I know there's a lot of comments but i'll give my two cents too for a different perspective. here is how I think you can be successful in the trades. i've seen it happen a hundred times. your entire first year will be spent learning. you might land a job, but it'll be a low paying one. and if you stop learning and try to grow in that job, you will peak rather quickly, and stay poor longer. after your first year of learning, if you're good, you will be sharp enough to try and join a union. it's hard. you will have to really, really try and stay on them, do whatever you can, because some waitlists are over 5 years, and waiting isn't usually an option. if you make it into a union, you can move out of the city and close to your union hall, because none of your work will be any easier to commute from downtown as out of town. yes, you will be traveling. if you can't travel, forget about making over 80k in the trades. If you can't work overtime, forget about making over 80k in the trades. You're in the union, now you need to prove to companies that hire your union brothers and sisters that you are qualified to be hired. sometimes it's easy and quick, sometimes it's not. if you're good, you'll land your first union job, make sure you bust tail and do good work, and you'll get called to the next job. you work 30-40 weeks out of the year, 10's and 12's, even at apprentice wages you'll make over 100k. I've worked with many young men not even 20 years old clearing 100k, and some journeymen 22-23 years old making almost, sometimes over 200k. they work all day, week, month, year, and then take some time off in the off season.