215
Cycling industry needs 45,000 mechanics right now, and it's an AI-proof job (www.cyclingweekly.com)
submitted 1 day ago by [M] to c/micromobility@lemmy.world
99 comments fedilink hide all child comments
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 11 points 19 hours ago* (last edited 19 hours ago) (5 children)

HVAC starting wage of $18.00 in 2026? (quick search)

So, like 80s minimum wage ($6.00 an hour then is $18 an hour today). I made that at Qwik Stop. I'm not joking.

I'm sorry kids I am older and know I could barely make it in 80s and you have it so much worse.

I had to eat packets of ramen for years, always had roommates, couldn't afford a car or pet. I'm really sorry

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 5 child comments
    •
  • [–] 3 points 16 hours ago (3 children)

    A plumber's salary bought me a house at 27 and now less than 10 years later I have enough savings to buy another if I wanted to. Of all my friends the only people who own the house they live in are the ones working in trades. Every single one of them with an office job is renting and doesn't even own a car.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
    •
  • [–] 2 points 5 hours ago*

    That's great.

    But, we have 300 million people and the trades aren't going to keep them all feed and housed. Look at the big picture.

    Glad you've done well. I'd wager you're an owner of your own business, and not a plumber working for an owner. Would I win that bet?

    (I didn't start to make money until I left the work force and became an "entrepreneur". I made more money with dog walking as an owner than I ever did as an employee)

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • [–] -3 points 14 hours ago (1 child)

    Ok, but a lot of plumbing is ripping people off. A neighbor needed a pipe capped for a shower renovation, a plumber charged them $300. I capped the remaining pipes when I heard this. Being a home owner means navigating around the sleazy trades, a combination of scam artists and "professionals" who fake the job.

    But it comes down to people don't know how to practically do anything any more. The idea of taking my bikes to a mechanic doesn't make any sense.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 1 child comment
    •
  • [–] 2 points 10 hours ago*

    There are some shady people in every profession, but most tradespeople aren’t ripping off customers too badly. It’s more like people who don’t work in the trades aren’t aware how expensive the operating costs are, like getting licensed/bonded/insured etc. Running a plumbing business is more financially complex than just buying materials and plugging them in to the clients’ home, so of course as a DIY homeowner you can skip a lot of nonsense. If you can do the work yourself, great! You save money and it gives the pros more time to help out folks who can’t do the work themselves.

  • permalink
  • fedilink
  • source
  • parent