This ^^^^^
Starting pay for E&I Tech's straight out of technical training is from $26 to $34 in the Augusta and Savannah area.
Our techs where I work start out close to $40 an hour, free insurance for the family, 3% match on 401k, little less than $5 an hour @40 hours towards pension, 15 paid holidays, and up to 8 weeks of vacation.
If I had to do it all over again, this is the route I’d go.