[joesmo]

They aren't good jobs. The average salary for plumbers is around $50-55k or so, right around the median for the US. Ok, but certainly not good. For roofers and mechanics, you're significantly below the median around $35k, basically in poverty especially if you have a family. I don't think encouraging people away from education is the problem when salaries are this low (poverty levels).

[Broken_Hippo]

Here is the thing: A lot of jobs after college are bad jobs if you go by income only. The average teacher's salary is around 40-45k, beginners make much less. Preschool teacher with degree? Barely over minimum wage if you are lucky. Sure, you get summers off, but you also don't have a paycheck during that time.

Business degree? You might be a retail store manager because that is what you found that you actually have experience in... because you worked retail through school.

It is bad all around.

[aianus]

The median you quoted is for a household (usually more than one person). 55k is well above the median individual income.

[danreedx86]

not to split hairs, but that's median household income... usually made of 2 incomes these days.

plumbers, electricians, and plenty of other blue collar vocations do pretty well imo.

[gnarcoregrizz]

Hah, i bet its way higher. Anyone that owns their own business like that is probably fudging their income numbers and writing off as much as they can. I wouldn't be surprised if the income was 2-20x higher for established self employed people.

[joesmo]

The owners are a minor percentage of the workers in these fields and therefore what they make is irrelevant.

[santaclaus]

35K is def not poverty. I managed to get by in Manhattan on less...

[HalcyonicStorm]

pray tell how you managed to do that

[akgerber]

Not too complicated an equation— one can find a basic room in a share for $1k a month uptown or in Chinatown, plus $110/month for a Metrocard or $10/month for Citibike, plus a reasonable amount of money for food like $300/month (cook a big pot of something a couple days a week, pack lunch from that, and have a few meals out for a $10/day diet).

That's about half of $35k for basic expenses while living in Manhattan, which leaves plenty of room for taxes/savings/going out/travel/etc. And there are a lot of great free events in NYC, too.

[santaclaus]

Almost exactly this. Cheapo room in a two bedroom up near the 125 A stop, monthly metro card, not eating out too much and once a week stocking up on staples from Trader Joe's. Left plenty of overhead for hitting up bars with friends on the weekends, travel for the holidays, etc. I wasn't living lavish by any means, but I also wasn't struggling to make rent.

[huherto]

Magic. See his username.

[imgabe]

Most of these jobs are not salaried and can have significant opportunity for overtime at time and a half or more.