The irony is that in the push for college education, many of the trades have suffered in numbers, and by simple supply and demand the trade wages have increased.

Non-skilled hasn't increased much and is still very limited.

I managed to make captain on a widebody aircraft doing international, with only a high school diploma, and can still turn six figures with a single engine airplane, too.

My kids are a mixed bag; some college, some enlisted military, some undecided. One is convinced his future is in welding (I started off there, too).

My plan is to complete a masters, online. The original plan was to do that before the kids were out of high school, so they wouldn't have the excuse "dad doesn't have a degree." That didn't happen, and at this stage in my career and life, I don't think anyone will care if I have a degree or not, but I'm doing it anyway, because it's something I should have done a long time ago.

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Originally posted by 95flhr:

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Originally posted by Graniteguy:

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Originally posted by BBMW:
Basically, if you don't have a college education, you'll be economically top ended in life pretty quickly. Even if you have a trade skill, that will only take you so far.

The flip side is that having a college education doesn't guarantee anything. You can still get top ended, and stuck in a hole. But at least you have the opportunity to not be.

Yes, like so many successful entrepreneurs today that never received a degree. They "top-ended" at 8 and 9 digit net worths.

I can name about 5 friends who are Mechanics, have HVAC businesses, or are plumbers. All without a degree and all making 6 figures or better.

I think we have hit the point where a good tradesman, with or without a degree can and will make a great living.

For real. Ill take my trade school edumacation and six figure income.

You can find anecdotal to support anything. Statistics are another matter.

https://www.statista.com/stati...states-by-education/

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Originally posted by PowerSurge:

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Originally posted by 95flhr:

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Originally posted by Graniteguy:

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
Basically, if you don't have a college education, you'll be economically top ended in life pretty quickly. Even if you have a trade skill, that will only take you so far.

The flip side is that having a college education doesn't guarantee anything. You can still get top ended, and stuck in a hole. But at least you have the opportunity to not be.

Yes, like so many successful entrepreneurs today that never received a degree. They "top-ended" at 8 and 9 digit net worths.

I can name about 5 friends who are Mechanics, have HVAC businesses, or are plumbers. All without a degree and all making 6 figures or better.

I think we have hit the point where a good tradesman, with or without a degree can and will make a great living.

For real. Ill take my trade school edumacation and six figure income.

Facts are facts. Not to mention, working with ones hands is much more rewarding and fulfilling than desk work. The majority of road rage incidents ive personally witnessed around here have been between two desk jockeys. Good day.

I can't put statistics in my bank account, and nobody who's ever interviewed me asked about statistics. Those numbers don't bear water over what I've seen in the field, and certainly are foreign to my experiences.

I learned in Debate many years ago the simple skill of using almost anything to argue either side of the fence; statistics can be played either way.

"Anecdotal" reflects actual experience. Statistics can be found to support any point you care to make.

For example...the published status suggest that the holder of a doctorate is pulling down only a median 130,000? That's no advertisement for that level of effort and education. None at all. That same site does not speak to skilled labor, at all, and there is no correlation between undergraduate degrees and most skilled labor.

When was the last time you worried in the slightest if your auto mechanic had a degree?

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Originally posted by sns3guppy:
"Anecdotal" reflects actual experience. Statistics can be found to support any point you care to make.

Anecdotal "actual experience" is just informal statistics - often with a sample size small enough that the conclusions are meaningless.

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Originally posted by sns3guppy:
For example...the published status suggest that the holder of a doctorate is pulling down only a median 130,000? That's no advertisement for that level of effort and education. None at all.

A large proportion of the people who get doctoral degrees do so because they want to be professors, not because they want to make a lot of money. Professor is not an especially high-paying job, but you pretty much have to have a doctorate to become one.

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Facts are facts. Not to mention, working with ones hands is much more rewarding and fulfilling than desk work. The majority of road rage incidents ive personally witnessed around here have been between two desk jockeys. Good day.

Your anecdotal thinking is entertaining, but without merit. I would like to see the statistics that show white collar folks having more problems with anger. Your ability to manage your impulses is directly related to your upbringing, not what you do for a living. If you lack manual dexterity working with your hands is not likely to be reward and fulfilling.

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Professor is not an especially high-paying job,

Check the salaries at your State Universities, they are usually posted online. I checked UT Knoxville a few years ago & full professors were making over $210,000 a year. Unless things have changed since I was there, they worked about 10 hrs a week.

There are always anomalies to erode confidence in mere statistics.

If financial success was the only measure, how many Harvard grads in the Class of 1978 have made more than drop out William Gates III? Or any other Harvard class for that matter? Or the Harvard reject, Warren Buffett?

The idea was to attend classes to gain skills and insights, experience at using one’s head, completing seeming complex projects. If all you want it a piece of paper, you are cheating yourself.