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re: What are the best trades to get into today?
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:06 am to burger bearcat
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:06 am to burger bearcat
Plumbing is good because is so varied. You can choose to only do new construction, only do drain work. Only do upgrades, only do repairs, only do installs. Or do it all.
Hvac is good because you get your service fee. Bill a dollar or a buck and a half a minute for labor. Mark up parts 300% and 50-100% on major equipment. It's good pay.
The level 1 hvac license is an open book test too.
Though pest control is likely the easiest trade. You charge for termite contracts. Get clients, come by and spray for 30 minutes every once in a while. Don't even deal with rodents.
Though it's nasty with all the German cockroaches in Nola.
Hvac is good because you get your service fee. Bill a dollar or a buck and a half a minute for labor. Mark up parts 300% and 50-100% on major equipment. It's good pay.
The level 1 hvac license is an open book test too.
Though pest control is likely the easiest trade. You charge for termite contracts. Get clients, come by and spray for 30 minutes every once in a while. Don't even deal with rodents.
Though it's nasty with all the German cockroaches in Nola.
1
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:06 am to burger bearcat
Up here (MA/CT/RI)the best no-experience jobs are with Electric Boat etc( government contractor) floor sweepers start at $21/hr I think lol. You get into trades(they train you as well) you’re looking at 6-figures + matching retirement(pensions went way of the Dodo).
This post was edited on 12/29/22 at 8:08 am
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:10 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
quote:
The answer has always been instrumentation
With any of those trades, the key is working your way into management or business ownership.
Welding - Nomex in the summer
HVAC - Attics in the summer
Has he looked into the railroad industry? $$$$
This post was edited on 12/29/22 at 8:11 am
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:10 am to burger bearcat
My dad is a retired electrician that owned his own business.
I’m an absolute dumbass for not taking over that business with 3 contractors already lined up to subcontract out to me, along with tons of repeat customers, and instead going to college for 5 years to go the CPA route.
Electrician or HVAC gets my vote.
I’m an absolute dumbass for not taking over that business with 3 contractors already lined up to subcontract out to me, along with tons of repeat customers, and instead going to college for 5 years to go the CPA route.
Electrician or HVAC gets my vote.
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:12 am to BabyTac
quote:
diesel mechanic
My BIL got his AA and makes a killing working offshore. It’s not for everybody but his wife is a bit annoying so he gets 2 weeks of peace at work a month.
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:14 am to Warfox
You don’t want to be a tradesman your whole life, you want to own a trades company.
Pretty sure hvac is the easiest to get into as far as training.
I think mechanic is likely underrated too, but the problem with mechanic is it’s not cheap to own your own business as far as starting out.
Honestly the ‘best’ really shouldn’t matter imo. Have him consider what he enjoys the most. He should be able to earn $75k after Ot in any of those once he gets his education and training done. From there the sky is the limit. There’s a lot of guys making $500k a year with small trades companies.
Pretty sure hvac is the easiest to get into as far as training.
I think mechanic is likely underrated too, but the problem with mechanic is it’s not cheap to own your own business as far as starting out.
Honestly the ‘best’ really shouldn’t matter imo. Have him consider what he enjoys the most. He should be able to earn $75k after Ot in any of those once he gets his education and training done. From there the sky is the limit. There’s a lot of guys making $500k a year with small trades companies.
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:20 am to burger bearcat
Wives, upside down pineapples.......even trade, wife for wife. 
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:24 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
Instrumentation is the move
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:24 am to Tyga Woods
quote:
Why are you trying to convince someone to do something you’re unsure about?
Exactly what I thought.
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:26 am to texasmason
This post was edited on 1/6/23 at 10:19 pm
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:27 am to burger bearcat
quote:yeah you should step in. I’m sure you know him best after Christmas Eve
but his parents seem hell-bent on him going to college, which for him seems like a square peg in a round hole. School and academic pursuits are not his strength.
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:28 am to burger bearcat
Plumbers and hvac guys have a license to steal. No way you’re not gonna pay when you need them.
I’ll throw in diesel mechanic too
I’ll throw in diesel mechanic too
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:29 am to mtntiger
(no message)
This post was edited on 1/6/23 at 10:19 pm
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:33 am to CleverUserName
quote:I have a son insisting he wants an active outdoors career. One idea I proposed is getting a BA degree then trade school. Get a job with a good outfit thrn I will bankroll him to go out on his own after 3-5 years of work.
Electrician or HVAC gets my vote.
Makes him 30 as a business owner and plenty of room to grow income
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:35 am to Gabapentin
quote:this.
except I was a carpenter for years and it can get slow/layoffs during housing crisis times like right now.
You are going to need HVAC, plumbing or electrician all the time. Carpenter not so much.
I would love to have a skill, I can barely do the basics
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:36 am to DownshiftAndFloorIt
(no message)
This post was edited on 1/6/23 at 9:51 pm
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:46 am to burger bearcat
I use power washing and parking lot striping subs pretty regularly and both cleared $250k from me alone this year. Both crews consist of former employees and their sons. Seems like a solid gig if you are willing to work your arse off.
I say these because they are relatively easy trades, but do require some skill and experience to become quality, and the cost of entry isn’t totally insane.
I say these because they are relatively easy trades, but do require some skill and experience to become quality, and the cost of entry isn’t totally insane.
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:54 am to burger bearcat
Any highly skilled trade job will make you at least solid money or better. They key here is skilled and certified. Lots of guys out there working construction for shite wages ( and paid under the table) because they have no formal training or certs. You’ve gotta go through vocational schools, formal apprenticeships and journeyman programs so that it’s all documented. All its still way cheaper than college.
Posted on 12/29/22 at 8:55 am to burger bearcat
Plumbing/Electric/HVAC/Roofing/General Contractor but the trick is open your own business. Sure you'll make money working at a company in these trades...but the real money is when you have people working for you and you're making a profit on each hour/job they complete.
Posted on 12/29/22 at 9:02 am to Kadjin
quote:
My son is in welding school. There’s already people coming in to look at their welds and talk to the instructor.
Which school if you don't mind disclosing? My son is looking at doing the same. There's one in Walker (AWS) that appears to be very hands-on, with lots of prospective employers.
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