Skip College And Make A Good Living?

Mike Finley

I saw this recently and thought it was interesting:

Susan Betz

To give those figures some perspective, the average teacher in Florida earns about $45K per year, which over 2000 hours is $22.50 an hour (and yeah, they put those hours in despite summers off). There are a lot of people with degrees working jobs like clerking in a retail store.

You can make money in some professions, but real money is only available to business owners of one sort or another.

__________________
Fences of Distinction, Ocala, FL
http://www.fencesofdistinction.com

mickeyco

My youngest sister who has a college degree makes a small fortune (you wouldn't believe the amount) waitressing at a popular restaurant. The sister that's a few years older is a school teacher and makes less (used to work at the same restaurant).



.



.

__________________
Some people climb mountains. I take out the trash. But we both do it for the same reason.

thom

Bull ****. Not even close. Teachers work 7 hrs / day, 36 weeks per year for a grand total of 1,260 per year. That 7 hours daily work includes one hour of prep time and a half hour lunch. I was a HS teacher back in the 1970's. Since that time pay scales for teachers are 4X - 5X what they were then. We didn't get the one hour prep time that teachers get now.

If they coach or do a club, they get paid extra.

dutchlegacy

bull what??? my wife works twice as hard as I do. She does get the summer off, but during the school year, she works LONG hours sometimes. the workday does not end at 3:30 for teachers like everyone thinks it does.

Susan Betz

I've never known a teacher that worked that few hours. Pay scales are up for everybody, it's called inflation and cost of living. Most districts find a way to rob teachers of that hour prep.

Why exactly did you leave?

__________________
Fences of Distinction, Ocala, FL
http://www.fencesofdistinction.com

KillerToiletSpider

Interesting look at pay scales, I don't know that it is very accurate, but interesting. I pay myself $35.00 an hour when I figure prices for my chassis business, I can't see a weldor topping out at between 25.00 and 30.00.

__________________
A flush is better than a full house.

concretemasonry

Cheer up with the low rates and making a living. With high school drop-out rates at 35%, you don't have to do much and keep even or marginally ahead. Even the "illegal" immigrant drop-out rate is not that high.

Trouble is the world is going past us we go from #2 or #3 down to #13 internationally (and falling daily) in education, so we will be working for someone else. - Might be the reason our dollar is not worth much and we need more dollars to buy our fuel. Oil is really not owned by any one and is a commodity as long as you use more than you produce. Gasoline is a commodity that is imported and bought by Iran, but doesn't use all that much.

__________________
Dick

Engineer, designer and consultant recently active domestically and internationally on construction and design in about 35 countries.

thom

It wasn't where I belonged. I thought I was going to go back to the 3 piece suit in industry (corporate management) but I took a 6 month break to help out a friend/GC. After the 6 months I promised him (getting his bookwork in order and teaching him accounting and management skills) I thought it might be fun to be a GC, so I started my own company.

Generally new teachers work extra hours. After a few/several years it becomes routine and the work hours are rarely after school. There are a few (very few) dedicated teachers who will put in more, but not many. Union work rules are pretty clear about clubs and coaching, they get paid well for that time. Subtract from that 1260 hour work year sick leave, about 6 - 9 days annually.

joasis

My first year out of college, I made 26K teaching social sciences.....then to a vo tech school for 50K. I hated it. The money wasn't bad in tech education, but the hassles caused your blood pressure to skyrocket.

__________________

bob_cntrctr

Those who get rich with no education are the exceptions to the rule. These guys are the intelligent, highly motivated, energetic, independent thinkers who make their own fate. They're a particular breed.

If you're one too, it can happen, but for most people an education that has direct application to a job is the best and most probable route to making a decent living.

Susan Betz

I see so many people with degrees stuck in dead-end jobs, and here in Florida I'm talking about jobs that pay $12-$13 an hour. I have a degree, I encourage my children to get degrees, but in the end, unless you need the degree for the job (e.g. nursing or engineering) I don't think a college degree is necessary. If the education is the end instead of the means (as it was for me), then by all means go get a college education. I'm not trying to undermine the value of education, I just question its value in relationship to money.

I've seen all the statistics about how a college degree earns more money. It's probably true, but that's because bright people get tracked into the professions in school. If the education system took more bright people and tracked them into business, how much more robust would our economy be today?

The real criteria for making a good living is brains and flexibility. Also a firm grasp of the meaning of a P&L statement. Most people can get a job. Wealth can be elusive.

__________________
Fences of Distinction, Ocala, FL
http://www.fencesofdistinction.com

john elliott

UPS
One career choice would be working for United Parcel Post, UPS. If you enjoy driving, sitting and light lifting, UPS drivers' salaries are typically are $27.34 an hour, per the UPS Web site at pressroom.ups.com, which also states, "UPS drivers (and part-time employees) receive full health benefits including medical, dental and eye care."

Is that right? Why are they paying so much when various skilled jobs mentioned are so much less? Could a mistake have been made?

John

__________________
Ed the Roofer said "John too, in his crass and blunt demeanor.............."

Susan Betz

Teamsters.

__________________
Fences of Distinction, Ocala, FL
http://www.fencesofdistinction.com

SelfContract

I would NOT work as UPS driver even with high pay rates. They expect working around the clock or must drive on all holidays, weekends hours, etc. Very stressful, demand job, tough weather conditions, HEAVY traffic, etc... and ALWAYS_BE_ON_TIME work or else (yer ass got fired)!

john elliott

We don't have Teamsters in the UK, but I have heard about them. Does this mean that a person has to be 'connected' to get a UPS job?

If anyone could get a UPS job, why would anyone bother with the other stuff mentioned?

John

__________________
Ed the Roofer said "John too, in his crass and blunt demeanor.............."

Michaeljp86

The UPS here pays $8hr starting out and $10 for truck drivers. I used to work for the public schools and teachers get slary $65,000 a year. Thats what most were getting and were there 5-10 years, it depends on your time. But they would leave everyday from the highschool usualy at 3pm. Most leave 2:30-4pm and get there at 6-6:30am and sometimes meetings at 5am.

But thats good pay I think to have all those holidays off and summer break.

When I was in welding school a few places came looking for welders. One was in New Orleans, started at $36hr and one was New york at $72hr. I forgot what chicago was.

__________________
I am just a vessel from which genius flows -Homer Simpson

Global warming is a myth, like evolution and the metric system.

john elliott

So it would seem that the big pay for the UPS drivers is erroneous. I rather thought so

John

__________________
Ed the Roofer said "John too, in his crass and blunt demeanor.............."

GSE

Vary strange In the tri state area they pay $10 starting out and same for other labor including part time, once they go full time Driver it's in the high 20's plus benifits.

Double-A

What is the 'tri state'?

(If you put your location in your profile, you will make Neo happy and I wouldn't need to ask. Hint, hint.)

__________________
"My clients’ wishes are the center of my attention." -- David Guido, a contractor in Woodstock, N.Y.
New York Times, July 20, 2006