Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
People really need to understand that the median income in America is like $27,000 dollars....
I might be wrong but I think that's the average US income. I think the median is closer to $40,000/yr.
Average: Add up all of the salary values and divide by the number of workers.
Median: List all salaries and the median value is the one half way between the lowest and highest.
Ya know, I know this isnt the politics forum but......I'm getting sick of this. It's been almost 5 friggin years since the economy took dive. I like a lot of the things he's done but it's time to get the economy turned back around. I don't expect it to return to the unprecedented level that it was in the 90's and early 00's but it's got to get better.....soon!!!
Im a machinist (manual and CNC) and I dont even make 26k a year.
You seriously need to move than. I am in the same line of work, and I wanted to move down south for the climate. I was shocked at what companies were offering. One in Florida wanted me to fly down and interview through their temp service for the grand wage of $13/hr. And this was for a friggen mold making job, which is one of the most challenging disciplines in the machinist trade if you ask me. Of course, they kept whining how none of their new hires worked out
There is good money up north, but I can tell you, most places that pay well will work it out of you. The work is more demanding and challenging up here from what I have been told by guys that lived down south. I'm also told the equipment used up here is far more sophisticated and requires either specialization or quite a bit of training.
But really, you could easily make 40K widdling parts on a manual machine up here if you are good enough and have all the tools for the job. 60K is obtainable if you're running both. The ones who don't do OK are the ones that spend their money like it grows on trees. Just like anywhere, you've gotta be financially disciplined to do well.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Scottay
Ya know, I know this isnt the politics forum but......I'm getting sick of this. It's been almost 5 friggin years since the economy took dive. I like a lot of the things he's done but it's time to get the economy turned back around. I don't expect it to return to the unprecedented level that it was in the 90's and early 00's but it's got to get better.....soon!!!
He's proved to be nothing but a bag of empty promises and excuses. Anything that goes wrong is automatically the republican's fault. I wish I could get away with something like that on my job when things don't work out...
Im a machinist (manual and CNC) and I dont even make 26k a year.
I should also ask... Have you looked around for jobs in the mining industry? I know a few folks who work as machinists in that sector and they do quite well. Usually, you have to live in a rather remote area though and COL is not really that cheap due to the high wages of the folks around you. But I hear the work is pretty enjoyable, far more so than most low paying production crap.
You seriously need to move than. I am in the same line of work, and I wanted to move down south for the climate. I was shocked at what companies were offering. One in Florida wanted me to fly down and interview through their temp service for the grand wage of $13/hr. And this was for a friggen mold making job, which is one of the most challenging disciplines in the machinist trade if you ask me. Of course, they kept whining how none of their new hires worked out
There is good money up north, but I can tell you, most places that pay well will work it out of you. The work is more demanding and challenging up here from what I have been told by guys that lived down south. I'm also told the equipment used up here is far more sophisticated and requires either specialization or quite a bit of training.
But really, you could easily make 40K widdling parts on a manual machine up here if you are good enough and have all the tools for the job. 60K is obtainable if you're running both. The ones who don't do OK are the ones that spend their money like it grows on trees. Just like anywhere, you've gotta be financially disciplined to do well.
I am currently looking at Idaho. Yeah its funny when shops say "we can't find good help" well maybe if you paid a good wage you would attract good people. (helluva concept).
Yes you are correct on the equipment being of a higher level/grade. Everyone down here in AZ uses haas machines. Everyone I know back in Wisconsin runs Mazak machines.
I currently work in the graphite machining industry. Like today on the manual lathe my tolerances were +.000" -.001" on a 30 part run. Not too bad of a job.
Yeah mold making is as much of a skill as it is an art form/talent. Only certain people can do it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by andywire
I should also ask... Have you looked around for jobs in the mining industry? I know a few folks who work as machinists in that sector and they do quite well. Usually, you have to live in a rather remote area though and COL is not really that cheap due to the high wages of the folks around you. But I hear the work is pretty enjoyable, far more so than most low paying production crap.
I have been thinking about it, been looking around at a few states but still in the research phase and trying to get an idea of what the market in different areas will be in the future.
I am currently looking at Idaho. Yeah its funny when shops say "we can't find good help" well maybe if you paid a good wage you would attract good people. (helluva concept).
Yes you are correct on the equipment being of a higher level/grade. Everyone down here in AZ uses haas machines. Everyone I know back in Wisconsin runs Mazak machines.
Haas is becoming a throw away brand. My employer just bought a brand new one with a 6 X 8 table. We have used it twice. The parameters are completely out of whack when using the rotary table, and we've had countless service calls where the techs claimed nothing is wrong. After several weeks of the run around, we finally got a couple out that realized what the problem was. The rotary table was replaced with a brand new one, but of course... They won't hook it up until tomorrow All that financing just to have a machine sit idle. It's as if Haas WANTS their customers to go out of business... We also hired a guy a week ago who was supposed to be working primarily on that machine. Ended up being a waste.
This is also why work goes overseas. They don't go home until the job it done. I don't know what's up in the machine making business, but quality is just terrible for many of the made in America brands. Haas is German, but most of the one's for the American market are manufactured and designed here. The good machine makers are mostly Japanese, and you never have to fight them to get the job done right. Best machines I've worked on... Star, Citizen, and Miyano. Anything Japanese just puts American made stuff to shame.
Quote:
Originally Posted by hizen
I currently work in the graphite machining industry. Like today on the manual lathe my tolerances were +.000" -.001" on a 30 part run. Not too bad of a job.
Graphite is easy to work with. Come up here and work with some titanium, A2, D2, stainless... You'll be making quite a bit more. We've got tons of slave wage illegal laborers, but finding skilled workers is a huge challenge. The young folks won't give it a chance, and certainly not the ones capable of doing the more challenging work. Even finding ones that can learn simple stuff is a daunting task for most business owners around here. Kids up here didn't grow up playing in dad's garage like generations before. I asked my boss if he would get into this work again if he could do it over again. Shook his head no, and one reason he cited... It's just to difficult to find good help.
Haas is becoming a throw away brand. My employer just bought a brand new one with a 6 X 8 table. We have used it twice. The parameters are completely out of whack when using the rotary table, and we've had countless service calls where the techs claimed nothing is wrong. After several weeks of the run around, we finally got a couple out that realized what the problem was. The rotary table was replaced with a brand new one, but of course... They won't hook it up until tomorrow All that financing just to have a machine sit idle. It's as if Haas WANTS their customers to go out of business... We also hired a guy a week ago who was supposed to be working primarily on that machine. Ended up being a waste.
This is also why work goes overseas. They don't go home until the job it done. I don't know what's up in the machine making business, but quality is just terrible for many of the made in America brands. Haas is German, but most of the one's for the American market are manufactured and designed here. The good machine makers are mostly Japanese, and you never have to fight them to get the job done right. Best machines I've worked on... Star, Citizen, and Miyano. Anything Japanese just puts American made stuff to shame.
Graphite is easy to work with. Come up here and work with some titanium, A2, D2, stainless... You'll be making quite a bit more. We've got tons of slave wage illegal laborers, but finding skilled workers is a huge challenge. The young folks won't give it a chance, and certainly not the ones capable of doing the more challenging work. Even finding ones that can learn simple stuff is a daunting task for most business owners around here. Kids up here didn't grow up playing in dad's garage like generations before. I asked my boss if he would get into this work again if he could do it over again. Shook his head no, and one reason he cited... It's just to difficult to find good help.
I have noticed that over the past couple of years being in the trade with haas machiens becoming that type of machine.
I have only worked in graphite for 4 months, used to work with mild steel, stainless, A2, 4130 etc. I work with an older guy who keeps saying that I am rare for this area because I love what I do and I enjoy learning and problem solving. But then again I didn't grow up here in the party/college culture.
This is the 3rd shop I have worked at in this town and at this is the highest I have been paid so far. I spent 2 months at one shop and walked out after writing programs, cad drawings , doing setups on 4 mills, and basically running that area for 9hr.
I keep falling back to welding also, I will say I have more shop hours welding that machning but if anything its almost split in half. I do realize that I am young (23), I have been in shops since I graduated high school, but 9hr was insulting.
It is hard to find good help with a generation that is bombarded with the mentality of "go to college or you will fail at life".
I was making $55.000.00 / year until about two years ago when my job (same job) started having furloughs, laid off a bunch of workers and relocated what was left to another facility with different needs from it's workers (no holidays, no overtime, no shift differential). My employer had also started work furloughs, making us pay more for health care and retirement - so since then I have seen my income reduced to about $42,000.00 / year. It's just me and my wife, but when I made $55k we didn't have to budget, didn't have to plan when we wanted to purchase something (within our means) and never ran out of money. Now we are struggling to survive with each paycheck. Our bills aren't that high, but the money I am bringing home just doesn't cut it. We had also moved to a slightly more expensive apartment just prior to all of my job takeaways, so my first paycheck goes straight to paying the rent. More often than not I have to borrow money to make it to the next payday. It's very hard to live on this, and it's hard to find another (2nd) job because my schedule keeps flipping around and I am in constant pain from standing around all day.
I have to say that $37K is not enough to survive comfortably - I know I am using my case which is two people - but even so, one extra person doesn't cost that much more.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
