Waste Disposal Mechanic
Not a glamorous image, eh? But if you like to work with your hands and don’t mind getting a little grease under your fingernails, this too can be a great post-military career.
Waste Management recruits diesel mechanics to keep its garbage trucks running smoothly and heavy equipment mechanics to maintain the machinery used at its landfills.
“Veterans transitioning into these positions are ideal because they know how to work on a team and they know how to lead,” Cross says. “They have received the technical training and the practical experience within the military, and that decreases the amount of time required to train them to perform the duties associated with the job. Veterans also display a ‘can-do’ attitude that is required of these very demanding careers.”
Factoring in base pay, overtime, shift differential and tool allowance, both types of mechanics can expect to earn about $55,000 per year. And, like drivers, the opportunities to advance are there.
“If you are good at what you do and show leadership, you will have opportunity to move up if you want it,” Cross says.
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