Salary vs. Hourly

[SolitaryT]

Where you are living (I understand that in different parts of the country have different variables), what rate would you hire someone with almost 10 years of experience in customer service, graphics, production, installation, and management experience? I'm just curious. Noticing a pay discrepancy between some former co-workers and I thought I'd ask the professionals.

 

[James Chrimes]

That would depend on the quality of his/her skill level. I know many people who have been in the trade for ten plus years and the talent level is all over the place. As an owner I would pay between 10.00 & 30.00 an hour. The key factor is thu... no mater how much you pay them they have to produce enough for you to profit at least the same amount on the other side.

 

[SolitaryT]

That's valid. I, too, know people who have been in the industry forever and suck at it, and others who are really determined to do well a few years in. Thanks for the feedback!

 

[petepaz]

if you are that unsure of the work they can do give them a starting wage and after a couple of months you can re-evaluate them and adjust their salary accordingly. once you give them the higher wage if they don't produce it's harder to take it back.

 

[Craig Sjoquist]

Tough one indeed since a friend goes to Alaska during the summer to work comes back here collects unemployment for more then he gets payed here if worked.

Hourly rate up there in Anchorage $35 to $47 per hour / here $10 to $15 plus he must know Spanish before rate was $18 to $25

 

[SolitaryT]

Haha, Anchorage sounds like the place to go! Thanks, Craig, and thanks pete.

 

[signswi]

$20-30/hr / equiv. salary. It's a wide skillset listed which can either be a good thing (a go getter) or a bad thing(someone who just learns surface skills and never dives into one particular area). I consider $20/hr to be the bottom line for any job worth having. In areas with low cost of living that bottom line is probably more like $15/hr but below that you're asking people to work a professional job on wages barely better than walmart checkout. Much prefer to work or pay salary than hourly but some people like hourly better for various reasons.

 

[binki]

When you mention salary/hourly, here in The People's Republic of California all workers are hourly unless they meet very strict specifications for salary. Hourly gets breaks every 2 hours, overtime after 8 hours and so on.

 

[SD&F]

I always start them at something we can agree on if I want them. Then I agree if they are what they say they are, I give them an increase. The increase depends on the level of work they bring to the table.

 

[TyrantDesigner]

Personally I don't think anyone in the sign industry should be salary ... it removes that certain amount of excitement at the prospect of overtime... encourages most people to start to slack off, because 'eh, i'm salary' ... and most of all .. really, it just isn't effective. In an office I can see it working ... just not in a sign shop.

I've gone so far before as to consider jobs piece work in order to encourage people to make the same amount of money in half the time. (i.e. I have 4 hours on the books to screen t-shirts ... if they get it done in an hour at the same level of production quality ... pay for 4 hours still. ... stuff like that)