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Posted on 12/28/25 at 6:36 am to Pondyrosa
quote:
HARD physical work
Can confirm. My son’s house just had a blockage in his main with a tree root. Digging down to and along the main until we got to the right place and then replacing and filing the whole in wore this old man and him out.
We should have rented a mini excavator and it would have been easy.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 6:37 am to Pondyrosa
quote:
Pondyrosa
Posted on 12/28/25 at 6:38 am to Pondyrosa
I dropped out of school and started as a pipefitter helper and worked my way up a bit. I was only out of school for one semester before I went back because I knew I didnt want to do that BS for the rest of my life.
I went to BRCC at night and was able to finish a CM associates in 2 semesters since I had a lot of credit hours already. Got an entry level office job and finished my bachelor's online. Best thing I ever did was getting out of the field.
I went to BRCC at night and was able to finish a CM associates in 2 semesters since I had a lot of credit hours already. Got an entry level office job and finished my bachelor's online. Best thing I ever did was getting out of the field.
This post was edited on 12/28/25 at 6:49 am
Posted on 12/28/25 at 6:59 am to AtticusOSullivan
quote:
How many "office workers" do plumbers rub shoulders with on an average work day? Just curious.
The plumbers I know spend more time with office workers wives putting in that Jody work if you get my meaning.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 7:05 am to Pondyrosa
It is very hard work. Anyone who has never worked with their hands always glamorizes it in their mind
Posted on 12/28/25 at 7:06 am to Pondyrosa
I went to both college and apprenticeship school. Became a licensed plumber while in college and did both plumbing and pipe fitting.
In those 11 years in the field (7 years in a union) I vested a pension with almost $800/mo and had full insurance those 7 years.
I work from helper, to apprentice, to journeyman, to foreman, to superintendent in those 11 years. There were definitely physically demanding days. Weather extremes sucked (lots rough-ins) also lots of OT opportunities. And little stress compared to the project managing I spent most of my life doing.
There were some years that the men on my jobs made more then me due to the OT they were working (6-10s).
I can tell you there are two kinds of tired. Physically tired from a demanding work day and mentally tired from a fast paced high pressure work day.
Not everyone is cut out for manual work. Had my share of helpers/apprentices that just didn’t know how to work or even properly use tools. While others who picked up quickly and that you could give a task on their own to do.
And there are some who are just not cut out for office work. Have seen guys brought in from the field to be estimators or PMs that hated it. Being in the same place everyday drove them nuts.
In those 11 years in the field (7 years in a union) I vested a pension with almost $800/mo and had full insurance those 7 years.
I work from helper, to apprentice, to journeyman, to foreman, to superintendent in those 11 years. There were definitely physically demanding days. Weather extremes sucked (lots rough-ins) also lots of OT opportunities. And little stress compared to the project managing I spent most of my life doing.
There were some years that the men on my jobs made more then me due to the OT they were working (6-10s).
I can tell you there are two kinds of tired. Physically tired from a demanding work day and mentally tired from a fast paced high pressure work day.
Not everyone is cut out for manual work. Had my share of helpers/apprentices that just didn’t know how to work or even properly use tools. While others who picked up quickly and that you could give a task on their own to do.
And there are some who are just not cut out for office work. Have seen guys brought in from the field to be estimators or PMs that hated it. Being in the same place everyday drove them nuts.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 7:19 am to Pondyrosa
Everyone wants kids to go into a trade now, except their own kids.
I worked in pipe fab shops and turn arounds before I went to college. Yes, you can make good money early, but it is hell on your body.
If a kid doesn't show that they enjoy high school college prep work, then yes, maybe a trade would be a better route. But most will be in for a rude awakening of tough work that they probably never had to do before.
I worked in pipe fab shops and turn arounds before I went to college. Yes, you can make good money early, but it is hell on your body.
If a kid doesn't show that they enjoy high school college prep work, then yes, maybe a trade would be a better route. But most will be in for a rude awakening of tough work that they probably never had to do before.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 7:53 am to Pondyrosa
I worked in IT for over a decade. I have now applied to over 5000 jobs, in an attempt to get off the help desk/desktop support.
Received few interviews. Last one I was on, they told me my company was holding me back because they dont grant me access to the firewall, an SCCM, etc.
Received few interviews. Last one I was on, they told me my company was holding me back because they dont grant me access to the firewall, an SCCM, etc.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 7:57 am to Pondyrosa
quote:
Zero benefits, no retirement no health insurance
Work for a better company. It was a few years ago I realized that you get filthy rich in the trades, not by being a tradie forever, but getting your own shingle, and running a company of tradies. Loans from FedGov to buy an existing business seem to be plenty easy to come by.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:10 am to notiger1997
quote:
I see people always mentioning they want to go be a welder
Bunch a pre madonnas
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:16 am to Pondyrosa
I suppose I’d fall into your office worker category.
I wasn’t a plumber, but I worked manual labor jobs before going back to school.
There’s no way I would ever go back to that life. You deal with too much shite. Too many assholes pissed off at the world. Too much exhausting work. Too many people looking down on you. Did it from age 19 to 28. 9 years. It’s shite work.
I wasn’t a plumber, but I worked manual labor jobs before going back to school.
There’s no way I would ever go back to that life. You deal with too much shite. Too many assholes pissed off at the world. Too much exhausting work. Too many people looking down on you. Did it from age 19 to 28. 9 years. It’s shite work.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:19 am to Pondyrosa
I know lots of auto mechanics, from light car & trucks, to mechanics who work on 18 wheelers, to heavy equipment mechanics.
Most are worn out by the time they hit their 50s
.
Yes, they make good money, but they usually cannot enjoy the fruits of their labor in their retirement years.
We have a huge shortage of quality, competent auto mechanics right now and its only getting worse.
Most are worn out by the time they hit their 50s
.
Yes, they make good money, but they usually cannot enjoy the fruits of their labor in their retirement years.
We have a huge shortage of quality, competent auto mechanics right now and its only getting worse.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:21 am to Pondyrosa
quote:No plumbers anywhere have benefits?
Zero benefits, no retirement no health insurance, nothing.
Or do you work for a poorly-run company?
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:24 am to FLTech
quote:
This is the most idiotic thing I have heard in a while - you are full of shite. I don't know many painting, glass, windows, general contracting, HVAC, roofers, electrical, plumbing, etc getting bought out by anyone and I have been in this entire industry for over 30 years
Yeah I'm completely making this up. It depends where you live moron. Come out here to Denver, there's a company called Apex buying up every plumbing company willing to sell.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:25 am to tigerinthebueche
quote:
Every plumber I see has a shovel in his truck. frick a shovel.
I worked on a rice farm one summer as a teenager and got way too much time on the business end of a shovel. Never again.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:25 am to Abraham H Parnassis
quote:
No plumbers anywhere have benefits?
Some do, most don't. If they do have benefits they are usually really crappy.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:30 am to mytigger
quote:
pre madonnas
Please tell me that this was intentional.
Posted on 12/28/25 at 8:31 am to samson73103
quote:
worked on a rice farm one summer as a teenager and got way too much time on the business end of a shovel. Never again.
I grew up working on my grandfather's rice farm. He kept his shovel razor sharp and not for cutting levees. He was a snake assassin woth that thing.
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