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.
Oil work? If so, that's great, but that industry goes through constant boom bust cycles.
About 5 years ago when I was working in various machine shops (mostly automotive), it was well known that the welders were starting at $14/hr. A lot of welding is now being doing by robots/computer controlled machines now. There's only so much welding that needs to be done in a country committed to letting China make everything for us. And of course, there are plenty of illegals that know how to weld, and plenty of cheap American business men willing to give them a chance to prove themselves, or fail trying.
People love to throw out the quote of what the company charges equating it to their actual salary. Most welders are making around 40k. If this is actually the true wage, and he is consistently getting 40 hours a week, then he is definitely a far outlier for what welders make.
Have you looked at the cost of universities lately? I am guessing not.
If I wanted to work until I'm 70 I could send my kids to some of these places....newsflash ....more to life than work and there is no guarantee that a college degree is better in the long run than not having one. It depends on the degree and how much debt you incurr.
I think the better analysis is to look at the opportunity cost of your investment in your children's education. It might make more sense to give them a down payment for a house, or buy them a house outright, than it would to pay high tuition rates for X number of years.
When everyone is shelling out big bucks for education, the marginal return on education declines. It makes sense then to pursue a contrarian strategy of investing in other assets.
No I did. I’ve worked in the trades. People love to throw out these numbers about what they make an hour. It is feast or famine in some trades. Also, this is without overhead including if he works for himself, or if he doesn’t, which is most welders and fabricators situation, that is probably the shop charge, where the welder is usually getting paid quite a bit less.
I think the better analysis is to look at the opportunity cost of your investment in your children's education. It might make more sense to give them a down payment for a house, or buy them a house outright, than it would to pay high tuition rates for X number of years.
When everyone is shelling out big bucks for education, the marginal return on education declines. It makes sense then to pursue a contrarian strategy of investing in other assets.
Maybe the OP regrets sending their kids to Trump U.
Well - can't fix stupid; there are any number of public Universities that are top-notch.
If people choose to go to an expensive institution just to get the brand-name (and doubly worse - decides to major in something that won't lead to gainful employment) - well, that's a decision they'll have to live with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by InformedConsent
Engineering is no joke, either. 6 of the top 10 engineering schools are public... state schools. Much lower cost.
As to my point... the Top 10 Engineering Schools. There are ties, so there are actually 12. 8 are state schools (public).
After working for 50+ years, I seldom if ever met a director, VP or CEO that did not have a college degree. I certainly never met an engineer, scientist, lawyer or doctor that did not have a College degree. I'm not saying a degree is necessary to earn a good living but my guess is most people making 6 figures or more have one.
When did you graduate? Costs were not nearly the same then, compared to what they are now.
College wasn't cheap back then, either. I was an out-of-state student. Thankfully, my parents paid for my undergrad. Inflation calculators will show at least a 3x difference.
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.
