Would 36$ an hr be a good wage in Denver ? (Lakewood: middle-class, health insurance)

[dg628]

I ask this because I’m considering moving somewhere where the ibew ( electricians union) is actually hiring a lot of apprienteces and has the work unlike San Diego. I’m really torn between Denver and Seattle but that’s a thread for a different time. I will say this though no matter how much I look into a place Denver always makes me second guess it. It’s like my gut tells me I’ll be more happy there. It actually happened before I moved out here to San Diego, I almost went to Denver.


I think it’s got to do with my Rocky Mountain heritage or something . I grew up in western Montana until I was 10 so it’s like subconsciously I feel at home in the Rockies or something. When I was stationed at ft Carson I had a lot of fun in my off time. I was dating a girl in the springs and we’d go out and do something outdoorsy every few days.


Anyway the electrician union is really hurting for people from what I’m hearing from actual ibew guys in these two cities so if I did move it wouldn’t be a matter of getting in at Denver but is the pay good enough.

I honestly couldn’t find the actual up to date pay scale for Denver ( really weird because normally it’s on their website) but I found an ad for that local posted on reddit by apprientece from early 2018 and the journeyman wage was 36$ hr take home pay.

Now keep in mind it might be a little more now because the union always try’s to negotiate a higher wage adjusting for inflation every 6 months or a year at the very least. A good example of this is I was looking at Seattle’s pay from 6 months ago it was 50$ for journeyman but I talked to someone who works there now and they just got bumped up to 54$/hr.

I was kinda diassapointed when I read how low it was in Denver , it’s not as expensive as San Diego ( maybe it’s somewhat close to the county as a whole but not central San Diego , **** no ) but it is getting pricey. I was expecting low to mid 40s for take home pay.

Keep in mind it will go up by the time I make jmen and you can move up and make even more as a foreman and general foreman but I’m worried with that wage I wouldn’t be able to afford a home eventually.

I’d have no school debt and don’t want kids so I would only want a decent 2drm home ( I think they’re called starter homes ? ) that is somewhat smaller in sqft with a yard. That’s it.

In San Diego that will run you atleast 500k in the city or “central” SD , maybe 450k in the the ghetto falling apart with mold and a drive by every couple of days a few blocks down.

[katharsis]

Sorry, as I cannot advise you as to good wages, but in my area (southwest metro Denver area), burger flippers are getting $13 an hour, so I wouldn't think that $36/hr. would be great for a skilled tradesman, although I think it would be very good for an apprentice. (I could be wrong.)

However, I can tell you, though, that you might not be able to qualify for a two-bedroom detached home unless you have a big down payment or can qualify for some kind of assistance. Decent starter homes (unless you are talking about a manufactured home) START at about $200k, although, realistically, you are looking at closer to $300k. (Of course, people's definition of "decent" vary greatly!)

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...radius-5/sby-1

[Mach50]

That's 75k a year which is well within the parameters to live in Denver metro. Since you enjoy mountains perhaps look into Lakewood or Arvada, you will most likely need to look at Condos.

[dg628]

Originally Posted by katharsis

Sorry, as I cannot advise you as to good wages, but in my area (southwest metro Denver area), burger flippers are getting $13 an hour, so I wouldn't think that $36/hr. would be great for a skilled tradesman, although I think it would be very good for an apprentice. (I could be wrong.)

However, I can tell you, though, that you might not be able to qualify for a two-bedroom detached home unless you have a big down payment or can qualify for some kind of assistance. Decent starter homes (unless you are talking about a manufactured home) START at about $200k, although, realistically, you are looking at closer to $300k. (Of course, people's definition of "decent" vary greatly!)

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...radius-5/sby-1

That’s journeyman take home pay. As a standard deviation Foreman’s make 5$ more and general foreman’s make 10$ more.

Here’s the thing , that’s not the full package. The way a union works is the company the union contracts you out at pays for your health insurance and pension. It differs by local and which plan you get as far as percentages but for example the full package might be something 56$ an hr because that’s the equivalent of what you’re making taking into account the good health benefits and pension.

I Don’t know how big of a difference the good benies make in savings because I’m just an early 20s something and I’ve never had a construction company offer good health insurance.

[Mike from back east]

Denver. Fear not.

[otowi]

I have a few journeymen electricians in my family who spent most of their careers on the Front Range and it is possible to make a respectable living here. You won't be rich, but you'll be able to have the basic middle-class lifestyle, generally speaking. There were times when the jobs evaporated that were very rough, but right now is not one of those times. If you get your Master's license, etc., you can possibly make quite a bit more, if that type of work interests you.

[N610DL]

It's not too bad - but unfortunately below the range right now of affording a mortgage on a house (unless you have a large sum of cash to throw down up front.)

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by katharsis

Sorry, as I cannot advise you as to good wages, but in my area (southwest metro Denver area), burger flippers are getting $13 an hour, so I wouldn't think that $36/hr. would be great for a skilled tradesman, although I think it would be very good for an apprentice. (I could be wrong.)

However, I can tell you, though, that you might not be able to qualify for a two-bedroom detached home unless you have a big down payment or can qualify for some kind of assistance. Decent starter homes (unless you are talking about a manufactured home) START at about $200k, although, realistically, you are looking at closer to $300k. (Of course, people's definition of "decent" vary greatly!)

https://www.realtor.com/realestatean...radius-5/sby-1

That's interesting as the average nursing wage is about $31/hour.
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/d...234_KO7,23.htm

[katharsis]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

That's interesting as the average nursing wage is about $31/hour.
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/d...234_KO7,23.htm

I think that is disgusting, given how much training and responsibility RNs have!

[SirJohnHarington]

https://www.cpr.org/2019/09/04/1-gro...r-2020-ballot/

... if this goes into effect there might there might be a lot fewer electrician jobs here.