A recent post on Reddit’s r/skilledtrades titled, “Why do people think trades are easy?” stirred up a tremendous response after one user pushed back on the common idea that trades are an easy escape from white-collar burnout or from being replaced by artificial intelligence.
‘This Can’t Be My Life’
The post came from a chemical engineer by training who moved to Canada but couldn’t find work in his field because his degree wasn’t recognized. So, he pivoted to the trades and became a mechanical insulator. “I’m working as a mechanical insulator. We insulate pipes and ducts, mostly around Alberta. The money’s decent. I’m getting $24 an hour as a first year,” he wrote. They did not specify whether it was Canadian or U.S. dollars.
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Even though he’s young and in good shape, the reality of the job hit him hard. “Waking up at 5 a.m., out in the cold when it’s -25, lifting, sweating, doing the same thing every day. Even though my trade isn’t the most physically intense, it’s still tough on your body,” he said.
What frustrates him is how people treat trades like an easy exit from the office grind. “People really need to stop acting like trades are some kind of escape from a boring office job. You want real hours? When you work trades, you work for real. Ten hours means ten hours. No breaks to scroll your phone or chill at your desk. It’s all go.”
Not Just About The Money
While many assume trades come with better pay and more job satisfaction, the original poster pointed out the ceiling that exists for most in his field. “Most tradespeople max out at journeyperson level. In rare cases, someone might move into something bigger, but for most, that’s it.”
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He added, “Even if you gave me $100 an hour, I wouldn’t want to stay. I need to do something I actually enjoy, something I see myself growing in.”
Dozens of tradespeople chimed in, with a mix of support and straight talk. One electrician said, “It depends on the trade honestly… Some people can’t handle the trades, no matter what trade you pick.”
Others shared similar frustrations about the glamorized perception of trades online. “Social media is filling people’s heads with the idea that the trades are easy money,” wrote an overhead crane technician. “What they don’t tell you is the long days and nights, the on calls, and the working out of town away from family.”
Many agreed with OP’s view that some trades are simply too grueling to be sustainable for a full career. “Fiberglass is killing me every single day,” he said. “It’s in my clothes, on my skin, in my eyes. People don’t talk about that part. Trades look good from the outside, but inside? It’s tough on your body and your mind.”
Still, some pushed back on the idea that trades lack intellectual challenge. “It’s surprising to some people how intelligent a lot of people in the trades are,” one commenter said. “Some could have gone on to be engineers or doctors but went into [heating, ventilation and air conditioning], electrical, or mechanics.”
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Mike Rowe: Time To Invest In The Trades
Mike Rowe, known for the TV show “Dirty Jobs,” has long advocated for more respect and funding for skilled labor. Speaking to Fox Business recently, he supported Trump’s idea to redirect funds from elite universities to trade schools. “If I had to choose between should Harvard get $3 billion or trade schools in that world—trade schools,” he said.
But Rowe cautioned that not all trade programs are created equal and called for better evaluation. He also emphasized the growing demand for skilled labor, noting that just one call from the maritime sector requested 140,000 tradespeople over the next decade.
“If you have a skill that’s in demand and you’re hungry, if you are willing to get up early, stay late and go to where the work is… you are going to crush it,” Rowe said.
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This article A Skilled Trader Asks, ‘Why Do People Think Trades Are Easy?’ Swapping Office Life For Manual Work Isn’t The Shortcut People Imagine originally appeared on Benzinga.com
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