Construction or any of the similar physical labour jobs.

Learn french -- move to Ottawa -- get a job in the federal public service -- spend 8 hours a day playing Farmville.

I hear oil jobs pay really well if you can handle being on an oil rig for an extended period of time.

At the peak people going off to the oil sands were making a minimum of $120k with a lot of them over $150-160k. Even non-oil jobs were paying insane amounts and it caused wage inflation to the point where retail and food service business were unable to keep staff.

Not only this, but most truckers start at around working for someone else for ~$30k/year. Plus it's probably harder on the body than roofing. Constant stress of delivering loads on time, not wrecking the truck (it's an 18 wheelers fault any time they are involved in an accident), loading and unloading the freight, sitting for hours on end, loneliness, etc.

expands on that moving to ottawa... I speak french its my first language

Learn to weld

http://www.jobhost.org/jobs/viewjob/...um=sponsoredia

Now would likely be the worst time to do it because of a tightening on government spending but the public service pays ridiculously well and the main qualification is being bilingual -- actually speaking French as many can barely speak English. Now it might be hard to get a job but once you are in you do nothing all day -- one guy got caught looking at porn daily-- some days as much as 8 hours-- and they tried to dismiss him but the union got him his job back. I have a few friends who only have high school but make over $100k there. That isn't standard starting but you start in the high $40s / low $50s and advancement is based completely on time rather than performance. You also get a great pension and a ****-load of benefits.

wherwe would you look for those type of jobs

http://jobs-emplois.gc.ca/index-eng.htm

this is the answer. stop being a pantywaist, and go work 10+ hr days 6/7 days a week to build a rep and a huge asset base. It's not easy, nor particularly pleasant, but it's where those with little technical skill or education can get ahead.

of course you need to be smart enough to not blow all the cash you make. and drop this excuse, it's not manly, and shows a character trait not of a life winner

The correct answer was already mentioned. Learn a trade and start your own business excelling at it. Electrical, Pumbing, HVAC, Hydraulics..ex..I once read that the largest section of millionaires in the US is from the trades, but I cant verify how accurate that information was.

Move to a really high cost of living area like NYC or DC where almost everyone earns a high income.

Maybe if you have zero motivation. I know several truck drivers. Each and every one of them started by putting in heavy hours and making a good salary, then they bought their own truck, and then they bought additional 2-3 trucks and hired other beginners. They are all doing very well, but yes, it's not a job I would want even for free since you're away from home so much you're basically not living at home.


Do these oil field jobs really exist? Or is that just a grain of truth exaggerated out of proportion ...

I did a bit of Googling and the only ones that pay high salaries are ones that require very, very specific trades with experience. (welding certain metals, etc - not something you just 'pick up')

And housing in all these areas is crazy high. You might take home 7,000/month but you will have 5K for a bunk bed in some dorm.

If you own a trucking company, then yes you can make a lot of money. But the reality is that individuals who drive a truck don't make anywhere near $80k. Do you have any idea how many people of a CDL? Pretty much everyone who knows how to drive can learn to drive a truck.

I think even w/ a 4 year degree it is hard to start at 80k. So if 80k if your ambition right off the bat, good luck.

some sort of construction, IDK what the options are if you don't want labor/stress. Maybe become a real estate agent.

work as an audio technician, photographer, videographer. IDK. You can make plenty if you do that for corporate shoots in the bay area.

Complete newbs get paid peanuts, but the above scenario seems to be a typical 'career' in trucking. (or it is my small sample size)

All these truckers seem to eventually buy their own rig and some end up buying another one or two. They're just contractors instead of salaried employees for the real trucking company.