# And The Lowly Drain/Sewer Cleaner...



## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

makes tens of thousands of dollars more per year than the highest paid in this article. Gotta love it when people tell me they would never do my job, hope I'm getting paid enough and hope that they never see me again :laughing: 


http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/the-10-most-useless-graduate-degrees/ar-BBi0x3S


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## dhal22 (Jul 30, 2010)

My brother was such a good student that he was sent to Cambridge University in England as a Gates Scholar. Got a Master's and a Phd there paid for by Bill Gates, thanks Bill. Met his wife in England, another Phd. They both struggled for years, and still do somewhat now, trying to latch on with a university and find a well paying job. 

I like my job.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

Wow, if your net is over $130,000 your taxes must be killing you (28% ?). Time for some capital investments.

Mark


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## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

ToUtahNow said:


> Wow, if your net is over $130,000 your taxes must be killing you (28% ?). *Time for some capital investments.*
> 
> Mark





Such as ?


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## Shoot'N'Plumber (Apr 27, 2013)

So what the article about? When I open the link I don't get a story!


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

AssTyme said:


> Such as ?


Trucks and equipment. As a business owner you could buy stuff like trailer jetters and such and get some tax relief through depreciation.

Mark


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## fixitright (Jan 5, 2012)

I was thinking something about less work and more fun.

New house, Livable boat or cabin. (they may change the laws on boats and cabins). Charity and more.

Find a good tax man, (financial advisors can be snakes so check them out).

Kids are nice and they need college savings.

You can have all the toys but if you don't make/have time to use them their worthless.

That's a lesson I learned the hard way.


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

Shoot'N'Plumber said:


> So what the article about? When I open the link I don't get a story!


I'm not sure what it's about. 

They listed a bunch of science-oriented jobs (jobs we are most likely inclined towards) with pay rates near and above $100k a year not including full benefits.

But........they called the degrees worthless?


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## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

ToUtahNow said:


> Trucks and equipment. As a business owner you could buy stuff like trailer jetters and such and get some tax relief through depreciation.
> 
> Mark




All of my equipment is modern and like new, just bought a new van last year. I have all I need to keep myself busy.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

Are you a OMS? How do you make over 100k profit as a OMS doing drain cleaning only? Are you clearing $500 a day, every day PROFIT? Not saying you don't, but gross and net are different things....


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## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

Will said:


> Are you a OMS? How do you make over 100k profit as a OMS doing drain cleaning only? Are you clearing $500 a day, every day PROFIT? Not saying you don't, but gross and net are different things....




OMS ???

I never said anything about it being net, was referring to gross as was the news story.

I averaged almost 24 jobs per week last year.

24 jobs per week X 52 weeks = 1248 jobs per year. The math is easy...

Everything is paid off & I have very little overhead, I'm not even in the phone books. I only service my county so driving time & mileage is limited.

I just thought it a bit funny that a drain cleaner (a job people look down on) could make more than the touted jobs listed in the news story, that's all...


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## Drain Pro (Nov 3, 2013)

I don't want to talk about specifics, but let's just say a OMS drain only company could easily clear over 100K.


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## Flyout95 (Apr 13, 2012)

Drain Pro said:


> I don't want to talk about specifics, but let's just say a OMS drain only company could easily clear over 100K.


If I was to go into business, that's all I'd try and do. And I hate doing it, but that is where the money is.


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

The story was referencing their income before benefits. The chemical engineer income with a graduate degree was $118,000. Benefit packages are general considered at 30% which makes his income $153,400. As a OMS (one man shop) you generally consider your income to be what is left over after sales minus cost. Remember, the chemical engineer brings nothing but his knowledge and experience to work. We have to bring trucks, tools, licensing, insurance and so on and so on.

Mark


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## ToUtahNow (Jul 19, 2008)

By the way, there is no such thing as a Lowly Drain/Sewer Cleaner. When people need you, you are their hero.

Mark


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## Unclog1776 (Feb 5, 2013)

Drain Pro said:


> I don't want to talk about specifics, but let's just say a OMS drain only company could easily clear over 100K.


Yeah that's a no brainier. Busy everyday being a snake boy will easily profit that much


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

ToUtahNow said:


> The story was referencing their income before benefits. The chemical engineer income with a graduate degree was $118,000. Benefit packages are general considered at 30% which makes his income $153,400. As a OMS (one man shop) you generally consider your income to be what is left over after sales minus cost. Remember, the chemical engineer brings nothing but his knowledge and experience to work. We have to bring trucks, tools, licensing, insurance and so on and so on.
> 
> Mark




This was what I was meaning from my post. Say I gross 100K in a year, I got alot more expenses to get to that point, alot more than a engineer would, that was my point.


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## Drain Pro (Nov 3, 2013)

Will said:


> This was what I was meaning from my post. Say I gross 100K in a year, I got alot more expenses to get to that point, alot more than a engineer would, that was my point.



That's why you need to gross 200K 😉


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## AssTyme (May 15, 2010)

ToUtahNow said:


> By the way, there is no such thing as a Lowly Drain/Sewer Cleaner. When people need you, you are their hero.
> 
> Mark




Yeah, then as your walking out the door they tell you they never want to see you again :laughing:


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## gear junkie (Jun 20, 2008)

Something to take from that article is expensive degrees were needed. Not to go political but the American public as a whole is in serious debt paying off college loans. Here's another item to consider.....almost all those jobs in the article are able to be performed anywhere in the world. Civil Engineering? I worked in Africa and our engineers and architects worked in Tennessee, Virginia and Ethiopia. IT? My dad did that stuff and was outsourced by a guy in south korea to perform work in Texas. 

Plumbing requires us to physically be there. We can still get outsourced by cheaper labor but we're not competing against the world.


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## Will (Jun 6, 2010)

gear junkie said:


> Something to take from that article is expensive degrees were needed. Not to go political but the American public as a whole is in serious debt paying off college loans. Here's another item to consider.....almost all those jobs in the article are able to be performed anywhere in the world. Civil Engineering? I worked in Africa and our engineers and architects worked in Tennessee, Virginia and Ethiopia. IT? My dad did that stuff and was outsourced by a guy in south korea to perform work in Texas.
> 
> Plumbing requires us to physically be there. We can still get outsourced by cheaper labor but we're not competing against the world.



Very true, that why you get a valuable degree. Civil Engineer is great and very valuable, but they have so many BS engineering degrees its pathetic now. There going to school for nothing, and for a fake engineer degree. My Dad was a Civil Engineer, as well as structural and geotechnical and some other that I can't think of off top of my head. Back when my Dad got his degree (early 70s) they didn't have all these BS engineering degrees they have now. Ther paying for a degree to become a real engineers paperboy


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## 4Aces Plumbing (Aug 26, 2011)

gear junkie said:


> Something to take from that article is expensive degrees were needed. Not to go political but the American public as a whole is in serious debt paying off college loans. Here's another item to consider.....almost all those jobs in the article are able to be performed anywhere in the world. Civil Engineering? I worked in Africa and our engineers and architects worked in Tennessee, Virginia and Ethiopia. IT? My dad did that stuff and was outsourced by a guy in south korea to perform work in Texas.
> 
> Plumbing requires us to physically be there. We can still get outsourced by cheaper labor but we're not competing against the world.


YES! Exactly! They can't mail-order, fax, or email a drain cleaning, plumbing install, or the expertise we have to offer!


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## drs (Jun 17, 2011)

Be dam proud of what part of the Plumbing Industry you are in. YOU make a difference one on one with real people everyday and I am sure none on this list is "MetroSexual" !:laughing::thumbup::laughing:
JMHT


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## Roto-Rooter (Jan 31, 2015)

My OMS grossed over $100,000K last year also but the net was a lot less. Insurance, Fuel, Parts, Repair, Maintenance I could go on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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