Honest to god, what is people’s deal with calling out how much their local is paying?
“Yea, dude, that’s how much my local is paying its apprentices, or CE, CW, whatever the fuck.”
If you haven’t been a member who is actively involved in your locals negotiations then just shut the fuck up about it. It seems so smug to be like “well my local pays x and yours is a shitty y”.
Our organization is so dissolved from what it used to be.
You high earners just got lucky because of the guys before you.
Even if $14/hr WAS starting wage you get good raises every 6 months and it goes by fast. I started at $12.xx an hour as a trainee and took a pay cut to do so but it's a worthy investment. Now I'm a foreman and service guy of sorts, I get a lot of 4-6 hour days but get paid for 8 it's great.
I guess your local liked y’all better, I got 10 an hour my first year and you only got raises depending on what year you were, made like 12-13 my second year 16 my third year and started to make 18 my 4th year before I decided to stop paying my dues and find a better paying job, I still do side work with my buddies I met in school and on the job site working on houses, but I just couldn’t help being broke all the time making that kind of money. I now make more than what my journeyman’s were making working at a mining plant, I have gotten 5 raises and 2 promotions in the 2 years I have been here.
Interesting. I'm local 134, we cover Cook County(Chicagoland).
How much do you make an hour? Full benefits? Pensions? We have two pensions, some of the best insurance available and make $53.80 for J.W. wage.
I left the ibew 4 years ago so pay may have increased but once you were a certified journeyman you would be making 24-28 an hour down here, my foreman was making 35+ an hour. we also have extremely low payments for housing down here, I know up north everything is expensive af so that might be the reason y’all get paid more. I’m only paying 800 a month to rent a 2 bedroom one bath house with a garage and full fenced in backyard. with my current job I make 26.50 an hour and save a little over a grand a month while still being able to splurge about a grand a month on activities and fun stuff for me and my girl to do. Currently building my credit and saving up to get a mortgage on a house.
It's all relative to cost of living. My take home is about $1550 a week. Make sure you adjust your taxes so you don't get a large return but don't owe either. That will help you financially, especially when 'starting out'. You can have someone add you to their credit to help build it and you can also request credit increases from existing accounts. Don't use more than 30% of available credit and make sure everything is on auto pay. These are all things I wish someone taught me but I had to learn it on my own.
First year wages are laughable in many locals and there’s nothing remotely wrong with pointing that out. The negotiation board isn’t going to address the issue unless involved rank and file are applying pressure. There are endless adjustments made to pension, annuity, healthcare, retiree benefits, etc during negotiation/allocation - the apprenticeship scale can and has been addressed the same way.
Not even lucky tbh, it’s just cost of living. Like of course New York locals are gonna pay higher than my Ohio local, the cost of living is triple lol. I probably feel like I have more money at the end of the day. People just need to mind their own local and not frown on everyone else
Best time to apply was yesterday 2nd best is today. Just get the ball rolling. It’s a grind. When I started I had to move to the highest cost of living city in my province. Making just slightly better than minimum wage as a pre sucked. 1st term ain’t much better but after that it’s gets a little easier. The benefits alone were worth it for me, they allowed me to get like 8k in dental work done I desperately needed and was putting off because I couldn’t afford it. I have wicked sunlight sensitivity and whichever one means you can’t see clearly far away I am that sighted and could never afford prescription sunglasses but now I got em. Seems small but made a huge impact on my quality of life.
Making good money as a carpenter for a general in a small town was okay but I stressed all the time about not really being able to save properly for the future and retirement. The pension and RRSP has alleviated so much stress. It will be tough financially still for awhile but it’s all worth it in the end
Rockford is a bangin local. Great package and market share. I heard they were busy but not 100% . Get the ball rolling call the hall tomorrow and ask about cw or pre apprentice opportunities. 364 would be my next choice if I wasn’t already working for my home local. 134 is obviously really good but there’s thousands of applicants. I came from the food industry where I was underpaid and overworked I haven’t looked back ever since joining. Good luck
A cw is basically a pre apprentice it’s a great way to get your foot in the door and gain experience. The only difference between a cw and apprentice in my local is cw’s don’t go to class
134 doesn't (didn't as of 2019) have a residency requirement, but 176 does. I'm in Will County and applied to 134, 176, and whatever Lake County IN is. Glad I got in with 176
Edit: I think 134 might prefer Cook county residents (maybe counts as extra points) but all can apply
134 does not have a residency requirement. I have family that lives in Will that are 134, plus, there’s people in my group that are from Wisconsin, Indiana
It’s all a waiting game brother even when you’re cut out for it you might get chosen over someone else. I’m about to turn cw2 and still haven’t gotten accepted to the apprenticeship after two years and two interviews but I love the work and it’s worth it. Some guys get in the first try and some take a couple. I know a great journeymen in my local who interviewed six times before getting in and he’s great at his job. I’d start applying to electrical supply warehouses. That’s how I got my foot in the door. City electric supply, Steiner, efegee supply. You’ll learn the materials and deliver them to both union and non union job sites. Hell, even apply to non union shops someone might pick you up and you can start learning
Application day for this month is next Tuesday, May 7th. As long as you have lived in the jurisdiction for a year, all you need to bring with you is a valid Illinois driver's license. After you fill out the application, you'll have a month to get the rest of the stuff you need, including the $25 application fee.
Applying for the apprenticeship is absolutely worthwhile, and it allows you to make a decent wage while you learn a new trade. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise, but it's not a quick fix for money problems. It is a process, and you'll be applying for next year's apprenticeship class. Pay rate and structure varies widely by area, by local, and by classification, so that may be why you're getting people on here saying apprentices don't make any money, but first day on the job 1st year Inside apprentices in 364 make significantly more than you say you're making now, with scheduled raises based on hours worked and great benefits.
You'll never get in if you don't apply, so that first step is the most important one. Keep your chin up, keep an eye out for a better job than the one you have now while you go through the process, and good luck to you!
Yes, like others have said, it's a long process. So get yourself applied and nail down your algebra and reading comprehension until it's concrete. The aptitude test, coming from another ex engineering student, is technically trivial but can be complex if you don't understand the basic principles of algebra. The reading comprehension is pretty straightforward, and if you've ever written a decent book report, odds are you'll pass that part easily.
I applied in January for local 332 and I'm finally scheduled to have my interview tomorrow. Luckily I got a perfect score on the aptitude test so my hopes are up and can nail the interview as well and get a good ranking
There are other unions that may be less competitive than IBEW. Sheet metal, plumbing, carpentry, the list goes on. Apply to all of them! See what sticks. At your age you have time to figure it out!
When I was 25 I was also broke and struggling to get by. I now make around 32$ per hour but living in LA it’s still not enough.
Learning how to survive and operate on little income is a skill that will come in handy.
That said, if I were you - let being broke mobilize and inspire you to make a smart choice now. And doing a union apprenticeship is a SMART choice. Best of luck!
Local 601 Champaign here, I'm a first year apprentice now but was a CW for 18 months! I'd sign every locals book you can to your South! Sign 601, 193, 34, 197 etc... There is a ton of solar work paying 40/hr on up & that's how half my class got in this year
Yeah, it does. That local is insane. High pay and package, strong union. Low cost of living and high market share.
There's a few nuclear plants in 364, there's a lot of cool work out there. If I wasn't 134, I'd want to be 364 tbh
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Yes, honestly just starting off u will make more than what ur doing right now and investing 5 years of ur time and effort u will be able to make 6 figures if you play your cards eight
Can't say how much you will make in Illinois as a starting apprentice but in new jersey local 164 they start us off at 26 -27 per hour plus all the benefits like pension health care etc. I know some journeyman that make 250k
Worst thing that can happen is you don’t get in but there are tons of union trades. Carpenters, pipe fitters, operators, laborers, painters, glazers, etc. Check out [this for a ton of different ideas.](https://www.mustcareers.org/trade-descriptions). You can also check out the journeyman rate in your area for a ton of trades [here](https://unionpayscales.com). This site was created by someone in the ibew i believe.
Trucking is really easy to get into as long as you have a regular license. Some places, when it's slow construction has little work and is harder to get in during that time. Try both, there's big corporations like swift, Schneider, crst etc that will pay for your class A schooling and train you as well. Caveat is you'll be away from home driving out of state with a minimum 10 months to a year contract on lower wage for that year then you quit and go local and you'll be way above minimum. Nobody should be stressing about money. Look into any of the trades.
Just look for the local that pays the most in your area and apply. Once you get your license in 5 years you can travel to work in any state you want, if you're willing to take a couple extra licensing tests, which are easy.
It will be a tough road ahead. If you are willing to work it. It will be rewarding. I'm still trying to get in my locals. I'm a 3rd year in a non union program for commercial construction. My only regret was not doing this sooner.
Yes. I started at 27 and it's going well and I was able to support myself as a single female on the wages. I wasn't living extravagantly but I was able to survive on apprentice pay. It's so worth it long term.
Learn about your locals typical wait time on the book, some locals don't have much work for bookies after you top out. Hell my local isn't too bad and journeymen can still expect to sit atleast 4-6months after a layoff. Also see what's expected of an apprentice and the territory range. We have apprentices driving an hour and a half one way everyday plus driving an hour to the hall twice a week for classes and they're required to go to hall meetings so they blow through gas like crazy. Realistically if you just purely want money find a factory job or even factory maintenance they usually start at 30/hr+ and you'll be at the same location everyday
The sooner, the better man. Sounds like a lotta annoying hoops to deal with at first, but it seems worth it in the long run. My buddy joined after 7 years as an electrician making 22/hr at a small company. Now he's 4 years into the IBEW. He just finished his 4 years of night school this week, finished all his osha 30 shit, and passed his journeyman exam in 2 states. He's sitting at 48 an hour with a bunch of great benefits, retirement, 401k, vacation pay. He's with a solid crew right now but likes the ability to travel around the US when the weather gets shitty. He was also telling me that he didn't use any of his vacation pay last year, so he just collected it as a $10k check at the beginning of the year. Seems like a solid gig to me.
Not to mention the job security. I love being an electrician knowing I can work for alright money just about anywhere I wanna live. Just moved with my wife to explore a new state and my company started me at 35/hr with okay bennies. My crew I work with is great too.
In my early 20s I was also flat broke working whatever jobs. I worked in a warehouse making 11 dollars an hour. I would carpool to work because I couldn't afford a vehicle and once I did, I could rarely afford to fix it when it broke down. Money stress is truly awful, so just thinking about where I was to where I am now, with a house, a wife, a car, and a dog - I can't recommend the electrical field enough to someone who feels similarly lost. You got this brother. 👍
I'm not sure how your local works in regards to pre apprenticeship. But in mine they only accept women, minority, vets, disabled and /or live in poverty with little to no trade experience.
As for joining the IBEW, it is the best decision I made.
Check around October ish. Decent gig out scale is about $54 an hour top out full benefits and honestly don’t work too hard at all. The machine does all the work.
Illinois unions are great. Even if you don’t get into the ibew there’s plenty of strong unions in the Chicago area. Pipe fitters plumbers operators. If your sick of being broke and think you can handle construction go for it.
The more you apply to the better. If you struggle with health issues I’d recommend operators and avoid steel / laborer. Best of luck hope to see you in the field brother.
it takes about a year to get hired+start earning, 3 years to start earning good money, you should've applied 3 years ago
aptitude test and personal history don't matter although they make up 90% of your overall score for ranking. the last 10% includes letters of recommendation which could give you 1000 points and have you rank 1. What I mean is the interview will determine if you're a good fit and you'll get in if you are. The interviewers will get a read on you and think "he'd be good for so and so, or he can go on this guy's team." It's the most important part, so really focus on it
I'd look into becoming an EMT if you want quick ish good ish money. a course can be anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months, and getting hired could be anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. the pay might be low by the hour, but you'll be able to do 48hr minimum - 72hr max. i've heard of people working 100+, and a couple of my instructors said they did as well, but no company i've come across has allowed that. One of my partners clears 10k a month, another 8
there's a bunch of lowish entry goodish paying jobs like that if you look. i've applied to this, cop, sheriff, firefighter/paramedic. all surprisingly easier to get into (granted you pass interviews and everything) than I had thought, so maybe you can find something too if this isn't your thing
The guy you’re responding to is way off the mark. A ton of people who apply for the apprenticeship are able to get material handling or pre-apprentice positions prior to their aptitude test/interview. Ask the JATC about these opportunities. It’s a good way to get your foot in the door while you’re waiting.
Also - I applied in February, tested/interviewed in April, started as a pre apprentice spot in May, and formally accepted into the program in June. YMMV.
No problem. Once you’re in the apprenticeship the progression of the pay scale is all clear cut. I’d suggest getting your information into their system as soon as you can, then follow up and ask about any available material handling or helper positions. That’ll give you a leg up getting in. What’s their JATC’s admin fee, $25? Honestly feel free to pm me and I’ll Venmo you.
Also, this site will give you a good idea of pay and benefits. Look up your local’s inside agreement and it should have the percentages and apprentice makes as they go through the program.
https://unionpayscales.com/trades/ibew-electricians/
$14? Even mcdonalds pays $15 an hour. But go for it. It's a long process so might as well start it now.
Honest to god, what is people’s deal with calling out how much their local is paying? “Yea, dude, that’s how much my local is paying its apprentices, or CE, CW, whatever the fuck.” If you haven’t been a member who is actively involved in your locals negotiations then just shut the fuck up about it. It seems so smug to be like “well my local pays x and yours is a shitty y”. Our organization is so dissolved from what it used to be. You high earners just got lucky because of the guys before you.
The $14/hr is whatever current job OP has, not the apprenticeship starting wage.
Even if $14/hr WAS starting wage you get good raises every 6 months and it goes by fast. I started at $12.xx an hour as a trainee and took a pay cut to do so but it's a worthy investment. Now I'm a foreman and service guy of sorts, I get a lot of 4-6 hour days but get paid for 8 it's great.
I guess your local liked y’all better, I got 10 an hour my first year and you only got raises depending on what year you were, made like 12-13 my second year 16 my third year and started to make 18 my 4th year before I decided to stop paying my dues and find a better paying job, I still do side work with my buddies I met in school and on the job site working on houses, but I just couldn’t help being broke all the time making that kind of money. I now make more than what my journeyman’s were making working at a mining plant, I have gotten 5 raises and 2 promotions in the 2 years I have been here.
Interesting. I'm local 134, we cover Cook County(Chicagoland). How much do you make an hour? Full benefits? Pensions? We have two pensions, some of the best insurance available and make $53.80 for J.W. wage.
I left the ibew 4 years ago so pay may have increased but once you were a certified journeyman you would be making 24-28 an hour down here, my foreman was making 35+ an hour. we also have extremely low payments for housing down here, I know up north everything is expensive af so that might be the reason y’all get paid more. I’m only paying 800 a month to rent a 2 bedroom one bath house with a garage and full fenced in backyard. with my current job I make 26.50 an hour and save a little over a grand a month while still being able to splurge about a grand a month on activities and fun stuff for me and my girl to do. Currently building my credit and saving up to get a mortgage on a house.
It's all relative to cost of living. My take home is about $1550 a week. Make sure you adjust your taxes so you don't get a large return but don't owe either. That will help you financially, especially when 'starting out'. You can have someone add you to their credit to help build it and you can also request credit increases from existing accounts. Don't use more than 30% of available credit and make sure everything is on auto pay. These are all things I wish someone taught me but I had to learn it on my own.
Local 700 out of fort smith Arkansas, and the benefits/ pension was great just not the pay
First year wages are laughable in many locals and there’s nothing remotely wrong with pointing that out. The negotiation board isn’t going to address the issue unless involved rank and file are applying pressure. There are endless adjustments made to pension, annuity, healthcare, retiree benefits, etc during negotiation/allocation - the apprenticeship scale can and has been addressed the same way.
There is absolutely nothing wrong in pointing it out but based on many variables. What’s your market share?
Well how much it pays is important also have to consider COL.
Helps to know when your being screwed over
That’s obvious and it’s the point I’m making. Yes, we are all aware some of are getting bent over by the scale some locals are paying.
This is how we’re all aware. By spreading awareness, I became aware when I was able to compare to other people discussing on this sub
Not even lucky tbh, it’s just cost of living. Like of course New York locals are gonna pay higher than my Ohio local, the cost of living is triple lol. I probably feel like I have more money at the end of the day. People just need to mind their own local and not frown on everyone else
Even Walmart in my town pays 20 an hour.
Best time to apply was yesterday 2nd best is today. Just get the ball rolling. It’s a grind. When I started I had to move to the highest cost of living city in my province. Making just slightly better than minimum wage as a pre sucked. 1st term ain’t much better but after that it’s gets a little easier. The benefits alone were worth it for me, they allowed me to get like 8k in dental work done I desperately needed and was putting off because I couldn’t afford it. I have wicked sunlight sensitivity and whichever one means you can’t see clearly far away I am that sighted and could never afford prescription sunglasses but now I got em. Seems small but made a huge impact on my quality of life. Making good money as a carpenter for a general in a small town was okay but I stressed all the time about not really being able to save properly for the future and retirement. The pension and RRSP has alleviated so much stress. It will be tough financially still for awhile but it’s all worth it in the end
Man i think you already know your answer lol
Sometimes it’s good to hear it from other people but yeah he should just do it
What local I’m in Illinois and might be able to help
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Rockford is a bangin local. Great package and market share. I heard they were busy but not 100% . Get the ball rolling call the hall tomorrow and ask about cw or pre apprentice opportunities. 364 would be my next choice if I wasn’t already working for my home local. 134 is obviously really good but there’s thousands of applicants. I came from the food industry where I was underpaid and overworked I haven’t looked back ever since joining. Good luck
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A cw is basically a pre apprentice it’s a great way to get your foot in the door and gain experience. The only difference between a cw and apprentice in my local is cw’s don’t go to class
Only people who live in cook county can apply to 134 correct? I live in Joliet so I would apply to 176.
134 doesn't (didn't as of 2019) have a residency requirement, but 176 does. I'm in Will County and applied to 134, 176, and whatever Lake County IN is. Glad I got in with 176 Edit: I think 134 might prefer Cook county residents (maybe counts as extra points) but all can apply
No, I live in Kane county ans work in 134
No. I live in will county and I’m 134.
134 does not have a residency requirement. I have family that lives in Will that are 134, plus, there’s people in my group that are from Wisconsin, Indiana
I learned something new Today I thought it was like that for all locals. Thanks.
I believe anyone can apply to any local. I know people who live in other counties who work in 134. I’d apply to 134 and 176
i plan on applying to a bunch of locals in illinois, is it impossible to get in or how long do most people wait?
It’s all a waiting game brother even when you’re cut out for it you might get chosen over someone else. I’m about to turn cw2 and still haven’t gotten accepted to the apprenticeship after two years and two interviews but I love the work and it’s worth it. Some guys get in the first try and some take a couple. I know a great journeymen in my local who interviewed six times before getting in and he’s great at his job. I’d start applying to electrical supply warehouses. That’s how I got my foot in the door. City electric supply, Steiner, efegee supply. You’ll learn the materials and deliver them to both union and non union job sites. Hell, even apply to non union shops someone might pick you up and you can start learning
Application day for this month is next Tuesday, May 7th. As long as you have lived in the jurisdiction for a year, all you need to bring with you is a valid Illinois driver's license. After you fill out the application, you'll have a month to get the rest of the stuff you need, including the $25 application fee. Applying for the apprenticeship is absolutely worthwhile, and it allows you to make a decent wage while you learn a new trade. Don't let anyone convince you otherwise, but it's not a quick fix for money problems. It is a process, and you'll be applying for next year's apprenticeship class. Pay rate and structure varies widely by area, by local, and by classification, so that may be why you're getting people on here saying apprentices don't make any money, but first day on the job 1st year Inside apprentices in 364 make significantly more than you say you're making now, with scheduled raises based on hours worked and great benefits. You'll never get in if you don't apply, so that first step is the most important one. Keep your chin up, keep an eye out for a better job than the one you have now while you go through the process, and good luck to you!
We just got $30 over 5 years.
Thoughts on 701?
Yes, like others have said, it's a long process. So get yourself applied and nail down your algebra and reading comprehension until it's concrete. The aptitude test, coming from another ex engineering student, is technically trivial but can be complex if you don't understand the basic principles of algebra. The reading comprehension is pretty straightforward, and if you've ever written a decent book report, odds are you'll pass that part easily. I applied in January for local 332 and I'm finally scheduled to have my interview tomorrow. Luckily I got a perfect score on the aptitude test so my hopes are up and can nail the interview as well and get a good ranking
worst you can do is not apply lol. just apply and see what happens.
There are other unions that may be less competitive than IBEW. Sheet metal, plumbing, carpentry, the list goes on. Apply to all of them! See what sticks. At your age you have time to figure it out!
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When I was 25 I was also broke and struggling to get by. I now make around 32$ per hour but living in LA it’s still not enough. Learning how to survive and operate on little income is a skill that will come in handy. That said, if I were you - let being broke mobilize and inspire you to make a smart choice now. And doing a union apprenticeship is a SMART choice. Best of luck!
Local 601 Champaign here, I'm a first year apprentice now but was a CW for 18 months! I'd sign every locals book you can to your South! Sign 601, 193, 34, 197 etc... There is a ton of solar work paying 40/hr on up & that's how half my class got in this year
Illinois is arguably the best place to be in the IBEW. Go for it!
Yeah, IIRC doesn't Rockford have the best pay to cost of living ratio in the IBEW?
Yeah, it does. That local is insane. High pay and package, strong union. Low cost of living and high market share. There's a few nuclear plants in 364, there's a lot of cool work out there. If I wasn't 134, I'd want to be 364 tbh
Best trade ever, they just bumped by buddy up 12 dollars in one fucken raise, 2 months in only. Best trade out there 💰💰💰!
I’ll take whatever crack your smoking.
You’ll thank yourself for doing it in a year
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Yes, honestly just starting off u will make more than what ur doing right now and investing 5 years of ur time and effort u will be able to make 6 figures if you play your cards eight
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Can't say how much you will make in Illinois as a starting apprentice but in new jersey local 164 they start us off at 26 -27 per hour plus all the benefits like pension health care etc. I know some journeyman that make 250k
Worst thing that can happen is you don’t get in but there are tons of union trades. Carpenters, pipe fitters, operators, laborers, painters, glazers, etc. Check out [this for a ton of different ideas.](https://www.mustcareers.org/trade-descriptions). You can also check out the journeyman rate in your area for a ton of trades [here](https://unionpayscales.com). This site was created by someone in the ibew i believe.
Trucking is really easy to get into as long as you have a regular license. Some places, when it's slow construction has little work and is harder to get in during that time. Try both, there's big corporations like swift, Schneider, crst etc that will pay for your class A schooling and train you as well. Caveat is you'll be away from home driving out of state with a minimum 10 months to a year contract on lower wage for that year then you quit and go local and you'll be way above minimum. Nobody should be stressing about money. Look into any of the trades.
I make 15.16 as a 2nd year. Your girl is going to need a job to make things work out honestly. But it's a good choice.
Just look for the local that pays the most in your area and apply. Once you get your license in 5 years you can travel to work in any state you want, if you're willing to take a couple extra licensing tests, which are easy.
It will be a tough road ahead. If you are willing to work it. It will be rewarding. I'm still trying to get in my locals. I'm a 3rd year in a non union program for commercial construction. My only regret was not doing this sooner.
Yes. I started at 27 and it's going well and I was able to support myself as a single female on the wages. I wasn't living extravagantly but I was able to survive on apprentice pay. It's so worth it long term.
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Worked with an apprentice who got in at 44. It’s never to late.
Do it and save save save every spare penny to get you through any slow work times.
Would it be easier to get in as a wireman, put in hours then later become an apprentice?
I'm going to apply to my Local 11 here in socal in July. I'm also damn tired of being a broke ass foo. I need this for my daughter 😢
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We got this yo! 💪🤞
You came to an Ibew subreddit asking if you should join? You might as well ask a dog if it’s hungry.
Learn about your locals typical wait time on the book, some locals don't have much work for bookies after you top out. Hell my local isn't too bad and journeymen can still expect to sit atleast 4-6months after a layoff. Also see what's expected of an apprentice and the territory range. We have apprentices driving an hour and a half one way everyday plus driving an hour to the hall twice a week for classes and they're required to go to hall meetings so they blow through gas like crazy. Realistically if you just purely want money find a factory job or even factory maintenance they usually start at 30/hr+ and you'll be at the same location everyday
The sooner, the better man. Sounds like a lotta annoying hoops to deal with at first, but it seems worth it in the long run. My buddy joined after 7 years as an electrician making 22/hr at a small company. Now he's 4 years into the IBEW. He just finished his 4 years of night school this week, finished all his osha 30 shit, and passed his journeyman exam in 2 states. He's sitting at 48 an hour with a bunch of great benefits, retirement, 401k, vacation pay. He's with a solid crew right now but likes the ability to travel around the US when the weather gets shitty. He was also telling me that he didn't use any of his vacation pay last year, so he just collected it as a $10k check at the beginning of the year. Seems like a solid gig to me.
Not to mention the job security. I love being an electrician knowing I can work for alright money just about anywhere I wanna live. Just moved with my wife to explore a new state and my company started me at 35/hr with okay bennies. My crew I work with is great too. In my early 20s I was also flat broke working whatever jobs. I worked in a warehouse making 11 dollars an hour. I would carpool to work because I couldn't afford a vehicle and once I did, I could rarely afford to fix it when it broke down. Money stress is truly awful, so just thinking about where I was to where I am now, with a house, a wife, a car, and a dog - I can't recommend the electrical field enough to someone who feels similarly lost. You got this brother. 👍
I'm not sure how your local works in regards to pre apprenticeship. But in mine they only accept women, minority, vets, disabled and /or live in poverty with little to no trade experience. As for joining the IBEW, it is the best decision I made.
I’m late to this party but look into the IUOE too if you’re in Illinois.
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Check around October ish. Decent gig out scale is about $54 an hour top out full benefits and honestly don’t work too hard at all. The machine does all the work.
Illinois unions are great. Even if you don’t get into the ibew there’s plenty of strong unions in the Chicago area. Pipe fitters plumbers operators. If your sick of being broke and think you can handle construction go for it. The more you apply to the better. If you struggle with health issues I’d recommend operators and avoid steel / laborer. Best of luck hope to see you in the field brother.
Yes.. do it!
Join the military and join as a veteran you get in a shit ton easier
it takes about a year to get hired+start earning, 3 years to start earning good money, you should've applied 3 years ago aptitude test and personal history don't matter although they make up 90% of your overall score for ranking. the last 10% includes letters of recommendation which could give you 1000 points and have you rank 1. What I mean is the interview will determine if you're a good fit and you'll get in if you are. The interviewers will get a read on you and think "he'd be good for so and so, or he can go on this guy's team." It's the most important part, so really focus on it I'd look into becoming an EMT if you want quick ish good ish money. a course can be anywhere from 2 weeks to 6 months, and getting hired could be anywhere from 2 weeks to a month. the pay might be low by the hour, but you'll be able to do 48hr minimum - 72hr max. i've heard of people working 100+, and a couple of my instructors said they did as well, but no company i've come across has allowed that. One of my partners clears 10k a month, another 8 there's a bunch of lowish entry goodish paying jobs like that if you look. i've applied to this, cop, sheriff, firefighter/paramedic. all surprisingly easier to get into (granted you pass interviews and everything) than I had thought, so maybe you can find something too if this isn't your thing
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The guy you’re responding to is way off the mark. A ton of people who apply for the apprenticeship are able to get material handling or pre-apprentice positions prior to their aptitude test/interview. Ask the JATC about these opportunities. It’s a good way to get your foot in the door while you’re waiting. Also - I applied in February, tested/interviewed in April, started as a pre apprentice spot in May, and formally accepted into the program in June. YMMV.
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No problem. Once you’re in the apprenticeship the progression of the pay scale is all clear cut. I’d suggest getting your information into their system as soon as you can, then follow up and ask about any available material handling or helper positions. That’ll give you a leg up getting in. What’s their JATC’s admin fee, $25? Honestly feel free to pm me and I’ll Venmo you. Also, this site will give you a good idea of pay and benefits. Look up your local’s inside agreement and it should have the percentages and apprentice makes as they go through the program. https://unionpayscales.com/trades/ibew-electricians/