Pay Rates for employees. New to Expert.

[metalmadness]

Thanks, I'm not afraid to work. I've spent countless hours in the evening and weekends here alone. Done everything from quoting, to purchasing, to billing, to delivering and most importantly programming and running my own parts from start to finish. The $17.50 was definitely a gut punch.

If you are doing "cradle to grave" process development on parts and families of parts for a company, then one would expect to be earning a wage commensurate with the work. A lot of people might look at what I do and say "well but you're not running the craziest parts or machines"...no but I am solely responsible for developing workflows on every new prototype that walks through the door.

You're basically running the shop for $17?

 

[Metalsling2]

I work for family owned shop, for the past 22 years. I make 20 an hour now. I rent from the owner, for around half the areas going rent. I live 300ft from my work. So ya 20 is low but I figure, reduced rent + no gas or commute to work = roughly 5-6 $ an hour. However I do not get paid vacation. I get 5 paid holidays a year, I do have major medical ,with 8k deductible and 30$ out of pocket /mon, no vision no dental. When I started working here I made 12$ hr with 2.5 years experience. I asked for a raise last summer = no dice. I can run any manual machine I've ever had to, lathes vtls hbm grinders, both surface and radial, to name a few. I can also fab, and mig/tig weld. The owner is retired and I fear I may be updating my resume soon, as he is over 80, and in poor heath. In the last few years I have learned some solidworks/cam and am now learning fusion 360, and have around 35 setups in a vmc and a couple 4- 5 in a cnc lathe. I source all my tooling and do all the maintenance. All sounds like I'm getting shafted however, I have my own keys to the shop, I show up late ( 10 - 20 min ) regularly, (but I always get my 40), and I can work on my own projects(on my own time). I get handed jobs and left alone to "get it done". I work mostly alone nowadays. My question for you all is, With 25 years experience and this skillset what wage should I be looking for? It seems a job shop (what I would prefer) wouldn't be able to give more than 30$ hr. Thoughts?

 

[charlie gary]

Where in Oregon are you? Pay in Ukiah will be different than pay in Portland.

 

[Metalsling2]

eugene area

 

[metalmadness]

I work for family owned shop, for the past 22 years. I make 20 an hour now. I rent from the owner, for around half the areas going rent. I live 300ft from my work. So ya 20 is low but I figure, reduced rent + no gas or commute to work = roughly 5-6 $ an hour. However I do not get paid vacation. I get 5 paid holidays a year, I do have major medical ,with 8k deductible and 30$ out of pocket /mon, no vision no dental. When I started working here I made 12$ hr with 2.5 years experience. I asked for a raise last summer = no dice. I can run any manual machine I've ever had to, lathes vtls hbm grinders, both surface and radial, to name a few. I can also fab, and mig/tig weld. The owner is retired and I fear I may be updating my resume soon, as he is over 80, and in poor heath. In the last few years I have learned some solidworks/cam and am now learning fusion 360, and have around 35 setups in a vmc and a couple 4- 5 in a cnc lathe. I source all my tooling and do all the maintenance. All sounds like I'm getting shafted however, I have my own keys to the shop, I show up late ( 10 - 20 min ) regularly, (but I always get my 40), and I can work on my own projects(on my own time). I get handed jobs and left alone to "get it done". I work mostly alone nowadays. My question for you all is, With 25 years experience and this skillset what wage should I be looking for? It seems a job shop (what I would prefer) wouldn't be able to give more than 30$ hr. Thoughts?

For reference I have 10 years experience, have keys to the shop, a 15 minute commute and unlimited vacation. My salary is almost double yours. Not trying to flaunt I am merely saying that your wage is being compressed A LOT. Part of the issue is staying with a single company so long. The wages tend to get compressed. A new hire today might start at $18 compared to your $20. That is massive wage compression. You could easily make over $30 with what your experience looks like. Obvously the CADCAM stuff will tend to skew your salary up, so getting more into that might help a lot.

It is hard to trade a nice cushy role like yours! I know that.

 

[walz10]

To the op. You need to pay them whatever it takes to get them in the door. Ask them what they want and be honest about what you expect for that pay. Yeah you might have to raise your rates but if that’s what it takes. Another option is to get back out in the shop and do it yourself. I’m not a machinist nor have I ever worked in a machine shop. I’m just a hobbyist. I have manual machines in my garage. Someone asked me once if I was going to get a job as a machinist. My answer was HELL NO! that trade pays horrible. I’m an auto mechanic with 25
Years experience and think that all tradesmen for the most part are under paid. Quite honestly if I was looking for a job right now it wouldn’t be in any of the trades because what a person has to give isn’t shown in what you get in return in pay, vacation or benefits when compared to other types of work.


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