Posted on 10/16/2008 8:53:21 AM PDT by reaganaut1
How much can a good, hard-working plumber earn in a year? I have no idea. Maybe some Freepers do.
What are some other unglamorous jobs, that don't require a college degree, that pay well?
“Yeah, but that hourly rate charged by the plumber’s company is not what the plumber gets - far from it! That rate covers taxes, rent/mortgage, equipment purchase/replacement, support office staff wages, etc. The plumber might make $30 out of that $65-$85, if that much!”
You are so right, the biggest reason that new plumbing businesses fail is when someone thinks that they can charge double or a little more, of their own personal pay rate from their last employer (where he is usually the top plumber)and still undercut the rest of the plumbing companies and rake in all of the profits.
They soon find out what an incredibly expensive business it is, those guys always end up back in the employment line.
“Most plumbers I know work more than 8 hours a day so it would probably be more than that.””
“To give you a specific number - 2.”
So what is “most” of two?
“Have a nice day.
I’m through with your aimless questions when you will not even answer specific questions.”
That’s OK, I’ll just go back to running my plumbing business that I have owned for the last 12 years.
Yeh, OK, whatever.
I posted elsewhere an old joke: You only need to know three things to be a plumber:
1. Sh#t won’t run uphill.
2. Don’t bite your fingernails.
3. Payday is Friday........
This from a retired plumber.....a retired GOVERNMENT plumber.
My neighbor was a union pipefitter. Owned a $500,000 home, bought a new sports car every couple of years. He is a great guy, very kind and generous.
however, both those counties only take academy classes once every 4-5 years or so. and their class size is about 40-50 cops. thousands take each test.
the NYPD hires at least 2,500 new cops every year. so, you can imagine what department is more realistic for the average person.
Software engineers typically go through an interview process and get hired on the merit of their programming and computer science knowledge, not degree. I know programmers that work for Google on high school degrees.
OTOH, I don’t think I have ever accepted a PhD in computer science; they always flunk the questions for some reason.
Degrees do make it easier to get the initial phone contact, though.
Cleaning pays well. I know ladies that make more than $100 a day to clean houses, and the real ambitious ones make more. I knew one that made enough as a single parent to send her two sons to private schools and then to college. You can also start a janitorial business to clean houses after construction or to clean commercial buildings. Industrial cleaning or janitorial pays well too- if done as a business, self employed contract work. Cleaning jobs as hourly or salary work doesn’t pay much but as a business it can do well.
I was thinking of the recent starting salaries of $25,000. for the NYPD. I know they just went up but I don’t know by how much.
nassau begins around $18,000 in the academy.
Obviously, you have never worked with the union electricians at the McCormick Convention Center in Chicago. ;~))
Self-employed appliance repair people do well, I’ve known a couple- the guy/gal that can come fix your disposal, dishwasher, fridge, washer, dryer- etc. Also electricians make good money and can expand into their own business.
Some of these trade jobs and others like laying tile, painting, landscape pay as much or more than career jobs that require college. If they manage to turn it into a real business they can do very well. It’s funny many look down on people in these type of jobs and yet they may very well be making as much or more than the person looking down their nose.
There are actually many jobs out there that can pay decent and turn into a business that don’t require college- the person has to be ambitious and many of these jobs you have to find someone willing to train you or go to trade school. OJT is usually actually better unless you are talking electrical because of the contacts you can make working with someone in the field.
One of the reasons I am so against the illegals being here is because when I worked in construction 25 years ago I watched many start out as low paid laborers on a job and a few years later they would have their own business and be doing well. Illegals are taking those entry level jobs that it takes to get in the door of the construction trades. Construction quality in this country is suffering because it is less common for the old craftsman to train the young person the skills. I see new houses built by unskilled labor and they are shoddy.
I copied this from a NYPD blog
Suffolk County
SALARY
2007 starting base salary for a Police Officer is $57,811. With five (5) years of service, the base salary is $97,958*. These figures do not include paid benefits.
BENEFITS
Full salary and benefits during entire training period.
Paid family dental, optical and medical plans.
Longevity pay increments begin after five (5) years of service.
Fifteen (15) paid vacation days first year of service, increasing to twenty-seven (27) days after five (5) years of service.
Thirteen (13) sick leave days first year of service, increasing to twenty-six (26) days after the first three (3) years of service. Unused sick leave days are cumulative.
* Under 2007 labor agreement
Three (3) paid personal days first year of service, increasing to five (5) days after three (3) years of service.
Night shift payments.
All officers receive thirteen (13) paid holidays.
All uniforms and equipment are supplied by the Department. A yearly uniform cleaning allotment is provided to each officer.
Non-contributory pension plan. Members are eligible for retirement after twenty (20) years of service at 50% of three (3) year final average salary. Vested retirement plan after five (5) years.
Promotions to the ranks of Sergeant, Lieutenant and Captain are through competitive Civil Service Examination. Positions above the rank of Captain are appointed by the Commissioner of Police.
Nassau County
$34,000 Annual Starting Salary
$91,737 after 8 years
12% Night Differential
*These salaries do not include overtime earnings, shift differential, holiday pay and uniform allowance.
10 paid holidays annually for the first two years increasing to 12 thereafter 18-26 sick days annually
Health/Dental/Optical Plan premiums fully paid by Nassau County
20 Year Non-Contributory 50% Retirement
Tax Deferred Payroll Deducted Savings Plan (457 Deferred Compensation Plan)
i am not sure if they are officially police officers hence my figures. although that labor agreement is from 2007 so they may have raised it.
if you can get those jobs, take 'em! most of those county cops used to be on my job. they just had to wait years to get there and all the hoops you have to jump through.
it's very political. if they don't like you for any reason, they just tell you that you failed the lie detector test and you're gone.
the nypd takes you if you have a body temp around 98.6 degrees.
My cousin-in-law’s plumbing business makes about $250,000 a year. He keeps about half of that.
A welder friend makes about $125-150,000 a year - after taxes and expenses. (He works with the oil industry as a contractor.)
My mom’s boyfriend makes $85,000 a year as a diesel mechanic working with oil.
All of these men have more than 20 years experience, but did alright starting out. One has a gov’t contract and the other two work in oil.
I had a friend who’s entire family works at a poultry slaughterhouse. They all started at $18 an hour and some of them have worked up to $30 an hour with retirement, medical and other benefits. He was a soldier who got out at the end of his enlistment to make more money processing chickens.
I’ve read about the phony lie detector tests for Suffolk County.
Or don’t scare clients.
That's true. Unfortunately, a lot of folks who look like me would be nervous even if the kid showed up clean cut, properly attired, polite and professional.
We don't always stick around long enough to evaluate content of character. Part of that is on us, and part is on those whose misbehavior caused the fear in the first place.
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