What's the best construction field to get into?

Question

So I'm deciding to make a career change, and right now one of the most promising opportunities seems to be going through an apprenticeship program. Since most of the ones I see start you at around $15 an hour, and give roughly $30 an hour once you reach journey level. I've seen a few so far such as carpenters, laborers, electrician, etc. But I don't know much about the industry so I'm not really sure which would be the best to get into right now.

Some of the most important aspects for me are...

1) I want there to be great advancement opportunity.
2) I'd like a job that is roughtly a 40 hour job, I can work overtime, but I really don't want to be pressured or required to work 50 or more hour weeks.
3) I don't want the work to be extremely backbreaking, I'm in great shape and can lift alot if needed here and there throughout the day, but I don't my job to revolve around grunt work.
4) I'd like to minimize my exposure to hazardous chemicals.
5) I want it to be overall enjoyable.

Answer 1

Hi
sound like you do not want to get to dirty
1. Electrician is one you need to be in shape
2. Painting you need to be expose to some chemical
3. Carpenter: hard work
4. Plumber: hard work and some chemical used
the best would be welfare.
sit at home and wait for the check

Answer 2

I'm sorry but it sounds like you want to start closer to the top then the bottom. First year apprentices get all the grunt work. They do the digging , attic work, lifting heavy loads, all the thankless stuff that has to get done.
There are 3 trades that I would consider.
Plumbers
electricians
heating and cooling

I have worked const. for 29 years
carpenters work long hours in the cold and heat and don't make that much for it.

drywallers is very hard and dirty, plus is starting to be taken over by Mexicans

painters, anyone can paint.....I know I know there is skill involved but that is the assumption by home owners

cement work very hard on the back and knees

brick work lots of heavy lifting


You might want to rethink the career change. I haven't seen many guys make if they start after 27 years old

Answer 3

Some advise on construction trades.

1. You will advance every six months until journeyman.
2. If you are good thats a given.
3. Electrician
4. Electrician
5. Every construction trade is pressured into getting the job in quickly which equals back breaking paces and thankless hard work. Construction is so competitive that trades are working on top of each other in order to meet unrealistic deadlines.. Which makes it harder to get job done as fast as your company wants it done. Stress, hard work but good money.
More reliable than a white collar job.
Make sure you get into a union they make the most for the work.

Answer 4

i have been doing aparment/mobilehome maintenance for about 16 years. i get to do alot of every thing. i get to do the plumbing, ac, electric, roofing, locksmith, carpentry, painting, etc. if i started over, it would be as an ac man. they get decent pay. the work is not to hard. and the training is fairly easy. it does not take that long to get your own lincense and business. good luck on what ever you decide.

Answer 5

electricians are at the upper end of the earning scale and they're work is not as seasonal as most of the other bldg. trades. it's also one of the least physically demanding.