Career?

[K2e2vin]

Right now I'm working at UPS part time but double shift(10pm-9am); when I'm not working a double(3am-9am) I just do handyman-type jobs during the day, or just sleep. Anyways, I'm only getting $10/hr right now(raise this January), but staying because of benefits and discounts. Now if I continue to stay and do driver, I can make 65k a year or more with CDL(paycheck every week too). It's not something I want to do, but hey, thats more money than some teachers .
What I really want to do is automotive technician, but everybody I know don't make that much. I want to go back to school(community college, or UTI), but I don't know what I want to take. Which type of career pays the most? Mind you, I prefer working with my hands, but don't mind working in a office. I was thinking taking course on machining. Anyone have any idea on how much automotive technicians and machinists make a year?

 

[posol]

you won't make 65k at a shop... especially in NC. a good friend of mine is team foreman at a honda dealer here, has been working for honda for 6 years or so, and still doesn't make 65k. and thats in the northeast. so in NC, take 10-15k off that just for regional market.

i also doubt drivers make 65k.
around here, they make like 20-22 an hour, which is like 45k.

make sure someone isn't feeding you a bowl of shit

 

[K2e2vin]

No, a AM Air driver told me that. Another driver, this foreign white guy(south american/spanish accent though) is a driver for six years and is making $25 an hour as a driver. The guys driving the rigs are making way more. You didnt take in account overtime, and working saturday=overtime too.

One of the guys I load for has been pulling in over 60 hours a week(not sure how much of it is overtime though), that's already about 57k before tax at $20/hour.

btw, the full time supervisors get a $1000 bonus for every new worker that stays more than 1 year

 

[Airjockie]

everyone knows what I'll say.....

 

[smarty009]

UPS driver maybe...but a big rig truck driver...hell no...if you dont plan to have a family life...go for it...

 

[posol]

25/hr is STILL not even close to 65k a year.

8hrs a day x 5 = 40 hrs a week
52 weeks in a year

40x52 = 2080

now assuming you get paid vacation, that leasves you 2080 hours a year on which to make money off of.
@ 20/hr, thats 41,600.
@25/hr, thats 52,000

you'd need to be getting 31.50/hr to make 65k/yr

if he's been there 6 years, and not making that, you are looking at 6+ years before you hit that level.

and in 6+ years, 32 bucks an hour will probably be equiv. to today's $25/hr the way inflation keeps going up.

60hr work weeks suck.

if you want to base your salary off that, go for it.
its great when you're young. I myself rarely work less than 70 between all the stuff I do.

but the end result is, once you get a family, and you REALLY NEED that money, the hours will kill you and your family life will suffer. missing the recitals of your kids, spending time with the wife, etc etc...
so if you go back to 40 hrs a week, and now have 1 or more mouths to feed, you'll realize that you're in a world of shit financially.

This is a good topic for savingstalk you should come over

 

[K2e2vin]

You actually do not get paid by the actual hours, but the amount of work. Say you have "8 hours" of packages, you can get all of that done in 6 hours and still get paid for 8 hours. Also, most of the time it's over 8 hours a day.

So if not driver, then what should I look for? Chances are I can't get into military; due to vision and I have a GED(I could do Army, but fuck that, not much money and always away)

 

[Airjockie]

Sikorsky - Home

get an A+P license, might take you 2 years to get it, but after having it, it will open a new world up for you. I'm 5 years into the company, but new guys gets hired and they get the same pay as me, and thats $27 an hour, with crap loads of OT. If I didn't have that damn strike this year, I would've prolly hit 85K's by now, and 90+K's at the end of the year. And I sit on my ass a lot. My job is Service Mech B, but I'll be a service Mech A as soon as I get my flight status.

 

[posol]

You actually do not get paid by the actual hours, but the amount of work. Say you have "8 hours" of packages, you can get all of that done in 6 hours and still get paid for 8 hours. Also, most of the time it's over 8 hours a day.

So if not driver, then what should I look for? Chances are I can't get into military; due to vision and I have a GED(I could do Army, but fuck that, not much money and always away)

its a shitty job dude. moving shit all day... breaking your back, getting chased by dogs, getting stuck in traffic costs you money.... or worse, your time. so your 6 hour route turns into 10, so then you worked for free for 2 hours.

plus saturday's.

and come holiday season, good luck getting any time off... youll be working your ass off up to -xmass eve..... no time to spend with family.

fuck the army. its a joke. take your 25k for 4 years and shove it. go watch Tom cruise in cocktail. he went, and come out no better than before.
go army only if you plan to stay in it for a life-time career. 4 years in there is just a waste of time.
(of course, this is speaking in the course of a "career" not a "service" standpoint)


no body can tell you what to do.

find something you like doing
and find someone to pay you for it.

 

[Celerity]

A&P will get you $22 an hour after 4 years of efforts.

 

[Celerity]

Also, I'm working on a thing now - it's EASY to make $1000 a week. See me in person for details (Until I get done writing it down)

 

[posol]

it's easy to make 2k a week

 

[Airjockie]

A&P will get you $22 an hour after 4 years of efforts.

not if you do it right. Our hangar clean-up guys make that much. And our tool crib attendants...

 

[Celerity]

.. yeah and they won't even hire me.

 

[Airjockie]

it's easy to make 2k a week

last week of the year, I make an easy 4k...

gotta love triple OT

lets break this down...how my pay works....

$27.00 an hour, work 6.5 hours a day, get paid for 8 hours. $1080 a week

Saturdays are time and a half. work 6.5 hours, get 8 hours. $324 a sat. And sometimes I can stay or work 2 hour extra a day or go on unlimited OT.

Sundays are double time. work 6.5 hours, get 8 hours pay. $432 a sun.

Once every 4 years, a contract signing bonus $3000-4000... this year was $3000.

2 weeks paid vacation, and if I don't take the vacation, then I still get paid thru vacation. $2160 if I take time off, $4320 if I don't take a vacation. Then one week paid sick time off. so another $1080. And if you have perfect attendance, then they give you a paid days a year. $432

Holidays are paid, and you have them off, but if you work them, then they are concidered double time on top of the paid holliday...so triple time. And my company takes a week off from X-mas til NYE. But I work it so I get the huge first paycheck for the next year.

so if your a work-o-holic..and work everyday of the year, then that $27 an hour adds up, plus all the OT and bennies kick in.

Base pay $ 56160
every sat $ 16858
every sun $ 22464
vac money $ 2160
sic money $ 1080
per attnd $ 432
11 holiday$ 2376
contract $ 3000
__________________
possible $ 104530 before unlimited OT. on 3rd shift working really one 4 hours a day.

this year the 7 week strike killed me.
plus I had to use my income tax to survive..and it was in the 5k range.

Next year I get $28.90 an hour once I get on flight status.

 

[Celerity]

OH that's where you come up with your fantasy income. I get it now !

 

[Airjockie]

nothing fantasy about it...I'm sitting at $76+ks right now...that 7 weeks with no work or no OT...killed me this year. As for a career...if you like turning wrenches, using your head, and like aircraft...then spending the time to get an A&P licence will pay off. If I didn't have that damn student loan, or other crap I'm paying for weekly, then I'd be driving something new by now...ohh well, I still like the old cars...

 

[Celerity]

A&P career is definately a great career - but you're talking about results that can only come by giving up all of your free time and working 3rd shift (When was the last time YOU got out to enjoy yourself ?? )

IT is still a strong field. Even Help desk shit. There are lots of companies that need people at all different levels of experience.

If turning a wrench is you, and you have no certs - You'll get a job for $12 or so an hour (North-East coast wage), but you'll get into an ASE cert real quick. From there you get more money only by moving to different shops. My friend is a 6 year tire tech and makes $14 - tops for his choice in background. Mechanic works tops out at about $18 an hour.

HVAC work starts at $14/hr if you have a good work ethic. You can move up real easily as well and find yourself at $22 an hour in little over a year.

North East coast wage for construction work right now sits at $18 an hour for a good worker to do framing. other work pays more.

The nice thing about these kinds of jobs is that they are steady pays. If steady pay is something you can live without, then I suggest starting a business. It's easier than ever right now. You don't need FULL capability - just the ability to FIND capabilities. For instance my friend does installs. Before he takes on an install (for instance, a remote car starter) he will contact his friends (me) and see if I can do it or help him do it. If I say no, he turns down the work. If he can get someone to say yes, then he does it.

for making $1000 a week, I can make that if I dedicate time and some money to buying and selling used cars.

 

[prawjEKt Cx]

Dude, UPS is an amazing career. You've already paid your dues with the shitty jobs, now put on your shorts and get on the god damn truck!

 

[Celerity]

in 1994 I made $14 an hour as a sheetmetal machinist, I forgot to mention.