Electrician getting paid to low

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J.P.

Senior Member
Location
United States
In my area (ok) a unlimited journeyman can expect $26 to start. Unlimited means a commercial license not just houses.

You can make more if you want to live in okc and or work union and travel you can make in the $40's as a lead man.

Apprentices make $17ish depending on exp.

I don't know what unlimited contractors make, but I'm going to find out this summer if all goes well....... I don't plan on any residential though, unless a family member needs something. then I wont make anything anyway:)
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Also be advised that locations with higher wages have higher prices.

A place where j-men make over 20 per hour will have housing rental expenses in the 600-1200 dollar per month range.

If you move to a northern state, you can count on heating and electric bills that will run in the 200-600 dollar per month range in addition to your housing rental expenses.

Also, northern states are hard on vehicles.

If you want to buy a house, the costs will be astronomical in an area with a good economy and high wages.

Same for taxes.

Before you move for the sake of more income, just make sure that you are the one that gets it, not landlords, utility companies and the government.
I was debating how to present basically the same content. We are not the least expensive place to live, but not the highest either where I am at. Some people have come here because it is cheaper then where they came from, only to find out they can't earn as much as they did before and it somewhat balances out. Taxes often are kind of high when you live in lower population areas. If the people want more from the governing bodies that money has to come from the people and less people means everyone's share is larger.

It kind of cycles every so many years, right now housing is harder to find and rents or purchase prices are up, the good part about that is that means the local economy is not in the toilet, when things do get worse rents and purchase prices may not go down all that much, but will not continue to rise either, and vacancies will be easier to come by. The economy is not that great that you are seeing a boom in housing construction either though, the risk is just too high that things will come apart sometime soon and is keeping the new construction (especially for housing) somewhat in check.
 
I live in Del Rio,Texas, and most electricians here are getting paid to low, a journeyman $12.00 and hour
apprentice 8.00 an hour
Masters electrician 15 an hour
i love my job but this situation don't motivate me I have to do work on my own to survive, but this situation it's on most on all the south of Texas.
plumbers are getting paid more than we do and we are more at risk, and low voltage guys get paid more
the question is why???

I hope the work you do on your own is not electrical if it is against the law!

I have found that no matter what my earnings have been over the years, the key was to live with-in my means. I never tried to "keep up with the Jones's".

It seems like everyone thinks they're entitled to big flat screen TV's, fancy cell phones and cars and such. It is just not the case. My kids don't wear $100.00++ sneakers (although at this point in life it wouldn't break the bank).

I can pay my bills today and we're not hurting for anything but some years ago that was not the case. My wife also works. Children are expensive.

I won't be retiring until about 2 weeks after they're throwing dirt on me:)
 

stevenje

Senior Member
Location
Yachats Oregon
I would also like to point out that it is far easier to move or switch careers with the problem laid out in the OP - for example, a manager I once worked with at Wendy's is essentially pinned down to working there, because he did not make a change before his outflow matched the inflow that is far higher than other careers would pay to start. I jumped ship when it meant a 5% pay cut.

It's easier to quit and do something else when you don't take a 50% pay cut when making the move.

So true George. I had a good friend some years back who worked as a draftsman/designer for Big Blue. A change in the corporate structure sent him and his new bride to another state. He had no choice. Move or find another employer. She hated it there and put the pressure on him to move back. He put the feelers out and had a few job offers back home, but the pay was too low. He had too many years with Big Blue and was over paid for his skill set in comparison to what the going rate was elsewhere. He called it "the golden handcuffs". I'm sure a lot of people are in the same boat.
 

PetrosA

Senior Member
It is not lame advice it is direct and honest advice.

The OP is not going to be able to change the wages were he lives that leaves few options.

Move

Change careers

Learn to live on a low wage.

I don't claim it wasn't. I said (further down my post) that it's not necessarily the best first advice to give.

I was actually going for lame, if it came out direct and honest that was not the intent. I appreciate the step-by-step instructions for how to move, I have never moved and was thusly speaking outside my experience.

:lol:

I did take it pretty honestly. Maybe I've had my back against the wall too many times and for too long in life. I don't doubt you've moved, but it's possible the OP and/or many of the younger people here haven't and/or haven't thought out all the expenses involved with a move further than out of the house or down the road. I can't imagine moving to another state right now as a last ditch solution. I could imagine it when I was younger and single, but those days are past.

I moved to Poland when I was 22 and single and I moved three times while there. They were totally different experiences from my move back to the US at 36 and married with a 14 year old step son which (I think...) would be comparable to a move to a different state.
 

GUNNING

Senior Member
People what we have here is a failure to communicate.

People what we have here is a failure to communicate.

The Great State of FL are hiring journeyman level electricians at $14 an hour plus benefits. Do not need an electricians Journeyman card because the state eliminated that license level. Its not just in TX its all over. If I knew the answer I would be there. It's the dumbing down of the population and the need of the state to keep it that way.:rant:
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
The Great State of FL are hiring journeyman level electricians at $14 an hour plus benefits. Do not need an electricians Journeyman card because the state eliminated that license level. Its not just in TX its all over. If I knew the answer I would be there. It's the dumbing down of the population and the need of the state to keep it that way.:rant:
I don't know any specific details, but just reading that tells me that the goal of eliminating the Jman card says somebody wants lower prices, I would guess it is consumers that are the majority of who want's to see that. They will get what they pay for, and unless they made similar cuts for inspectors, are going to have more rework that did not pass inspection, it will likely mean additional cost to rework it, delayed schedules, etc. If they made similar cuts for inspectors chances are they will pay for it with less safe installations.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
plumbers are getting paid more than we do .

Become a plumber


I remember a helper that got fired from an electrical job back in the early 90s. I talked with the kid to see what he was going to do and he was going to work with his uncle to learn plumbing.

I often wonder if getting fired wasn't the best thing that could have happened.

If you are young enough a change of job may not be a bad idea at all.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Becoming a plumber and doing mostly new installs isn't all that bad of a job, dealing with existing, and problems with existing can have some undesirable times, especially malfunctioning sewer systems:happyyes:

Not too many plumbers that do primarily residential work even know what pipe threading is all about either, not like their predecessors did.
 

growler

Senior Member
Location
Atlanta,GA
Becoming a plumber and doing mostly new installs isn't all that bad of a job, dealing with existing, and problems with existing can have some undesirable times, especially malfunctioning sewer systems:happyyes:


Those malfunctioning sewer systems is why many young people don't go into plumbing but it's also the reason they can charge more.

If I install a new panel today it may last the next 30 years with no real problems and that just doesn't happen with a septic system. A clogged drain is money in the bank.
 

qcroanoke

Sometimes I don't know if I'm the boxer or the bag
Location
Roanoke, VA.
Occupation
Sorta retired........
I often wonder if getting fired wasn't the best thing that could have happened.

If you are young enough a change of job may not be a bad idea at all.

I have seen several examples of where the fired or laid-off person ended up in a lot better job that the one they lost.
 

kwired

Electron manager
Location
NE Nebraska
Those malfunctioning sewer systems is why many young people don't go into plumbing but it's also the reason they can charge more.

If I install a new panel today it may last the next 30 years with no real problems and that just doesn't happen with a septic system. A clogged drain is money in the bank.
The electrician is only somewhat priceless when people are getting shocked by something, or if something is obviously overheating. I remember being called to a house once that still had fuse box with 60 amp pullout mains, main lug on one side was glowing when I got there, kind of rare for me to see as it usually has completely failed by the time I ever get there, and usually even before I am called, but they were sure happy to see me on this one.
 
I agree with several of the other posters "Move". But not too far, Houston is starving for electricians. Journeyman can get $20/hr residential to $30/hr commercial depending on experience.
 

vango

Member
Location
Texas
Diversify your skillset. Learn Hvac along with electrical. License yourself, educate yourself x2. Learn the inspectors roles of both of these trades (now x3). Your Preparation will meet opportunity and they will call you lucky...

Sent from my LG-LS980 using Tapatalk
 
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