I worked for the Union Tank Car Company in East Chicago, welding railroad tank cars. Those things have a long shelf life and for years afterwards when I would be stopped at railroad crossing for a train to clear, I would always note which tank cars were marked with "UTLX" and wonder if I might have had a part in their manufacture.
The job paid really well, but I have no idea what the pay was in the late seventies and early eighties. Some of my co-workers there were Keith Gomez, Alan Stewart, Jim Kurtz, Mike Stombaugh, Jim Pidkaminy, John Beddingfield, Ricky Moon, Ernie Salmon and Jerry Averrill. Pretty good guys and we became a pretty close knit bunch. All the non HACers who worked there thought we were strange, but we had a good reputation for getting the work done.
Part of the time there I worked the 11pm to 7am shift. I was a walking zombie. I never felt rested. Between work, school and ministry, I was totally tanked about 80% of the time. It was the only time in my life I had to do that. I don't know how those who do it regularly are able to do so.