[redleggedfrog]

Not me, but my buddy got out of software development and learned to be, as he describes it, "a bog standard electrician." He had money for trade school, and then apprenticed under an experienced electrician. Dude is in his 40's, so late career change. Makes double the money he did doing remote coding.

[ecshafer]

Certified electricians can make really good money, especially union. But that's really hard to believe. Is this somewhere like NYC or something that there is an edge. A remote software developer is typically in the $100-200k range in the US. I know union certified electricians in that range, but none in the $300-400k range.

[francisofascii]

There are plenty of developer gigs in the US with salaries less than $100k, or with contract hourly rates less than $50/hour. Especially if the job is remote or in a low COL area.

[more_corn]

My buddy did this. Apprenticed to become a low voltage electrician. Runs Cat6 for office builds. He did it for the reduced stress. He’s a lot happier. He owns a home in SF on a single salary.

[mywittyname]

Yeah, my father is an electrician who does industrial work (non-union, but co-owns his business) and I was out-earning him by the time I was 21. Even though he made some good investment decisions, such as owning the building his company leases, based on info from my mom, I have amassed 2x the net worth in half the time.

I think people often conflate "being a <trade>" with "owning a <trade> business." A W-2 electrician earns a median salary of $62k in the USA. A guy who runs a business as an electrician might bill out $250k a year for his work, but he'll have to pay expenses like insurance, vehicles, gas, tools/tec, FICA, taxes, rent, on call services, and probably salaries for his assistants (which may include an unpaid secret assistant like a spouse who coordinates appointments). So their take home isn't nearly that much.

[Gooblebrai]

> Makes double the money he did doing remote coding.

Yes, but I presume at a high physical cost in the long-term? (I mean, more than the physical cost of sitting in a chair)

[itsoktocry]

>Yes, but I presume at a high physical cost in the long-term?

Why? Electricians aren't doing intense labour, and I'm 99% certain that being in a job where you move around a lot (as opposed to sitting at your desk) has long term health benefits, without even getting into carpal tunnel syndrome and other RSIs associated with being at a computer.

[yumraj]

Honestly I wonder if he’ll end up being healthier. Sitting in a chair has zero physical cost but very high health cost.

[jagtstronaut]

I’ve done some of my own electric work and the logic isn’t dissimilar to what we do. Just way less abstract, way slower, and way simpler. I found it kind of interesting.

[betaby]

> Makes double the money

Canada?