A turner, a welder and an electrician talked about their real earnings

If you look at the discussions of the turners themselves in public pages under the news about their high earnings, many testify: 220 thousand rubles. – the salary is unrealistic, but the real one is 60-70 thousand rubles. “You can’t find a normal turner. The work is hard and dangerous. There are very few specialists, there is a huge shortage of them,” Russians leave comments. Indeed, according to recent studies, the least likely professions to submit resumes are turners, doctors and janitors. Turners account for 0.6 resumes per vacancy, and doctors and janitors account for 0.8. For comparison, flight attendants are in the lead, with more than 900 resumes per vacancy. This is competition! And so, however, it has always been.

I remember the “ideal man” – the mechanic Gosha from “Moscow Doesn’t Believe in Tears.” “In fact, before you are hands of gold… Before you, comrades, is a mechanic with a capital “S,” a colleague, a doctor of science, praises Gosha (Alexey Batalov), assuring that without him most of the topics in their research institute will freeze. Well, how are things going with modern Goshas?

“I don’t want to go into the defense industry for a number of reasons”

Alexander comes from the Tyumen region, graduated from a vocational school in his region. In fact, after the ninth grade, the young man wanted to go to study to become a welder, but there were no free places there. Only machine operators had places, so I went there. Then he moved to St. Petersburg and has been working in the metro system for fifteen years. Works on both lathes and milling machines. Salary – 65 thousand rubles. He has a wife and a small son.

“When I got into a vocational school to become a general machine operator, I didn’t even know what it was then,” Alexander began the story. — Then it became clear that this was training and permission to work on all machines: lathe, milling, grinding, drilling, etc.

— Why did you want to study to become a welder? This specialty is more interesting and, perhaps, more profitable, since all the places were already filled?

— Then it seemed to me that a welder was better and more in demand, but they are still in demand. Good profession. Only harmful to the eyes.

The young man studied at a vocational school for three years, received a diploma, and then joined the army. While I was in the army, my parents divorced and divided their property between their children. Alexander got an apartment in St. Petersburg. At first, when I came to St. Petersburg, I worked in warehouses and shops, but when I settled down over time, I remembered my native specialty.

— Since I had already become a resident of St. Petersburg, it was easier to get a job in a decent place. And I got a job in the metro – after all, a state-owned enterprise means at least some kind of stability. They hired me there as a turner of the 4th category, over time they gave me the 5th, then the 6th (this is the ceiling). The salary is not much different when the rank increases – five thousand. The work consists primarily of manufacturing and repairing equipment; these are bolts, nuts, devices for repair and maintenance of subway communications. We also make stamps and molds.

— In what area can turners and millers earn from 200 thousand rubles?

— This is the salary now in the defense industry, since the volumes there are huge due to the situation in the country.

— Would you like to try going into the defense industry?

— I didn’t submit a resume to the defense industry. But they gladly hire workers there, because they either don’t exist at all, or they are the old generation. Nowadays, more people go to become managers, bankers, PR people, marketers… I think they would hire me in the defense industry, they look at experience, and I have more than 10 years of experience in the 6th category. But I’m not hesitant about changing jobs yet, I have a family, a child, and I really need stability. Moreover, the metro system has many benefits for employees.

Besides, it’s hard to work in the defense industry. A colleague from a neighboring site told me this; he went to find out and wanted to move there. You have to work under constant supervision, under the supervision of your superiors. When they stand over their souls while working, I think it’s such a pleasure.

Turners sometimes have “hack work”, you can earn a little extra money.

— Do you regret that you became a milling machine operator and not a welder?

– No, I don’t regret it. The profession is interesting, you need to think. At enterprises, they are mainly accustomed to one profession – either a turner or a milling machine. And with my specialty, you can get a job as a turner or a milling machine operator. You can work on everything, you have permission.

“But isn’t this monotonous work?”

– No, she doesn’t seem boring to me. I am a generalist – I make parts in small batches and can easily switch from one to another. And in the neighboring area, for example, a stream, they do the same thing. It seems to me that this is not interesting, ordinary.

On the other hand, Alexander complained that workers are not valued now. Previously, he said, at factories, hard workers who knew the entire “kitchen” of production were promoted to management.

“This is career growth and an incentive to grow,” says Alexander. – But now there is no such thing. The bosses at manufacturing enterprises are often young boys who have just graduated from university and don’t understand anything about production, or someone’s sons. That’s why no one tries to work and be different. He came, worked his shift and went home. This is very offensive and unpleasant… But this is the state of affairs in our time.

— Do you have many friends with working professions? And how do you spend your leisure time?

— My friends are doctors, designers, seamstresses… We rarely communicate about working with them. I mostly spend my leisure time with my son and wife. My son likes the subway now, but when he grows up, I would like him to go to study and work in the field of railway transport. It’s more interesting there, I think.

— The hero of Oleg Yankovsky in the film “In Love of His Own Will” worked as a sharpener. Is this activity similar to yours?

– No, this is a completely different job, metalworking. I also worked as a sharpener. They sharpen drills, milling cutters, and working cutting tools. So-so job. Harmful, a lot of dust.

“Some clients refuse to pay”

Electricians, judging by various ratings, are also in great demand on the labor market. We talked with an ordinary electrician from the Moscow State Budgetary Institution “Zhilishchnik” in one of the districts. That is, he is a state employee. Sergei is 44 years old, and 24 of them he has been in his specialty.

Sergei went to college for this specialty, because, according to him, with a large choice, “his soul fell on an electrician.” There was an intuition that he would not be lost with such a profession. He will always earn his piece of bread, although without caviar… At first he worked at a construction site for a long time, doing electrical wiring in houses being built. Everything happened then, sometimes the payment of wages was delayed. He moved to a more stable field – the State Budgetary Institution “Zhilishchnik”, where he has been working for 10 years. The salary there is “budgetary” – 35,000 rubles come out to hand. per month. And only from this year. And until 2023 it was 33,000 rubles. If you manage to “cheat”—Sergey has acquired over the years of work a circle of his clients who come without going through “Zhilishchnik”—then the maximum earnings reach 45,000 rubles. per month. At the same time, Sergey serves approximately 25 applications per day in the area! To have no applications per day at all, this has never happened.

— I like the work, but they would pay more. “The news constantly says that they will raise salaries for state employees, but somehow we don’t feel this yet,” he complained.

— What do you do every day at your job and do you often come across harmful clients?

“Residents submit applications through the call center, and we go to the addresses. Either the light in the apartment or in the entire entrance does not work, then the sockets do not work. This is all due to old electrical wiring. The workload is heavy.

More, of course, are normal clients, but sometimes you come across people who do not want to pay the receipts they are given and demand that all work be done for free. There is, of course, free service, but this is if the accident in the house is not the fault of the residents. Recently, for example, a fire hydrant burst, flooding all apartments from the 8th to the 1st floor. And we eliminated it.

— Do you tip often?

– No, very, very rarely.

— Have you tried looking for a job with a higher salary?

“I wouldn’t go to construction anymore, although they pay more.” I have a long-standing leg injury, and it may get worse there due to the higher load. In addition, I am happy that my work is close to home.

Sergei’s wife works in a state children’s organization, and the couple have an adult son and daughter. Considering the low-cost jobs, they live modestly…

“You don’t have to go to cafes and restaurants,” says Sergei. — We have a dacha, we go there in the summer. And so we go with our family for walks in the fresh air in the parks. I have never been to the sea in my life.

I would like to become a welder, let them teach me!

As MK found out, among the blue-collar professions, welders have the best earnings. Those who keep their nose to the wind go there. One of the public pages uniting workers in this specialty has the slogan: “Welding is an outstanding invention of mankind! That’s why the whole world rests on us, welders!”

36-year-old welder Nikolai Matrenin from Serpukhov is an example of how a person leaves the profession he received at university when he realizes that his soul (and hands in this case) lie in another matter. Nikolai studied management at the institute and worked for several years in his specialty: two years at a refrigeration plant in the marketing department, then a year as a recruiting manager. But everything seemed “not his.” Therefore, one fine day I decided to completely change my field of activity. He found a vacancy for a mechanic on the Internet that he was interested in (at a contracting organization servicing a factory for the production of “quick noodles”) with a suitable schedule and a decent salary, went for an interview, and was accepted. No experience required, everything was taught in the process. All that was required was skills in working with power tools, and Nikolai had them: this included building a summer house and repairing cars…

— Why did you end up moving into a field that is far from your specialty?

— I have always been interested in plumbing, working with my hands. I wanted to develop these skills. Well, the salary was not bad – 70 thousand rubles. (five years ago) plus business trips. We repaired stainless steel receiving tanks, remodeled (automated) the glucose-fructose syrup receiving line at the plant, and installed additional equipment on the lines. Our foreman was a very good welder, we became friends and started going on business trips. I myself was interested in the work of a welder, and he gradually taught me this. And I picked it up from him. A year later he began working in the company as a welder.

For the last year and a half, Nikolai has been engaged in private welding orders; he is his own boss. Works with various metal structures – makes gates, gates for country houses and garages, awnings, etc. Either he works on his own or with partners. He earns about 150 thousand rubles a month.

— Can you tell me why you like welding?

— The welding process is a very exciting spectacle, but also dangerous, so you need to approach this process very responsibly. Welding is fascinating because it can be used to connect seemingly very complex, incompatible elements into one whole. This applies to creative metal welding processes and complex design solutions. I also like welding because you can watch for a long time, without taking your eyes off (in a protective mask or behind a protective screen), how the electrode melts the metal and forms a weld. It’s an impressive sight.

In recent years, according to Nikolai, young people have begun to show interest in this specialty. He is confident that in the coming years the situation will change, and young people will take such positions, taking into account the chances of achieving high earnings in this area. “Before there was less respect, such work was considered menial and dirty, but now it is becoming more qualified and therefore more prestigious.”

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According to the head of the hh.ru research service, Maria Ignatova, there are now 15 thousand vacancies for turners and welders posted throughout the country, and there are 11 thousand and 23 thousand active resumes of these specialists, respectively. This ratio means an acute shortage of these specialists – the ratio of resumes per vacancy for turners is barely one to one, for welders – less than two.

“The shortage of turners and welders is pushing the salaries offered to them upward,” says Maria Ignatova. — According to hh.ru, currently, turners without work experience are offered almost 100 thousand rubles at the start, mid-skilled specialists – 130 thousand, and highly qualified specialists – 142 thousand. In turn, a welder without work experience can now count on 77 thousand roubles. per month, medium qualification – by 108 thousand, highest – by 124 thousand. The highest salaries (from 200 thousand per month) are currently offered to turners most often by employers from the industries of heavy engineering, metallurgy and metalworking, as well as in the automotive industry ( in all of those listed there are now a total of almost 2 thousand vacancies with salaries starting from 200 thousand rubles). Welders are most likely to find high salaries in construction.