Why don’t companies value our skilled trade workforce in San Diego ? (Sacramento: rent, condos)

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by TacoSoup

Agreed. My uncle is a GC in this state and never once while working with him all those summers during HS and college did we bring in an electrician. This includes reconfiguring office space in a government building in Sacramento.

Pretty sure my office has zero electricians directly employed and they do 99% of all electrical work and rewires.

[joosoon]

Even municipalities with in-house people to do work that typically is *supposed* to be qualified like electrical, won't bother. In my former business, it wasn't uncommon to have to hardwire equipment or bring a small subpanel to it. The guys in one department wouldn't want to wait on their own people to get that done so they'd request it from me. I never billed stuff like that though. It was just a courtesy extended so as not to get in trouble with cslb.

[Elna Rae]

Sounds like the OP picked the wrong trade.
Marine mechanic would have been much smarter. Especially if he wants to stay in SD.

[joosoon]

Originally Posted by Elna Rae

Sounds like the OP picked the wrong trade.

At least in the private sector unless they own their own business.
Public sector is different though.

[dg628]

Originally Posted by Elna Rae

Sounds like the OP picked the wrong trade.
Marine mechanic would have been much smarter. Especially if he wants to stay in SD.

Marine mechanics make a lot less. San Diego just isn’t a good place for even the top tier trades like electrical unless you get lucky.

Lol @ thinking I’m talking about just changing outlets. I said commercial and industrial guys ? Handymen can’t do that type of work. That actually takes some skill. The grunt work is still pretty straightforward though like cutting and bending pipe. A lot of GCs try to cut as much costs down here I see in every way they can.

No I didn’t choose the wrong trade. Go north of California or to the Midwest like Chicago or saint louis and electricians either make 6 figures or easily do with OT both non union and union.

[Elna Rae]

Originally Posted by dg628

No I didn’t choose the wrong trade. Go north of California or to the Midwest like Chicago or saint louis and electricians either make 6 figures or easily do with OT both non union and union.

Sure.

Are you willing to move?

[NJ Brazen_3133]

Originally Posted by joosoon

This. It's just an extension of the old business adage 'where there's mystery, there's margin'. It takes very little expertise do 99% of this grunt work (no mystery) so unless you find some related niche, the pool of competition is immense.

Originally Posted by TacoSoup

Agreed. My uncle is a GC in this state and never once while working with him all those summers during HS and college did we bring in an electrician. This includes reconfiguring office space in a government building in Sacramento.

A lot of the business generated for "skilled trades" is through Govt mandates. The local municipality demands anyone doing some kind of work has to get an "expert" to at least watch over them, and sign off. Their expertise however really is just about knowing the codes, and regulations that must be followed which also is mandated by govt.

Originally Posted by dg628

Marine mechanics make a lot less. San Diego just isn’t a good place for even the top tier trades like electrical unless you get lucky.

Lol @ thinking I’m talking about just changing outlets. I said commercial and industrial guys ? Handymen can’t do that type of work. That actually takes some skill. The grunt work is still pretty straightforward though like cutting and bending pipe. A lot of GCs try to cut as much costs down here I see in every way they can.

No I didn’t choose the wrong trade. Go north of California or to the Midwest like Chicago or saint louis and electricians either make 6 figures or easily do with OT both non union and union.

What kind of commercial are we talking about though? If we are talking brick and mortar, is not much different than residential. It is just outlets, and light fixtures. Amusement parks, theatres, or movie sets etc, etc I guess need creative wiring. Industrial, I assume, require very high supply. But how many personnel do those places need, and how many of those places exist?

I sure there are electricians that have their hooks/connection, and can get the big paying jobs when they want. But is 6 figures really the average for places like St Louis? If so, perhaps there is a dearth of electricians in those places, and more should think about moving there.

[1AngryTaxPayer]

Originally Posted by dg628

Marine mechanics make a lot less. San Diego just isn’t a good place for even the top tier trades like electrical unless you get lucky.

Lol @ thinking I’m talking about just changing outlets. I said commercial and industrial guys ? Handymen can’t do that type of work. That actually takes some skill. The grunt work is still pretty straightforward though like cutting and bending pipe. A lot of GCs try to cut as much costs down here I see in every way they can.

No I didn’t choose the wrong trade. Go north of California or to the Midwest like Chicago or saint louis and electricians either make 6 figures or easily do with OT both non union and union.

You've just figured out what many can't. You aren't entitled to live here. I had to switch fields from biology to computer science to make good money here. Otherwise I would have had to move or.... take a lesser paying job.

Plumbers are always in great demand here.

[hitman619]

Originally Posted by 1AngryTaxPayer

You've just figured out what many can't. You aren't entitled to live here. I had to switch fields from biology to computer science to make good money here. Otherwise I would have had to move or.... take a lesser paying job.

Plumbers are always in great demand here.

This^^^
I did the same in my Field. Sometimes you have to switch it up and adjust with the times. If the field you're in has an unlimited supply of cheap labor than guess what

[joosoon]

Originally Posted by NJ Brazen_3133

I sure there are electricians that have their hooks/connection, and can get the big paying jobs when they want. But is 6 figures really the average for places like St Louis? If so, perhaps there is a dearth of electricians in those places, and more should think about moving there.

I would expect an electrician working on an oil platform or at Mcmurdo Sound to be pulling six figures. Then again, I'd expect a janitor in either of those locations to be making an above average salary too. I'm a bit dubious of guys pulling this off most anywhere in the U.S. though.


As you said, it's the official sanctioning that artificially inflates the value of these "skilled" trades, not really the work itself. And California regulates/licenses tons of occupations.