re: OT youngins: Learn a trade

LOL. I went to college to get a degree so I can think with my head, not break my back in some awkward position running pipe.

Funny thing was...as soon as I graduated from college, what was I doing...but climbing in a pipe rack in Lake Charles, La as a pipefitter....

Now nearly working as an engineer for 20 years for NASA...I'm glad I had those blue collar days to appreciate what I have now.

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I would hope those with more professional responsibility and education get paid more. That's obviously not always true.

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white collar does not equal "more professional responsibility"

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It should always be the case. When was the last time an accountant changed a 440V fuse, risking his/her life?

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I can't speak for most accountants, but do you think the hypothetical electrician has more responsibility or education than the hypothetical accountant?

Even then most electricians make more than a lot of accountants without the education costs. I think that has more to do with a skewed market than a normalized one though. No one wants to be in trades anymore, even though it's often more lucrative.

Plumbers have it made

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Are you arguing that the lack of trades people drives earning potential?

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Yes, for some trades in some parts of the country. It's purely a function of supply and demand.

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White collar jobs, though having spent more on education may not pay as well as a blue-collar job because more people want the white collar job comfort than to actually work in a physically demanding job

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That's true.

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A good plumbing contractor can wipe his arse with most bachelor degrees

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As he should. That's literally shitty work that no one wants to do. It's hard work and demanding.

Some plumbers make great money. The nicest home in my neighborhood is owned by a residential plumbing contractor. The work isn't easy of course but it can pay dicidends. There are a lot of kids wasting money in college earning a professional degree that simply doesn't work out as they might have hoped. Just saying.

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What about the attorney who defends the innocent criminal? Or the Prosecutor seeking to get justice for the slain victim's family members? Or the doctor performing a basic, routine exam searching for any suspicious lumps or masses? Or the ER doc's work on someone going into cardiac arrest?

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You make a good point. I'd argue that legal/medical fields are highly trained individuals and are deserving of high wages because of the specialized training.I guess I was arguing more about general, white collar jobs, where I believe 70% of reasonably functioning adults could be trained to do the same job that a 20-something, college grad studied to do for 4 years. For most fresh out of college employees, there's still a great difference in what was learned through study and what applies in the field.

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I'd argue that legal/medical fields are highly trained individuals and are deserving of high wages because of the specialized training.

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And what about my original the structural engineers that design the buildings that the ironworkers build? I have a hard time believing you could teach someone everything they need to do in less than the time it takes for a 4 year+ degree. That was my original point.