[LightRailTycoon]

The hard truth about the trades is you need to start young, while you're body is able to take the punishment, so you have time to learn the skills to take a less punishing senior/ownership role by the time your back/legs/arms start to give out. This isn't insurmountable, but it needs to be planned for.

Look for jobs where your background gives you more of a leg up, and are done indoors, with a stronger emphasis on health and safety.

Things like:

Industrial Electrical

Automation Technician

Machine Operator

Millwright

Avoid jobs done for small crews with a more cowboy attitude, like most residential trades.

[appplication]

This is absolutely true. I spend some time in trades before tech. I recall my first day, squeezing into a rocky and mildewy crawl space with barely enough room to flip over, only to fix up some busted plumbing using some very strong smelling chemicals with little ventilation. I knew then this wasn’t going to be a long term fit for me.

Trades work can absolutely destroy you. It’s also not really avoidable with good ergonomics - there are no good ergonomics. Some situations are just going to require you to do really physically awkward uncomfortable things to get the job done. There’s also the general slow erosion of health. Exposure to chemicals, saw dust, metal shavings, things getting in your eyes, getting poked by random nails, rolling over onto a bit of glass, tweaking your back trying to prevent a piece of lumber sliding off the roof, being constantly dehydrated and sunburned, etc. There is a reason tradesmen look like tradesmen. It’s the toll they pay.

[ChoGGi]

You shouldn't be getting down voted, residential trades will wear your body down.