If Blue-Collar Jobs Pay So Well, Why Do So Many Workers Still Struggle?

Trade jobs can pay well, so why do many tradespeople struggle? This episode looks at the gap between a median wage and a real life: low starting pay, seasonal and cyclical work, injuries and age, the cost of tools and travel, and bad employers, using Bureau of Labor Statistics data, and what you can do about each one. Pay and conditions vary by trade, employer and state. Figures are from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is general information, not career or financial advice.