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What's a good trade to learn?
(lemm.ee)
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this post was submitted on 12 May 2025
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Electricians make good money and the work is mostly clean.
Plumbers make great money and the work is mostly disgusting.
Really it depends on your threshold for gross and how much physical labor you are willing to do yourself.
Electricians often have to crawl in crawlspaces under homes and in attics.
The trend seems to be hiding heating units so they're out of sight.
I said mostly clean. Yeah you gotta deal with dust, cobwebs and the occasional mouse or whatever, but it's better than getting literally shit sprayed all over you.
Indeed. Although electrician is a broad category. My first thought was a lineman.
So, Geodad... Geodad, right? So Geodad, today's your first day with us and what you're going to be doing is changing a lightbulb. Nope, that's it, just the lightbulb, then you get to go home. Cushy? I guess.
Ok, I'm going to drive you over to the tower- what? Yeah, the KRDK-TV tower. Light's at the top. Just climb to top there and swap out the bulb.
Just a couple of things: There's no caging once you get up a ways so you're just climbing on the outside. This being your first time, you should clip in. It gets gusty up there. Second if you hear a helicopter locate its direction. If it's above you, climb down. If it's below, hang on tight and say your hail Marys - you signed the waiver, right? Good, good.
Just a lightbulb, today. I'll be back to pick you up later this afternoon when you get back down. Have fun!
I know! I would love that job. I have zero fear of heights and an intense urge to get as far away from people as possible. 🤣
Electrician here. One thing I will say, in times of inclement economic weather (like now), service plumber stay busy. People are likely not going to not fix a leak, blocked drain, or a heater/AC problem. People will run an extension cord if an outlet stops working or get creative if a light goes out. From what I've seen, many views plumbing as a more pertinent issue to resolve than electrical issues. But, as OP said, I'll take electrical all day over dealing with poo.
Linemen for the power company will always stay busy regardless of the economy, and it pays stupid well. The guys in my town clear $200k with storm shifts.
My boss is a former lineman; he quit because there was a lot of bullshit dealing with the power company. I gather that the pay in my area wasn't that great either. When storms roll through, shifts are going to be long and brutal.
New construction work is also much easier than repairs. Commercial is better than residential.
HVAC is a bit of both.