I know a master plumber with a GED that makes more than all 3 doctors I know, and has for quite a while. Not to mention all 3 doctors still have a lot of student loan debt. They are all 36-38 years old.

They should show gross vs net with student loans figured in

How many minutes and seconds did it take for you to come up with that idea?

I think one thing that people tend to overlook in these discussions is the gross number of people working at certain levels.

There is no arguing that there are people without a degree that do really well in life. There also is no arguing that there are people with a degree that struggle and don't make as much.

Problem that I see is that many people discount the sheer number of low income jobs that are done by people without a degree. While there are very few with a degree that make less than $40k, there are millions of people without a degree that make less than $40k. When you look at the number of remedial jobs, it tends to slant the curve more than many realize.

While I am considered "highly educated", I do not have a degree. I don't even have an associates degree. I can go back in one semester and have 5 degrees though...

In the industries I have been in and around, a degree (or at least the education and experience) has opened many doors, made the work easier, reduced my hours required to make a certain salary, and has made a difference in my ability to succeed. Not to say I couldn't have done many of the things I have done without a degree, but it did make it easier and I think in the end it has benefited me greatly. With that said, I have never worked in a field associated with any of the degrees I would get if I went back and finished.

3 on 3 off is great.
Gives you lots of time to duckhunt

Nearly half (42.4 percent) of working Americans make less than $15 per hour.

Source

Need to compare to the top of doctors profession, if you are comparing top of the plumbing profession. Apples to apples.

Just like my double major in aviation science and wildlife management really put me in the drivers seat for my career in real estate.

yeah, I was really just curious, but it is the ot after all.

I have known quite a few plumbers. the one you mention is an exception. They make good money, but the hours are long and the work is hard.

On the other hand I know a bartender that works 3 or 4 nights a week on 6 hour shifts and his tips alone are over $60,000 a year and he only has a GED. But he is an exception, he has that gift of gab and BS, if he had chosen sales, I believe the sky would be his limit.

I have family member that rides bulls and makes more then most doctors...

Exceptions give hope, they also make vegas casinos rich.

My neighbor is a Senior engineer for Lockheed
He makes $135,000 per year, but has absolutely NO life and constantly looks depressed.
Barely has time to golf once a month, and when he does, he still has his work-face on.




Time is WAY more valuable than money

Coming from a poorly educated half nitwit whom makes a decent living. A degree will get you a lot further in life. It will open many doors. Yes you can go work in the oil field and make 6 figures. Very very easily. But let's figure in the quality of life etc. I'd bet the divorce rate for those earning 6 figures but gone 6 months out of the year are pretty danged high. Swap that with someone that gets an engineering degree works 50 most weeks and goes home to a happy momma for a good supper. I can tell you which one I'll take.

Many times the degree or simply more education gives one the ability to understand more problems even though it may not be the field in which the degree was earned.

Bull riding! Not likely to be a lifetime job. 39 years I worked and never got thrown from a bull.

I tell the high school kids to make a living with their minds, not their backs. Minds last longer than backs do in work environments.

I should, to be fair, add that much of my work life was under severe stress. In an office and air conditioned, but still stressful. Still beats pipeline welding in the rain and with a sore back.

And hard work!!

Being able to speak multiple languages is more valuable than degrees nowadays.

That’s the part that so many miss. An education is not just all about money. It’s about learning to think critically and broadening one’s mind. Once a love of learning is sparked it’s a lifelong benefit.

my grandpa was a border patrol in the 30s-40s. he spoke fluent spanish. worked for the railroad after that because he could.

The ladies at the Chicken Ranch make a pretty good living on their backs.

Yeah, but they have to tolerate stinking, sweaty lards on their belly

My wife always said that an uneducated man could make a living with his back but the uneducated women could only make a living on her back.

I think the college experience is worth something.

At one time education was a privilege. People understood the value. Now people treat it like a chore.

One thing I believe that get's lost is that with many trades, the education and licensing process is in many ways equivalent to a 4 year (or more) degree. My nephew is an electrician and it took many years of OJT and testing before he could become licensed. He does very well financially, especially for a young man. I believe the same holds true for auto mechanics, HVAC, plumbers, med techs, transportation, etc. So the question of a degree v. income can be misleading if not considering the education equivalent for trades.

Speaking of not using degrees, I have Bachelors in Journalism and have never written a word of news. Straight into Sales and still doing it 35 years later.

I have friends that’s a engineer at Lockheed and loves every other Friday off and is hunting elk right now. He hunts all over the US. Has a great retirement also