What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

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speedystevie

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Long Island, NY
I know many of you are in different areas than our company. We are in the upsate NY area.

I am trying to determine a Hr pay rate for very green employees.

I am talking of guys starting a job with no electrical experience but works very hard and shows up every day on time.

Curious, Steve
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

10.88/hr ... that is my story and I am sticking to it. It is minimum in our area for government contracts. (most of our work)

Most others in this area are paying 5 to 7.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

ive seen guys starting as low as 6$.

give'em a palm tree and pay'em florida wages.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

Around $9.00 for green applicants.

Roger
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

I have another question: How do you handle the issue of starting someone at to high of a rate and wanting to lower it.

I have a guy who works for me and said he had experience when he started and soon found out it was a lie. I was able to move past the lie because he is a great worker and shows up every day on time. There is nothing the guy wont do if I ask him to. The problem is up stairs, he's not all that smart and has an awful memory. Bottom line I guess is that he is just a laborer.

Has anyone else had to tell a guy that "I pay you to much for what you know!"?
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

to be fair we should post our economic areas for this topic. I live near the eastern shore of NC and not in a large city.

obviously someone living in midtown new york city would have a different rate.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

Originally posted by speedystevie:
I have another question: How do you handle the issue of starting someone at to high of a rate and wanting to lower it.

I have a guy who works for me and said he had experience when he started and soon found out it was a lie. I was able to move past the lie because he is a great worker and shows up every day on time. There is nothing the guy wont do if I ask him to. The problem is up stairs, he's not all that smart and has an awful memory. Bottom line I guess is that he is just a laborer.

Has anyone else had to tell a guy that "I pay you to much for what you know!"?
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hey life is hard. i had to do it with my last helper. i told my boss "dude, you gotta lower this guys pay thats workin with me. he's eatin up my budget and his production sucks". so let it be written so let it be done.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

Originally posted by speedystevie:
I have a guy who works for me and said he had experience when he started and soon found out it was a lie. I was able to move past the lie because he is a great worker and shows up every day on time. There is nothing the guy wont do if I ask him to. The problem is up stairs, he's not all that smart and has an awful memory. Bottom line I guess is that he is just a laborer.
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That's why you start them low and have a trial period - 3 weeks, 3 months, whatever amount of time it takes to figure out what their capabilites are. After the trial period you give them a raise or start looking for another worker.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

I dont think you can lower a wage without making a disgruntaled employee. It may be time to just let him go. I know it is hard, we take it personally. It is not personal. It is business.

"I am sorry, things are not working out"
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

I live in northern NJ so I pay one guy that knows 3 way switches and general wiring $13.50.. the helper who drills out beams and runs for lunch $9.50. The last guy I paid more didnt need to work Saturday anymore due to the increased wage..That wasnt my plan so I axed him.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

Never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never never...

ever...

ever hire somebody for more than they could be worth, and then cut their pay. Never pay more based on "the promise of getting a license soon."

My unlicensed co-worker hired at a higher-than-apprentice rate because of his experience, and suddenly needed a license to maintain that rate. He couldn't test in time, so he lost $3 an hour, and hasn't been a happy camper since.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

Truthfally a green helper that never did anything electrical will not be worth min. wage for at least a few months.But if your lookong for cheap helpers then you just gotta pay a livable wage and watch him.If he picks up stuff fast and follows instruction then keep him.$8 to $9 is average start here in Tampa.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

This thread illustrates why the electrical trade is in the gutter and will remain there if electricians gon't get start getting paid a respectable wage.

You can earn $9 an hour doing jobs that require no brain power whatsoever. Why is the starting wage of a skilled trade on par with landscaping? :mad:
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

Originally posted by georgestolz:
(not quoted) Never (quoted) hire somebody for more than they could be worth, and then cut their pay.
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We just had a guy that we had to let go. He was accustom to doing out of town work, which pays more, then got laid off and came to work for us. He negotiated a good wage, and was being paid as a mechanic, but would not even take responsibility for his own actions. He was a good helper, but was hired for the higher level, and was being paid the higher wage.

In his mind, and based on his out of town wages, and his wifes insistance, he should have been earning more. IMHO, if we tried to cut his wages we would have ended up with an anchor to drag arround. It hurt my feelings, cause I dont want to see anyone loose a job, but it was in the best interest of the company.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

Peter, why would you start a shlub off the street for more than $10 an hour?

The higher wages of sticking around for a year or two, when there's good reason to pay more, should be incentive enough for a green guy to stick through the beginning.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

Originally posted by peter d:
You can earn $9 an hour doing jobs that require no brain power whatsoever. Why is the starting wage of a skilled trade on par with landscaping? :mad:
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Because they both start out as laborers. The difference is the person that learns electrical will have a better earning power later in life.
 
Re: What is your rate for a 1st year HELPER

Contruction Labor is at a premium here... SF, CA one of the highest costs of living in the country at one time (~$2k a month for a 1 bedroom apt.), and historically a high wage for electricians in the state here as well. You wont get an unskilled illegal imigrant off the street to show up for less than $10! Legal $15... Remotely skilled $18 and up.... (Something that will change after Californias Certification Program goes into effect 1-5 years without certification will be looking for more as they now have to deal with school costs etc.) Journey level 5 years and up, $25 - $35+(+benifits) DOE, which will also go up soon after Jan 1, 2006. (Prevailing wage is up to ~$54, good luck holding that job long though... Project will end sooner or later.) After Jan 1, 2006 all employees who who work in the field as electricians for a C-10 will have to be certified by the state, or registered as Apprentices, or Electrician Trainees. The demand for Certified Journeymen, and Apprentices, or Electrician Trainees will be even higher. (FYI, don't think of moving here for the money.... people commute up to 6 hours+ RT just to work here fill the job market. Not worth it IMO.)

As for the guy who lied...
You go to them and say, "You said you were (This, this, and this), you are not that, or demonstrated the abiltiy for that, you have six weeks to demonstrate the ability, or you will have to go, or take a cut in pay to $XX.XX. If it becomes wholely obvious that you're not what you said you were at all in that time, you will have to go." Document the conversation, check back with them at one month, have the same conversation, and document. At the end of that time, have the same conversation with a check for their wages in full to date in your hand, and a written notice not to return to work. If they want to take the cut, or if its worth it to keep them around at all, they keep the intiial conseling in the record.

Odds are they give you two weeks, or just dont show up anymore at some point after that....
 
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