All respectable Smart Senior Members Who been keeping the CI world live...and Regular  Members

(Seniors not because of Age but been in this business for long Time)

Like to find out how the market is affecting us as a Dealer....is affecting the Employee also?

What is the current Pay for an Average employee?   ( Per Hour )

Who has their own tools and wheels.....

New Construction work

Pre wire Multi-Room Audio and Media Room

Pre wire for Net and Phone

Running Pipe for Central Vacuum

Please put your input…….

Respectable? I'm out

This would be a topic better handled in IP. Do you have an account there?
http://www.integrationpros.org/

LA
NYC

or

Podunk

$25 an hour in Podunk you can live like a king. $25 in NYC you might as well get in line for welfare.

I don't know if I can fit the respectable part but I do fit the member part so here goes.

The qualifications you list are the same qualifications all of my wire monkeys have.
As for your own vehicle and/or tools thats all good but leave them at home. My insurance covers you using my trucks and my tools. My project contracts state that I must provide workers comp, Liability insurance and vehicle insurance for every vehicle on the job. Why would I want to pay you more when that extra money could go toward owning and insuring another truck while not breaking the rules an risking the contract.
Judging from what I see I will answer your question with "As little as possible."

|All respectable Smart Senior Members Who been keeping the CI world live...and |Regular  Members

We were given a choice in 2008. $ or title promotions. I chose title. I am currently the Supreme Lead Project Tech of all North American Territories (except for Canada, Mexico & Latin America, any of the islands, southern states or the west or east coast). I am paid $7.50 per hour but the other guys are making between 15-30 an hour depending on skill/time with the company. None of them have titles so.... i think its safe to say i made the right choice.


IMO everyone should have their own hand tools (tool box glow rods fish tape levels etc) and battery drill. Other power tools & ladders & big ticket items should be purchased and owned by the company. People will take care of things they have to pay for themselves and this gives each guy the ability to buy the tools that he prefers.

Company trucks are always nice because you know they are insured & have the company logo on the side of them. If you are having your guys drive their own trucks you need to make sure they A. Are being compensated and B. Are driving a vehicle thats legal and not dripping oil on the clients driveway.


I think of installers like this...

Gofer/Laborer : Very low end of the pay scale. $15 Maximum.

Drive & pick things up.
Load & unload a truck.
Cleans up job site.

WireMunky : $15 minimum per hour.

Can rock a drill & knows how to secure cable.
Can read wiring plan & has thumbs for installing wire labels.
Can terminate & test cables & troubleshoot continuity wiring issues. (needs to be able to make sure the cables hes running are ok before and after sheetrock)

Installer 1 : $15-20

Can do what the wiremunky can do plus retro work.
Can install hardware & terminate cables.
Can read wiring plans & schematics.

Installer 2 : $20+

Trim out guy, cable management, rack trimming, product setup and configuration, light programming. Typically the project manager.

Thats how i would break it up if responsible for a large crew. But IMO most CI firms have 1 installer who does most of those things and a lead guy who handles the rest. Or they have a wiremunky team and a trim team.

The stuff you listed would probably fall in the wiremunky category assuming you are paying for trucks & expensive tools.

Yep. My cousin makes 1/3 what i do, married and 2 kids and hes only an hour a way from Chicago.

WOW he has all that on only 30K a year, impressive.

PS dont move to miami.. Your worth half of what your worth now.

i work for gumbo

Mmmmmm, gumbo. Its a little like religion, and a lot like sex

I like your math. I sure wish you were the one writing my checks :).

This should be on IP, but I'm in-line with 39's "Installer #2" pricing.

I need another - anybody in the L.A. area PM me!

I think I'm like an Installer 4 at Stamp's company... :)

I'm sure I'd be a manager, if only they would hire me some help... then I'd have someone to manage...LOL

Actually it's more like Installer 2++, or Manager -3.

That's the bold truth!! ;-)

[Link: remotecentral.com]