Is it too late to switch to a trade at 45?
Starting a trade later in life means taking a severe pay cut down to entry-level wages while enduring physically demanding work and years of low-paid apprenticeship. This massive drop in income and physical toll makes many career switchers question whether they are too old to begin or if they should pivot to higher-paying specialties.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Is it too late to switch to a trade at 45?
- 1Starting at a private equity-backed company for higher initial hourly payDid this help you?
- 2Staying in a desk job while dealing with burnout and unfulfilled laborDid this help you?
- 3Working out in a gym to prepare for physical laborDid this help you?
- 4Venturing into service plumbing which can be slightly less strenuousDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I'm 45 and I've spent the last two decades working on computers in corporate offices.”source ↗
“My current physical conditioning consists of typing 80 words per minute and drinking black coffee. If I drop a pen and bend over too quickly, my lower back makes a noise like somebody stepping on a bag of Doritos.”source ↗
“Is 45 completely insane to start learning the trade?”source ↗
“How badly is the first year actually going to wreck my body?”source ↗
“You’re going to be an underpaid bitch boy for at least 3 years.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 3Can I wear sneakers for a construction tryout if I have no work boots?
- 7Feeling completely unprepared after starting a new professional job
- 2How do I recover my career after working in a small HR role?
- 14How to translate my foreign work experience for a new job market
- 2How to get into the trades with zero experience
- 2Is taking a lower job title a red flag on a resume?