Which area in IT is easy to find a job?

Is a job in carpentry or building easy to find, and well paying in my area?

• I'm going to be going to school soon for various building trades. In my two years of study I'll learn everything I can about carpentry, and I'll learn the basics about masonry, electrical work, and plumbing and so on. Is this a good field to get in to? I live in upstate new york, a pretty woodsy area and I usually always see atleast one job offer in the news paper for either a bricklayer, or a carpenter, or a carpenters helper. So I'm hoping that means that theres enough jobs up here. I've heard that alot of builders are having a hard time finding jobs, but I don't know if thats true up here. Second - I'm nervous about the pay. I know I'll probably start out rather low, but I just hope I can at least make $15/hr after a couple of years. I can live on that. What is generally the most common pay for a carpenter/builder? I've seen on different payscale websites it ranges anywhere from between 20k a year, to 100k a year.. which isn't much help. I think it's the right job for me because I love to build and work with my hands, and I have an outstanding attention to detail most of the time. I'm just trying to ensure that the pay is satisfactory, and that I'll be able to find a job. I just want to find a career that I'll enjoy, and I've helped my family with building projects ever since I was young. any comments from carpenters or people in the building trades field would be very welcome. Thanks.

• Answer:

  Construction activity has been down all across the United States for the last few years. Generally speaking, you can make a decent living, working as a carpenter. If you're able to do masonry, plumbing, and/or electrical work, all the better. However, you need to realize that construction can be very up and down. When the business is booming, things will be great and you'll be making lots of money (relatively speaking). However, when business is down, you'll be hurting. By the way, the weather can also come into play, affecting your ability to work. You won't be able to do any outside carpentry work when it's raining hard or snowing. Just curious......do you have to remain in upstate New York? You might find more opportunities in other areas.