Viral Post Claims Skilled Trades Can Make $180K, but Workers Push Back

A Facebook post about electricians making $180,000 a year has drawn hundreds of arguments over what skilled trades workers really earn. Some readers shared their own six-figure success stories, while others questioned where those large paychecks were coming from.

Good Financial Cents started the discussion by comparing a student who barely passed high school with a straight-A student still paying off college loans. The post suggested the struggling student could end up earning far more by learning a trade.

The argument wasn’t that every electrician, plumber, or roofer could get rich. Instead, the author pointed to the money someone might make after gaining experience and starting a business.

That distinction became a major sticking point in the comments. Workers began sharing their salaries, the costs of running a company, and the years of training required before someone could earn a living in certain trades.

Where’s the Money?

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One commenter had a simple response to the $180,000 electrician example. “Id like to work for whatever company is paying electricians 180k a year,” he wrote.

Another man commenting believed the post was really describing entrepreneurship rather than ordinary trade jobs. Other commenters agreed that successful contractors could earn large sums without paying their employees anything close to those amounts.

But some workers claimed the money was possible without owning a company. One trades worker identified himself as an IBEW electrician and said workers in his area were making between $150,000 and $200,000. He credited growing demand for data center construction.

Another trades worker shared his success story. He claimed to earn six figures as an offshore wind turbine technician despite never finishing high school. According to the man, his schedule allows him to work only half the year.

Those accounts offer examples of unusually high earnings, but they don’t establish what most people in those jobs take home.

The Actual Paychecks

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that electricians earned a median annual wage of $63,190 in May 2025. The highest-paid 10% earned more than $108,510.

For plumbers, pipefitters, and steamfitters, median pay was $63,800. Roofers earned a median of $55,440.

Those figures reflect employee wages rather than the income of self-employed business owners. Pay can also change depending on location, experience, overtime, and the type of work involved.

Getting into certain trades takes time, too. Electricians commonly spend four or five years in an apprenticeship, where they earn money while learning the job. Many states also require licenses.

Running The Business

One owner of a small construction company offered a different view of the financial rewards.

He explained that he needed roughly $50,000 worth of tools and another $50,000 in available cash to operate his business. Even with those resources, he described the budget as tight.

His experience challenged the idea that a trade automatically offers a debt-free path to wealth. Business owners must cover equipment, supplies, and other expenses before counting what they earn.

Several readers also questioned the physical demands behind the impressive salaries. Roofing requires long hours of bending, lifting, and climbing, often in extreme heat. Others wondered how many weekends a worker would need to sacrifice to reach six figures.

One mother said her son has a six-figure job as a mechanic. She added that other family members working in trades have been able to support their families without student debt.

Another commenter pushed back against the idea that the discussion needed to put college graduates against tradespeople. She argued that people should choose careers based on their abilities rather than treating either education path as a waste.

Yet another person questioned the post’s opening comparison for another reason. He wondered why someone capable of working with complex electrical systems would be assumed to have barely passed high school.

Meanwhile, the original author returned to the comments with another example of the value of skilled labor: homeowners paying an HVAC technician $250 simply to arrive and diagnose a broken air conditioner.

What have you seen in your area? Do local plumbers and electricians get paid well? Are the trades worth pursuing? That likely all depends on an individual’s strengths and goals.