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What, about, is the average hourly pay for someone who does not yet have a high school diploma for the average non-manual labor job in Boise (Costco, Hyatt, whatever)? How hard is it to get employed while still in high school, or with a GED? Thanks!
Depends entirely on where you plan on working. (What business in what state, in what town.) Without a high school degree? Non skilled, and non labor intensive? Minimum wage or just a touch above it is probably the most you can expect.
When I taught in a community college, I always showed this picture to my students. It's an older, out-of-date image, but the relationship still holds. As most things in life, there are always exceptions, but for rest of us mortals, you will be doing yourself and your future family a great disservice by not earning an education.
You can get a commercial driver's license, and as long as you can pass a drug test and have no felony convictions, you will do OK.
In North Idaho, burger flippers seem to be getting $10 an hour, but those aren't full time jobs. You can go to work for a landscaper, pushing a lawn mower around and digging ditches for irrigation lines. Motels are always hiring maids.
A generalization: The less education you have, the more you are going to have to substitute muscle power.
I doubt that Costco is hiring people with no education and they don't hire people with no experience. That is a desirable job. They don't have to take teenagers who won't finish school and have never worked a job before.
The box boys at my local market seem to be quite young. That isn't a job where you don't have to put in hard physical work.
I got a college degree and have always advocated a college degree, and have always encouraged my kids to go to college. But, I'm hearing more and more that good paying, skilled jobs that may not require a college degree are getting harder and harder to fill. Everyone is going to college, and many are coming out with degrees that really don't help them get a job and start a career.
A good college degree in an area that is in demand will probably always help, but I think one might be better off spending the money to get a certification or training in something like heating or HVAC, construction, electrical or plumbing than getting a bogus degree. Those are jobs that will always be needed that won't be able to be easily off-shore'd or automated in most cases. My 13 year old daughter is looking into the option to get out of high school with her CNA certification, and be able to work as a nurse assistant while she goes to school to get her nursing degree. There are lots of options, even for someone later in life.
There are tons of people who don't do it right, and get out of college with political science degrees and have school loans to pay off.
I got a college degree and have always advocated a college degree, ...
I'm a big fan of further education, too. But college is expensive and some thought should be given to what the degree will be used for.
A master's degree in Egyptian hieroglyphics is very unlikely to help you get a good paying job. It's all well and fine to be nicely educated but making coffee with a $60,000 education debt isn't really all that well planned.
Besides colleges, there are trade schools that might better suit some students. Not every student gets math and math is pretty much necessary for most high paying jobs. Actually, sadly, math is also required for a lot of the best paid trades. You can't be a plumber, or electrician, or contractor without math.
Jobs are available with little education, but they mostly involve muscle power, which OP doesn't want to do.
I'm suggesting that OP do some serious re-thinking about his life plan. He's young, and it is easy to change direction when you are young.
I'm a big fan of further education, too. But college is expensive and some thought should be given to what the degree will be used for.
A master's degree in Egyptian hieroglyphics is very unlikely to help you get a good paying job. It's all well and fine to be nicely educated but making coffee with a $60,000 education debt isn't really all that well planned.
Besides colleges, there are trade schools that might better suit some students. Not every student gets math and math is pretty much necessary for most high paying jobs. Actually, sadly, math is also required for a lot of the best paid trades. You can't be a plumber, or electrician, or contractor without math.
Jobs are available with little education, but they mostly involve muscle power, which OP doesn't want to do.
I'm suggesting that OP do some serious re-thinking about his life plan. He's young, and it is easy to change direction when you are young.
You quoted my first sentence, and sound like you disagree with me, yet pretty much say what I said in the rest of your post.
I'm not disagreeing with you. The very minor quote is only to let other readers know which post I am referring to and to give them the little arrow to click on so that they can go back and read the whole post I am responding to. It's not intended to be a total summery of your position. It's only to keep other readers oriented.
I'm not disagreeing with you. The very minor quote is only to let other readers know which post I am referring to and to give them the little arrow to click on so that they can go back and read the whole post I am responding to. It's not intended to be a total summery of your position. It's only to keep other readers oriented.
OP, there is no short cut if you dont want to put in the work.
If you go for further education, like its been posted above....research where you want to get to and work back from there. The education needs to have a good paying job at the end or you are setting your self up for failure (I can speak from personal exp on this)
Trade schools are a great option too.
Outside of that dont expect a decent paying job.
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