How much to charge customer for a 1st year apprentice?

[MidpointBob]

We are a small company in the Seattle area. Just hired our first employee a few weeks back. We are paying him $14.00/hour but are not sure what to charge our customers for him. Any thoughts? We typically charged $85/hour for residential work and $95/hour for commercial when it was just for one. Would appreciate input from others both in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the country.

Thanks!

 

[Ponchik]

It will be really hard to say. You need to do some calculation to come with your hourly charge.
You don't want to be guessing at these numbers and it is not good business decision to see what the competition charges.

 

[zbang]

You're paying him $14/hr, but what does he cost you? I'm sure it's at least $22/hr (employer-paid taxes, various insurance premiums, uniforms?, training?, paid non-billable time, etc). Start with that, then figure whether you want to give away his services as a helper or make some profit on them.

Also figure out the value of his help to the licensed electrician. If the electrician can do one branch circuit an hour (I made that up) by himself and two with a helper, unless you bill close to the full rate for the helper, you're making less per job (two circuits = two hours @ $85/per = $170 or two circuits = one hour @ $85 + $35 = $120). OTOH you can get more jobs done.

 

[Fulthrotl]

We are a small company in the Seattle area. Just hired our first employee a few weeks back. We are paying him $14.00/hour but are not sure what to charge our customers for him. Any thoughts? We typically charged $85/hour for residential work and $95/hour for commercial when it was just for one. Would appreciate input from others both in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the country.

Thanks!

normally, it's a journeyman labor rate.
this is the incentive to use a minion.

 

[J.P.]

I think my company charges 45 per hr for helpers. Everybody gets paid health ins though and paid vacations.

I don't think the first year part comes into it. I know it's my job to keep everybody productive and on task that they can handle. The rate is either Journeyman or apprentice.