I considered becoming an apprentice machinist. Everyone wanted 2-5 years of experience, FOR A FUCKING APPRENTICE. The starting pay was basically $20 an hour, which in Seattle is "we would pay you less but we legally cannot do so" wages. I did find a place willing to do $29/hr and train from scratch, but they wanted 80+ hours a week of work. Plus looking online I found accusations of wage theft. Hard pass. Every shop pays women and trans people like dogshit compared to the men. Every single trans person and every single woman I know who's worked in the trades here has complained of a MASSIVE pay gap between the men in the shop even BELOW them and their own position.