I am early into an electrical apprenticeship, Journeyman here who work 40 hours a week currently make 56,000 a year plus 8000 in a defined contribution retirement account ( as well as a good fully paid health, vision, and dental plan and some other small perks ) . I am currently at about half of that , and will be there in around 3.5 years. Work seems to be on the up-swing so there are some opportunities for overtime, as well as per-diem if you will travel.
I would like to have the ability to retire in less than 20 years, so I am moving out of a rental to live with my folks and max my ROTH this year. What I am contemplating is taking online classes through a local university to knock out some of the requirements for a Bachelors in Electrical Engineering. Then once I am through with my apprenticeship I could work part-time and go to class on campus to finish up the more difficult classes. We receive college credits on completion of apprenticeship, and I already have a semester of basic classes at community college.
With a relatively short career I wonder if it is worth spending the money on credit hours and the missed hours on the ( decent paying ) job to get a higher ending salary. Anyone here transition from the trades to a more white-collar job while already planning early retirement? I generally enjoy what I do currently, and have no intention of quitting before I become licensed.