Thanks to everyone for your encouragement and advice.
I have some more questions. The tech school I am considering has programs in carpentry, plumbing, and cabinetmaking. Which area do you see the most need in and in which is it possible to make the best living? My heart leans toward carpentry, but I think I could be happy with either of them.
Thanks,
S.J.
Replies
That's a nice post to show you are interested in the field. I would say a good way to go is with the carpentry first. The "basic" hands on knowledge that a person receives from general carpentry training can be applied to many other aspects of the trades.
Hook
Quality custom finish work
interior/exterior alterations
Of the three trades you listed plumbers generally make the most money, cabinetmakers the least.
Thats what I was going to suggest. Go for the plumbing. They pull down the squilla...
Darkworksite4:
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"Of the three trades you listed plumbers generally make the most money, cabinetmakers the least."
That was pretty much my thinking. I guess I will shoot for the highest or the middle. That's not to say that some high end cabinet makers don't do well either.
I hope I didn't imply plumbing is the best choice. I may have misread your initial question, but I thought you asked who made the most. I was just trying to reply factually.
I've spent about a year, twice in my career (two years total) working as a plumber's helper. Each time I was supporting a young family and it seemed like a good opportunity to make some good money (26.60/hr, 40 hrs a week in the early 80s) and enjoy a change of pace. Both times I bolted right back to carpentry as soon as I could.
The money you make doing work you don't enjoy is nowhere near enough to compensate you for the time you spend unfulfilled. If you don't feel gratified by doing one type work over another, neither one will fulfill you in the long run. Keep poking around, trying things out. You'll find a passion eventually - then it really won't matter much what the pay is, your life will be enriched far beyond monetary compensation.
I was in a similar position right before I decided on follwoing carpentry thru the trade school for a "career change" ...
Looking back ... ahh .. who wants to do that ...
The only way to make any real money as a carp is to run your own biz ... and not everyone's cut out to do that. You can make a decent living as a working carp ... but there is a ceiling.
An employed plumber can make probably twice what a carp can after the time is spent and licenses are obtained.
I had a job lines up with a local RotoRooter to start off cleaning sewers while they sent me thru the 4 year plumbing school ..... then after that ... put in enough time .. and be a master plumber that watches the kids do all the work.
I got the call from the trade school .. that I could get into the carp program .. and went that direction. I grew up in remodeling .. Dad had his own "second job" as a FT Kitchen and Bath guy ... his customers knew he worked nites and weekends and were willing to accept his schedule ... so I had on the job training in both remodeling and dealing with a biz from the time I was 8 yrs old ...
If I didn;t have that background to fall back on ... I'd have been much better as a plumber!
Around here ... good plumbers are hard to come by. Good guys always have way too much work.
I've recently been considering finding a nite school for electric ....
So I'd say any and all would be a good choice.
To support a family as quick as possible ... plumbing. And I'd look at skipping the trade school ...lotsa places will hire you FT and send you to the school. Only cost them a coupla hundred bucks ... hardest part is putting in the time unde a registered master.
Jeff
Buck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
I agree with Jim Blodgett. I spent two years working as a HVAC tech. The money was good and the work interesting but you didn't have something pretty to look at when you were done. With carpentry/cabinetmaking looking at a nice trim job or a pretty mantle makes me feal like a craftsman.
Harpo
"The money was good and the work interesting but you didn't have something pretty to look at when you were done. With carpentry/cabinetmaking looking at a nice trim job or a pretty mantle makes me feal like a craftsman."
This is why I said my heart is more in carpentry. The tangible results are there in plumbing and other trades, but I don't think you can beat the feeling of seeing the fine work you have accomplshed on that mantle or whatever at the end of the day. Where I'm at now I have few more lines on a "drawing" stored on a hard drive when it's time to go home. That's why when I'm drawing a section or a detail the fun is in building it in my mind. I guess I'm leaning towards carpentry. I really want to get into remodelling eventually.
Money is important, but it's not everything. You can't let it run your life. If you really think for a moment you can see that many "poor" Americans are still the richest people in the world; not to say that there aren't some genuinely poor with us. At least I'm not in China working for $.17/hr, 20 hrs. a day making some useless plastic bobble head for a dumbed-down spoiled American.
S.J.
Have you thought about "how much" you need to make?
Real world numbers ...
JeffBuck Construction Pittsburgh,PA
Artistry in Carpentry
"The tangible results are there in plumbing and other trades, but I don't think you can beat the feeling of seeing the fine work you have accomplshed on that mantle or whatever at the end of the day."
The longer that you work in the field, probably any field but certainly carpentry, the less importance this has. What does stay with you is the rewards of working for good people and with good people. This and the knowledge that you have worked with integrity are reward enough for me. BTW, our plumbers do pretty well but are on call a lot.
"What does stay with you is the rewards of working for good people and with good people. This and the knowledge that you have worked with integrity are reward enough for me."
That is very true. I was not trying to denigrate the plumbing profession as I myself am still considerring it. I am drawn more to wood aspect of a house though. But always community and integrity are extremely important no matter what profession.
This is why I said my heart is more in carpentry.
Follow your heart........framings fun..........trimming makes the most money............cabinet making? ... very difficult to turn a decent profit these days.
Forget the school stuff and hire on with a good GC......they'll train and pay.........I always did..........cause in todays world it's great to find a young guy wanting/willing to learn......these have become valuable assets for you.There are fast carpenters who care..... there are slow carpenters who care more.....there are half fast carpenters who could care less......
I've been a plumber for almost thirty years now and at fifty I get tired of the calls I have to make every evening to line up the next days work. I'm tired of doing my own books. I'm tired of the pager and cell phone.
I do residential service in a good area. The pay is good and the people are great. The trade has been good to me and I feel that it is going to get better because less young people are entering the trades. I like the fact that I am at several different locations each day, it's never boring. The customers are greatful and that's reward enough for me. I did the new construction thing for the first half and it was nice, but it's true what you say, there is nothing to look at when you are done. I would love to be able to build fine cabinates and furniture and maybe someday I will take the time to learn. Right now I have two daughters in college and helping to support my elderly parents.
Any trades person that puts his heart into his work will be rewarded. If money is what you are looking for, then choose the one that will pay the most.
Yesterday I couldn't even spell plumber, today I are one.
I would give your heart a lot of weight. If it leans toward carpentry it's probably right for you.
Cabinetmaking is really hard to make money at. There aren't enough rich people in most areas to pay the price you'll need to make a living, because there are so many hours in each piece. And, it's really hard to command such a price until your work is really first rate.
Also, consider that cabinetmaking you do alone, carpentry you do with others. If one or the other is your style, that would weight in the decision. Also, with plumbing you may get called at all hours of the night and weekends, or working on urgent problems. Of course, you could refuse such work but it would hamper your business. So, working hours are another factor to decide, too.
Carpentry can be an enjoyable breadwinner while you develop cabinetmaking as a hobby. Then someday you can decide if you want to make the jump.
I have to agree with the general drift of the posts that plumbers make the most and cabinet makers the least. The down side to being a plumber is they are prone to having pipe dreams. Another thing to consider would be the outlay in tools. If you work for some one else it may not be much of a difference but if you plan on going out on your own the cost gap in equipment is pretty great. Plumbing would be the least expensive to get into with carpentry second and cabinet shop taking the lead by a huge margin. To me, most important would be doing something that generates a sense of pride and satisfaction. If you like what you do you will be good at it and should make a decent living no matter what.
Good luck to you.
Be a plumber and then pick one of the other hobbies . :)
Tim Mooney
Me thinks if I wuz to do it all over again I would be a painter.. Tools cost less than a cabinetmakers tools. Hard to get into the plumbers and carpenters union here.