How much should I be making?

[William1978]

One thing you need to remember is that money isn't everything. I just changed jobs and took a 30k a year pay decduct but I'm a hole lot happier and I can spend more time with my kids that worth a whole lot more than the money for me.
Find you another job if your not happy with your pay. Trust me there are jobs out there that pay great you just need to find them.

 

[celtic]

If the lead man cant even get any higher pay than I currently do. Ill put it this way...I make 2 dollars more on the hour and the guy under me and have been doing it for 3 years longer and I make 4 dollars an hour more than the lowest man whos only been working for 3 months. That was my arguing point.

Maybe those guys are getting paid too much:wink:

.... he preceeds to tell me that people already think we charge way to much.....

...and yet...they still pay it

So how much exactly is "way to much"?
Can you give us an example of the cost of a completed job?

 

[bradleyelectric]

The longer you stay in the buiss youll soon realize that your father acually has the harder job. There are many times that I wish all I had to do was run jobs. That my friend is acually the easy part. With that said maybe he should make you a partner. But as with most places you dont just become partner beacause of your sparkling personality

I'd love to hire someone to run the office so I could work in the field. That's my altimate goal. Well, at least to have someone else run the office. I'm not looking for a partner though.

 

[cschmid]

If your father has dedicated all of his free time to making this business a profitable business. Then you need to learn how to run it, because if you are willing to working it full time and putting all your effort into it, the potential is unlimited..

Your father has done the basic chore of getting it started and running on its own..I am sure it has a reputable name after 7 years.

So make your dreams come true and make it big..while you still got your father as a teacher and supporter..Go ahead and achieve success while all the cards are in your favor..

 

[brian john]

The business wouldn't be able to continue without me.

When I was an apprentice a foreman made that same statement the boss overheard him and fired him the next day. Company survived. Few years later Richard Nixon left office, country continued with a few hitches but kept on chugging. We are all replaceable.

 

[Buck Parrish]

I'm a strong beliver in rewarding good employees with the potential of a bonus. On big jobs and if the job makes me money.

 

[tyha]

first off, if your dad was serious about his company he would give up his full time job and make his company his full time job. here in nc he would lose his license for having that full time job and not tending to his company full time. secondly, your only 22 and dont get me wrong here, you wouldn't know enough here to leave and have a company fold. I mean I remember when I was 22 and knew everything there was to know about electrical work and I got my unlimited license here in nc when I was 25. which is the youngest you can be here to even qualify to take the exam. but now 10 years later I relized that I didn't know half of the half.

 

[wawireguy]

So... you started working full time when you were 15? Do you have a journey card? I'd say you're lucky if you're running jobs and making 3-4 more than your lead guys. If you think you're gonna go somewhere else and run the show and pull down the big bucks more power to you.

 

[B4T]

I think at 22 you should keep your mouth shut about wanting more money. Your dad knew this was coming when you got your own license. Be a leader by example and hopefully your father will make you a partner in the near future.

 

[William1978]

first off, if your dad was serious about his company he would give up his full time job and make his company his full time job. here in nc he would lose his license for having that full time job and not tending to his company full time. secondly, your only 22 and dont get me wrong here, you wouldn't know enough here to leave and have a company fold. I mean I remember when I was 22 and knew everything there was to know about electrical work and I got my unlimited license here in nc when I was 25. which is the youngest you can be here to even qualify to take the exam. but now 10 years later I relized that I didn't know half of the half.

To qualify to take the N.C. state exam it goes buy how many hours you have worked not how old you are. By the way 25 isn't the youngest you could be to take the unlimted exam my brother was 23 when he passed the unlimited.

 

[kyled86]

So... you started working full time when you were 15? Do you have a journey card? I'd say you're lucky if you're running jobs and making 3-4 more than your lead guys. If you think you're gonna go somewhere else and run the show and pull down the big bucks more power to you.

No, I have a masters license.

 

[kyled86]

I think at 22 you should keep your mouth shut about wanting more money. Your dad knew this was coming when you got your own license. Be a leader by example and hopefully your father will make you a partner in the near future.

Because I am 22 I do not have a right to being paid for my worth?

 

[kyled86]

first off, if your dad was serious about his company he would give up his full time job and make his company his full time job. here in nc he would lose his license for having that full time job and not tending to his company full time. secondly, your only 22 and dont get me wrong here, you wouldn't know enough here to leave and have a company fold. I mean I remember when I was 22 and knew everything there was to know about electrical work and I got my unlimited license here in nc when I was 25. which is the youngest you can be here to even qualify to take the exam. but now 10 years later I relized that I didn't know half of the half.

Its not easy to give up a job with a 401k plan that you've paid into for 30 years on a whim just to run another business of your own. And as for the other statement...1)I guess its good were not there in NC...and 2)Hes got me

 

[kyled86]

So... you started working full time when you were 15? Do you have a journey card? I'd say you're lucky if you're running jobs and making 3-4 more than your lead guys. If you think you're gonna go somewhere else and run the show and pull down the big bucks more power to you.

There are no other lead guys...theres me and 3 laborers as green as a 20$ bill

 

[Sparky555]

This is like solving an algebraic problem with three unknowns. You're anonymous on the internet Bud, how about some real information?

What state are you in?
What's your hourly rate?
What are your benefits?
Is your father providing housing, food, laundry, vehicle?

 

[brantmacga]

kyle, where exactly are you at? you can see by my location that we're pretty close. you should know that wages around here aren't much at all. but are cost of living is still fairly low, though its been on the rise lately.

average wage for a helper is $10/hr.

average for a lead man is around $13/hr.

all with no benefits.

i have a good friend @ ACE who runs a crew of 10 and travels everyday making $13.50. I have a cousin @ Cowart who travels running a crew making around $12. Neither of them are licensed, but at those companies they don't care if you're licensed.

The best paying jobs are at the only union shop in town; PCA.

compared with the rest of the state, our area wages are about the lowest.

 

[George Stolz]

The business wouldnt be able to continue without me......

Well, I'm not so sure. We all like to think that.

If I had a nickel for every time I felt that way and was wrong, I'd have at least 15?.

I've seen a son quit, get more experience elsewhere, and return to take over the father's company in a very vindictive money-grubbing family. I say quit and start over to see how different things really are, all around. Just do it with class.

 

[iwire]

average wage for a helper is $10/hr.

average for a lead man is around $13/hr.

all with no benefits.

OUCH!

I think the McDonalds around me pay $10.00 per hour and they provide some bennies.



Oh and I agree with the others, no one in this trade is irreplaceable.

 

[electricguy61]

Most of us probably felt we knew it all at 22 (I got my first contractors license at 16. Gave the town $25, posted a $500 bond, and was a contractor)

When you get to 35-40, you'll realize you don't know anything.

"Youth is wasted on young people".

I don't know your father, but I would bet that he's teaching you a little humility. You'll probably be making more as you grow up. If not, go elsewhere.

BTW, are you still living at home. If so, are you including your room and board in your wage? Both my daughters have full time employment, and I charge them $400 a month. I guaranty it doesn't cover my expenses for them, but at least it gives them an idea of what it's like in the "real world".

 

[boboelectric]

My father is a licensed electrical contractor and owns his own business. I have an electrical contractors license also and I am his right hand man. I run pretty much all of the jobsites. He is a fulltime employee with the local power company therefore he rarely is ever on a job site other than to talk with me about the work that needs to be done. We have 3 other fulltime employees that i supervise. I call all of the shots on the job site. I do basically everything except getting the jobs, pricing, and billing the customer. I am located in Southeast Georgia. I have been working for my father for going on 7 years now but have only had my contractors license for the past 2 months. I am just curious what you guys think I should be making. I have been working for the same wages for a little over the past year and I think that the job i do is worth much more than I make. Up until the last 2 years I just done the manual side of the job. These days I do much more supervising and planning. My latest project was a 12 suite hotel/restaurant/bar that I handled almost completely on my own. What do you guys think?

Dad would't short you,would he?