Tampa bay trade/labor jobs (home, find a job, salary)

[Spring Hillian]

In my time in NYC we had Consolidated Edison for electricity, New York Telephone, Brooklyn Union Gas to name a few of the big utility companies. Basically, you needed to have someone in the company referring you to a job or you had to be a graduate of one of their approved training schools or graduate of their in house training program. They never advertised their job openings publicly yet they each had thousands of employees. I would think FPL, Duke Energy, Verizon, et al are also hard to get into.

I am not aware of any state where you can get $50k a year without skilled training or education and experience.

The job market in the entire U.S. is difficult for those without skills. With so many people wanting a particular job only the best qualified person is going to get it.

Originally Posted by gulfer

TECO is NOT easy to get into. They pay well and they have the pick of the lot when jobs come open. We do have a Shipyard in the area as well.

There are jobs here that are more than service industry. We have some major companies that do business around the globe. Many on here are stuck on the no to low paying job rhetoric (and yes, it gets old). But they bring something to the table in the fact that without skilled training or education (and some experience) it is not easy to walk into a 50K per year job.

Maybe look at remaining up there for now. Have you and the Spouse get the training you need there and get some experience before the move.

No fault for wanting to live down here. It's a great place with many pluses. But there are negatives too. One major negative being the job market without any type of skill.

GREAT POINT BY THE POSTER - RIGHT TO WORK VS ANTI UNION.

[Not_liking_FL]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

There are more than 20 steel mill companies in FL. They make steel in FL.

FL is a "right to work state" not a anti union state.

FL has a very extensive rail freight system.

There are jobs with pensions, health care etc.

Lavender has the must useful advice in this thread.

The COL difference between St. Louis and Tampa is pretty small.

Salary in St. Louis: $50,000 comparable salary in Tampa, FL $49,760

Price difference in Tampa, FL

Groceries 3%less
Housing 6%more
Utilities 15%less
Transportation 1%more
Health Care 6%less

Maybe the OP can post her husbands hourly wage and we can compare that with a Florida steel mill wage. I looked up Gerdau on Glassdoor and it looks like their pay is around $18-23hr with helpers making $13-14hr. It appears they don't offer a pension or free health benefits, which are almost unheard of these days.

My company has an office in St Louis and there is no COLA there compared to Chicago, Raleigh, and even Tampa. I don't have first hand experience with living in St Louis, but I've heard housing is dirt cheap. In the Tampa Bay area you have to move to Hernando, Pasco, Polk and undesirable areas of Hillsborough Counties to find cheap housing.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by Not_liking_FL

Maybe the OP can post her husbands hourly wage and we can compare that with a Florida steel mill wage. I looked up Gerdau on Glassdoor and it looks like their pay is around $18-23hr with helpers making $13-14hr. It appears they don't offer a pension or free health benefits, which are almost unheard of these days.

My company has an office in St Louis and there is no COLA there compared to Chicago, Raleigh, and even Tampa. I don't have first hand experience with living in St Louis, but I've heard housing is dirt cheap. In the Tampa Bay area you have to move to Hernando, Pasco, Polk and undesirable areas of Hillsborough Counties to find cheap housing.

Here is what one employee says
Yard Helper (Current Employee), Jacksonville, FL – April 26, 2014
Pros: benefits
Cons: time clock policy
Excellent company to work for. Benefits and pay are the best you can find

and another.....

Fabricator (Former Employee), Decatur, IL – July 9, 2014
Met alot of great people. Incentive check each month. Benefits second to none

I am glad that we get some people here on CD that give their story about their relocation and they find FL to be the place for them. Of course human nature causes us to yell, scream and complain about anything that makes us unhappy but we rarely make any comment when things are making them happy.

There are many areas outside the Tampa boundries that are fantastic places to live and are certainly desirable.

Chasing that dollar isnt going to get you happiness. Your surroundings and environment will certainly help.

[Vannort54]

Originally Posted by Not_liking_FL

Maybe the OP can post her husbands hourly wage and we can compare that with a Florida steel mill wage. I looked up Gerdau on Glassdoor and it looks like their pay is around $18-23hr with helpers making $13-14hr. It appears they don't offer a pension or free health benefits, which are almost unheard of these days.

My company has an office in St Louis and there is no COLA there compared to Chicago, Raleigh, and even Tampa. I don't have first hand experience with living in St Louis, but I've heard housing is dirt cheap. In the Tampa Bay area you have to move to Hernando, Pasco, Polk and undesirable areas of Hillsborough Counties to find cheap housing.

You are high on drugs. My brother hauled steel for a living there are no steel mills in Florida. You always think florid is the greatest state to live. We're are these mills located.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by Vannort54

You are high on drugs. My brother hauled steel for a living there are no steel mills in Florida. You always think florid is the greatest state to live. We're are these mills located.

Here ya go genius.... Steel Mills in Miami, Florida with Reviews & Ratings - YP.com


Florida is a great state to live. Greatest? Depends on your likes and dislikes.

[Vannort54]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

Here ya go genius.... Steel Mills in Miami, Florida with Reviews & Ratings - YP.com


Florida is a great state to live. Greatest? Depends on your likes and dislikes.

These are steel fabricators they do not produce raw steel like a steel milk dose out if iron oar. These places in Florida do not have blast furnaces. Look up the differance between steel fabrication and steel making. All the steel mills I know are up north in Pittsburg, illionis, Gary Indiana, and Detroit. All union plants. Please know the differance between raw steel from steel that has been made and has to be fabricated into something. And rebarb steel is for concrete reinforcement. Like I said my brother hauled steel from the mills, and he never once hauled a coil of steel from a Florida steel mill. And he has been to them all over 25 yrs. in the business. He belonged to teamster local 299 Jimmy Hoffa's old local.

[Spring Hillian]

That link was for one city. Miami. There are mini-mills in FL that actually produce steel. Your statement that there are no steel companies in FL is incorrect.

Originally Posted by Vannort54

These are steel fabricators they do not produce raw steel like a steel milk dose out if iron oar. These places in Florida do not have blast furnaces. Look up the differance between steel fabrication and steel making. All the steel mills I know are up north in Pittsburg, illionis, Gary Indiana, and Detroit. All union plants. Please know the differance between raw steel from steel that has been made and has to be fabricated into something. And rebarb steel is for concrete reinforcement. Like I said my brother hauled steel from the mills, and he never once hauled a coil of steel from a Florida steel mill. And he has been to them all over 25 yrs. in the business. He belonged to teamster local 299 Jimmy Hoffa's old local.

[Vannort54]

Originally Posted by Spring Hillian

That link was for one city. Miami. There are mini-mills in FL that actually produce steel. Your statement that there are no steel companies in FL is incorrect.

If there are mini mills like you say they will not pay what this guy is getting now. Maybe you like living paycheck to paycheck but I don't think many do. Think about it $25 to $26 an hour plus full medical and a retirement. You tell me what industry here in your great state of Florida has those type of bennifit's and pay.

[Spring Hillian]

Originally Posted by Vannort54

If there are mini mills like you say they will not pay what this guy is getting now. Maybe you like living paycheck to paycheck but I don't think many do. Think about it $25 to $26 an hour plus full medical and a retirement. You tell me what industry here in your great state of Florida has those type of bennifit's and pay.

money, money, money. There is more to life.

[vaughanwilliams]

Originally Posted by Vannort54

If there are mini mills like you say they will not pay what this guy is getting now. Maybe you like living paycheck to paycheck but I don't think many do. Think about it $25 to $26 an hour plus full medical and a retirement. You tell me what industry here in your great state of Florida has those type of bennifit's and pay.

Mine does, but I'm Union and a dying breed in Florida. The retirement plan offered to new hires is considerably less than when I started, though.