[cthermond]

There's not much appreciation for journeymen here in Southern California. The average pay for a non-union well a rounded journayman is about 23.00hr with marginal benefits if any. when I moved to Los Angeles in 1985 the union pay was at least 25.00hr with good benefits. Would you encourage your children to enter this trade, especially since construction got hit the hardest during the recession?

 

[360max]

There's not much appreciation for journeymen here in Southern California. The average pay for a non-union well a rounded journayman is about 23.00hr with marginal benefits if any. when I moved to Los Angeles in 1985 the union pay was at least 25.00hr with good benefits. Would you encourage your children to enter this trade, especially since construction got hit the hardest during the recession?

why do you continue to undervalue yourself, your below the union rate of 1985, and only making your boss put more of your money in his pockets

 

[brian john]

My kids all went to college after graduating not one makes what a union electrician makes after a 5 year apprenticeship. They will, one day I HOPE

 

[Bkessler]

There's not much appreciation for journeymen here in Southern California. The average pay for a non-union well a rounded journayman is about 23.00hr with marginal benefits if any. when I moved to Los Angeles in 1985 the union pay was at least 25.00hr with good benefits. Would you encourage your children to enter this trade, especially since construction got hit the hardest during the recession?

What...a jman in Cali who makes less than $30 must be a horrible electrician. Where do you come up $23? I can see if your a schmuch whom looks like a schmuck, acts like a schmuck, does schmuck work you'll get what you deserve which is schmuck pay. Can you pass a drug test? How many tattoos do you have on your face?

 

[dronai]

There's not much appreciation for journeymen here in Southern California. The average pay for a non-union well a rounded journayman is about 23.00hr with marginal benefits if any. when I moved to Los Angeles in 1985 the union pay was at least 25.00hr with good benefits. Would you encourage your children to enter this trade, especially since construction got hit the hardest during the recession?

We live in an overcrowded state with more labor crossing the borders every day. "A surplus" of labor = lower wages.

 

[Bkessler]

We live in an overcrowded state with more labor crossing the borders every day. "A surplus" of labor = lower wages.

. Yeah but $23......

 

[rewire]

Our kids will be lucky to find a job

 

[dronai]

. Yeah but $23......

Your in a good job, I've been checking around lately, and he is right.

 

[Big John]

Tough to say. If I had a kid who was pretty clearly not interested in college, I wouldn't push him towards it, but I'd definitely push him towards towards dedicated goals in a trade or craft, with very realistic explanations of what that meant for work and pay.

Because while I may not put much stock in a college degree, unfortunately the business world does, and lacking one only narrows the window of potential employers.

The best of both worlds is someone who has a degree and a trade skill under their belt, but that's asking a lot.

 

[Bkessler]

Your in a good job, I've been checking around lately, and he is right.

I know everyone can't do work like me but I was making $30 here before I got into my current position. And that was 9 years ago.

 

[rewire]

Tough to say. If I had a kid who was pretty clearly not interested in college, I wouldn't push him towards it, but I'd definitely push him towards towards dedicated goals in a trade or craft, with very realistic explanations of what that meant for work and pay.

Because while I may not put much stock in a college degree, unfortunately the business world does, and lacking one only narrows the window of potential employers.

The best of both worlds is someone who has a degree and a trade skill under their belt, but that's asking a lot.

a nearby trade school has a two year program that graduates with an associate degree in applied science.

 

[macmikeman]

Move to where the food is !!!!!!!

 

[SVT CAMR]

The avg non union pay here is 20-25 an hour with lil benefits. Good service jobs will pay up to 35 but they are far and few in-between.

No my kids will never be in this trade or any other. (I hope) They will do what Brian's kids did and go from there.

 

[MTW]

In CA, you're competing with a sea of illegal aliens working for cash. I would bet your only chance of making good company is working for a large EC.

 

[dronai]

I know everyone can't do work like me but I was making $30 here before I got into my current position. And that was 9 years ago.

Even though you are similar to Robroy in your skills, I too was making that. But I was just working with a lot of guys out of a temp agency, and they were at $25/hr tops. Just takes the right company, and prove yourself to advance.

 

[Bkessler]

Even though you are similar to Robroy in your skills, I too was making that. But I was just working with a lot of guys out of a temp agency, and they were at $25/hr tops. Just takes the right company, and prove yourself to advance.

. That's flattering but robroy is at least twice as smart as means three times the skill level. I just don't understand settling at such a low rate. It's seems like if you work hard and give 8 hour everyday know enough code to get to get through a typical day you should be able to pull in $30+. But I will say my company pays us crap when were not in PW projects. Which for me has been maybe a months worth of work split up over 6 non consecutive years. I made $25 in 2001 mostly wiring houses as a licensed jman in Michigan. With two weeks vacation and 5 sick days.

 

[butcher733]

We live in an overcrowded state with more labor crossing the borders every day. "A surplus" of labor = lower wages.

What about the skilled trade shortage the news is always blabbering about?

 

[mdfriday]

Tough to say. If I had a kid who was pretty clearly not interested in college, I wouldn't push him towards it, but I'd definitely push him towards towards dedicated goals in a trade or craft, with very realistic explanations of what that meant for work and pay.

Because while I may not put much stock in a college degree, unfortunately the business world does, and lacking one only narrows the window of potential employers.

The best of both worlds is someone who has a degree and a trade skill under their belt, but that's asking a lot.

That's me.

(I feel like the 3.5 years it took to get my bachelor's was a waste.....If I could go back, I would have entered this trade earlier and focused on continued learning of specialties....PLC, MFR specific training and certs, etc...)

But, my career is not over yet, so, it is really hard to say it IS a waste to get a degree.

 

[mdfriday]

In CA, you're competing with a sea of illegal aliens working for cash. I would bet your only chance of making good company is working for a large EC.

Or service. The in-between is difficult.

Low-end resi remodel and housing is too cut-throat

 

[hardworkingstiff]

My kids all went to college after graduating not one makes what a union electrician makes after a 5 year apprenticeship. They will, one day I HOPE

While college opens more doors and better jobs, IMO, the pay you receive is more tied to your drive and work ethic, plus your willingness to leave a low paying job for a better paying job.

As an EC, during the good years I was making more than the average GP (general practitioner doctor) and I'm pretty sure a lot of people on this board did/are.

There are a lot of college grads managing restaurants.