Reply to Mike Rowe trashes college degrees, says Harvard grads are taking their 'degrees off the wall'

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I read an interesting article about how the welder making 100k is largely a myth. that's something like the top 5% of all welders.

I think trades are great, but wish we gave kids greater transparency.  Ditto humanities majors, ditto design majors, ditto CS majors.[/quote]

Trades are great, and yes some can make excellent money.  But the majority are not.  While you might pay your plumber $150/hour from the momement they leave their previous job until they are done at your home, the guy doing the work is most likely NOT getting $150/hr.  They are getting $30-40 (unless it is a very small local company or you live in a VHCOL area).  Also keep in mind, that most trade jobs are very hard on your body---cannot imagine wanting to do those jobs at 45+.  So what do you do when your body no longer allows you to work 8+ hours in the trade?  
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Hourly rate for trades tends to be pretty good, but most people in the trades do not get paid holidays, paid vacation, paid sick, or paid parental leave.  And often can't work if the weather is bad (e.g., its raining or snowing or too hot).  So they need to make substantially more to cover themselves for those days.  One reason why the trades has historically been a good field is that it's pretty easy to eventually become your own boss (which solves some of the "aging body" problem), but then of course you also have things like insurance and bonding costs.  And many trades people can't work year-round.  A lot of the trades are heavily seasonal, so you need a second gig to carry you through the slow season, or to make enough money in the busy season to carry you through.  [/quote]

There are of course many trades outside of plumber, electrician, contractor, landscaper that is seasonal.  Certainly, welders, pipe fitters, mechanics, also electricians have lots of opportunities with companies where you might be paid hourly, but you are employed throughout the year.[/quote]

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