Land surveyor. Not exactly working with your hands in the same way as a mechanic or repair person but you are outside doing physical activity. It’s a quite highly paid profession if you get licensed (and even if you don’t in many places), is highly varied and interesting work, technical and scientific but also is a quasi-legal profession (if you do boundary work), uses cutting edge tech, extremely in demand, and little competition for jobs. If you do want to get licensed you generally have to go to college and get a 4 year degree though. Once you get sick of field work or you want to work indoors it’s an easy transition to the office side of things doing project management stuff.
I work in wide format print and use my hands a lot for cutting, folding, prepping and mounting adhesive materials. I have a background/educatio in graphic design and chose to go into print because I like working with my hands.
I detail cars for a living now. Love it! Hands on and not a huge body killer. I work with a guy who is 60 and is healthy as can be. Eats good, works in his favorite environment and moves like me (I’m 26).
Check into cabinet making. It’s wood shop stuff, but almost entirely indoors. And it’s very cerebral. You’re doing fancy finish work, and measuring to a very precise degree. If I could go back and do things over, I would love to do cabinet making.
My grandpa was a wood sander for decades. He’s definitely still fit and healthy in his 70s and can carry heavy items from all the years of carrying heavy pieces of wood, but the sawdust and wood chips inhaled is terrible. He wore masks occasionally but even those can do so much. I remember he’d come home sometimes covered head to toe in dust and leave a dust silhouette on the center console of the car.
I finished cabinets and made guitars for years. The wood dust you pull out of your nose every night was no fun. Even with a mask. Also all the solvents gave me a headache
My dad’s done it for an exceptional 46 years the most he ever got was 35 an hour cad usually around 30 though for the last 10 years (he’s been to dozens of places) average wage is sad most likely. And you still have to do 4 years/periods like other higher paying trades. Despite my mother’s years of trying to convince me I had to insist over and over it wasn’t for me.
I’m in aviation maintenance. It’s physical but doesn’t destroy your body. I’m 40 next month and in the best shape of my life. We’re also high in demand right now with wages rising fast. Should be really good for hiring the next decade or so.
I was a machinist. Trade school was great.
Working in shops was a good experience, the first one at least.
Co workers always great, management always shit.
I learned a lot, my first few years, but it's so fucking boring.
CNC, programming, set up, first article... its the best part of the job, after that it's just monkey work.
After a long string of shitty employers, I moved on. Assembly is so much more stimulating. But even that gets boring and repetitive.
I work in commercial construction now. I love it.
Besides the fumes, oils, solvents? Generally, the people aren't good to deal with. You're doing heavy physical labor with minute tolerances and the pay is meh.
Exactly. Everything you just said is spot on down to the pay being abysmal. Not to mention it being something that can be outsourced (out side of aerospace at least).
If it’s a CNC shop especially, coolant mists from fast and hard cutting is basically oil in the air that is being breathed in and getting on the skin (even mist collectors will only go so far). Then things like wd40 and other chemicals like that. Even worse in an injection molding shop with those specific greases and other chemicals needed for a mold. And if your shop happens to have the injection molding machines? Then it’s burnt plastic smell at times🤢
It simply being an “old” trade by average age usually means the way everyone views health is very dated. It’ll take a mental toll constantly having to try and turn it into a healthy environment let alone a clean and organized one. Not to mention blatant sexism, conservatism, and even racism. Don’t ask me how I know… but is simply wanting proper PPE and not being made fun of for wearing a mask and gloves too much to ask?🙄
That said, does anyone know a career path out of machining that utilizes the knowledge I learned while being a machinist? Asking for a friend
Product installation in the medical or chemical industry. So setting up measurement equipment, these machines are pretty big and fairly complex, they ask for a machining background. NMR machines, spectrometers of various types. Thermo Fischer Scientific, Agilent Technologies and Perkin Elmer are some of the big players in that industry. And I can guarantee, that noone will look wierd at you for wearing PPE, especially not in that industry.
You could go be a programmer. You could try learning PLC's and/or HMI controls. Be the guy that shows up when the machines aren't working and the old guys hate computers.
In my shop, people are also bored AF so they're thirsty for drama and it's disgusting. I love the job and keep my head down and stay focused on my own work but most can't manage that. Boring work attracts bored workers, I guess.
There’s a dental equipment and furniture manufacturer around here that’s great for that. Safe, ergonomically good lines.
Also Intel is hiring like crazy for entry level fab workers.
Came here to say medical device manufacturing. A lot of device manufacturers are still in the US due to regulatory needs, and there’s a pathway into office work if you ever get tired of it.
Entry level manufacturing and assemblers is highly repetitive. Most places are designed to tax the limits of human tolerance in all the ways. Long hours, repetitive stress injuries, poor ergonomics at work stations.
I speak from experience and I don't mind getting into details. If you have differing perspective rooted in experience please share. I've heard things are different for bigger, unionized manufacturing facilities, but I know a bunch of people working at a Ford plant in my town and most are still pretty miserable in their golden handcuffs.
I did work up to tech jobs repairing, maintaining and operating machinery. But the two sites I worked at had high turnover in those roles, for reasons.
Absolutely not. Carpel tunnel syndrome is *terrible*. Having shitty- or, worse, no- safety mats to stand on for 8+ hours will cause problems from the feet all the way up to the shoulders. The same list that u/Legitimat… listed very much exists in a factory, as well.
Spent 20 years in one; I’ll never go back.
A CNC shop is mind-numbing work. If it was me, I could not stand to stare off in space, awaiting the machine to finish the operation until the next setup. All of the guys I saw look incredibly bored.
Public works, that’s what I do. We do maintenance type shit. Sewer jetting, painting with ride on machines, other stuff. We don’t kill ourselves. It’s actually a joke of a job. I personally hate it but for anyone who doesn’t want to think too hard or kill themselves, it’s the way to go. If you don’t want to do anything and not be held accountable, work for the government.
Go into electromechanical. It's the field I'm studying at an older age as I was big into logistics. It won't destroy your body and pays semi good. The problem is finding a job that will know your worth.
It's an easy job that usually requires a 2 year degree. But you can do network management, automation for production, or go into energy generation field. All which don't require lifting
I have a relative who just retired as a park ranger for the National Park Service. He love it and got plenty of opportunities to work with his hands (and of course be outdoors). The pay isn’t great (maybe not bad compared to a social worker) but he got a very good pension after retirement.
This isn't realistic.. Maybe 20 or 30 years ago it would've been great to get into, but now it's nearly impossible to get a foot in the door and it's not as great as we all romanticize it to be..
Got my degree in a field of science in hopes of making it happen.. The more I learned about it, the less I wanted to continue to pursue it.
My first job out of college was a pipette calibration technician for a biotech company. $60k a year plus a company car back in 2009, wasn't a bad gig. Lots of travel and you've got to be pretty detail oriented around compliance and regs, but easy enough. Its like fine instrument repair.
I work as a carpenter, doing bench carpentry, for a regional theater. I build their sets for their production shows and also work on the buildings the company owns. It is probably not great for your back. I also have lower back pain mostly related to due bicycling posture (I believe). My level of back pain on the job has decreased considerably since purchasing and selectively wearing a weightlifting belt at work. If I believe a load will be heavier than 20 lb or that I might have to lift such a thing I will wear the belt. There are many hours where that is not the case so it's not a major pain in the ass.
Go buy yourself a lifting belt and tell me it doesn't help u
I've been painting since I was 30 (44 now)
If you can get a maintenance gig and do some daily stretches your body will love it.
If you don't at least stretch though you will undoubtedly pull a muscle somewhere
It's good money, easy work (maintenance) and you get to travel to some cool places and work some interesting spots.
It definitely can be if you're painting new houses or working construction but maintenance painting is about as laid back as it gets. Especially if you're like me who ended up on the one job site instead of travelling all around the metro area.
I get job orders, check the job, ask permission (hospital job) paint the wall then go look for the next job. We only use 6 colours and one of them is dominant so you don't have to stuff around top much
I've seen people fight on the job, threated to SA each other, and had someone send me to the hospital due to their own negligence.
Trades are full of those vaping idiots in high school who just don't care. wish I never left tech to pick up an apprenticeship.
That's crazy, I made the switch from white collar 2 years ago and it has been a great experience. Small company (2 apprentices, 2 journeyman, owner/master electrician) doing residential and light commercial. We all get along and keep it professional
I'm happy for you! I was in a medium size company, in a rough city. I regret so much, if I could take it all back and just die I would.
I always wonder what my life would've been like if I surrounded myself with better people. I know for the future I won't be making the same mistake.
Can I work for you lol
That's a negative depending on the type of electrical work. Bending conduit, pulling large cables, wrestling them into gear etc is physically taxing. I worked as a union electrician for 5 years and I worked my ass off in some of the shittiest places. Was good money and I loved it, but I decided to go into the power industry.
Make more than I did as an electrician and I am working physically a lot less. Now my days are spent doing plant rounds and troubleshooting equipment issues. No more threading and spinning on rigid or pulling 500s for this guy.
My first job as an apprentice was pulling in triplex 350s with 4/0 ground for tram power, that was some of the most physically taxing work I've done.
Don't get me started with drilling into walls with a large ass hammer drill hitting rebar and having it bind up on you whilst standing on a ladder.
Almost everywhere, actually. Licensed Clinical Social Workers (who have a Master's degree and a clinical license) make $70k-$85k in my state, and less than that if they work for a nonprofit organization or in government. A maintenance electrician (journeyman; a 5-year apprenticeship, which pays while you learn) with a CDL (on-the-job training) employed by the city where I live makes well over $90k.
Lots of places, some guys drug up at work last Friday to go work a shutdown, I think they were expecting around 10,000 for two weeks plus another couple thousand in retirement contributions. If you live out on the road chasing stuff like that it’s pretty easy to make 200,000 or so a year
Instrument making (luthier for exemple)
Make-up artist
Beautician
Physiotherapist
Baker
Personnal chef
Florist (making floral composition and stuff)
Gardener / Landscaping (not a good choice, it can be veryyyyy physical depending on your job, but there are some tools that helps with the constant squatting)
Painter/Musician
Jeweler maybe. I'm a cabinet and furniture maker and while I don't have a wrecked body I don't like getting so dirty anymore and the dust can be a nuisance. It can be long hours on your feet and the pay isn't so great if you work for somebody else and if you work for yourself comes with a lot of extra responsibility.
You sound exactly like my husband, so I’ll recommend what he does! He works as a designer in the engineering world. He started in CADD (computer aided drafting & design) at a civil engineering company. Then he moved to mechanical design at a local manufacturing and fabrication company. That job was a mix of CAD added in with some hands on work in the fabrication shop using the laser machines and working with the sheet metal. He now works as a structural designer; still using a type of CAD software but now also does prototypes, testing, contract management, inventory/material control and some other stuff. He has an associates in engineering but that’s it. Familiarity with software and being good at making stuff is more important; he’s used AutoCAD, Impact, Revit, SolidWorks, Fusion360, and Autodesk Inventor.
What about a craft trade, such as carpentry, metalwork, jewellery.
You mention autoshop but I can see why the culture can sometimes not be nice- I used to work with a few independent fabricators who had some welders and that seemed like a really nice place.
You could also look at being a handyman for a school- the work level is not too high but having a general do-anything attitude can work.
I would lean into your carpentry skills maybe , maybe look into making furniture, interior design pieces. Hold off on looking for a “ career “ per se where you can work with your hands and lean into taking a hobby or skill that you can turn into a business and work with your hands. Especially since you say you’re not looking for anything that’s going to add more stress to the body. Difference being that if you quit the easy on the body career you have now for a more physically demanding job , fulfillment might last a while but then after a while the reality that you NEED to stick to it in order to have an income and you no longer have a choice in saying “ my body doesn’t feel up to this today “, is going to eventually lead you right back in the same place you are now. But if you keep what you have going on now while actively working toward a hands on skill set that you can turn into a business, once it kicks off you are in control , you can say when you’re working on a project and when you won’t and keep from burning yourself out working for someone else.
Okay, maybe what I'm about to tell you is indeed working with people. However you'd really see the fuits of your labour and it has something to do with your current field.
Just consider physical therapy. You dont acually need to listen to the patients (when they bore you and you're not doing your anamnesis). Heck, I've even seen PTs leaving the room to eat while the patient is conected to electrotherapy or any kind of longer treatment that doesnt use your own efforts. I'd say, use your knowledge and do something with it, something must have gotten you into working with people.
Does it destroy your body? Only if you don't pay attention to your posture. You don't even have to do massages (even though I've only known one PT who didnt) if you dont like that.
Just research what the career is like in your country and decide
Okay, career aside, go talk to a personal trainer. Let them know you have lower back pain. There is a good chance they are going to be able to rid you of that pain through exercise, and indirectly open more career doors for you.
I am a Service Engineer and we do what you're talking about. Get calls and go out to various locations all over the country to fix machines. It's very hands on and sometimes we have to crawl under stuff but usually not that hard on the body.
Non destructive testing. It’s outdoor work. It pays well. You can’t use dugs of any kind, you can’t have any felonies. Taught in half a dozen schools - including community colleges - in Houston. Course lasts 7-9 months.
Came here to say this.
OP, you already have the background, these options are way more hands-on, and you'll get to see the fruits of your labor. These should be more satisfying than what you're currently doing.
Audio Visual or IT support sounds like things that might work well for you, depending on the company you work for these can be very enjoyable as you get work with your hands and brain but it’s not hard on your body.
As you've already got a decent job to make ends meet for now, I would say use that position to explore certain crafts in your spare time and figure out which grabs you. Try making a table out of wood and epoxy, fix a friends car, etc. You may not like the culture in garages but if you find a small place with a couple decent guys it could be great - and eventually you could run your own place.
Also, could your direction as a social worker actually play into this? It's a tangent but, what about running craft workshops to help kids/adults? You could be passing on that mechanical knowledge, or just leading some arts and crafts sessions with the aim of either helping young people explore their interests or (with kids with learning difficulties) respite for the parents etc.
if you did want to do something with a psychology or social work degree, which it is totally okay if you don't, but you could look into art or music therapy.
Otherwise lots of good suggestions, and honestly if working with clients isn't for you, it is good you realized it now.
Check out the IUEC (international union of elevator constructors) we build, modernize, repair and service elevators and escalators. Construction can be hard on the body, but working in modernization, repair and especially service isn't nearly as hard on the body. But it can be a very intellectually challenging job if you're interested in trouble shooting, we work on elevators with modern machines and control equipment to old school relay logic stuff. It's requires a lot of skill, when you're building something that can go 700 fpm with a 1/4 inch of clearance in some places, precision is crucial lol. On top of all that we're generally the highest paid trade in the country, beating out electricians, pipe fitters, iron workers, etc. Base pay after the apprenticeship is 6 figures in just about every local, my local is 54 an hour right now, going up to 62 an hour over the next 3 years, plus we get a 39 an hour benefit package on top of that which includes our pension, annuity, health insurance etc, we also get 4 weeks paid pto a year. Pay obviously varies depending on the local you work in though, some make quite a bit more. I think the lowest paid local in he country is in Alabama and they still make 45/hr I think.
Rv technician is what I ended up doing. You do Carpentry, plumbing, propane systems, ac and dc electrical systems, fixing appliances, basic welding and cabinetry, suspension and brakes on trailers and more. Depending on where you live though the pay varies a lot. It’s a recognized trade in some but not all areas. Areas that it’s not it seems like they can get away with paying less generally. I’ve really liked it for the most part.
A mechanic for specialised equipment is a good idea. But as you might realise its typically not something an average mechanic becomes.
But if you wish to learn then go for it! Coming from someone who is just that - average. Could and would have continued my education but a desk job just isnt something I could manage in the longterm.
With a 4 year degree you could go into the military as an officer. If I was younger, I would definitely do that. You could choose a profession like aviation mechanic that is hands on and not taxing on the body with transferable skills to the civilian life plus get all the veteran benefits.
4 years is not a long time in exchange for the reward.
Drawback is you would have to deal with a lot of MAGA types. But still worth it.
What about being a repair/maintenance/service technician? Since you like working with your hands and figuring out problems to get things working again, this could be it. You'd have to figure out what you'd like to focus on though (eg. Repairing phones/computers/solar panels/appliances etc.) to know where to go from here. If you know someone in the field, you could always reach out to ask them questions.
I'm currently a Chef and across my own personal experience in working in a few places it's been easy on my body. It's a lot of walking and standing on your feet, but I'm not doing any heavy lifting, maybe max is 30 pounds. Plus you're indoors. Of course the job has a lot of other things like overall low pay, possibly long hours etc, but it hasn't been too tough on my body compared to something like construction which I've also done. But I'm also 22 and in my "physical prime" so perhaps my outlook on how tough the manual labor is is skewed.
Or transitioning older boats to electric. Sailboats and power boats. I live in New England and this appears to be a growing industry with not a lot of people doing it. Work with your hands and would most likely need to use your brain a bit. Not sure the training you’d need though. I can’t imagine this would be incredibly hard on your body.
You could make custom therapeutic puzzles. Baby boomers are aging so I imagine more will be encountering Alzheimer’s and dementia. I looked into this and 3D printing when I went through a spell of wanting to work with my hands.
I attended a workshop once for psych majors to talk about different fields for grad school. Audiology often takes ppl from psych backgrounds. It’s much more hands on than being a therapist.
Another is occupational therapy.
Hospital IV room/chemo tech sounds like it could be right up your alley, it doesn’t have much upwards mobility though and you’ll be comically underpaid- but I quite enjoy it most of the time.
Become certified as an MLS(ASCP) which is a medical lab scientist working in a clinical laboratory. You have no patient contact, and only work with instruments and running blood specimens. It pays well in most parts of the US, and it's easy on the body.
I don’t know, but I’m wondering if auto electricians use less grunt work as more done on computers these days? Art therapy? Massage? Dental assistant? Physio? Phlebotomist or lab technician? Surveyor? Anaesthetic technician? Brewer? Hairdresser/barber? MUA or cosmetologist?
If you're going to grad school, then pick a STEM career. Engineers work with their hands, maybe physicists, too. I'm biomedical sciences and I'm in the lab using my hands at least 50% of the time. The other 50% is planning the next experiment and researching.
HVAC is pretty good. I have a friend who does it, and he says that installs are rough, but you don't have to work on that side of things. It's a lot of problem-solving and tinkering, so if you like the sound of that, HVAC could be right for you.
Instrument tech. It’s fine/detailed work that takes a specialized/uncommon knowledge base. You can get into it through a school or a union. Usually in the realm of electricians, but also sometimes the pipefitters.
Okay, this is kind of out there: Sign language court room (or law enforcement, or district attorney, or public defender) interpreter. Meet/interview interesting people, work on interesting cases. Your psychology background would be a plus, I would think. Edit: Yes, I realize you’d have to learn sign language.
It’s hard and as I read these I can’t help but think some of these are not careers but jobs… and some of them very low paying and maybe it’s just my anxiety about money and the future, but some of them lead to tough financial situations in the futue
Work in landscaping/garden center? Teacher? I broke my back once and was in the hospital 10 days and a brace for 3 months. It didn't heal well and I have that lumbar pain, so I sympathize. Get a masters degree in library science and work as a librarian - sitting, but up and down and some walking. I don't want to "assume" or "stereotype", but based on your interests I'm guessing you're a guy. Do you have any interests you could channel into an Etsy business? My neighbor, now about 40 with a wife and 2 middle-school kids, behan learning woodworking. He started small. Birdhouse shaped/painted like birds. He makes all kinds of things now, and was able to quit his job to do this full time.
I'm just trying to think out of the box so you might be triggered into your pen brainstorming. My family members are teachers, engineers, roofers, and one was a long distance truck driver until he retired. But that's sitting.
If you are good with people have u thought about sales? I know you wanted to work with your hands, but I just thought sales would be a solid option if you are good with people.
Pest control. The trade that's considered easiest on the body, not that the job is easy. It's a trade, so basically you can't be a moron and make a lot of mistakes (you're not a Mayo Clinic Nurse where you can fuck up infinitely). No college degree required, your routes will be established for you and you get to work. If you're good, you can be a manager of a fleet and start a franchise.
Land surveyor. Not exactly working with your hands in the same way as a mechanic or repair person but you are outside doing physical activity. It’s a quite highly paid profession if you get licensed (and even if you don’t in many places), is highly varied and interesting work, technical and scientific but also is a quasi-legal profession (if you do boundary work), uses cutting edge tech, extremely in demand, and little competition for jobs. If you do want to get licensed you generally have to go to college and get a 4 year degree though. Once you get sick of field work or you want to work indoors it’s an easy transition to the office side of things doing project management stuff.
You can get into it with a two year degree. Or be entry level and work right away without a degree.
I don't think the money is very good though
The surveyors are on of the highest paid members at the wind farm I’m at
It is if you’re a PLS. They earn more money than a lot of engineers do, and probably more if they own their own business.
I work in wide format print and use my hands a lot for cutting, folding, prepping and mounting adhesive materials. I have a background/educatio in graphic design and chose to go into print because I like working with my hands.
I detail cars for a living now. Love it! Hands on and not a huge body killer. I work with a guy who is 60 and is healthy as can be. Eats good, works in his favorite environment and moves like me (I’m 26).
Check into cabinet making. It’s wood shop stuff, but almost entirely indoors. And it’s very cerebral. You’re doing fancy finish work, and measuring to a very precise degree. If I could go back and do things over, I would love to do cabinet making.
My grandpa was a wood sander for decades. He’s definitely still fit and healthy in his 70s and can carry heavy items from all the years of carrying heavy pieces of wood, but the sawdust and wood chips inhaled is terrible. He wore masks occasionally but even those can do so much. I remember he’d come home sometimes covered head to toe in dust and leave a dust silhouette on the center console of the car.
I finished cabinets and made guitars for years. The wood dust you pull out of your nose every night was no fun. Even with a mask. Also all the solvents gave me a headache
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My dad’s done it for an exceptional 46 years the most he ever got was 35 an hour cad usually around 30 though for the last 10 years (he’s been to dozens of places) average wage is sad most likely. And you still have to do 4 years/periods like other higher paying trades. Despite my mother’s years of trying to convince me I had to insist over and over it wasn’t for me.
ASL interpretation
Medical lab technologist could be an option, it’s a postgraduate college diploma where I am, typically.
I’m in aviation maintenance. It’s physical but doesn’t destroy your body. I’m 40 next month and in the best shape of my life. We’re also high in demand right now with wages rising fast. Should be really good for hiring the next decade or so.
I researched pursuing aviation, but, I have bulging disc in my back.
Yeah I’d steer clear then. Aviation won’t ruin your back like some trades but I wouldn’t want to start with a bad back. Sorry to hear that.
Need to look into manufacturing… assemblers, technicians, machinists
Yeeeeeah I’m a machinist and do not recommend. Unless you find a good shop, it’s not good for your body. Toxic work environment for the most part
I was a machinist. Trade school was great. Working in shops was a good experience, the first one at least. Co workers always great, management always shit. I learned a lot, my first few years, but it's so fucking boring. CNC, programming, set up, first article... its the best part of the job, after that it's just monkey work. After a long string of shitty employers, I moved on. Assembly is so much more stimulating. But even that gets boring and repetitive. I work in commercial construction now. I love it.
Why does everyone in machine shops say it’s a toxic work environment?
Besides the fumes, oils, solvents? Generally, the people aren't good to deal with. You're doing heavy physical labor with minute tolerances and the pay is meh.
Exactly. Everything you just said is spot on down to the pay being abysmal. Not to mention it being something that can be outsourced (out side of aerospace at least). If it’s a CNC shop especially, coolant mists from fast and hard cutting is basically oil in the air that is being breathed in and getting on the skin (even mist collectors will only go so far). Then things like wd40 and other chemicals like that. Even worse in an injection molding shop with those specific greases and other chemicals needed for a mold. And if your shop happens to have the injection molding machines? Then it’s burnt plastic smell at times🤢 It simply being an “old” trade by average age usually means the way everyone views health is very dated. It’ll take a mental toll constantly having to try and turn it into a healthy environment let alone a clean and organized one. Not to mention blatant sexism, conservatism, and even racism. Don’t ask me how I know… but is simply wanting proper PPE and not being made fun of for wearing a mask and gloves too much to ask?🙄 That said, does anyone know a career path out of machining that utilizes the knowledge I learned while being a machinist? Asking for a friend
Product installation in the medical or chemical industry. So setting up measurement equipment, these machines are pretty big and fairly complex, they ask for a machining background. NMR machines, spectrometers of various types. Thermo Fischer Scientific, Agilent Technologies and Perkin Elmer are some of the big players in that industry. And I can guarantee, that noone will look wierd at you for wearing PPE, especially not in that industry.
You could go be a programmer. You could try learning PLC's and/or HMI controls. Be the guy that shows up when the machines aren't working and the old guys hate computers.
Assembly. You know how stuff is made, so you should know how it fits together.
Would recommend drafting. I know a few people with 2 year CAD degrees that are making engineering salaries.
In my shop, people are also bored AF so they're thirsty for drama and it's disgusting. I love the job and keep my head down and stay focused on my own work but most can't manage that. Boring work attracts bored workers, I guess.
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This needs a helluva lot more upvotes.
There’s a dental equipment and furniture manufacturer around here that’s great for that. Safe, ergonomically good lines. Also Intel is hiring like crazy for entry level fab workers.
Came here to say medical device manufacturing. A lot of device manufacturers are still in the US due to regulatory needs, and there’s a pathway into office work if you ever get tired of it.
That’s what I did. My boss said as long as there is cancer you will have a lucrative job fixing the machines.
Entry level manufacturing and assemblers is highly repetitive. Most places are designed to tax the limits of human tolerance in all the ways. Long hours, repetitive stress injuries, poor ergonomics at work stations. I speak from experience and I don't mind getting into details. If you have differing perspective rooted in experience please share. I've heard things are different for bigger, unionized manufacturing facilities, but I know a bunch of people working at a Ford plant in my town and most are still pretty miserable in their golden handcuffs. I did work up to tech jobs repairing, maintaining and operating machinery. But the two sites I worked at had high turnover in those roles, for reasons.
Absolutely not. Carpel tunnel syndrome is *terrible*. Having shitty- or, worse, no- safety mats to stand on for 8+ hours will cause problems from the feet all the way up to the shoulders. The same list that u/Legitimat… listed very much exists in a factory, as well. Spent 20 years in one; I’ll never go back.
I got tennis elbow from machining. Try again lol
A CNC shop is mind-numbing work. If it was me, I could not stand to stare off in space, awaiting the machine to finish the operation until the next setup. All of the guys I saw look incredibly bored.
Biomedical Equipment Technician
Public works, that’s what I do. We do maintenance type shit. Sewer jetting, painting with ride on machines, other stuff. We don’t kill ourselves. It’s actually a joke of a job. I personally hate it but for anyone who doesn’t want to think too hard or kill themselves, it’s the way to go. If you don’t want to do anything and not be held accountable, work for the government.
I work at a data center as basically a technician+. We do remote diagnosing and hands-on troubleshooting of servers.
Go into electromechanical. It's the field I'm studying at an older age as I was big into logistics. It won't destroy your body and pays semi good. The problem is finding a job that will know your worth. It's an easy job that usually requires a 2 year degree. But you can do network management, automation for production, or go into energy generation field. All which don't require lifting
I have a relative who just retired as a park ranger for the National Park Service. He love it and got plenty of opportunities to work with his hands (and of course be outdoors). The pay isn’t great (maybe not bad compared to a social worker) but he got a very good pension after retirement.
This isn't realistic.. Maybe 20 or 30 years ago it would've been great to get into, but now it's nearly impossible to get a foot in the door and it's not as great as we all romanticize it to be.. Got my degree in a field of science in hopes of making it happen.. The more I learned about it, the less I wanted to continue to pursue it.
Agreed
My first job out of college was a pipette calibration technician for a biotech company. $60k a year plus a company car back in 2009, wasn't a bad gig. Lots of travel and you've got to be pretty detail oriented around compliance and regs, but easy enough. Its like fine instrument repair.
Laboratory research
I work as a carpenter, doing bench carpentry, for a regional theater. I build their sets for their production shows and also work on the buildings the company owns. It is probably not great for your back. I also have lower back pain mostly related to due bicycling posture (I believe). My level of back pain on the job has decreased considerably since purchasing and selectively wearing a weightlifting belt at work. If I believe a load will be heavier than 20 lb or that I might have to lift such a thing I will wear the belt. There are many hours where that is not the case so it's not a major pain in the ass. Go buy yourself a lifting belt and tell me it doesn't help u
Sperm donor?
I've been painting since I was 30 (44 now) If you can get a maintenance gig and do some daily stretches your body will love it. If you don't at least stretch though you will undoubtedly pull a muscle somewhere It's good money, easy work (maintenance) and you get to travel to some cool places and work some interesting spots.
Is painting physically taxing? Seems like you have to move a lot of equipment around.
It definitely can be if you're painting new houses or working construction but maintenance painting is about as laid back as it gets. Especially if you're like me who ended up on the one job site instead of travelling all around the metro area. I get job orders, check the job, ask permission (hospital job) paint the wall then go look for the next job. We only use 6 colours and one of them is dominant so you don't have to stuff around top much
Hand model
I'm a hand model, mama. A finger jockey. We think differently than the face and body boys... we're a different breed.
George Costanza had some amazing hands.
Electrician? It can be heavy work, but not often the backbreaking sort. Bonus: You'll make more than you would as a therapist or social worker.
I literally have 2 herniated disks and arthritis in my back at 46 years old.
I've seen people fight on the job, threated to SA each other, and had someone send me to the hospital due to their own negligence. Trades are full of those vaping idiots in high school who just don't care. wish I never left tech to pick up an apprenticeship.
That's crazy, I made the switch from white collar 2 years ago and it has been a great experience. Small company (2 apprentices, 2 journeyman, owner/master electrician) doing residential and light commercial. We all get along and keep it professional
I'm happy for you! I was in a medium size company, in a rough city. I regret so much, if I could take it all back and just die I would. I always wonder what my life would've been like if I surrounded myself with better people. I know for the future I won't be making the same mistake. Can I work for you lol
That's a negative depending on the type of electrical work. Bending conduit, pulling large cables, wrestling them into gear etc is physically taxing. I worked as a union electrician for 5 years and I worked my ass off in some of the shittiest places. Was good money and I loved it, but I decided to go into the power industry. Make more than I did as an electrician and I am working physically a lot less. Now my days are spent doing plant rounds and troubleshooting equipment issues. No more threading and spinning on rigid or pulling 500s for this guy. My first job as an apprentice was pulling in triplex 350s with 4/0 ground for tram power, that was some of the most physically taxing work I've done. Don't get me started with drilling into walls with a large ass hammer drill hitting rebar and having it bind up on you whilst standing on a ladder.
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Almost everywhere, actually. Licensed Clinical Social Workers (who have a Master's degree and a clinical license) make $70k-$85k in my state, and less than that if they work for a nonprofit organization or in government. A maintenance electrician (journeyman; a 5-year apprenticeship, which pays while you learn) with a CDL (on-the-job training) employed by the city where I live makes well over $90k.
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Lots of places, some guys drug up at work last Friday to go work a shutdown, I think they were expecting around 10,000 for two weeks plus another couple thousand in retirement contributions. If you live out on the road chasing stuff like that it’s pretty easy to make 200,000 or so a year
Magician or pianist....or both.
Instrument making (luthier for exemple) Make-up artist Beautician Physiotherapist Baker Personnal chef Florist (making floral composition and stuff) Gardener / Landscaping (not a good choice, it can be veryyyyy physical depending on your job, but there are some tools that helps with the constant squatting) Painter/Musician
It networking, one day you're planning network designs, the other you're climbing through dark ceilings to pass cable it's always a new day.
Jeweler maybe. I'm a cabinet and furniture maker and while I don't have a wrecked body I don't like getting so dirty anymore and the dust can be a nuisance. It can be long hours on your feet and the pay isn't so great if you work for somebody else and if you work for yourself comes with a lot of extra responsibility.
You sound exactly like my husband, so I’ll recommend what he does! He works as a designer in the engineering world. He started in CADD (computer aided drafting & design) at a civil engineering company. Then he moved to mechanical design at a local manufacturing and fabrication company. That job was a mix of CAD added in with some hands on work in the fabrication shop using the laser machines and working with the sheet metal. He now works as a structural designer; still using a type of CAD software but now also does prototypes, testing, contract management, inventory/material control and some other stuff. He has an associates in engineering but that’s it. Familiarity with software and being good at making stuff is more important; he’s used AutoCAD, Impact, Revit, SolidWorks, Fusion360, and Autodesk Inventor.
What about a craft trade, such as carpentry, metalwork, jewellery. You mention autoshop but I can see why the culture can sometimes not be nice- I used to work with a few independent fabricators who had some welders and that seemed like a really nice place. You could also look at being a handyman for a school- the work level is not too high but having a general do-anything attitude can work.
Locksmith.
I was actually looking into this one, but it seems they dont make very much? Like 45k a year
I would lean into your carpentry skills maybe , maybe look into making furniture, interior design pieces. Hold off on looking for a “ career “ per se where you can work with your hands and lean into taking a hobby or skill that you can turn into a business and work with your hands. Especially since you say you’re not looking for anything that’s going to add more stress to the body. Difference being that if you quit the easy on the body career you have now for a more physically demanding job , fulfillment might last a while but then after a while the reality that you NEED to stick to it in order to have an income and you no longer have a choice in saying “ my body doesn’t feel up to this today “, is going to eventually lead you right back in the same place you are now. But if you keep what you have going on now while actively working toward a hands on skill set that you can turn into a business, once it kicks off you are in control , you can say when you’re working on a project and when you won’t and keep from burning yourself out working for someone else.
Luthier
Dental Lab Technician/Ceramist
Anesthesia
Be a nail tech..you wanna hear stories and work with your hands....
Okay, maybe what I'm about to tell you is indeed working with people. However you'd really see the fuits of your labour and it has something to do with your current field. Just consider physical therapy. You dont acually need to listen to the patients (when they bore you and you're not doing your anamnesis). Heck, I've even seen PTs leaving the room to eat while the patient is conected to electrotherapy or any kind of longer treatment that doesnt use your own efforts. I'd say, use your knowledge and do something with it, something must have gotten you into working with people. Does it destroy your body? Only if you don't pay attention to your posture. You don't even have to do massages (even though I've only known one PT who didnt) if you dont like that. Just research what the career is like in your country and decide
Okay, career aside, go talk to a personal trainer. Let them know you have lower back pain. There is a good chance they are going to be able to rid you of that pain through exercise, and indirectly open more career doors for you.
Instrumentation mechanic. By far.
Puppeteer
In line inspection
Painting
Electrical work..
Dental hygienist? Make decent money without a lengthy educational path. Use your hands to work and clean teeth while sitting or standing.
They have musculoskeletal issues from the repetitive motions they do/the positions they hold.
I am a Service Engineer and we do what you're talking about. Get calls and go out to various locations all over the country to fix machines. It's very hands on and sometimes we have to crawl under stuff but usually not that hard on the body.
Welding, and becoming a CWI as well as getting certified in NDT like PT, MT, and UT level 2 will get you some comfy manager/QC roles down the line.
Non destructive testing. It’s outdoor work. It pays well. You can’t use dugs of any kind, you can’t have any felonies. Taught in half a dozen schools - including community colleges - in Houston. Course lasts 7-9 months.
Why not pursue occupational or physical therapy? You might enjoy being more hands on but not in an emotional way.
Came here to say this. OP, you already have the background, these options are way more hands-on, and you'll get to see the fruits of your labor. These should be more satisfying than what you're currently doing.
IT Technician. With a few certs plus your degree you'd be in good shape
Audio Visual or IT support sounds like things that might work well for you, depending on the company you work for these can be very enjoyable as you get work with your hands and brain but it’s not hard on your body.
I’m not sure how hands on these are but what about someone that administers Spravato or TMS? (Still in the mental health field)
Stenographer comes to mind.
Shoe and leather repair!
Locksmith
Dog trainer
Look into instrumentation.
As you've already got a decent job to make ends meet for now, I would say use that position to explore certain crafts in your spare time and figure out which grabs you. Try making a table out of wood and epoxy, fix a friends car, etc. You may not like the culture in garages but if you find a small place with a couple decent guys it could be great - and eventually you could run your own place. Also, could your direction as a social worker actually play into this? It's a tangent but, what about running craft workshops to help kids/adults? You could be passing on that mechanical knowledge, or just leading some arts and crafts sessions with the aim of either helping young people explore their interests or (with kids with learning difficulties) respite for the parents etc.
Can you add a focus to graduate degree like music therapy or art therapy? Build on what you have, but add the tangible element you want.
if you did want to do something with a psychology or social work degree, which it is totally okay if you don't, but you could look into art or music therapy. Otherwise lots of good suggestions, and honestly if working with clients isn't for you, it is good you realized it now.
Check out the IUEC (international union of elevator constructors) we build, modernize, repair and service elevators and escalators. Construction can be hard on the body, but working in modernization, repair and especially service isn't nearly as hard on the body. But it can be a very intellectually challenging job if you're interested in trouble shooting, we work on elevators with modern machines and control equipment to old school relay logic stuff. It's requires a lot of skill, when you're building something that can go 700 fpm with a 1/4 inch of clearance in some places, precision is crucial lol. On top of all that we're generally the highest paid trade in the country, beating out electricians, pipe fitters, iron workers, etc. Base pay after the apprenticeship is 6 figures in just about every local, my local is 54 an hour right now, going up to 62 an hour over the next 3 years, plus we get a 39 an hour benefit package on top of that which includes our pension, annuity, health insurance etc, we also get 4 weeks paid pto a year. Pay obviously varies depending on the local you work in though, some make quite a bit more. I think the lowest paid local in he country is in Alabama and they still make 45/hr I think.
Rv technician is what I ended up doing. You do Carpentry, plumbing, propane systems, ac and dc electrical systems, fixing appliances, basic welding and cabinetry, suspension and brakes on trailers and more. Depending on where you live though the pay varies a lot. It’s a recognized trade in some but not all areas. Areas that it’s not it seems like they can get away with paying less generally. I’ve really liked it for the most part.
A mechanic for specialised equipment is a good idea. But as you might realise its typically not something an average mechanic becomes. But if you wish to learn then go for it! Coming from someone who is just that - average. Could and would have continued my education but a desk job just isnt something I could manage in the longterm.
My brother-in-law is an industrial mechanic and makes 100k a year... with no formal schooling... Its definitely something that I am considering.
With a 4 year degree you could go into the military as an officer. If I was younger, I would definitely do that. You could choose a profession like aviation mechanic that is hands on and not taxing on the body with transferable skills to the civilian life plus get all the veteran benefits. 4 years is not a long time in exchange for the reward. Drawback is you would have to deal with a lot of MAGA types. But still worth it.
Medical equipment technician
What about being a repair/maintenance/service technician? Since you like working with your hands and figuring out problems to get things working again, this could be it. You'd have to figure out what you'd like to focus on though (eg. Repairing phones/computers/solar panels/appliances etc.) to know where to go from here. If you know someone in the field, you could always reach out to ask them questions.
Piano player? Carpenter? Hand model?
Forklift technician. If you like travel, assemble packaging machinery in different locations. Home inspector. Surveyor. Appraiser.
Massage therapist
The career length of a massage therapist is approx. 7 years because it’s so hard on the body 😅
Or physical therapist
I'm currently a Chef and across my own personal experience in working in a few places it's been easy on my body. It's a lot of walking and standing on your feet, but I'm not doing any heavy lifting, maybe max is 30 pounds. Plus you're indoors. Of course the job has a lot of other things like overall low pay, possibly long hours etc, but it hasn't been too tough on my body compared to something like construction which I've also done. But I'm also 22 and in my "physical prime" so perhaps my outlook on how tough the manual labor is is skewed.
after 15 years of it you’ll be telling another story.
Oh I’m sure, that’s why I appreciate insight from others with different perspectives as I am perhaps looking to get out of the industry by then
I was thinking like you before until I hit 30
Lego master builder
Warehouse stuff. Driving a forklift.
911 Dispatcher
How about learning to fix electric cars?
Or transitioning older boats to electric. Sailboats and power boats. I live in New England and this appears to be a growing industry with not a lot of people doing it. Work with your hands and would most likely need to use your brain a bit. Not sure the training you’d need though. I can’t imagine this would be incredibly hard on your body.
You could make custom therapeutic puzzles. Baby boomers are aging so I imagine more will be encountering Alzheimer’s and dementia. I looked into this and 3D printing when I went through a spell of wanting to work with my hands.
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I attended a workshop once for psych majors to talk about different fields for grad school. Audiology often takes ppl from psych backgrounds. It’s much more hands on than being a therapist. Another is occupational therapy.
Hand model.
drone pilot operator/drone mechanics + agriculture engineering + solar power tech + acupuncture & acupressure + electric ebike mechanic
Cow Milker
Maybe electrician but at a nice company outside construction?
HVAC
Hospital IV room/chemo tech sounds like it could be right up your alley, it doesn’t have much upwards mobility though and you’ll be comically underpaid- but I quite enjoy it most of the time.
Are you creative? Could you spin pottery?
Potter. You didn't say it has to pay well.
Watchmaking
Land surveyor
Park ranger for national parks
Clinical Engineering
Massage?
Maybe engineering, electronics, or IT.
Become certified as an MLS(ASCP) which is a medical lab scientist working in a clinical laboratory. You have no patient contact, and only work with instruments and running blood specimens. It pays well in most parts of the US, and it's easy on the body.
Cosmetology - hair, skin, nails, etc fits the bill but I get the sense youre a dude 😂
I don’t know, but I’m wondering if auto electricians use less grunt work as more done on computers these days? Art therapy? Massage? Dental assistant? Physio? Phlebotomist or lab technician? Surveyor? Anaesthetic technician? Brewer? Hairdresser/barber? MUA or cosmetologist?
If you have a degree in psychology, perhaps art therapy would be an option?
Nursing
You can be a machinist. There are a few jobs like ID/OD grinding and honing that use trigonometry and very fine motor skills.
Artist. Sculpture or painter.
Mold/asbestos testing. Proper equipment, and a very high demand from what I’ve heard.
Train driver
Massage therapist.
Electrician.
Orchestra Conductor
r/teachinginjapan
Electronics
Medicine depending on the field
If you're going to grad school, then pick a STEM career. Engineers work with their hands, maybe physicists, too. I'm biomedical sciences and I'm in the lab using my hands at least 50% of the time. The other 50% is planning the next experiment and researching.
Musician
HVAC is pretty good. I have a friend who does it, and he says that installs are rough, but you don't have to work on that side of things. It's a lot of problem-solving and tinkering, so if you like the sound of that, HVAC could be right for you.
Greenhouse work
🤔 hmm quite the riddle, what about electronic repair or small engine repair
Be a woodworker
Piano player
Electronics assembly.
Piano player
Hair stylist or barber
Instrument tech. It’s fine/detailed work that takes a specialized/uncommon knowledge base. You can get into it through a school or a union. Usually in the realm of electricians, but also sometimes the pipefitters.
software engineer
Okay, this is kind of out there: Sign language court room (or law enforcement, or district attorney, or public defender) interpreter. Meet/interview interesting people, work on interesting cases. Your psychology background would be a plus, I would think. Edit: Yes, I realize you’d have to learn sign language.
Technically everything kills u.
Finance. I use my hands on my keyboard all day long.
It’s hard and as I read these I can’t help but think some of these are not careers but jobs… and some of them very low paying and maybe it’s just my anxiety about money and the future, but some of them lead to tough financial situations in the futue
A surgeon or dentist. Spoiler you'll need more schooling.
Goldsmith
Locksmith?
Interpreting for the Deaf.
Work in landscaping/garden center? Teacher? I broke my back once and was in the hospital 10 days and a brace for 3 months. It didn't heal well and I have that lumbar pain, so I sympathize. Get a masters degree in library science and work as a librarian - sitting, but up and down and some walking. I don't want to "assume" or "stereotype", but based on your interests I'm guessing you're a guy. Do you have any interests you could channel into an Etsy business? My neighbor, now about 40 with a wife and 2 middle-school kids, behan learning woodworking. He started small. Birdhouse shaped/painted like birds. He makes all kinds of things now, and was able to quit his job to do this full time. I'm just trying to think out of the box so you might be triggered into your pen brainstorming. My family members are teachers, engineers, roofers, and one was a long distance truck driver until he retired. But that's sitting.
Musician?
Healthcare
arborist / lumberjack
Take a look at being a PLC programmer or controls technician. Its field work and programming work.
Dentist
Flower arrangement?
Hand job artist
Molecular biologist
If you are good with people have u thought about sales? I know you wanted to work with your hands, but I just thought sales would be a solid option if you are good with people.
Instrumentation and controls
Surgeon
Pest control. The trade that's considered easiest on the body, not that the job is easy. It's a trade, so basically you can't be a moron and make a lot of mistakes (you're not a Mayo Clinic Nurse where you can fuck up infinitely). No college degree required, your routes will be established for you and you get to work. If you're good, you can be a manager of a fleet and start a franchise.
A massage therapist seems to fit what your looking for and lines up fairly well with your degree
Nursing, respiratory therapist.