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Trade school librarian convinced me to look at trades again at 47
I spent 25 years in office work and always thought trades were for people who didn't do well in school. Spoke to a librarian at the public branch in Tacoma last Tuesday who had switched from teaching to a welding certificate at 52. She said the local union hall has a 94 percent job placement rate and starting pay around $28 an hour, which hit different after my last layoff. Has anyone here made a late career jump into a trade and regretted it or loved it?
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kim_patel8924d ago
That $28 an hour figure seems low for a union gig in Tacoma in 2024, unless it is an apprentice rate that climbs fast. My brother in law got into HVAC at 45 and his first year was rough on his knees and his ego, but by year three he was at $41 plus benefits and he says the pension alone was worth the switch. The catch nobody mentions is the upfront cost, he dropped about $6,000 on tools and certs before he made a dime, so make sure you run those numbers before you jump.
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