Hide the Pain Harold

Been there, done that. I now train the engineers that do have a degree, but make considerable less. (I still live a comfortable life though)

Idk why employers think a piece of paper makes someone more qualified over someone with real experience, where I work the welders without a degree get paid about 6 dollars less an hour vs someone with a degree that just started and the ones without the degrees usually do a better job and stay longer too.

I have to admit that the engineers I work with know more than me when it comes to chemistry and the physics behind our products. I know the practical theory from working my way up from the ground and teach them how to do their jobs better. My reward is while I make $20k less they make to start I still make very good money and when we travel to customers, they are salary and I am hourly. So a seven hour flight to England? All overtime. Sitting in the VIP lounge? All overtime. The four ride in a limo to the customer’s plant? All overtime.
At the end of the year I make about $5k less and when I’m off, I’m off.