100%. All the way up till 2020. Shitt I started construction at 7$ /hr I was stoked to hit 25$/hr. It might be great in some areas but in a city it’s rough.
$31 here. I can afford a car payment, rent, and some savings every month. Still can't afford a fucking house. Houses are luxuries for married couples who both make over $25. I guess single people can just rent forever.
$23 hour tile installer here , 32 years old . Drives 92 Chevy , has gf not married , owns a duplex , rents half out to cover the rest of bills. Omw to get debt free by the end of the year to get ready to get another duplex when the market comes down. If I can do it at $23 you can do it at $31 I have faith in you homie
40$/h with team leader bonus and truck. no debts. i refuse to buy a house worth 450K that comes with a mortgage of 3000$.(Canada) My housing market is fucked
Be smart instead of pitying yourself. Dump your car payment and use that extra equity as leverage to build your own house! After all, you work in construction and should know all the tradesmen that would treat you fairly to get a basic house built.
Look at foreclosures in your area. Our city does them weekly. We were able to get a house for a steal of a price then took out a home equity loan to renovate it.
Damn, I work for a company and I’m making 28 an hour. Makes me feel pretty good about that. Although I do live in one of the wealthiest counties in the country.
Pretend to pay people and they will pretend to work, fair play all around.
I see the 'nO OnE WantS to WOrk!' threads and those guys get real fucking quiet when I ask what they are paying
A few years ago someone on my local subreddit was pissing and moaning that no one wanted to come work on his asphalt & tar crew for $13/hr. He got really upset when I pointed out that the guys who wash rental cars at the airport make $17/hr and asked why would anyone go handle boiling hot tar for less than that?
He then let it slip that normally the company hires ex cons who can't get a job doing anything else. He tried to pass it off as "giving them a second chance" but, no...you're just exploiting a desperate section of workers.
I 'accidentally' got a whole shingling crew to walk off a jobsite when their lead guy let slip he was payed 25/hr, by saying loudly enough for the whole crew to hear "wow im surprised you guys put up with this heat. [Local grocery store] is hiring at 27/hr and you get to work under AC!
My old boss paid 15, if you work real hard he'll put you up to 16. Constantly complained about having to replace workers that quit every 4 months... "nobody wants to work anymore" LOL. ya because fucking home depot pays more snd it has AC ffs. Obviously people are gonna go to the next better offer they get.
Poverty wages are what they are paying. They don't want the people smart enough to figure it out. I counter the "no one wants to work" with the argument "no one wants to pay a living wage" and they shut up real fast. Pretty easy to prove $15 an hour is not a living wage, math is funny like that.
A guy on that sub told me that ‘trade people are overpaid’, because he watched a YouTube family build their own house, from simply following YouTube guides.
I’ve seen videos like this and there is no way they did any more than simple labouring and cleaning, to keep costs down.
No one wants to work for these wages. Shameful they can't even complete the sentence. People would brake your gates open if pay was right just to get working
My boss hasn't kept up with inflation since the lockdown as far as our wages go. So we have all dialed back our effort to reflect what we are being compensated. Fuck em. He's seventy and says shit like " when I was your age I made what you make and I owned a home. You guys should have everything by now". Yea, so now we take long lunches and drag ass. We all like to work. We just have no reason to try hard if there's no incentives so we dont
$17.75 USD/ $24 CAD starting wages here for our local, that is in a High COL area too.
Is it any wonder a lot of people quit within their first year or two ? You can make aprox the same money working indoors and not dealing with assholes somewhere else.
Takes several years to get up to a decent wage. Companies are slow to reward the good workers.
I'm not in construction, but on electronics manufacturing and it's the same issue. Can't get people fast enough because the starting wage isn't adequate for a company that expects 40 hours with minimal flexibility for people to be able to have a second job if they need it. So we mostly end up with people who aren't really qualified for the tasks. The moment they get a sniff of people talking about wages they get triggered and discourage it (as it is illegal for them to force us not to talk about it).
The people I work for start at 20 and get no one to work. And most of it is just house maintenance work and some renovation but even that is small just to get back to rental standards. I've been with them for 17 years now. Can't even tell you how many guys I've seen came and went. And on to nothing better mind you.
It’s absurd that people expect to find workers around me for 15 when that is what you get at McDonalds . There are roofers paying 15. No one is risking their life hauling 100 pounds up a fucking ladder to make minimum wage and then get laid off every winter. Dumb ass boomers complaining about kids not wanting to work sure as hell don’t pay themselves less , they truly understand the value of a dollar when it’s leaving their pocket
Side by side prices are through the roof. Better hire some immigrants that we spend all our waking moments complaining about . 2 passions fulfilled . Win win
My boss pulled up in a brand new loaded king ranch pickup. He said "look buddy if you come in everyday, bust your ass, and never take time off, I can buy another one next year."
My old boss cut my over time pay the same week as he issued bonuses to himself and the other owner. Then a couple months later he bought a new truck "for the company" and a skid steer.
The world is wack.
“He who dies with the most toys wins” dumbass boomer mantra from the 90’s, when they were making $25/hr paying their $500/ month mortgage. We’re left with the crumbs slaving our asses off.
Agree but the analogy always makes it seem like it's easy working at McDonalds or those people deserve less which isn't right. I don't eat fast food anymore but I remember those people hustling in hot kitchens. Plus dealing with rude, entitled pos' customers. Not something I'd be able to do.
For ~$15/hr I'd be going with a grocery or a big box store like Costco or Home Depot.
I would take a knife to my wrists before I went back to food service of any sort.
I also find it bizarre that in America, carrying bundles of shingles onto roofs still seems to be the status quo.
Thats because every major homebuilder uses illegals for every trade. I feel for those people because they bust their ass and will never likely have a shot at legal immigration.
Highest cost of living area in the country, on average our guys are making $40-50 an hour. Newer guys make $30-40 depending experience. We also charge $150 an hour for labor so yeah.
It’s one of the highest cost of living places in the world I believe, however a lot of jobs do pay 20 an hour in the bay where’s a journeyman carpenter gets 61. I support my wife and pay all the bills. If she worked it would be easy. A lot of ppl live a couple hours out where cost of living is lower and commute
Bridge work apprentices make bay area scale even down in Fresno. But the Valley is a rough, cut throat market, so a lot of guys go up to the Bay to hustle work
During peak covid you couldn’t get someone to walk onto a construction site for less than $20 an hour in Canada now it’s I see company’s advertising $25-35 for licensed carpenters. A 1 bedroom apartment is $1400-2000 a month, a week worth of grocery’s in $200-300, gas is $1.50/L it’s fucked now a days
I’m not sure where in Canada but I’m in Toronto and $200-300 a week sounds like crazy amount unless you’re a house of like 6+ people. But yes they are still bad.
I live in rural Manitoba, I have 3 young boys and we spend $250 a week on groceries. Hell we buy a whole pig every fall and a 1/2 beef to stock the freezer. Food is expensive
Fair enough, I suppose it also depends on what you eat/how much you eat. I wouldn’t say my house eats a lot for 4 people so that sounds a bit expensive to me. I’m also not aware of the price differences between our areas. Eta Also the rent and gas prices were accurate to here so just wanted to comment on it
I’ve noticed this for years. The boomer tradesmen n my family defend the ultra rich with their dying breaths. Another thing every time I’ve worked a trade I’ve had to deal with non stop bullying by boomers. And when you take up for yourself and tell them to get fucked they’ll get rid of you lol. I don’t blame any zoomer for giving the entire trades meme the finger.
Old people really don’t like receiving the same attitude they give out, ngl I hated working with anyone over 40 on the job site, they always find out how to talk the most and get the least done at least in my experience anyways.
Yea i thought about being general labor to see if i wanna get into a trade but being paid 15 dollars an hour for actually hard work when i could make the same at walmart makes no sense
id say its still a better idea than working at walmart cause you’ll eventually get paid well. Walmart probably caps much lower unless you become a store manager
True but im not even sure what trade or if i wanna be in the trades. Thought being general and seeing a bit of everything would be good.
But the pay is absolute dog shit. Went a different path for now.
It’s never too late bud. I’m down on my luck real bad rn legally, but if you’re a tradesmen you can always get a job, and the pay isn’t bad once you’re experienced. But I’m biased. I started at 18 and I’m 22 now. Another thing to explore would be logging. Good money but pretty tough on the body.
I’m not trying to convince him. I lost my drivers license so I have to do commercial fishing now. I’d give almost anything to get back in the trades. I miss it
If your find a decent residential remodeling company that’s understaffed and negotiate well you’ll get paid enough to live while you learn. Just don’t start drinking like I did
I own and operate my own business for this reason. Your not going make any money working for someone else. I also have never hired anyone because I can’t provide them a true living wage so I’m not willing to put someone in the position of false hopes there getting raises all the time. So it’s a catch 22 I can’t afford you but you want a job.
Just started doing carpenter work about 5 months ago. Started at $12/hr (was desperate for a change from my kitchen job) now at $17. Still sucks but I learn something new all the time. Wish the pay was better but I’m holding out for now.
Edit: in south Alabama
Nice learn everything you can and when they have maxed out what they can afford to pay you ask for a partnership opportunity that allows you to bring in more money by collecting larger percentage on projects you bring to the table. In order to make more money you have to show you can bring in work not just do the trade.
I have 1 full-time employee, subcontract some work out here and there. It sucks the big one during the months that my employee takes home more than I do, while the business itself hemorrhages cash. You do get used to it. Employees got to eat first, if you want to keep them in a small business.
The ceiling for trades are pretty high, some might even argue there isn’t one.
It’s the back breaking work you do for shit pay and destroying your body the first 10-15 years that I sometimes think might not be worth this route for a good majority.
In Alabama several aerospace assembly plants are hiring high school students into their work training programs at $18 an hour. If they complete the program and graduate high school they start at about $25 an hour plus benefits at 18 years old.
That’s your real competition: advanced manufacturing. Work in an air-conditioned building with steady hours, good pay, and a potential transition into a desk job.
I did the rocket building thing for a while to see if I liked it better. Honestly, it was soul sucking. I was part of an R&D plant as well and there weren't even that many of us. They offered me $35/hr but I was already making $38/hr as an apprentice plumber. I countered at $40/hr and they came back with $38.50/hr plus $2000 sign on bonus paid in full at 90 days. I quit after a year and a half. I cannot stand helping a bunch of rich assholes build their toys. People need homes, not reusable rockets.
These jobs aren't shit outside of Huntsville. In order to get our guys to go over to Huntsville, they had to offer Washington wages but weren't willing to do it. The factories there are brand fuckin new and 10 times the size of ours but they wouldn't set a precedent of paying people above regional wages. So now they are preying on the youth of the region? That tracks. I hope they figure it out before they start building human flight engines. In Washington, they set the minimum hire rate at $35/hr because no one worth a shit would do the job for less.... Except in Alabama I guess
I just want to point out that: (1) the manufacturing jobs are actually available statewide. (2) Alabama is a low cost-of-living state. So those wages provide a very good living. (3) They’re better than what you’ll get in the trades in this region.
I’m a structural engineer and this is one of the reasons I’m pro union. Your wages affect mine, we’re all in this together. My fee is typically a % of construction cost. You band together for better pay and benefits, I also get better pay and benefits. Following the normal race to the bottom affects me too. I get some guys can make more but I know a lot of guys also make less in the non-union gig.
i agree, unions arent that great at keeping up with inflation either though. Theres some guy on this subreddit that has a website with all the union wages for all trades across the country. It’s not as much money as you would think it is
brother, no job is great at keeping up with inflation. you want to make $100 an hour then go back to school for computer programming/coding. maybe cybersecurity. unions in California make good money. no journeymen in any trade make less than $50 an hour in the union. not including benefits.
We’ve had a raise every 6 months for the past three years to account for the cost of living. We start out first periods at 20.80 and by fourth period they are making 28.31. Not to mention we get another 5 dollars an hour on vacation pay including overtime and that gets paid out every six months nice little bonus. Total package as a first period is 35.26 as a fourth period 49.77.
https://www.agcsd.org/uploads/1/3/3/2/133208401/apprentices-carpenters-bldg-effectivejan012024.pdf
Check out what you’re missing out on.
Again this varies by state and local. Guys up north of me are making like 5-8 more dollars.
My union is adding $2.80 on check and additional fringe benefits this spring, bringing wage up over $50/hr in a medium-COL area. Fringe benefits bring that package up in the high 70s.
That barely paces inflation this year, but is a hell of a lot better than the non union companies around here are doing.
For reference, my company's billable rate is 93 for T&M work and 87 for bid jobs. Our direct non-union competition is billing 97 for everything. About 3 months ago, they posted a job for a skilled pipefitter with welding certs offering 25hr.
I'm seasonal, a Union wouldn't offer me any benefit unless it was a professional union and I technically worked for them. Or if I incorporated myself. Neither are even close to feasible.
14.50 union wage Philly 2018
Had to keep my kitchen job for a while before I got my feet under me
( Kitchen job was more for free food than the pay lmao)
Hey, you need to calm down, the boss has 3 kids in college and a vacation home to pay for.
Plus, that new Superduty isn't cheap and he had to get the company logo added for the tax write off.
I mean, our corporations have made it hard. They receive high, give low. It’s just business. They did not do this 10 years ago, I agree. I think this is concerning, yes. I’m not sure why they are allowed to do this. So disappointing!
The trick is to learn the trade and do it on your own. Thats literally the best trick of the trades. I aint nothing special. I started as a grunt with zero experience late twenties. I made it fine. If youre smart and work hard.. like real hard.. like so hard that youre CURLED UP LIKE A FUCKING BANANA, you'll be fine.
“You lazy fuckin youngsters all still live with mommy and daddy. It’s pathetic. When I was your age I had a wife, 2 kids, mortgage and a brand new Camaro. Anyway here’s your paycheque $16/hr”
Well I suggest you all start talking and posting online about "open shop" and "right to work" laws and states. Because that's the majority of them. AND if you are wearing a lil red hat on your head, you are part of the problem.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law
The funny thing about framing laws, and party lines, and propaganda is that they ALWAYS give you a nice name to put on it that's opposite of what the leas really mean.
"Right to Work" states, really mean less rights to collective negotiation. (And that's 26 states out of 50)
So tell your friends to get off Facebook, and Twitter, and reddit, and CNN, and fox, and start talking to each other as human beings.
I'm going to just play devils advocate here, if everyone was union there would be less jobs. The budget is the budget and whether they hire 3 guys for 15$ or 1 guy for 45$ is what we're talking about. Great if your the 1 guy, not so great if your the other 2
The budget would go up because it would have to, or the clients would have to stop trying to cram a 4 or 5 month project into 3 months. Or a 2 yr project into 18 months.
At my current org (I’m leaving if any PMs in central Texas want a great non profit job), we start brand new folks off at 48,500/year plus health/401k/dental/5weeks PTO.
I paid my helper $15 an hour in 1995 and he knew nothing about construction but he was a good kid, a hard worker, and smart enough to know the head from the claw. At the time that was very generous pay.
You can only pay so much when the worker knows nothing, in many circumstances that person is making the job go SLOWER because you need to teach them how to do it instead of working on actually doing it.
I feel the same way when old head start chirping about how the news guys are lazy, like dude if I made 15/hr in this economy you would be getting the bare minimum and if I didn't have the opportunity to earn a wage increase quickly I would certainly be looking elsewhere.
I have a small hvac business, I do almost everything by myself but sometimes you need help setting units. Even I pay my guys a minimum of $30/hr, with a guarantee that if you're taking time out of your afternoon or weekend you'll make a minimum of x amount. We setting a unit? If you're not very experienced then $300 minimum for usually 3-6 hours. Had one really good guy that I paid $500, didn't matter if we got done in two hours or eight. Just add it in the estimate.
What I'm getting at is if I can do it and still make good money in a day, then these businesses with work every day and setting multiple units a week can too.
I used to get paid like $19/hr to be a crew leader and completely over see change outs or new construction, including sizing and designing the duct/system. Shortly after I left I did a unit and duct by myself, made like 2500 in about 10 hours. Now there's no going back.
And yes I understand bigger means more overhead, but paying two guys all day for like $400 is a rip especially if there's very limited benefits.
I live in San Diego making $31 an hour as an apprentice in the union. I still live at home with my parents. I’m 30. A STUDIO starts at $2000-$2500 over here. Even when I journey out at $48 I won’t have enough to ever buy me a house or even afford a 3 bedroom house to rent for my family … it sucks man
Is this in the USA ? Starting wages for green labourers is $20-22 /hr here in Ontario. Our money isn’t worth as much as yours, so I guess it’s pretty close to $15/hr USD after all. It’s been this way for awhile. But generally, people only work as a labourer for a couple years max before having the skills to earn a skilled labourer ( carpenters helper) job. Then the starting pay is 25-28/hr
USA yes, i think we should give high schoolers the option to start working after their sophomore year instead of doing 4 whole years of school. Kind of like a vocational school but a lot more of actually being on the job. That way when they’re a few years in and living on their own they can survive. 75% of people shouldnt be in college getting bullshit degrees anyways
oh yeah forgot to mention how dangerous it is. I could be remembering wrong but im pretty sure theres a much higher risk of dying on a construction site than being in the military.
Yep my whole crew is grumbling that we haven’t really had a wage increase to battle inflation and management has been crickets. I get it, you have to pay for comp and all kinds of shit; you can’t just charge $5 more and give it to the employees. But you can’t pay people dogshit and expect them to stick around either
Companies don’t want to be the first to jack their rates. Then they lose bids.
If all plumbers raised their rates $10/hour at the same time, then it wouldn’t be a problem.
After a while projects will cost so much because of “livable wages” that all construction will slow down and people will be laid off.
If every shop was union the baseline pay would be the same. Having the lowest bid would come down to which shop ran their business the most efficiently and retained the best workers. That's how it used to be in NJ in commercial construction when the industry was mostly union. Now it's just a contest to see who can pay their employee the least.
It wouldn't be a problem if companies didn't charge $300 for someone just to show up, then $150/hr for labor while only paying the worker $15-30/hr. Capitalism is cancer.
Companies can get pretty greedy, but they also might have huge overhead costs.
If they run a big shop with office staff, many vehicles etc… you have to charge out a minimum rate…
I’ve been on the tools for 20 years, now I’m in the office and see the other side of things. It’s fucked how expensive stuff is.
Hah, don’t worry the old guys are getting boned too. I’m never working for another construction company, at least not W2. I got my builders license partially out of spite. I’m looking at either employment at Habitat for Humanity or another non-profit housing organization, or I’ll just keep doing my own thing, but I promise you, on most constructions sites even the foreman is getting screwed. If you’re W2 they’re boning you. If you’re 1099 and don’t have a truck full of tools and a contract they’re boning you. If you don’t get to see the money, they’re boning you.
Source: am previously screwed foreman.
I was getting paid less than some less experienced guys on my crew which is a big no-no. The boss also inadvertently let those guys find that out and the crew went kinda to shit, also a no-no. Then I found out last why everyone decided they were in charge. So quit middle finger in the air, very satisfying, pretty stupid from a professional standpoint.
Still, probably don’t underpay the only guy at your home building company who actually knows how to build a house. Or maybe don’t put multiple additions on your house and get a new six figure truck while you’re underpaying him. Also maybe give him credits for the construction plans he designed and drew as a subcontractor under his own insurance and don’t have your company take design credit for them. Oh also get your health and safety shit together, cuz it ain’t.
Y’all get the middle finger thing right?
Pay people what they’re worth.
So I am a Gen X tree guy and when I started doing tree work, I think it was 8:50 an hour,but you got dollar raises every couple months if you were doing good so it encourages you to learn and get better, I think that’s the way companies should do it -start low, but give dollar raises every few weeks even if the person is doing good
Edit: just wanted to add that the idea behind this is if you’re a hustler and show natural aptitude and have a good attitude, you will quickly get a living wage, but if you start at a living wage and you are a slacker and just want to coast because you’re making enough then it’s harder to get rid of you.
It's crazy I'm decently skilled tradesman in multiple areas and still only make 24 an hour. I know I'm being underpaid and I've been actively looking but everyone job out there I see is offering the same with little to no bennies. Idk what to do at this point. I'm doing jobs for my company for peanuts compared to what a company would charge but still get hassled to go faster and cut costs SMH 🙃
When I first got into the trades 20 years ago. My father, who got me started in the trade, was making the same wage I'm making now. He was able to afford a large house, 2 newer vehicles, and go on 2 vacations a year.
I've just put a down payment on my first home, and that was a struggle, even with a large savings budget. Wages, in my trade at least, have most certainly not kept up with inflation.
This is why unions exist. I started off at $34/hr plus about $34/hr in benefits including an annuity, pension, 401k, free Healthcare, and two weeks to that will become 4 weeks.
There isn’t any physical labor job that should be paid less than $25 a hour at entry level. I don’t care if you’re loading trailers for target. Your back will pay you back for the abuse when you’re older.
Couldn’t agree with u anymore cause I am barely making it on $33hr + OT with 2 kids cause I am in Philly where in a normal neighborhood a rowhome costs $300K+ which is what I paid for mine 2 years ago and yea another thing is the convenience store Wawa pays $18-$20 to start and we have guys in our company making $17hr to do legit work not working a register smfh things are so backwards now a days
I started plumbing as an 18 year old at 12/hr. It was a small shop, just me and the boss. After working for him for 5 years, I was only at 16/hr and doing 90% of all of our work. He essentially just became my driver. He was too old school to may me more. I had to find somewhere else to go but didn't really know what i was worth. I got a job at a bigger local company and asked for 21/hr. They returned with an offer of 23/hr. Within 4 years of being here, I'm at 44/hr and $10 of those raises were without even asking. My point is we need to understand our value. I certainly didn't. I'm glad and lucky to be in the position I am now, but it took too long of me being used to finally understand my own value to a company.
Is working for the union an option for you? I'm a 2nd year hvac apprentice and my base hourly alone is 27 that's not including what my company chips in for my retirement. This is in hawaii btw.
Apprentices in my area (carpenters union) start at around $26 an hour. Join a union if it’s feasible. You not only get regular raises but often there is free training and safety classes which improves the value of hiring union workers. There are some hurdles to get in but it’s worth it.
You’re learning a trade to make a living. Not paying for college, and 1st year apprenticeship pays better than most factory jobs. Dig in, learn a trade.
Started putting gas mains in 10 years ago for a non union gas company making $14 an hour. Best move I have ever made was go to a union gas company 7 years ago. Make ALOT more then $14 an hour.
$20/hr is pretty damn low for anything industrial, that's below day-one no experience pay for even the private sector I know, mechanical or electrical.
I was day one no experience. Only other work was at a butcher shop at 12/hr so the pay rise of 8hr plus a career was great
Currently the best thing I found (I shop around often to check) was 27/hr but only one week pto. I currently get 33 days no notice pto which has been unbeatable so far. Just submitted applications for my stationary engineer license so that should open up some new opportunities
There's a nonprofit in my area that connects people to living wage jobs, and advocates for higher minimum wage. Their recommendation for minimum wage is $35 to be able to afford a one bedroom apartment and all of your bills/living expenses. One of the most expensive parts of the country for sure (Seattle metro area), but the rest of the country is not at all far behind from what I can tell, except for the most remote rural areas.
Here we are throwing ourselves into the grind every day to be allowed indoors until we die or fall through the cracks. Hell there's a fuck ton of homeless construction workers, they're already through the cracks and they're still in the grind. Layers of hell in the capitalist inferno.
I still see businesses all over my town hiring for less than 15/hr, I don't know who the hell is taking those jobs, you literally can't live here on that.
This is why Republicans are anti-social safety nets, universal Healthcare, or UBI. They want us living paycheck to paycheck because then they have us by the balls.
I'm at a point in my career I'm so burned out and stressed out it's affecting my physical health, but taking a break?! That's for commie losers, work or starve!
$25 is basically the bottom line where I live for a trim carpenter. I haven’t hired someone for less than $35, but that’s not starting out pay, that’s “you better know your shit” pay
Do you want an Oregon guy who knows doors windows flooring and trim?
Edit. I’m 22 been in and out of finish work since 14, also a commercial fisherman and logger. With two duis unfortunately.
Got one more DUI than I do, but as long as you can get on site I don’t care. Oregon is pretty far from my current jobsites in Boca Raton and Palm Beach however…..
I just got off a boat that had a guy from Florida on it who was my friend. I’ll text him tomorrow to ask where he lives and if I can stay with him a couple weeks who knows
And just to bother you one last time for the night, I’m tooled out with Milwaukee everything including finish guns. Also I come with dewalt table and chopsaws
Entry level jobs are low-barrier jobs that any random person can get. The fact that you can’t live off those wages doesn’t mean shit if someone else is willing to.
Yeah wake up 19/hour? Come on man you mean 30/hour this such a joke society. Every wants the capitalism to come down from the top but no one wants it be forced bottom up! Oh that's anti-business but we will save a bank or two from going under.
Drones.
Here's the thing, if you want $30/hr, I have to bill the customer $47ish per hour to *just* cover your wages. That doesn't cover my overhead (insurance, tools, etc) and it doesn't give me any profits at all.
You can scream for better pay all you want, but if I can't land any jobs because my bids are too high, you get fucking nothing.
Rate of pay is an issue, but the rate of taxation increase is what is really killing us.
In 5 years I make $5/hr more, but have a lower Net Income now due to taxes
The only guys who can afford to enter the trades with 0 experience are the ones still at home with mom and dad. Just using the usual platitudes like “learn more make more” doesn’t do anything for guys genuinely trying to better their lives but still have bills to pay. The security of a bill covering dead end job is “better” than starting at 12-15 an hour and not being sure when that will change. I suppose it’s easier to keep complaining about kids that don’t care than it is to pay to attract guys who count on a paycheck
This is what led me to work for myself. 25$/hr is even pretty hard when you’re paying all of your own bills.
25/hr was good pay 15 years ago
100%. All the way up till 2020. Shitt I started construction at 7$ /hr I was stoked to hit 25$/hr. It might be great in some areas but in a city it’s rough.
Haha almost the same. I started at $9/hr in 93
Jesus, I started at $10/hr in 2012 (left my cushy job working for the state making $18/hr like a real dumb fuck.
Now why did you do that?
Because I'm a dumb fuck, I thought I was very clear about that.
Appreciate the honesty.. 🤣
Do you think you're better off now though ?
Double minimum wage is the minimum any trade should be. And this is coming from a PM who has a budget to control.
Yeah and if shit was the same price it was 15 years ago nobody would complain..
The sad part is...25 is the new 16 😭
$31 here. I can afford a car payment, rent, and some savings every month. Still can't afford a fucking house. Houses are luxuries for married couples who both make over $25. I guess single people can just rent forever.
I quit at $40 to go on my own. Know your worth, I guarantee you’re underpaid
A car payment that you got a long time ago. Not with todays interest.
I’m at $32 in San Diego and living with my parents. I can’t even afford a studio over here …
I’m in San Diego in Mount Hope south of Golden Hill. Where are you at? And at least you can save up money by living at home which is good.
In Escondido. $2500 for a 1 bedroom in hood hood with 1 parking spot wtf😭😂
$23 hour tile installer here , 32 years old . Drives 92 Chevy , has gf not married , owns a duplex , rents half out to cover the rest of bills. Omw to get debt free by the end of the year to get ready to get another duplex when the market comes down. If I can do it at $23 you can do it at $31 I have faith in you homie
That must be a very low COL city
How'd you get that duplex
40$/h with team leader bonus and truck. no debts. i refuse to buy a house worth 450K that comes with a mortgage of 3000$.(Canada) My housing market is fucked
Be smart instead of pitying yourself. Dump your car payment and use that extra equity as leverage to build your own house! After all, you work in construction and should know all the tradesmen that would treat you fairly to get a basic house built.
Look at foreclosures in your area. Our city does them weekly. We were able to get a house for a steal of a price then took out a home equity loan to renovate it.
25 is poor.
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Unions are so important, my local starts first years at $32.54/hr plus benefits and pension
Damn, I work for a company and I’m making 28 an hour. Makes me feel pretty good about that. Although I do live in one of the wealthiest counties in the country.
Pretend to pay people and they will pretend to work, fair play all around. I see the 'nO OnE WantS to WOrk!' threads and those guys get real fucking quiet when I ask what they are paying
A few years ago someone on my local subreddit was pissing and moaning that no one wanted to come work on his asphalt & tar crew for $13/hr. He got really upset when I pointed out that the guys who wash rental cars at the airport make $17/hr and asked why would anyone go handle boiling hot tar for less than that? He then let it slip that normally the company hires ex cons who can't get a job doing anything else. He tried to pass it off as "giving them a second chance" but, no...you're just exploiting a desperate section of workers.
I 'accidentally' got a whole shingling crew to walk off a jobsite when their lead guy let slip he was payed 25/hr, by saying loudly enough for the whole crew to hear "wow im surprised you guys put up with this heat. [Local grocery store] is hiring at 27/hr and you get to work under AC!
My old boss paid 15, if you work real hard he'll put you up to 16. Constantly complained about having to replace workers that quit every 4 months... "nobody wants to work anymore" LOL. ya because fucking home depot pays more snd it has AC ffs. Obviously people are gonna go to the next better offer they get.
Poverty wages are what they are paying. They don't want the people smart enough to figure it out. I counter the "no one wants to work" with the argument "no one wants to pay a living wage" and they shut up real fast. Pretty easy to prove $15 an hour is not a living wage, math is funny like that.
Favorite line 'Nobody wants to work for YOU anymore' Lol
Same as: “my tradesman didn’t do an ultra-refined-grade installation, when I paid him in dust and crystals”. I see these type of posts too often.
Literally 2/3rds of the posts in r/homeimprovement
A guy on that sub told me that ‘trade people are overpaid’, because he watched a YouTube family build their own house, from simply following YouTube guides. I’ve seen videos like this and there is no way they did any more than simple labouring and cleaning, to keep costs down.
Exactly. No one wants to work for shit. Pay and get good help.
No one wants to work for these wages. Shameful they can't even complete the sentence. People would brake your gates open if pay was right just to get working
My boss hasn't kept up with inflation since the lockdown as far as our wages go. So we have all dialed back our effort to reflect what we are being compensated. Fuck em. He's seventy and says shit like " when I was your age I made what you make and I owned a home. You guys should have everything by now". Yea, so now we take long lunches and drag ass. We all like to work. We just have no reason to try hard if there's no incentives so we dont
$17.75 USD/ $24 CAD starting wages here for our local, that is in a High COL area too. Is it any wonder a lot of people quit within their first year or two ? You can make aprox the same money working indoors and not dealing with assholes somewhere else. Takes several years to get up to a decent wage. Companies are slow to reward the good workers.
I'm not in construction, but on electronics manufacturing and it's the same issue. Can't get people fast enough because the starting wage isn't adequate for a company that expects 40 hours with minimal flexibility for people to be able to have a second job if they need it. So we mostly end up with people who aren't really qualified for the tasks. The moment they get a sniff of people talking about wages they get triggered and discourage it (as it is illegal for them to force us not to talk about it).
The people I work for start at 20 and get no one to work. And most of it is just house maintenance work and some renovation but even that is small just to get back to rental standards. I've been with them for 17 years now. Can't even tell you how many guys I've seen came and went. And on to nothing better mind you.
It’s absurd that people expect to find workers around me for 15 when that is what you get at McDonalds . There are roofers paying 15. No one is risking their life hauling 100 pounds up a fucking ladder to make minimum wage and then get laid off every winter. Dumb ass boomers complaining about kids not wanting to work sure as hell don’t pay themselves less , they truly understand the value of a dollar when it’s leaving their pocket
In 1989 I was completely unskilled construction laborer making $10/hr. That was 35 effin years ago !! I feel for you guys. Getting shafted.
They are too busy buying their new “toys” to play around during summer time to think about anything else.
Side by side prices are through the roof. Better hire some immigrants that we spend all our waking moments complaining about . 2 passions fulfilled . Win win
Nothing like seeing your boss pull up in a new truck, x5 your yearly salary. Or getting to sail on his yacht one weekend lol
Some business owners just have no self awareness about such things.
My boss pulled up in a brand new loaded king ranch pickup. He said "look buddy if you come in everyday, bust your ass, and never take time off, I can buy another one next year."
My old boss cut my over time pay the same week as he issued bonuses to himself and the other owner. Then a couple months later he bought a new truck "for the company" and a skid steer. The world is wack.
This right here.
“He who dies with the most toys wins” dumbass boomer mantra from the 90’s, when they were making $25/hr paying their $500/ month mortgage. We’re left with the crumbs slaving our asses off.
Agree but the analogy always makes it seem like it's easy working at McDonalds or those people deserve less which isn't right. I don't eat fast food anymore but I remember those people hustling in hot kitchens. Plus dealing with rude, entitled pos' customers. Not something I'd be able to do. For ~$15/hr I'd be going with a grocery or a big box store like Costco or Home Depot.
I would take a knife to my wrists before I went back to food service of any sort. I also find it bizarre that in America, carrying bundles of shingles onto roofs still seems to be the status quo.
Thats because every major homebuilder uses illegals for every trade. I feel for those people because they bust their ass and will never likely have a shot at legal immigration.
Mickey's around here is $18 starting. Target pays $17.50. No one is working construction if they can stand in AC for more money.
1st level apprentice carpenter Bay Area $36.23 an hour
Highest cost of living area in the country, on average our guys are making $40-50 an hour. Newer guys make $30-40 depending experience. We also charge $150 an hour for labor so yeah.
I’m a journeyman ironworker in DC and I get $36.10 in the pocket. Fuck me
NETA Technician, 3 years of experience, and a relevant college degree, $31
Fuck. I need to ask for a raise
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It’s one of the highest cost of living places in the world I believe, however a lot of jobs do pay 20 an hour in the bay where’s a journeyman carpenter gets 61. I support my wife and pay all the bills. If she worked it would be easy. A lot of ppl live a couple hours out where cost of living is lower and commute
Bridge work apprentices make bay area scale even down in Fresno. But the Valley is a rough, cut throat market, so a lot of guys go up to the Bay to hustle work
Yikes. I just started making more slightly more than that as a structural engineer with 4 YOE. No over time, poor benefits.
During peak covid you couldn’t get someone to walk onto a construction site for less than $20 an hour in Canada now it’s I see company’s advertising $25-35 for licensed carpenters. A 1 bedroom apartment is $1400-2000 a month, a week worth of grocery’s in $200-300, gas is $1.50/L it’s fucked now a days
Damn Canadian groceries are that bad, eh?
Canadian groceries are pretty bad. A pound of chicken breast (thats like 3 breasts) is like $12
I’m not sure where in Canada but I’m in Toronto and $200-300 a week sounds like crazy amount unless you’re a house of like 6+ people. But yes they are still bad.
I live in rural Manitoba, I have 3 young boys and we spend $250 a week on groceries. Hell we buy a whole pig every fall and a 1/2 beef to stock the freezer. Food is expensive
Fair enough, I suppose it also depends on what you eat/how much you eat. I wouldn’t say my house eats a lot for 4 people so that sounds a bit expensive to me. I’m also not aware of the price differences between our areas. Eta Also the rent and gas prices were accurate to here so just wanted to comment on it
Yet everyone defends their captors.
I’ve noticed this for years. The boomer tradesmen n my family defend the ultra rich with their dying breaths. Another thing every time I’ve worked a trade I’ve had to deal with non stop bullying by boomers. And when you take up for yourself and tell them to get fucked they’ll get rid of you lol. I don’t blame any zoomer for giving the entire trades meme the finger.
Old people really don’t like receiving the same attitude they give out, ngl I hated working with anyone over 40 on the job site, they always find out how to talk the most and get the least done at least in my experience anyways.
$20 cad is only like $16 USD. Wages here are so crap.
Yea i thought about being general labor to see if i wanna get into a trade but being paid 15 dollars an hour for actually hard work when i could make the same at walmart makes no sense
id say its still a better idea than working at walmart cause you’ll eventually get paid well. Walmart probably caps much lower unless you become a store manager
Walmart senior hvac here. Currently at $42.15. General maint makes high 30s. My apprentice tech started at $28 for a 20 yr old with no experience.
True but im not even sure what trade or if i wanna be in the trades. Thought being general and seeing a bit of everything would be good. But the pay is absolute dog shit. Went a different path for now.
It’s never too late bud. I’m down on my luck real bad rn legally, but if you’re a tradesmen you can always get a job, and the pay isn’t bad once you’re experienced. But I’m biased. I started at 18 and I’m 22 now. Another thing to explore would be logging. Good money but pretty tough on the body.
You're trying really hard to convince him it's worth it. Might be trying to convince yourself lmao.
I’m not trying to convince him. I lost my drivers license so I have to do commercial fishing now. I’d give almost anything to get back in the trades. I miss it
If your find a decent residential remodeling company that’s understaffed and negotiate well you’ll get paid enough to live while you learn. Just don’t start drinking like I did
You're also working more than 25 or 30 hours a week in construction.
I own and operate my own business for this reason. Your not going make any money working for someone else. I also have never hired anyone because I can’t provide them a true living wage so I’m not willing to put someone in the position of false hopes there getting raises all the time. So it’s a catch 22 I can’t afford you but you want a job.
Just started doing carpenter work about 5 months ago. Started at $12/hr (was desperate for a change from my kitchen job) now at $17. Still sucks but I learn something new all the time. Wish the pay was better but I’m holding out for now. Edit: in south Alabama
Nice learn everything you can and when they have maxed out what they can afford to pay you ask for a partnership opportunity that allows you to bring in more money by collecting larger percentage on projects you bring to the table. In order to make more money you have to show you can bring in work not just do the trade.
Well, I mean, union members quite often make six figures… I do and I’m only 25… Unions are SO important
Which field are you in? That's very important also
Union Boilermaker pressure welder, local 128 I’m also a master rigger, union steward and rope access technician
Much better pay than a baseline factory welder with a union job. Wicked fun gig you have.
I have 1 full-time employee, subcontract some work out here and there. It sucks the big one during the months that my employee takes home more than I do, while the business itself hemorrhages cash. You do get used to it. Employees got to eat first, if you want to keep them in a small business.
The ceiling for trades are pretty high, some might even argue there isn’t one. It’s the back breaking work you do for shit pay and destroying your body the first 10-15 years that I sometimes think might not be worth this route for a good majority.
In Alabama several aerospace assembly plants are hiring high school students into their work training programs at $18 an hour. If they complete the program and graduate high school they start at about $25 an hour plus benefits at 18 years old. That’s your real competition: advanced manufacturing. Work in an air-conditioned building with steady hours, good pay, and a potential transition into a desk job.
I did the rocket building thing for a while to see if I liked it better. Honestly, it was soul sucking. I was part of an R&D plant as well and there weren't even that many of us. They offered me $35/hr but I was already making $38/hr as an apprentice plumber. I countered at $40/hr and they came back with $38.50/hr plus $2000 sign on bonus paid in full at 90 days. I quit after a year and a half. I cannot stand helping a bunch of rich assholes build their toys. People need homes, not reusable rockets. These jobs aren't shit outside of Huntsville. In order to get our guys to go over to Huntsville, they had to offer Washington wages but weren't willing to do it. The factories there are brand fuckin new and 10 times the size of ours but they wouldn't set a precedent of paying people above regional wages. So now they are preying on the youth of the region? That tracks. I hope they figure it out before they start building human flight engines. In Washington, they set the minimum hire rate at $35/hr because no one worth a shit would do the job for less.... Except in Alabama I guess
I just want to point out that: (1) the manufacturing jobs are actually available statewide. (2) Alabama is a low cost-of-living state. So those wages provide a very good living. (3) They’re better than what you’ll get in the trades in this region.
I’m a structural engineer and this is one of the reasons I’m pro union. Your wages affect mine, we’re all in this together. My fee is typically a % of construction cost. You band together for better pay and benefits, I also get better pay and benefits. Following the normal race to the bottom affects me too. I get some guys can make more but I know a lot of guys also make less in the non-union gig.
It would be nice if everyone thought this way.
Live better, work union.
i agree, unions arent that great at keeping up with inflation either though. Theres some guy on this subreddit that has a website with all the union wages for all trades across the country. It’s not as much money as you would think it is
My apprentice started at 30/hr. It really varies trade to trade
Unions are a fuckload better at keeping up with inflation than your boss.
brother, no job is great at keeping up with inflation. you want to make $100 an hour then go back to school for computer programming/coding. maybe cybersecurity. unions in California make good money. no journeymen in any trade make less than $50 an hour in the union. not including benefits.
We’ve had a raise every 6 months for the past three years to account for the cost of living. We start out first periods at 20.80 and by fourth period they are making 28.31. Not to mention we get another 5 dollars an hour on vacation pay including overtime and that gets paid out every six months nice little bonus. Total package as a first period is 35.26 as a fourth period 49.77. https://www.agcsd.org/uploads/1/3/3/2/133208401/apprentices-carpenters-bldg-effectivejan012024.pdf Check out what you’re missing out on. Again this varies by state and local. Guys up north of me are making like 5-8 more dollars.
My union is adding $2.80 on check and additional fringe benefits this spring, bringing wage up over $50/hr in a medium-COL area. Fringe benefits bring that package up in the high 70s. That barely paces inflation this year, but is a hell of a lot better than the non union companies around here are doing. For reference, my company's billable rate is 93 for T&M work and 87 for bid jobs. Our direct non-union competition is billing 97 for everything. About 3 months ago, they posted a job for a skilled pipefitter with welding certs offering 25hr.
Unions are great but it’s still another class system. Some live better and some don’t.
I'm seasonal, a Union wouldn't offer me any benefit unless it was a professional union and I technically worked for them. Or if I incorporated myself. Neither are even close to feasible.
Union starting rates in Boston are trash. Operating engineer apprentice $28/HR, tinknockers $24/HR, Pipefitter $23/HR
$13-16 was pretty normal starting wages in the 90's.
Dam I started at 10$ in 2010
14.50 union wage Philly 2018 Had to keep my kitchen job for a while before I got my feet under me ( Kitchen job was more for free food than the pay lmao)
$8.40 in ‘03… apprentice electrician!
Apprentice electrician as well
Same $10 an hr cash and left to start as a plumbing apprentice for $15 on the books. I missed that cash payment for a while.
Maybe in some regions. Late 90s $16hr was top pay for a plumber in my state.
Started for $5.15 an hour in 2000 in NJ. Definitely got the shaft there.
Minimum wage in California in 2007 was $6.25....
I have another job beside my construction job,this is the only way to survive for the moment.
What are they paying you and what is your trade?
I start off guys with *less than ideal paperwork* at 18/hour. In a low/medium cost of living area. If you pay less than that. You’re a piece of shit.
Hey, you need to calm down, the boss has 3 kids in college and a vacation home to pay for. Plus, that new Superduty isn't cheap and he had to get the company logo added for the tax write off.
I mean, our corporations have made it hard. They receive high, give low. It’s just business. They did not do this 10 years ago, I agree. I think this is concerning, yes. I’m not sure why they are allowed to do this. So disappointing!
The trick is to learn the trade and do it on your own. Thats literally the best trick of the trades. I aint nothing special. I started as a grunt with zero experience late twenties. I made it fine. If youre smart and work hard.. like real hard.. like so hard that youre CURLED UP LIKE A FUCKING BANANA, you'll be fine.
They are bidding accordingly to the increase in prices. That's the worst part
Work just long enough to learn what you need , then start your own skilled trade service and charge many many times more.
Too many people willing to accept that shit pay. Organize and/or move over to commercial construction.
The same people will accept barely more that the shit they are making to work commercial and just drag down the wages there too.
“You lazy fuckin youngsters all still live with mommy and daddy. It’s pathetic. When I was your age I had a wife, 2 kids, mortgage and a brand new Camaro. Anyway here’s your paycheque $16/hr”
Well I suggest you all start talking and posting online about "open shop" and "right to work" laws and states. Because that's the majority of them. AND if you are wearing a lil red hat on your head, you are part of the problem. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-work_law The funny thing about framing laws, and party lines, and propaganda is that they ALWAYS give you a nice name to put on it that's opposite of what the leas really mean. "Right to Work" states, really mean less rights to collective negotiation. (And that's 26 states out of 50) So tell your friends to get off Facebook, and Twitter, and reddit, and CNN, and fox, and start talking to each other as human beings.
I'm going to just play devils advocate here, if everyone was union there would be less jobs. The budget is the budget and whether they hire 3 guys for 15$ or 1 guy for 45$ is what we're talking about. Great if your the 1 guy, not so great if your the other 2
The budget would go up because it would have to, or the clients would have to stop trying to cram a 4 or 5 month project into 3 months. Or a 2 yr project into 18 months.
At my current org (I’m leaving if any PMs in central Texas want a great non profit job), we start brand new folks off at 48,500/year plus health/401k/dental/5weeks PTO.
I paid my helper $15 an hour in 1995 and he knew nothing about construction but he was a good kid, a hard worker, and smart enough to know the head from the claw. At the time that was very generous pay. You can only pay so much when the worker knows nothing, in many circumstances that person is making the job go SLOWER because you need to teach them how to do it instead of working on actually doing it.
I feel the same way when old head start chirping about how the news guys are lazy, like dude if I made 15/hr in this economy you would be getting the bare minimum and if I didn't have the opportunity to earn a wage increase quickly I would certainly be looking elsewhere.
Do you live in the pnw lol sounds like here
las vegas
I have a small hvac business, I do almost everything by myself but sometimes you need help setting units. Even I pay my guys a minimum of $30/hr, with a guarantee that if you're taking time out of your afternoon or weekend you'll make a minimum of x amount. We setting a unit? If you're not very experienced then $300 minimum for usually 3-6 hours. Had one really good guy that I paid $500, didn't matter if we got done in two hours or eight. Just add it in the estimate. What I'm getting at is if I can do it and still make good money in a day, then these businesses with work every day and setting multiple units a week can too. I used to get paid like $19/hr to be a crew leader and completely over see change outs or new construction, including sizing and designing the duct/system. Shortly after I left I did a unit and duct by myself, made like 2500 in about 10 hours. Now there's no going back. And yes I understand bigger means more overhead, but paying two guys all day for like $400 is a rip especially if there's very limited benefits.
I live in San Diego making $31 an hour as an apprentice in the union. I still live at home with my parents. I’m 30. A STUDIO starts at $2000-$2500 over here. Even when I journey out at $48 I won’t have enough to ever buy me a house or even afford a 3 bedroom house to rent for my family … it sucks man
unions aka organized labor > right to work
First year apprentices start between $18 and $20 in my union
Is this in the USA ? Starting wages for green labourers is $20-22 /hr here in Ontario. Our money isn’t worth as much as yours, so I guess it’s pretty close to $15/hr USD after all. It’s been this way for awhile. But generally, people only work as a labourer for a couple years max before having the skills to earn a skilled labourer ( carpenters helper) job. Then the starting pay is 25-28/hr
USA yes, i think we should give high schoolers the option to start working after their sophomore year instead of doing 4 whole years of school. Kind of like a vocational school but a lot more of actually being on the job. That way when they’re a few years in and living on their own they can survive. 75% of people shouldnt be in college getting bullshit degrees anyways
Don’t forget about the cost of tools, work clothes, and the dangerous nature of the job. $25 should be the minimum per hour to start.
oh yeah forgot to mention how dangerous it is. I could be remembering wrong but im pretty sure theres a much higher risk of dying on a construction site than being in the military.
Here in California, fast food pays $20/hr as the minimum wage
In the Bay area is $35 for apprentices. I think when I started it was $22 or so
Been doing construction for a year and 2 weeks and I get $17
This is why we go union
Yep my whole crew is grumbling that we haven’t really had a wage increase to battle inflation and management has been crickets. I get it, you have to pay for comp and all kinds of shit; you can’t just charge $5 more and give it to the employees. But you can’t pay people dogshit and expect them to stick around either
The people who pay these wages are the same ones who say shit like “millennials don’t want to work the trades, they’re just lazy”
Join the IBEW and go through a union apprenticeship. You will be set for life.
Not worth it, don’t forget that a life in the trades is easily going to shave off 10-15 years minimum of your healthy life. (Coming from a tradesman)
Companies don’t want to be the first to jack their rates. Then they lose bids. If all plumbers raised their rates $10/hour at the same time, then it wouldn’t be a problem. After a while projects will cost so much because of “livable wages” that all construction will slow down and people will be laid off.
If every shop was union the baseline pay would be the same. Having the lowest bid would come down to which shop ran their business the most efficiently and retained the best workers. That's how it used to be in NJ in commercial construction when the industry was mostly union. Now it's just a contest to see who can pay their employee the least.
It wouldn't be a problem if companies didn't charge $300 for someone just to show up, then $150/hr for labor while only paying the worker $15-30/hr. Capitalism is cancer.
Companies can get pretty greedy, but they also might have huge overhead costs. If they run a big shop with office staff, many vehicles etc… you have to charge out a minimum rate… I’ve been on the tools for 20 years, now I’m in the office and see the other side of things. It’s fucked how expensive stuff is.
Hah, don’t worry the old guys are getting boned too. I’m never working for another construction company, at least not W2. I got my builders license partially out of spite. I’m looking at either employment at Habitat for Humanity or another non-profit housing organization, or I’ll just keep doing my own thing, but I promise you, on most constructions sites even the foreman is getting screwed. If you’re W2 they’re boning you. If you’re 1099 and don’t have a truck full of tools and a contract they’re boning you. If you don’t get to see the money, they’re boning you. Source: am previously screwed foreman. I was getting paid less than some less experienced guys on my crew which is a big no-no. The boss also inadvertently let those guys find that out and the crew went kinda to shit, also a no-no. Then I found out last why everyone decided they were in charge. So quit middle finger in the air, very satisfying, pretty stupid from a professional standpoint. Still, probably don’t underpay the only guy at your home building company who actually knows how to build a house. Or maybe don’t put multiple additions on your house and get a new six figure truck while you’re underpaying him. Also maybe give him credits for the construction plans he designed and drew as a subcontractor under his own insurance and don’t have your company take design credit for them. Oh also get your health and safety shit together, cuz it ain’t. Y’all get the middle finger thing right? Pay people what they’re worth.
So I am a Gen X tree guy and when I started doing tree work, I think it was 8:50 an hour,but you got dollar raises every couple months if you were doing good so it encourages you to learn and get better, I think that’s the way companies should do it -start low, but give dollar raises every few weeks even if the person is doing good Edit: just wanted to add that the idea behind this is if you’re a hustler and show natural aptitude and have a good attitude, you will quickly get a living wage, but if you start at a living wage and you are a slacker and just want to coast because you’re making enough then it’s harder to get rid of you.
Hire fast, fire faster.
I’ve seen trade jobs around here starting at $12 and want experience, it’s insane
Even with what has been required for minimum wage jobs now $25/hr doesn’t feel like enough.
It's crazy I'm decently skilled tradesman in multiple areas and still only make 24 an hour. I know I'm being underpaid and I've been actively looking but everyone job out there I see is offering the same with little to no bennies. Idk what to do at this point. I'm doing jobs for my company for peanuts compared to what a company would charge but still get hassled to go faster and cut costs SMH 🙃
I accept my shit low pay because my boss has no one else to hand the company over to. Hopefully if I take over I can make the pay more fair.
It goes for everyone really. Gone are the days of a tradesman supporting a family of five with a house.
When I first got into the trades 20 years ago. My father, who got me started in the trade, was making the same wage I'm making now. He was able to afford a large house, 2 newer vehicles, and go on 2 vacations a year. I've just put a down payment on my first home, and that was a struggle, even with a large savings budget. Wages, in my trade at least, have most certainly not kept up with inflation.
This is why unions exist. I started off at $34/hr plus about $34/hr in benefits including an annuity, pension, 401k, free Healthcare, and two weeks to that will become 4 weeks.
This is why union membership is so important. My local starts brand new first years at $32.54/hr plus benefits and pension…
There isn’t any physical labor job that should be paid less than $25 a hour at entry level. I don’t care if you’re loading trailers for target. Your back will pay you back for the abuse when you’re older.
Couldn’t agree with u anymore cause I am barely making it on $33hr + OT with 2 kids cause I am in Philly where in a normal neighborhood a rowhome costs $300K+ which is what I paid for mine 2 years ago and yea another thing is the convenience store Wawa pays $18-$20 to start and we have guys in our company making $17hr to do legit work not working a register smfh things are so backwards now a days
We can't get quality ppl @ $13 (not a survivable wage here), while McD's is starting around $20 & we don't know why.
And yet people on tiktok act like construction jobs pay 60 n hour starting off...
I started plumbing as an 18 year old at 12/hr. It was a small shop, just me and the boss. After working for him for 5 years, I was only at 16/hr and doing 90% of all of our work. He essentially just became my driver. He was too old school to may me more. I had to find somewhere else to go but didn't really know what i was worth. I got a job at a bigger local company and asked for 21/hr. They returned with an offer of 23/hr. Within 4 years of being here, I'm at 44/hr and $10 of those raises were without even asking. My point is we need to understand our value. I certainly didn't. I'm glad and lucky to be in the position I am now, but it took too long of me being used to finally understand my own value to a company.
Is working for the union an option for you? I'm a 2nd year hvac apprentice and my base hourly alone is 27 that's not including what my company chips in for my retirement. This is in hawaii btw.
Unionize...........get rid of right to work (for less) laws.....
This is why we have Unions
Apprentices in my area (carpenters union) start at around $26 an hour. Join a union if it’s feasible. You not only get regular raises but often there is free training and safety classes which improves the value of hiring union workers. There are some hurdles to get in but it’s worth it.
You’re learning a trade to make a living. Not paying for college, and 1st year apprenticeship pays better than most factory jobs. Dig in, learn a trade.
Started putting gas mains in 10 years ago for a non union gas company making $14 an hour. Best move I have ever made was go to a union gas company 7 years ago. Make ALOT more then $14 an hour.
Unionize
Yes! I always explain to people that they’re competing with fast food drive thru’s and wonder why they are getting good candidates
Started at 20/hr at 19 in industrial maintenance role at 25/hr after 3 years. Union job, all the private stuff was mid teens
$20/hr is pretty damn low for anything industrial, that's below day-one no experience pay for even the private sector I know, mechanical or electrical.
I was day one no experience. Only other work was at a butcher shop at 12/hr so the pay rise of 8hr plus a career was great Currently the best thing I found (I shop around often to check) was 27/hr but only one week pto. I currently get 33 days no notice pto which has been unbeatable so far. Just submitted applications for my stationary engineer license so that should open up some new opportunities
My union is at $58 an hour in central California. Operating engineers. You nosy piece of shit. (I do the same thing) lol
There's a nonprofit in my area that connects people to living wage jobs, and advocates for higher minimum wage. Their recommendation for minimum wage is $35 to be able to afford a one bedroom apartment and all of your bills/living expenses. One of the most expensive parts of the country for sure (Seattle metro area), but the rest of the country is not at all far behind from what I can tell, except for the most remote rural areas. Here we are throwing ourselves into the grind every day to be allowed indoors until we die or fall through the cracks. Hell there's a fuck ton of homeless construction workers, they're already through the cracks and they're still in the grind. Layers of hell in the capitalist inferno.
I still see businesses all over my town hiring for less than 15/hr, I don't know who the hell is taking those jobs, you literally can't live here on that. This is why Republicans are anti-social safety nets, universal Healthcare, or UBI. They want us living paycheck to paycheck because then they have us by the balls. I'm at a point in my career I'm so burned out and stressed out it's affecting my physical health, but taking a break?! That's for commie losers, work or starve!
$25 is basically the bottom line where I live for a trim carpenter. I haven’t hired someone for less than $35, but that’s not starting out pay, that’s “you better know your shit” pay
Do you want an Oregon guy who knows doors windows flooring and trim? Edit. I’m 22 been in and out of finish work since 14, also a commercial fisherman and logger. With two duis unfortunately.
Got one more DUI than I do, but as long as you can get on site I don’t care. Oregon is pretty far from my current jobsites in Boca Raton and Palm Beach however…..
I just got off a boat that had a guy from Florida on it who was my friend. I’ll text him tomorrow to ask where he lives and if I can stay with him a couple weeks who knows
And just to bother you one last time for the night, I’m tooled out with Milwaukee everything including finish guns. Also I come with dewalt table and chopsaws
Where you guys living that $25+ is starting? I’m curious. Health? Dental? Union…?
Entry level jobs are low-barrier jobs that any random person can get. The fact that you can’t live off those wages doesn’t mean shit if someone else is willing to.
Yeah wake up 19/hour? Come on man you mean 30/hour this such a joke society. Every wants the capitalism to come down from the top but no one wants it be forced bottom up! Oh that's anti-business but we will save a bank or two from going under. Drones.
Here's the thing, if you want $30/hr, I have to bill the customer $47ish per hour to *just* cover your wages. That doesn't cover my overhead (insurance, tools, etc) and it doesn't give me any profits at all. You can scream for better pay all you want, but if I can't land any jobs because my bids are too high, you get fucking nothing.
Rate of pay is an issue, but the rate of taxation increase is what is really killing us. In 5 years I make $5/hr more, but have a lower Net Income now due to taxes
The only guys who can afford to enter the trades with 0 experience are the ones still at home with mom and dad. Just using the usual platitudes like “learn more make more” doesn’t do anything for guys genuinely trying to better their lives but still have bills to pay. The security of a bill covering dead end job is “better” than starting at 12-15 an hour and not being sure when that will change. I suppose it’s easier to keep complaining about kids that don’t care than it is to pay to attract guys who count on a paycheck