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No College Required: UPS Drivers’ Salaries and More

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The route to financial success – I won’t even attempt to say what it takes to have a successful life in general – does not have to pass through college. Billionaire media mogul David Geffen went from high school graduate to talent agent assistant, talent agent, owner of two record companies (Asylum and Geffen Records), and later, to co-founding Dreamworks movie studio with fellow non-college attendee Jeffrey Katzenberg, and Steven Spielberg, who dropped out of college.

While Geffen, Katzenberg, and Spielberg are exceptions, there are options for young people who choose to skip college. One career choice would be working for UPS. If you enjoy driving, sitting and light lifting, UPS drivers’ salaries are typically are $24.69 an hour, per the UPS web site at pressroom.ups.com; which also states, "UPS drivers (and part-time employees) receive full health benefits including medical, dental and eye care."

Does your salary deliver as well as UPS drivers’ salaries? Check your financial engine with our salary calculator.

Average Salary of a Landscaper

For young people who would rather spend their days outside, instead of inside a college classroom, landscaping may be an option. Let’s take a look at the average salary of a landscaper in South Carolina. A landscaping worker with 5-9 years of experience earns an average hourly wage of $11.75, with a high-end of $13.75. A landscaping supervisor with 5-9 years of experience earns an average hourly wage of $13.50, with the potential of taking home $22.00 per hour or more, as they take on a more management role.

Do You Know What You're Worth?

According to npr.org, the average salary of a landscaper can go up quite a bit if you own your business. Landscaping entrepreneur Joe Lamacchia of Holliston, Mass, started by cutting grass with a mower immediately following high school. Today, he owns a landscaping and paving company that earns $2 million per year. Lamacchia says that some skilled workers (electricians or welders) can earn up to $70K a year with overtime.

Average Salary Florida Electricians

Taking Joe Lamacchia’s advice, let’s say a young person in Florida works as an electrician. With 5-9 years of experience, he will earn an average hourly wage of $17.50 per hour, with a potential of $21.75. If we go north and take a look at electrician jobs in Maine, we find that an electrician with 5-9 years under his belt earns an average hourly wage of $21.50, with a high-end of $26.25.

Of course, Joe is from Massachusetts, so let’s see what the wage is there. For an electrician with 5-9 years of experience in Massachusetts, the average hourly wage is $23.50, but one could earn up to $30.00 per hour, which would mean an electrician salary in the $60,000/year range, assuming fulltime work and no overtime.

If that electrician had 10-19 years of experience, the average hourly wage is $27.00, up to $36.25 per hour, which would mean an electrician salary in the $70K per year range, as Joe mentioned. Keep in mind, though, that’s the high-end, not the average.

Wyoming Welder Jobs

Another job that Joe Lamacchia mentioned was welding. If we take a look at Wyoming welder jobs, what are the hourly wage rates or salaries? A welder in Wyoming with 1-4 years of experience earns an average hourly wage of $16.00, with a potential of $18.00. An acetylene welder in Wyoming with same amount of experience does a little better, with an average hourly wage of $16.75 and a high-end of $18.50.

Let’s go back to Massachusetts, Joe’s turf, and see how a welder fares there. With 1-4 years of experience, a welder in Mass. earns an average hourly wage of $16.50, with a high-end of $19.25. A welder with 10-19 years of experience in Massachusetts does much better, earning an hourly wage of $22.25 with the potential of $27.00. If you’re willing to put in the years, and learn your trade well, pay does go up.

Is your salary on the rise? Find out with our salary calculator.

Cheers,

Dr. Al Lee


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