# teledata job outlook



## miller_elex (Jan 25, 2008)

The LE program is the way to go. 

Most young punks never see the opportunity the LE program opens up, and never apply because the pay is less and the techs are twidgets.

Here, an LE journeyman's day is alot less stressful, and their book is alot smaller, providing for more steady employment. IMO.

The work can be really boring, so make sure to take more classes outside the program, that way you can promote upwards and out of the LE program when you're ready.

Nix that, electrical work can be just as boring. You got to have the special 'it' factor that makes you an expert on all kinds of different systems. That way, there is much variety in your day.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

I am that IT guy you speak of, as well as in the C card apprenticeship. 

I have been out of work for 4 months now. And I am a first year.

Lets just say im back to IT work. There are not many people on the books here, but not many are working full weeks either


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

And in most areas of the country this work is done by semi skilled laborers with one decent lead tech.

Might be easier to do but also way easier to replace you.


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## miller_elex (Jan 25, 2008)

I can only speak for here. Other places are definitely in the crapper worse for LE work.


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

The techs here do pretty good. The rate is lower but so is their membership. Their jurisdiction is bigger because the surrounding locals don't have the tech classification. They're hurting for work though. Office fitouts were their bread and butter. But that type of work has dried up for the time being.

The one thing I never really understood about them was, they get treated like the red-headed step child of the local. They never even had a local pension set-up until the last contract and some of the old dinosaurs in the local look down on them, I dunno, the guy's I worked with were always cool.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

I wouldn't turn up my nose at low volt work. If you are sharp and can learn fire alarm and phone you can move out of being an installer eventually. Fire alarm guys have it easy. Electrician installs all the wire for them. They come in, install the panel. Install devices, sometimes, and test the system. Talk about a gravy job. Wire pulling monkey's and conduit installers are a dime a dozen right now.

I don't know how licensing works in your state but in WA you could take two years of low volt experience and two years commercial experience and get a general journeyman card.


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

nitro71 said:


> I wouldn't turn up my nose at low volt work. If you are sharp and can learn fire alarm and phone you can move out of being an installer eventually. Fire alarm guys have it easy. Electrician installs all the wire for them. They come in, install the panel. Install devices, sometimes, and test the system. Talk about a gravy job. Wire pulling monkey's and conduit installers are a dime a dozen right now.
> 
> I don't know how licensing works in your state but in WA you could take two years of low volt experience and two years commercial experience and get a general journeyman card.



Good points. If you get NICET certification then you become in demand.


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## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

Then there's the opportunity to work for a TELCO. I wouldn't wait around for a opening in the wireman program. You could get your low volt license now. IF things pick up you could always migrate to the line voltage side of things. A bird in hand..


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

nitro71 said:


> I wouldn't turn up my nose at low volt work. If you are sharp and can learn fire alarm and phone you can move out of being an installer eventually. Fire alarm guys have it easy. Electrician installs all the wire for them. They come in, install the panel. Install devices, sometimes, and test the system. Talk about a gravy job. Wire pulling monkey's and conduit installers are a dime a dozen right now.
> 
> I don't know how licensing works in your state but in WA you could take two years of low volt experience and two years commercial experience and get a general journeyman card.


not out here. we do it all! pull our own wires, install panels, sensors. i should not say in my local, but others thats how it is. 

also, if you do low voltage you have whats called the national vdv agreement. which basically takes away all jurisdiction limits


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

I was recently on a huge PW job in Pennsylvania and the teleworkers were out of Florida. They worked 5-10 hour days and I was told they were piece workers, never saw men and women work so hard, so fast for 10 hours straight, and their work was very neat.


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

brian john said:


> I was recently on a huge PW job in Pennsylvania and the teleworkers were out of Florida. They worked 5-10 hour days and I was told they were piece workers, never saw men and women work so hard, so fast for 10 hours straight, and their work was very neat.



Piece work is illegal on PW jobs. Unless their getting the PW as a minimum and paid by the piece as a bonus.But I highly doubt that was going on.


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

slickvic277 said:


> Piece work is illegal on PW jobs. Unless their getting the PW as a minimum and paid by the piece as a bonus.But I highly doubt that was going on.


 
I know, but (and I am not sure of this) it may be that this part of the contract was not under the PW portion of the work. 

I have worked on federal jobs, where some work did not fall under the base contract.

I still see tele work as a boring dead end career, I am glad some folks do it because it needs to be done. But basically just about any electrician can do the vast majority of the work, but teledata guys cannot do electric work.


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## mikeh32 (Feb 16, 2009)

brian john said:


> I know, but (and I am not sure of this) it may be that this part of the contract was not under the PW portion of the work.
> 
> I have worked on federal jobs, where some work did not fall under the base contract.
> 
> I still see tele work as a boring dead end career, I am glad some folks do it because it needs to be done. But basically just about any electrician can do the vast majority of the work, but teledata guys cannot do electric work.


its not just teledata. Its wireless, cctv,fire, alarms, fiber, networking, cellular work....


i agree the world needs electricity, but there is going to be a huge need for low voltage work. the world is only getting more technology.


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## bduerler (Oct 2, 2009)

nitro71 said:


> I wouldn't turn up my nose at low volt work. If you are sharp and can learn fire alarm and phone you can move out of being an installer eventually. Fire alarm guys have it easy. Electrician installs all the wire for them. They come in, install the panel. Install devices, sometimes, and test the system. Talk about a gravy job. Wire pulling monkey's and conduit installers are a dime a dozen right now.
> 
> I don't know how licensing works in your state but in WA you could take two years of low volt experience and two years commercial experience and get a general journeyman card.


I have always pulled my own wire. I don't want anyone else to pull it for me. How do I know that they didn't skin my wire when pulling it. Seems like a whole lot of trouble if someone else pulls the wire for not saying i don't trust them I am saying I wont trust anyone else's work. I know that sounds bad but that's what keeps me on the edge and all my systems trouble free from a prewire standpoint


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## brian john (Mar 11, 2007)

mikeh32 said:


> its not just teledata. Its wireless, cctv,fire, alarms, fiber, networking, cellular work....
> 
> 
> i agree the world needs electricity, but there is going to be a huge need for low voltage work. the world is only getting more technology.


I know and the majority of this stuff (at least around here) is done by an electrician or semi skilled laborers. There are some tech on the high end doing tech work but they are in the minority.


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

brian john said:


> I know, but (and I am not sure of this) it may be that this part of the contract was not under the PW portion of the work.
> 
> I have worked on federal jobs, where some work did not fall under the base contract.
> 
> *I still see tele work as a boring dead end career, I am glad some folks do it because it needs to be done. But basically just about any electrician can do the vast majority of the work, but teledata guys cannot do electric work.*


I agree. I always thought the same way, especially with how narrow their scope of work seems to be. Although I do know guy's making a nice living doing it.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

The only tele/data guys I know making a "good living" are the one's who are heavy into phone system programming and network admin stuff in the computer end. Closer to IT than tele/data, I suppose.


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> The only tele/data guys I know making a "good living" are the one's who are heavy into phone system programming and network admin stuff in the computer end. Closer to IT than tele/data, I suppose.



And the guy's who are union.


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

slickvic277 said:


> And the guy's who are union.


Yeah. All those guys make good money too, as a reward for showing up to work that day.


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## slickvic277 (Feb 5, 2009)

MDShunk said:


> Yeah. All those guys make good money too, as a reward for showing up to work that day.



BoooHoooo. What's a matter? Someone's making money other then the owner?


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## MDShunk (Jan 7, 2007)

slickvic277 said:


> BoooHoooo. What's a matter? Someone's making money other then the owner?


Yeah. I'm one of those wacky people who thinks a man's pay should not be tied to his job title or years in the trade, but rather what he produces. I know thats nuts.


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## bduerler (Oct 2, 2009)

I work part-time for my dad and i can tell you that yes we are not union but we have full insurance both part-time and full-time. Full-time has a pension plan as does part time. (401k if you want to get technical.) And I know for a fact that we are in the middle of the pack pay wise, (18-22 per hour for installers, 23-25 per hour for service, and 10-14 per hour for helpers, 12-16 per hour for part-time.) Raises occur when you either get a new license for fire, you are consistently performing your work at a high level, or dad just thinks someone deserves one. Now if you were a helper turned installer its a two dollar raise from what you made previously. For example if you were making 10 an hour now your making 12. You have to earn your raises if my dad believes you deserve one you must have done something amazing because he just doesn't hand those out you have to EARN them. just saying


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