I'm currently looking into the various trades, but I'm not sure which direction to go.  

I would greatly appreciate any information or advice on the best trades in regards to (in no particular order):

Pay
Physical demand
Availability/quality of work in and around Louisville
Lack of seasonality
Enjoyment of work

Pipefitters local would be my suggestion, of course I have been a pipefitter for over twenty years so I might be a little bias.


Pay is excellent.

It's not an office job but then again what trade is. A healthy person can do the job.

Never had a day off unless I wanted it. Work year round.

I enjoy both the building trades and for the most part all the guys I work around.

Also if you are a veteran they had a program to help veterans make it into the apprenticeship program, not sure if it is still going though.

Thanks for the info.  When you say pay is excellent, that means different things to different people.  

Any observations or info on other trades you've worked around?

As a journeyman union Pipefitter you can expect to make at least 70K a year plus full benefits for you and your family. Medical dental retirement HSA etc. Depending on your actual job a lot of the time a company provided vehicle is part of the deal also. This of course is the base line minimum for a journeyman, most top notch guys are paid scale + X dollars an hour. Add in OT and DT and you can bring home some serious cash. Of course an apprentice is much less and gets the "shit" work but it's five years to a journeyman card and all the benefits of it.

Any trades you are particularly interested in?  Any skills that you currently have you are hoping to monopolize on?

I have worked with them all over the years.

Millwrights
Plumbers (these guys are now part of a combined local with the Pipefitters)
Electricians
Iron workers
Operators
Carpenters
Painters
Boilermakers
Elevator
Sheet metal workers
Sprinklerfitters

The only skills I have right now involve shooting guns and a sales background.  I am a veteran, so that may help me land an apprenticeship.

I've been thinking about elevator and sprinkler work based on what I've heard about their pay.   Machining and welding seem interesting, but more as something that would be fun as a hobby.

Elevator sprinklerfitter boilermaker Pipefitter are all around the same pay and benefits, it might be a couple of dollars here or there different in the way it is spread around.

The program I was thinking of is the Warriors to Welders program. I believe you can find details on the UA website.

If you do elevator work especially construction side you will have to travel a lot and I do mean a lot. Sprinklerfitter work is year around, local work is usually available and 90% of the work is done after the roof is on and the hvac is running. If I was picking that would be enough to make me give up elevators. This all is hearsay as I don't have any real experience other than talking to the guys in the fields. I did my time crawling around in the skeleton of a building, it was cool then but I wouldn't want to do it for thirty plus years. Construction work ans service work are different worlds.

Either one is a great trade.

I liked pipefiting because it was such diverse work. You could be running copper refrigerant pipe one day two weeks later installing massive pumps and heat exchangers for process cooling. Three months later installing custom food grade stainless for toothpaste, three more months and back to the sexond job site to start setting the equipment with St Louis air crane. I couldn't imagine having done anything different now. It has been good to me.