The Curse of The Middle Class
Would you rather be a plumber or a lawyer?
Recently, I needed to get a water heater system installed. I can do some DIY but electrics is not my forte, plus you need a qualified electrician to be legal.
So I called one. He came to the house and gave an estimate of 500€. That’s steep, I thought. When I enquired, he explained to me that it was a two man job and it will take at least two hours. The hourly rate was 100€.
Then I thought:
First, how much of those 4 (2×2) hours were skilled work and how much unskilled?
In my estimation, they did 10 % specialized, skilled work and the rest was unskilled, anyone could have done it. But we paid 100% of it at the high rate.
And second, How much does a Doctor or a Lawyer makes per hour?
Less than that, in fact a lot less than that. Even in the US, where Doctors are highly paid, the average rate can be about $80 per hour. In Spain, where I live, is much less, about 20€.
Are we been ripped off?
Well, not exactly and yet, it seems a bit unfair. To become an electrician, a plumber or a mechanic you need 1 or 2 years training, to become a doctor you need 10.
