Well paying jobs not requiring a college degree

Parent Cafe
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<p>so what cities are around where $50,000 before taxes is a well paying job?
How much is left to live on * after* taxes?
( taxes are at the forefront of my mind- because D is not going to be able to go on her trip next month unless the W-2s come soon and we have some idea of how much she is going to get back)</p>

<p>In many areas- only if you have roommates, are you able to survive without additional resources on $50,000 a year.
Additionally- many careers while they may start out with impressive earnings for a 25yr-old, may see that 50 yr old, making not much more than when she started.
For example, I used to * do hair*. I liked it, I liked the people and I was good at it. I got my job after 2000 hours of training & started at minimum wage working for a small shop. ( but smancy shop- in the early 80’s we charged $40-$60 for a hair cut)
After a year or so, still working at barely over min wage- but was getting really tired of the whole peon thing- and wasn’t good at being “on” every day.
I know that some salon owners make very good money- but I also know that they work way more than 40-80 hours aweek, just as most small business owners do. I liked doing hair- but I didnt like it * that* much.</p>

<p>If you are able to attend school for further training while you are working, you may be able to move into a position that pays better and that is more adaptable for your aging body than one that requires you to climb ladders carrying a toolbox, but if you don’t think ahead enough to jump on the opportunities when they present themselves you may be first to be laid off from a company that doesn’t want to pay out retirement.</p>

<p>( and the diesel mechanic job I found that was posted in St louis 01/02/2009, pays $16-$18 hr, with 1-2 years experience, so that backs up the assumptions that what you pay the dealer & what the worker is paid- ain’t the same thang.)</p>

<p>There are lots of jobs that you can get without a degree- the trick is are they jobs that are not at high risk of injury & will you make more as your experience/connections increase?</p>

<p>53% of people in my city have college degrees, 40 % have degrees in the county my city is in.
Which makes * not* having a degree- obtrusive.
[New</a> figures confirm Seattle’s housing affordability woes](<a href=“http://crosscut.com/2008/03/12/real-estate/12147/]New”>http://crosscut.com/2008/03/12/real-estate/12147/)</p>

<p>For all that the briggs personality testing says I must be an absent minded professor, I like working with things, inc tools best. But my body says- 4 hours of that is plenty if I want to get out of bed the next day. :wink: ( actually, I work much longer than 4 hours, but because I work slowly, I think it would take me half as long if I was 20 years younger.
( wonder how I can get paid by the hour instead of the job)</p>

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<p>My brother is the manager for a plant that makes styrofoam cups. He started there 26 years ago running one of the machines and has worked his way up to plant manager. He is now training to take over as the district manager overseeing 3 plants. He had zero college and was newly married with a small child when my Dad’s cousin helped get him the job. I think in the future these kinds of jobs where you work your way up will be much more difficult to achieve.</p>

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<p>Police Officer–especially in Suffolk County, NY. Many retire with a full pension (plus med. ins. for life) by the time they’re around 50 yrs. of age.</p>

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<p>You can live well here on $50K. Our median home price is $87K.</p>

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<p>You can live well here on $50K. Our median home price is $87K</p>

<p>wow, has that stayed the same or has it recently gone down?</p>

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<p>showmom–right you are, fewer things are being made in this country, so fewer jobs both at the starting end of the ladder and at the supervisory end. And no job security.</p>

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<p>We’re down slightly, but not nearly as much as the rest of the U.S. I really think it’s because the recession started here (the Detroit area) two years ago.l</p>

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<p>A family of 5 can live on 65k a year…trust me.</p>

<p>But I do agree that half of these job’s salaries don’t rise as fast as a college grads might.
I know machinists, electricians, & construction workers who make 80-100k a year but this is after about 15 years with the same company. The salary doesn’t rise that fast but it gets to a good level with the trade jobs.</p>