pilotyip said:
Become as ASE certified mechanic, like my brother in law, make 250K per year without a degree..
but how long does it take to get to that point? making $250K/year? i'm assuming a long time. just like in the ranks of pilots, you gotta pay your dues before you can make the big bucks. but hey, i can go to pharmacology school, become a pharmacist, and START OFF, age 22 or 23, making $80K/year. and it will go up from there. that's a lot of money. i almost crapped my pants when my roommate got a $45,000/year job, straight out of college, to be a systems analyst. to me, that is a lot of money, ESPECIALLY for a 22 year old.
not to lump your brother in with the other mechanics i have run into, but why does it seem that all the ones i used to go to (before i got my 'new' used car and now use the dealership) seemed to be... economically challeneged? either that or else they were the most frugal $250,000-aires that i have ever met. needless to say, get them outside the mechanics shop, and they did not fit the bill. of course, i know some hillbilly doctors, and i'm sure there are some hillbilly pilots too. but becoming ASE certified doesn't guarantee the big bucks. just like me being certified in CPR and first aid doesn't mean that beautiful women are going to stop breathing wherever i go and i must administer life-saving CPR, thus making the news AND saving a gorgeous woman's life... um... heh heh... ok, bad analogy.
anyways, i can say "sure, i'm a pilot, i am a captain of a 777, have been for 12 years, and i make $200,000." then you would say, "gee golly, sir, that is a lot of money. i wish i was a pilot. by the way, how old are you?" to which i would reply "59 years young." point of my worthless story? it takes time to get to the big money, so saying that becoming ASE certified and earning the big bucks is the way to go for some people, i'm just wondering how many of them actually make the big bucks, and for those that do make the big bucks, how old they are/long did it take for them to get to that point. just like how many pilots are actually making $200K/year? the large, LARGE majority are not, as i am sure the RJ guys can attest to (any new F/O's out there making $18K/year?). ok, i have to get ready for work. last day!!! i need a vacation from my christmas vacation, man. i'm BEAT.