u/DustBrave2669

I’d love to hear from people in the aggregates or mining industry because I’m at a career crossroads.
After high school, I spent five seasons working in a quarry while earning my bachelor’s degree. I gained hands-on experience with MSHA safety, heavy equipment, plant maintenance, welding, production, and worked closely with both supervisors and crews.

I then transitioned into healthcare, where I’ve spent the last 10 years in operations leadership, quality improvement, regulatory compliance, and project management. During that time, I earned my Master of Social Work with a focus on Organizational Leadership and became a licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker. I currently work remotely and earn about $80,000 a year, but despite taking on increasing responsibility, my salary has largely stagnated, and I’ve become burned out with the industry.
Recently, I was approached about interviewing for a Plant Superintendent position overseeing two aggregate plants. From what I’ve been told, they’ve struggled to find candidates with actual quarry experience, and they see my background as a unique combination of hands-on pit experience and a decade of leadership in another highly regulated industry.

The position pays $90k–$110k plus a company truck. Considering it’s a salaried role with responsibility for two plants—one nearby and another in a neighboring state—I actually think the range is a little low. If I’m fortunate enough to receive an offer, I’d likely negotiate somewhere around $115k–$120k based on the scope of the role, my previous quarry experience, and the leadership experience I’ve gained over the past decade.

For those already in the industry:
Would you make the switch if you were in my position?
How would you view someone with my background?
Is Plant Superintendent a solid path toward Operations Manager, Area Manager, Regional Manager, or other senior leadership roles?
Is $115k–$120k a realistic salary expectation for overseeing two sites?

This opportunity has me wondering if I’d be crazy to leave a decade in healthcare—or crazier to pass up the chance to return to an industry where I already have a solid foundation while bringing back 10 years of leadership experience in hopes this can lead to a better longer term career trajectory with better pay?
I’d really appreciate any advice or perspective. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

I’d love to hear from people in the aggregates or mining industry because I’m at a career crossroads.

After high school, I spent five seasons working in a quarry while earning my bachelor’s degree. I gained hands-on experience with MSHA safety, heavy equipment, plant maintenance, welding, production, and worked closely with both supervisors and crews.

I then transitioned into healthcare, where I’ve spent the last 10 years in operations leadership, quality improvement, regulatory compliance, and project management. During that time, I earned my Master of Social Work with a focus on Organizational Leadership and became a licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker. I currently work remotely and earn about $80,000 a year, but despite taking on increasing responsibility, my salary has largely stagnated, and I’ve become burned out with the industry.
Recently, I was approached about interviewing for a Plant Superintendent position overseeing two aggregate plants. From what I’ve been told, they’ve struggled to find candidates with actual quarry experience, and they see my background as a unique combination of hands-on pit experience and a decade of leadership in another highly regulated industry.

The position pays $90k–$110k plus a company truck. Considering it’s a salaried role with responsibility for two plants—one nearby and another in a neighboring state—I actually think the range is a little low. If I’m fortunate enough to receive an offer, I’d likely negotiate somewhere around $115k–$120k based on the scope of the role, my previous quarry experience, and the leadership experience I’ve gained over the past decade.
For those already in the industry:

Would you make the switch if you were in my position?
How would you view someone with my background?
Is Plant Superintendent a solid path toward Operations Manager, Area Manager, Regional Manager, or other senior leadership roles?
Is $115k–$120k a realistic salary expectation for overseeing two sites?

This opportunity has me wondering if I’d be crazy to leave a decade in healthcare—or crazier to pass up the chance to return to an industry where I already have a solid foundation while bringing back 10 years of leadership experience. I think the most important thing for me is where can this lead my career and earnings in the next 5-10 years.

I’d really appreciate any advice or perspective. Thanks for taking the time to read this.

After high school, I worked about five seasons in the mining and aggregates industry while earning my bachelor’s degree. I gained hands-on experience with MSHA safety, heavy equipment, plant operations, maintenance, and working alongside both crews and leadership.

After graduating, I transitioned into healthcare, where I’ve spent the past 10 years in Medicaid operations, quality improvement, policy, and advocacy. I later earned my MSW and became a licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker.
Despite strong performance, I’ve struggled to move into manager/director roles, and my compensation has largely stagnated around $80K. I’ve also been feeling increasingly burned out and conflicted with parts of the healthcare system.
My wife and I are focused on paying off student loans and building stability, so I started a small e-commerce side business that’s been successful.

Recently, I was approached for a Plant Superintendent role in aggregates (overseeing two pits, operations, and crews) paying $90K–$110K plus a truck. The interest is largely driven by my prior quarry experience and my current healthcare leadership background in operations, compliance, and quality. I also have a direct family connection to the industry—my father is an experienced Senior Foreman in aggregates.

I’m trying to understand if this is a strong long-term pivot, what the career path looks like beyond Superintendent, and whether this combination of field and healthcare leadership experience is an asset in the industry.
I’d appreciate insight from anyone in aggregates or mining or even outside of this industry.

So, long story short…
After graduating high school, I spent about five seasons working in the mining and aggregates industry. I was fortunate enough to get hired by the company my dad worked for, and I worked there full-time while earning my bachelor’s degree.

During that time, I gained experience with MSHA safety and quality audits, operated heavy equipment, performed plant maintenance, learned welding, and worked closely with both plant leadership and the crews on the ground. Those years gave me a solid foundation working in a quarry and a real appreciation for the industry.
After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Human Services, I transitioned into healthcare. Over the past 10 years, I’ve built my career in Medicaid operations, quality improvement, policy, and protection and advocacy. Along the way, I earned my Master of Social Work and became a licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker.

The problem is that the job market has been incredibly tough. I’ve been trying to move into a manager or director-level position for nearly five years, but despite consistently strong performance, I’ve been passed over for promotions. My raises have been disappointing as well. This year was especially frustrating—I helped lead the transition of my department to an entirely new care model, took on team lead responsibilities, consistently earned some of the highest performance scores on my team, and still received only a $0.20 per hour raise.

I currently make around $80,000 a year, and after nearly five years in roughly the same salary range, inflation has really eroded my purchasing power.
Beyond the compensation, my current company has honestly worn me out. I still believe in helping people, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done throughout my healthcare career, but over the years I’ve seen parts of the healthcare system that have really challenged my values. It’s become emotionally draining, and lately I’ve found myself questioning whether this is the field I want to spend the rest of my career in.

My wife is 29, I’m 30, and we’re still renting while aggressively paying off her student loans. We’ve intentionally held off on buying a house because I refuse to take on a mortgage until those loans are gone. Since my income has essentially stagnated despite taking on more responsibility, I started a small e-commerce reselling business on the side. Thankfully, it’s been successful and has helped us make meaningful progress toward our financial goals.

Then, completely out of the blue, my dad called me. One of the Plant Supervisors at his company is interested in interviewing me for a Plant Superintendent position. The role would involve managing two aggregate pits, overseeing day-to-day operations, leading the teams at both sites, and comes with a salary range of $90,000–$110,000 plus a company truck.

What surprised me most was why they were interested in me. From what I’ve been told, they’ve interviewed several candidates, but none of them had actually worked in a quarry. Even though it’s been about 10 years since I left the industry, I have a solid foundation from spending five seasons working in a pit. I understand the equipment, MSHA safety culture, maintenance, production, and what it’s like to work alongside the crews. They see that hands-on experience as something many applicants simply don’t have.

On top of that, I now bring 10 years of leadership, operations, quality improvement, regulatory compliance, project management, and team development experience from healthcare. In a way, it feels like I have two careers that unexpectedly complement each other.
That’s what’s making this decision so difficult.

Part of me wonders if I’d be crazy to walk away from a decade in healthcare. The other part of me wonders if I’d be even crazier to pass up an opportunity like this.
It doesn’t really feel like I’d be starting over. It feels like I’d be returning to an industry where I already have a strong foundation, only this time I’d be bringing a decade of leadership and operational experience with me instead of starting as a seasonal employee.

I’m also trying to think beyond the immediate salary. What does the next 5, 10, or even 20 years look like? Is Plant Superintendent a role with strong upward mobility? Could it realistically lead to Operations Manager, Area Manager, Regional Manager, or executive-level operations positions? Is the long-term earning potential significantly higher than what I’m likely to achieve if I stay in healthcare?

At the end of the day, I’m not chasing a title. I’m looking for a career where I can continue to grow, be challenged, be compensated fairly, and build a great life for my wife and me. After years of feeling stuck professionally, this opportunity has me wondering if this is the change I’ve been waiting for.
I’d really appreciate hearing from people in the aggregates or mining industry.

If you were in my shoes, would you seriously consider making this pivot? How would you view someone with my background? Is my combination of hands-on quarry experience and leadership experience in another highly regulated industry an asset, or would it raise concerns? What does the career path and earning potential really look like after Plant Superintendent?

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I genuinely appreciate any advice or perspective you can share.

The comments I got were just not appropriate. Some of you need to grow up. And the body shaming has to stop. No longer will follow this subreddit.

So I had a bike fit last Sunday, and it’s been going amazing. The one thing that they wanted me on was shorter 160mm cranks. I been trying to get ahold of my fitter to let them know I got new cranks and I plan to put them on and wanted to schedule a follow up to re-adjust the fit to the cranks. I called the shop this morning and the guy laughed and said so and so quit the other day. Soooooo I may or may not be without a bike fitter as I can’t reach them at their business number or email Such a bummer. I think they rent out the space in the shop…so there is still hope they return my call lol.

ANYWAYS….in case I don’t hear back I am trying to understand what I need to do if I swap out from 172.5 to 160mm cranks I know my seat post will go up but does anything else need to be adjusted. I really don’t want to mess with the fit considering it’s been working really well for me.

I am going to look for another fitter nearby but they all are super expensive considering they only charged me $100 and no follow up fees as long as it’s within 60 days.

So I did an event a few weeks ago on a bike that’s only a few months old, and I was dealing with an insane amount of pain. My right arm was killing me, my hips were going numb, and even my feet were going numb with my SPD cleats.

For some context, I’m not new to cycling. On my previous bike I completed three centuries and multiple metric centuries without anywhere near these kinds of issues. With this bike, though, I was struggling just to get through 20–30 miles before the numbness, pain, and overall discomfort would set in. I knew something wasn’t right.
Well…I learned a few things today.

Get a bike fit. It’s 100% worth it.

Turns out I actually bought the right size bike and did my homework. I’m on a 54cm frame, and if I had sized down, I would have been way too cramped. Ironically, I had already made my 54cm bike feel smaller because of how I set it up. Apparently, I had it way too cramped when I actually should have been opening the bike up with a longer stem and a few other fit adjustments.

During the fit, he raised my saddle significantly, lowered my spacer stack to 20mm, moved my saddle back, and made several other adjustments that were honestly beyond my understanding. It was really interesting listening to him explain everything. He told me about his background working in surgical rooms and physical therapy before turning his passion for cycling into bike fitting. Hearing that gave me a lot of confidence that he really understands how the human body moves on a bike.
The difference was immediate. I can stand over the bike better, the numbness is gone, my hip pain disappeared, and I finally feel like I’m in a position that actually fits me. I can relax my arms now, actually engage my core, and my pedal stroke feels noticeably smoother. Now it’s just a matter of gradually adapting to the new setup.
I did a 10 mile ride home afterward and HOLY crap… I was working muscles I didn’t even realize I was supposed to be using. I’ve got a feeling I’ll be sore for a bit while my body adapts to this new fit, but I’ll continue working with my fitter to dial out the remaining kinks.

He also recommended switching from 172.5mm cranks to 160mm cranks because the longer cranks are simply too big for me at my height. I found a set, ordered them, and once they’re installed I’ll go back so he can fine-tune the fit again.
Next Sunday, my wife is getting a professional fit too.

I’ll probably post again down the road with before and after photos once I cut the steerer tube down in a few months and get the new crank arms on.

I can’t stress this enough: if you have access to a good bike fitter, do it. I spent six years thinking I didn’t need one. Turns out I was riding in a less-than-ideal position the entire time. You live and learn.

So I did an event a few weeks ago on a bike that’s only a few months old, and I was dealing with an insane amount of pain. My right arm was killing me, my hips were going numb, and even my feet were going numb with my SPD cleats.

For some context, I’m not new to cycling. On my previous bike I completed three centuries and multiple metric centuries without anywhere near these kinds of issues. With this bike, though, I was struggling just to get through 20–30 miles before the numbness, pain, and overall discomfort would set in. I knew something wasn’t right.
Well…I learned a few things today.

Get a bike fit. It’s 100% worth it.

Turns out I actually bought the right size bike and did my homework. I’m on a 54cm frame, and if I had sized down, I would have been way too cramped. Ironically, I had already made my 54cm bike feel smaller because of how I set it up. Apparently, I had it way too cramped when I actually should have been opening the bike up with a longer stem and a few other fit adjustments.

During the fit, he raised my saddle significantly, lowered my spacer stack to 20mm, moved my saddle back, and made several other adjustments that were honestly beyond my understanding. It was really interesting listening to him explain everything. He told me about his background working in surgical rooms and physical therapy before turning his passion for cycling into bike fitting. Hearing that gave me a lot of confidence that he really understands how the human body moves on a bike.
The difference was immediate. I can stand over the bike better, the numbness is gone, my hip pain disappeared, and I finally feel like I’m in a position that actually fits me. I can relax my arms now, actually engage my core, and my pedal stroke feels noticeably smoother. Now it’s just a matter of gradually adapting to the new setup.
I did a 10 mile ride home afterward and HOLY crap… I was working muscles I didn’t even realize I was supposed to be using. I’ve got a feeling I’ll be sore for a bit while my body adapts to this new fit, but I’ll continue working with my fitter to dial out the remaining kinks.

He also recommended switching from 172.5mm cranks to 160mm cranks because the longer cranks are simply too big for me at my height. I found a set, ordered them, and once they’re installed I’ll go back so he can fine-tune the fit again.
Next Sunday, my wife is getting a professional fit too.

I’ll probably post again down the road with before and after photos once I cut the steerer tube down in a few months and get the new crank arms on.

I can’t stress this enough: if you have access to a good bike fitter, do it. I spent six years thinking I didn’t need one. Turns out I was riding in a less-than-ideal position the entire time. You live and learn.

I am seriously confused.
Growing up through grade school, middle school, and high school, almost every single one of us was told the same thing: Get good grades, go to college, and you’ll never have to worry about finding a job.

Holy smokes… talk about a straight punch to the face.

I genuinely feel bad for everyone graduating into this job market. They’re entering the workforce with student loans while the terms of those loans seem to change every time we get a new administration. There has been almost no stability.

YES… people want to pay off their loans. YES… people want to work.
But here’s the kicker: the job market is so freaking cooked right now that even someone like me with a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, a professional license, and over a decade of experience is struggling to find better opportunities. I’ve been getting rejection emails every day from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. I even received a bunch over Christmas last year.

So I ask again: What the heck is the point of paying this much for college only to have the entire ladder pulled up behind us?
Something has to change, because this just isn’t it.

And don’t come at me with, “Well, you shouldn’t have gotten a gender studies degree.” PEOPLE… you don’t understand. Computer science graduates are getting hit hard as AI reshapes hiring. Medical school costs well into six figures, yet residents don’t exactly make great money while carrying enormous debt and dealing with the emotional toll of the profession. Mental health and allied health professionals are getting slapped in the face with AI, constant policy changes, and reimbursement uncertainty. Oh, and let’s not forget teachers.

These are all careers and degrees that society depends on.
But nah… it feels like Uncle Sam is holding people hostage while the job market is in the gutter, and student loan payments are determining whether someone can pay rent or go hungry that month.

We keep telling people that education is the path to opportunity. If that’s still true, then something has to change because this system is failing the very people who did exactly what they were told to do.