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Is there a pyrotechnics college or university?


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Posted

I am taking my exam.

This exam lead me to college.

I am thinking studying overseas as I guess my country don't have any pyrotechnics schools.

May I know what is the cost for studying pyrotechnics?

How about the career?

Is this a good job for earning money or just for hobby?

What is the requirement?

Posted

I actually never have heard about pyrotechnic colleges/schools.

You have to get this knowledge joining pyro clubs, pyro forums, reading books and by experience. .....Yes this is good business for earning money and you will need all kind of legal permission & license.

Posted (edited)

I think Pyro should be a side business apart from a part time/full time job. Using Pyro as your main source of income shoots your prices through the roof. You need to cover costs of products, storage, electric, any employees, property, insurance, taxes, etc. Not to mention living expenses. This is why Skylighter is so expensive, this is Harry's only way of getting by, and he barely does.

 

Unless you build a blue chip business or an empire, small businesses are just very tough to keep. Entrepreneurship is not what it's hyped to be, especially for small businesses. This hype only focuses on the good sides of owning businesses. You get to be the boss, be creative, and not to mention PROFIT. My parents owned a small business for 12 years, 10 years home-based, and right when my stepdad lost his job, he invested into a store in order to boost revenue and income to match what he was making at his job before he lost it. What happened? Well, within two years, we claimed bankruptcy for the business and we had to sell it.

 

Don't make your commitments too speedy, if you have a better opportunity in another field, remember, a bird in the hand...

Edited by LambentPyro
Posted
Our hobby has 'the school of hard knocks'
Posted

There are schools in the U.S. with degrees related to pyrotechnics. These are fields associated with demolition and blasting.

 

Fireworks, is a very competitive buisness. Yes, people do suceeed in this buisness as their only source of income, but it is not particularly common. Even a lot of the owners of display companies have other, primary sources of income. The exception being the largest, nationwide and intetnational companies.

  • Like 1
Posted

Thinking of going overseas studies.

I can't be a pilot, I got colour blind..

If you said being a pyro technician is easy money, well no.

Average salary for pyro are 48k usd.

What I mean is not building shells, just like setting up a shows, which shells fire first and which is last. Maybe those shells are from China which is premade. So, the pyro just buy them and design the shows and setting up everything.

Does a pyro show over million? Or billion?

Posted
Thanks everybody for comment especially lambent pyro. That's a good advise before I choose my future career
Posted

Thanks everybody for comment especially lambent pyro. That's a good advise before I choose my future career

Sure thing my friend!

 

Good luck!

Posted

Thinking of going overseas studies.

I can't be a pilot, I got colour blind..

If you said being a pyro technician is easy money, well no.

Average salary for pyro are 48k usd.

What I mean is not building shells, just like setting up a shows, which shells fire first and which is last. Maybe those shells are from China which is premade. So, the pyro just buy them and design the shows and setting up everything.

Does a pyro show over million? Or billion?

 

I must say that of the pyrotechnicians I have met, about 1/2 have ever been paid to work on a job, most are volunteers (PGI, clubs etc) and of the ones I know that do get paid, they get enough for gas and hotel at the high end. When you say 'average' salary, you must be referring to the owner or manager.

 

Our "average" show ran about $10,000 with many being several times that and others being as low as $3000.00. I think that the worlds records displays may run into the millions and are paid by the affluent UAE but even the Thunder Over Louisville show just eclipses the 1 million mark with over 1/2 million in attendance and around 56,000 shells lifted.

 

Good luck with your plans but i would have a backup plan too.

  • Like 1
Posted
Well maybe I should just get a good result first instead of wasting time on choosing.
  • 4 years later...
Posted

Even my exam is around the corner and I am practicing LSAT Logic Games a lot. Writing is also an essential part of the paper and therefore, I am looking for services that will help in improving my writing skills. Anyways, it seems like I will find it on this forum for sure.

Posted

Mate, half of us couldn't form a coherent sentence to save our lives. Don't bet on it. And welcome to the forums!

 

Regards, AP

Posted

I am 17 years old. I also think about studying at an university. In Russia there are two university that have departments with training in explosives and pyrotechnics, but I'm not sure that it will be productive. I think about studying in another country.I sent applications for training or work in various pyrotechnic companies in different countries,but i haven't feedback.

Posted

I've noticed some active research groups in Universities which undertake research in pyrotechnics composition. Depending on your interest you can apply to those universities and do your thesis under those professors.

For example:

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.8b00105

https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/jp300573k

To my knowledge quite some academic research on pyrotechnics is now focusing on environment safe compositions

Posted

The problem with pyrotechnics as a career is that for a technician on the ground it pays very little. Further, there isnt really any options for pyrotechnic courses which encompas pyrotechnics only. There may be a pyrotechnics unit but itll always be more an inorganic chemistry course than anything.

 

If you have the money its much better to start your own company, although, its not easy. If you succeed, the owners of such companies make large amounts of money doing large shows.

 

Dont get a job, make the job. Without that approach youll find yourself living a less fruitful life than you might think.

 

Its also important to remember that hobbies come and go, money lasts forever, dont lock yourself into something you might really dislike after a few years realising the industry its exactly as you expected.

 

Regards, AP

Posted

Fireworks done profitably is usually done by family firms, if you are not family you are poorly paid occasional staff.

 

Pyro is done by moderate companies for corporate and music industry events.

 

Pyro is done by military contractors, but then it's behind a wall of security and allegiance to the company and state.

 

If you want to be a profitable pyro find a niche and set up a business to do shows of some sort for good money.

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