| Are you thinking on changing careers? Have you | | | | figure does not change whether or not I have one child |
| thought about the railroad? | | | | or twelve! |
| The railroad industry is one of the highest paying blue | | | | #3 reason is the retirement. Your retirement is paid into |
| collar jobs in America. I actually came to the railroad | | | | the Railroad Retirement Board and not Social Security. |
| industry from a white collar executive job. | | | | You will no longer be paying into Social Security but |
| My previous career was higher pay and a lot higher | | | | rather into the Railroad Retirement Board. Obviously |
| stress. Not to mention the benefits were junk | | | | much more stable than Social Security and much |
| compared to the railroad and the retirement plan was | | | | higher retirement pay outs. Will Social Security even be |
| even worse. | | | | there in 20 years? |
| Is it any wonder I swapped my suit and tie for boots | | | | #4 reason is you're typically not cooped up in an office |
| and blue jeans? I could not be any happier with the | | | | or cubicle. As a freight conductor I am working inside |
| career change. Did I mention I no longer have to baby | | | | the locomotive but I am outside traveling the |
| sit 40 employees or deal with the stress that comes | | | | countryside. |
| with it? | | | | If something breaks I go outside and fix it. I can't explain |
| If you're thinking on a career change let me give you 5 | | | | how cool it is going through the country sitting inside |
| reasons to check into the railroad industry. | | | | the locomotive while it's a blizzard of snow outside. |
| #1 is the money. When I was in the white collar world | | | | #5 reason is no stress and it's not back breaking work. |
| and looking to get into the blue collar world I was not | | | | I use to stress out and take my work home with me |
| willing to take a very big pay cut. Therefore I wanted a | | | | when I was in the white collar world. Now I just do my |
| job where I could make at least $60,000 per year or | | | | job and when it's over it's over. |
| more. | | | | I have also had jobs where I was doing construction |
| With the railroad you can make up to $100,000 | | | | and back breaking work. Sometimes you will do some |
| depending on the railroad and how much you want to | | | | physical work as a conductor such as changing a |
| work. The average is about $70,000 per year. | | | | knuckle but for the most part you're not doing back |
| Remember though that your pay is going to depend | | | | breaking work. |
| on how much you work, where you work, and who | | | | The best part is you typically work with only one or |
| you work for. | | | | two people unsupervised. Which means you can do |
| #2 reason is the benefits. I was paying about $500 per | | | | your job without a manager looking over your shoulder |
| month out of my paycheck in the white collar world for | | | | all day long. |
| my family's benefits. Now I pay $110.00 for my whole | | | | So if you're looking for a new career think about the |
| family. The company pays the rest. Keep in mind that | | | | railroad. |