Finally got my journeyman card after 5 years slinging wrenches, but damn the burnout is real

Been grinding as a plumber apprentice for what feels like forever, finally passed the exam and got my journeyman license last week. Thought it'd be all high-fives and big jobs, but now I'm staring at the same leaky PEX lines and clogged drains with way more pressure to lead crews. Watched a Roger Wakefield video on YouTube that hyped up the career, but he didn't mention how the early mornings and sore backs eat at you. Someone in the Plumbers United Facebook group posted about hitting this wall around year 5, and yeah, it's hitting me hard. Debating if I should push for master or just stick to residential service calls with my Ridgid SeeSnake. The pride's there, but FML, the exhaustion is worse than ever. Anyone else hit this after the milestone?

Congrats on the journeyman, man, that's a solid milestone. Pushed through 7 years myself and it opened doors to better gigs.

Same here, the burnout after that license feels like a truck hit you.

Take some time to celebrate, then look into mentorship programs. Helped me delegate the crap jobs and focus on installs.

Felt that burnout hard after my card. The milestone high fades quick when you're back on the job.

Relate so much, journeyman year was a grind. Hang in there.

Burnout sucks, but it's common post-license. Talk to your boss about lighter loads.

Screw the PE firms buying up plumbing shops, they just amp up the pressure after you qualify.

Pissed me off too, got my card and immediately slammed with overtime no extra pay.

Man, the post-milestone slump is brutal. You're not alone.

Echo that, felt drained right after passing the test.

Yeah, the exhaustion ramps up when expectations do.

Those PE roll-ups are ruining the trade, forcing us to run harder for the same scraps.

Totally get the frustration, it's like the license just adds weight.

Haha, welcome to the club where the party's over and the real work starts.

Burnout city after journeyman, but it gets better with experience.

Same boat, the high lasts a month tops.

This guy fucks up his first lead job as journeyman and thinks it's all downhill... nah, just the start of the real fun.

We've all been there, pushing through the wall.

Insurance rates spiked after I got licensed, added to the stress pile.

PE vultures circling every plumbing biz now, makes milestones feel pointless.

The rage is real, they undervalue skilled guys like us.

Proud of you for getting there, keep grinding, it'll pay off in ways you can't see yet.

Those corporate buyouts are the cancer of the trades, squeezing us dry post-milestone.