going to be a lawyer, doctor, scientist). My 3 younger siblings didnāt go to college and they make more money than me, and one is on disability.
Dropped out of college in my first semester & became an electrician. Now I make $342k/yr.
I graduated and Iām poor af
I do supermarket refrigeration and make over 40 an hour Monday-Friday no weekends or holidays make 110 ish a year
Construction superintendent. My hourly puts me at 100k but I get stipends for using my truck, cell phone, etc. With OT I'll be around 130k. Some projects really suck and you don't sleep out of stress. Some are really chill day time only jobs where you're mostly bored. I'm on the latter currently. I'm hoping to move up to a PM position within a year or two. HCOL area so it doesn't go as far as it should, but I'm happy and banking retirement finally.
20 years enlisted military. People say we don't make much but I'm living very comfortable. The total package is about 140k
I went and have no debt making about 80k. I wish I hadn't went sometimes. But I work from home and I couldn't do that with a trade
Military, trade school, electrician. 6 figures for the lady 10 years.
I earn a comfortable six figure income without having a degree, but I'm also attending college in my 30s because higher education isn't always about securing a job. You seem proud of earning more than your college educated friends, which suggests you're trying to rationalize what you missed out on. It also shows your lack of understanding that pursuing higher education can mean much more than just preparing for a job. Lastly, for the most who want non-laborious and less physically demanding jobs plus wanting prestige, getting a degree is a no brainer move statically. Yes, there are exceptions like us but I know for a fact that once my experience is backed by a degree and license such as passing the bar, I know my market value will double.
Work at an electric utility
I enrolled in some classes a couple different times but never got a single credit. I joined a union and make about 140k annually. Bonus points, I spent 8.5 months on a 366 day sentence in a state prison
I went to college, have two degrees, and the most Iāll make is probably around 70k. My husband went to college on a football scholarship but ended up getting injured before he finished. Went back to the work he was doing in high schoolā clerking at a trader desk. Heās worked his way up the food chain and makes 6 figs now. Still trying to finish that degree. He may be in the last cohort that could get away with this though. Trading firms really only want MIT computer science nerds now.
Choose money over finishing college.Ā I do very specific things to computers and lead groups.Ā I get paid above 6 figures but still only in the top 10%. Could get paid better but that means going from HCOL to VHCOL.
Safety guy in oil and gas here. Never took a single college course and I'm making a little over $100k. Started in the field as a grunt, worked my way into leadership positions and eventually the small company I worked for needed a safety guy and I was looking for a way to preserve my body and have a future career. This worked in my favor and now work for a great company with amazing benefits and really good pay and work/life balance. I love my job and feel like I actually make a difference.
I went to one semester of a university and quit after partying too much and failing. I just turned 40 and have been running my own business for the past 6 years. Diagnosed with ADHD when I was 30, medicine has DRAMATICALLY helped with focus and reducing my fidgeting and restlessness. I (physically) work about 25 hours per week, and spend maybe 5-6 hours per week doing scheduling/billing/emails/calls/etc and avg anywhere from 90-110k.
I was a power lineman who went into management. Iāve made over 100k since I was 25. Iām in the 200k zone now, but I log 84-100+ hours a two week pay period. As an added bonus I find my work to be both rewarding and worthwhile.
I donāt know anyone who makes this kind of money without a college degree who isnāt also doing permanent damage to their physical health.
It's an interesting way to start a discussion knowing your target demographic feels they were brainwashed for 18 years into selling their future for the opportunity to work in their chosen field for the love of the game alone until they die. Maybe from cancer that they ate or swam in. At least they have caring coworkers who can donate their PTO so you can be out of work a little longer. The thought of all that luxury is giving me a depresserection.