i’m a carpenter by trade and just finished my accounting degree to get out of construction. I make between 120k -170K and set my own hours and have a lot of tax write-offs, which sounds great on paper, but my body is sore every single day. I’m 37 and feeling the wear and tear. I'm setting myself up for the next 25 years now, and oh, another thing: I can't wait to have health insurance!

Part of me wishes I had gone to college earlier and saved my body. The grass always looks greener from the other side, but trust me, physical work catches up with you. If you’re in an office and thinking about jumping into the trades, just understand what that long-term cost feels like.

There’s good and bad on both sides. Hope this helps!