Trades & Salaries

pipe fitters are making really big bucks these days. lots of overtime. projects all over the midwest on ethanol plants

Not to offend my plumbing friends, any of the others are cleaner jobs especially if you chew your fingernails. :)

Any salary is dependent upon the Cost of Living where the job is located. There is a world of difference between salaries in Pigsnout,Arkansas and Boston or NYC.

So true but relative to each other, aren't they about the same?

unless we are talking union wages, it really doesn't make much difference. check out

oops.. try this one

...and ya gotta know yer s*it to be a Master Plumber...

Besides just the money, as you can make a good living at any of the above if you learn your skill and do a good honest job, think of each of them, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and then imagine doing this for the next 20-30-40 years. Would it be challenging enough for you to stay interested and at the top of the game? Would you want to go further than just being a laboring kind of person, or learn it atan engineering level? There can be so much more to it than just which one makes a buck or two more per hour...

I'm thinking about learning a trade, Plumbing, Steamfitter, Air

Plumbing is fairly easy to learn but you can't be afraid to get s*it on your hands. Steamfitting is harder because you have to weld in all positions and pass a test to prove it. Many times you have to pass a test on every job. Welding 8 hours per day is boring. Around here, most places do air conditioning and refrigeration so I would say this is one trade. It's not too hard to learn and cleaner than plumbing. Being an Electrician covers a lot of ground. Wiring a house is simple. Getting into 3 phase electric is tougher. High voltage is much more precise work. Working on Circuit boards is specialized work. Plumbing and electrical work can generate the most handyman type jobs around the neighborhood. (for some extra money)