Is college or trade school really...

...leading you to somewhere? To where? And to what earnings?

 

Tha's a big question with many variables. All of us need to make some cash out there and educating oneself can certainly make it easier and less of a pain. It depends on what you want or have the apptitude to do. Typically a liberal arts degree really doesn't give you a big jump on money making potential like an engineering degree could, while learning an in demand trade can lead to decent money within a few years of starting an appreticeship program or trade school. Take the following trades and disciplines in Alaska. We get more money than most of the lower 48, but it's really the only location I have familiarity with now. I'm talking journeyman level in most cases.

Trades (apprentiship or tradeschool)

Carpenter $20 to $35 / hr
Lineman $24 to $ 38 / hr
Electrician $ 24 to $38 / hr
Mechanic $ 20 to $35 / hr
IT tech $ 16 to $30 / hr

Professional (four year degree or more)

Teacher $50K per year
Engineer $ 35K to 135K per year
Geophysics Reasearcher $25K to $120K per year

Like I said you question has lots of variables. Though I'd much rather spend my time on my homestead I've always been grateful that I have a trade and can make decent money doing something that's no so bad to do.

 

To start most teachers are making around $30-$35, unless you have a Masters or PhD. At least around here that is what they are making. And they are DESPARATE for teachers. Personally, I think teachers should get paid more.

As far as the IT field, yeah I guess you can sort of get into it without a degree, but it won't be easy and you won't start out making much. My fiance is in the IT field and he started at $28k with a degree. Of course now he makes more, but that is a different story altogether.

You can be a cop without a degree. It depends on the area, but a lot of times you just have to go through their basic training. Won't make a ton of money there, but it isn't always about the money now is it. I'd guess around $32k to start.

As far as if you are debating whether or not a degree is worth it, I only have my personal experience. I feel that the higher educational system in this country is a joke. They teach you to memorize useless information and regurgitate it. It doesn't prepare anyone for the real world in the least bit, and very rarely do kids take it seriously. Personally I think it is a waste of time.

That being said, I am going back to college because I do now realize that I will not be able to make enough money to live without a degree. I made it 9 years out of high school having some college here and there, but no degree and if it weren't for my fiance paying for a lot of what I have, I couldn't survive. Sad, but true. The college degree is now what a high school diploma used to be. Unfortunate that colleges are now degree dispensers. Even more unfortunate is that employers don't care if you have any common sense, skills, or a good work ethic, they only care about a piece of paper. Trust me I have 7 years of experience in my field and I applied for a job beneath me at a different company and I was turned down strictly because I do not have a degree. The woman asked "you don't have a degree in ANYTHING?!" As if it were impossible to believe and to insinuate that I was less of a person because of it.

I just tell everyone now, whether college teaches anyone anything or not, if you want to make money, you should get a degree in something... anything. That doesn't make it right, that is just the way this country is working. Then again, if you don't need much to get by and you don't care about money then there are TONS of things you can do. Its all up to you and what you want, and what you think will make you happy.

 

Soon trade school grads will be able to make a lot. Most of the welders and machinst I work with are near retirement age and I don't see any young people there to take their place. The work can be hot, tiring and involve long hours, but at the end of the day there is a feeling of accomplisment.

 

I have a 20 year old friend who just took an 8 month college course for heavy machine operation and immediately got a job in Alberta starting at $28/h. If your only interested in money its pretty easy to do, as long as your willing to work.