Top Paying Blue Collar Jobs
Posted on July 7, 2008
Filed Under Careers |
I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. College isn’t for everyone. There are some people who are not cut out to go on to college. Some have no desire to go to college while others have no idea why they’re going. They go just because everyone tells them they must do it. They then succumb to a mountain of student loan debt that they will be paying off for years to come. By the time they’re done paying off that debt, they’ll be wishing they had a top paying blue collar job.
Does it really make any sense to go to College and get a BA degree for a $25,000 a year job? I hate to be the one to tell you, but if you need that kind of education for a $25,000 per year job, the job doesn’t pay enough.
Forbes has come out with another so called list of Top Paying Blue Collar jobs. Most of the jobs are in the $50,000 to $60,000 per year range and they are in very specific fields like Railroad Engineers, gas plant and electrical sub station engineers and the like.
What Forbes does not tell you is that it can be many years before someone starting out can land one of these lucrative blue collar jobs.
What Forbes also does not tell you is that there are many more top paying blue collar jobs that come close or even surpass the ones on their list. Heck, they don’t want you to know that working hard can does pay off. I doubt any on their staff have every had to work at any of these jobs, so don’t hold them responsible for their negligence.
Here are some top paying blue collar jobs anyone can get with a little bit of training. Both classroom and on the job!
Electrician - This is one of these jobs that has a broad base. This job can be everything from replacing a breaker in a breaker box for a little old lady to wiring the latest high tech Office building. It takes a while to become a Master Electrician, but even Journeymen Electricians are in demand and get paid very well. Expect starting pay in the $15 to $20 per hour range. Once you become more proficient and obtain your Electrical license, the pay rises sharply.
Roughneck - If you don’t mind getting dirty and doing manual labor, then a Roughnecks life might be the one for you. Roughnecks are people who work on Oil and Gas drilling rigs wrangling the pipe and other labor intensive duties. Whether on a rig in West Texas or on a Offshore Drilling Rig in the Gulf of Mexico, drilling rig help gets paid quite a bit. It’s not unheard of for hands to make $50,000 or more per year.
Auto Mechanic - Have you had your car to a dealer or independent shop lately to be worked on? Okay, the car dealer takes most of the money for their self. In fact, did you know that next to financing, the Shop is the most profitable part of a dealership? That’s why you’re seeing some dealership Shops larger than the Showroom.
Top mechanics can pretty much name their own pay. Especially mechanics who specialize in one type of car. For example, if you’re a Top rated certified Mercedes Benze mechanic, you can go to any major city to any major dealership or independent shop who specializes in Mercedes Benz and command a high wage. Specialized mechanics are in high demand and they always will be. It pays to specialize if you love tinkering on cars!
HVAC Tech - For those of us who live in the South, we’ll pay nearly any amount when our air conditioning goes out. There is a huge demand for HVAC qualified technicians now days and the demand will only increase.
The same is true in Northern climates, but it’s the heat they’re concerned about up there.
In my neck of the woods, you can open nearly any newspaper and find want ads for experienced HVAC techs with at least 3 years experience. Some companies are giving as much as a $2000 sign on bonuses plus company vehicle, 401k, benefits and a starting pay around $20 to $25 per hour with bonuses.
Heavy Equipment Operators- Drive through most any city and you’ll see some type of construction going on. Chances are the road you’re on may be under construction. You’ll probably also see a lot of heavy equipment sitting around. Dozers, scrapers, backhoes, excavators, etc. Hey, those things don’t run their self you know!
There are several schools out there now that can teach you how to operate heavy equipment and then help you get a job afterwards. Just google “heavy equipment operator schools” and you should be on your way.
Beginners can expect to earn $12 to $15 per hour while experienced operators can pull down $18 per hour and up, sometimes in the $25 per hour and up range!
Welders - Whether it’s in construction, industry or fabrication, welders are in short demand. One of the top welding schools in the Country is Tulsa Welding school. Their starting Welders average $42,000 per year. They also state that employers have requested hundreds more welders than they had enrolled students!
I have a friend who works in a fabrication shop of a manufacturer that makes oil field supplies and he pulls down around $45,000 per year without overtime. Since he’s a workaholic, he generally makes in the $60,000 per year range with overtime. And he doesn’t even have a GED, dropped out in the 10th grade. Many 4 and 6 year degreed people can’t match that!
Just like any line of work, being specific can pay more. TIG and MIG welders will generally earn more, sometimes a lot more, than general stick welders. It all depends on where you go.
Truck Drivers- It’s been no secret that there are driver shortages in the trucking industry. There are truck driving schools all across the country and many of the major trucking companies like Schneider will actually train you if you hire on. Now that’s being in demand! Starting truck drivers can expect to make in the $35,000 and up range. Once you get a few years under your belt, you can expect to make a lot more!
Once again, as with many of the fields above, specializing in one aspect of trucking, such as tankers or over sized loads, will put more green in your pocket and make you more desirable.
So you see, you don’t have to settle for going to college and racking up a huge amount of student loan debt. Especially if you don’t know what you want to take. There’s no shame in saying you want to “work” for a living. The top blue collar jobsabove can virtually guarantee you a lifetime income if you learn your trade and learn it well.