Rope Access Window Cleaner Looking for Career Advice
I’m currently a high-rise window cleaner in Canada with SPRAT II and IRATA I certs. I got into rope access because I’m a longtime rock climber, and the transition came pretty naturally to me. When I first looked into rope access, I was deciding between wind turbines and window cleaning. I chose window cleaning because I wanted to be home every night. The pay is good about $40/hr with piecework and I’ve also been trusted to supervise sites within the limits allowed for SPRAT II techs under section 8.2.3. Overall, I’m happy with my role and compensation.
The issue is the toll the work takes on my body and work-life balance, and is only seasonal here . I’m 29 now, and I honestly can’t imagine doing this into my mid-30s. Most days after work I’m exhausted, and by the weekend I usually need to recover instead of climbing. Since climbing is the thing I care most about outside of work, that’s been difficult. The job is also seasonal in Canada, which unfortunately overlaps with the climbing season.
I’m looking for advice on other career paths within rope access that offer better long-term balance and are less physically demanding. I’m also open to moving away from rope access entirely if there’s a good fit. People have suggested sales to me, for example, even though I don’t have experience in it.
The options I know about so far are:
-Wind turbines (too much travel + seasonal)
-Oil & gas (too much time away from home)
-NDT (seems travel-heavy and possibly seasonal)
-Other rope access work like signs, caulking, and painting also seems seasonal or inconsistent
I’m also open to getting into a trade, but I’m unsure which ones offer steady work, decent pay, and are less physically demanding than window cleaning.
For those with experience in rope access: what career paths would you recommend for someone trying to move beyond window cleaning while maintaining a better quality of life?