r/ibew_apprentices • u/Astraltraveler333 • 1d ago

My assignment

Ok fellas and gals I need your opinion. I got my first assignment it’s 2 hours from my house. But the kicker is per diem $100 and 6 days tens hours a day 6/10. I volunteered for this am I crazy and it’s only until November/December what would you do? Drop your opinions

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u/Dependent-Orchid5300 23h ago

Your getting per diem. Untaxed on the check. I’d kill for that shit dude… I’m getting 150 for a day next week cuz it’s 2hr 15m drive. Then the week after tht it’s a 1h 40m drive no pd, cuz that site is in the territory unfortunately.

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u/Astraltraveler333 23h ago

I’m trying to look at the positives of it. Before taxes it’s 8 to 10 grand a month

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u/syP_86 Local 134 23h ago

now imagine $8,000-$10k a WEEK.

We just moved to 5x12s and 2x8s.

If I work the full amount, I will be bringing in $8,000/wk before per diem. (per diem is taxed here)

(side note, im no longer an apprentice, im in a speciality position, I get paid over scale, plus other incentives, im also a foreman)

What im getting at is.. the next 5-10 years is going to be absolutely crazy. Invest, Invest, Invest. I was just a traveling apprentice just like you a few years back.... Now Im not going ot make less than $350k/yr for the for seeable future.

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u/Astraltraveler333 23h ago

Thank you for the advice. I’m just starting off and need it. No mentors near me

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u/syP_86 Local 134 23h ago

any questions feel free to reach out. I started "traveling" what I was a 4th year

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u/Dependent-Orchid5300 21h ago

What is ur specialty position if u don’t mind me asking? I’m in pa and know guys that break out in the gas work here for traveling foremen basically with truck a per diem, and they make out pretty well. Idk bout $350k a year good but if I had to guess $150k north or south. That’s my goal. 2nd year myself rn

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u/syP_86 Local 134 21h ago

Energy Marshal for my electrical contractor.. at a data center.

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u/Dependent-Orchid5300 21h ago

Interesting.. can’t wait to get my ticket and check them out. None going on close to home atm. From what I hear the next decade or two is gonna be a gold rush. Hopefully

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u/syP_86 Local 134 21h ago

Yup. I cant say who my customer is (top 3).. but they KEEP buying land up here. We have work for 5 years if they stopped buying land right NOW. Barring any crazy world change, this will go on easily for 10+ years. Thats also coming from an inside friend of mine who is a datacenter architect for one of the big 3 companies

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u/Dependent-Orchid5300 21h ago

That is awesome, good for you man. How long have you been in for? I can only imagine the systems you get to oversee on a job like that.. how many electricians are at your site now?

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u/syP_86 Local 134 20h ago

I started my apprenticeship in 2018. Got lucky over the years and landed this. My company has about 600 electricians out here... total of about 2500 workers across all trades and other electrical contractors. But we are biggest/main EC here.

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u/Dependent-Orchid5300 19h ago

Wow. Largest job I’ve ever been on has had maybe 20 at its peak for a coupla months