It's the same old story, I have trouble finding qualified technicians. I usually run an ad in the paper and get a couple of hundred replys. Even after asking for a minimum of three years experience as an audio/video installer, not one out of 20 calls are people with any experience in this field at all. "I installed my sister's system" or "I have been working as an usher in a movie theater" would be a typical examples of what people think is experience.

There has got to be a better way to find techs. I have seen many of you trying to lure installers to your town to work for you. Does it work? Or do you get the rejects from everyone else?

We are in California and a lot of people think that they want to live here. However, when they find out that they would have to earn about $200,000 a year to qualify to buy a meager house, they can't possibly afford to work for us at $15-$35 per hour. They go running back to Cleaveland, Peoria, or Baltimore realizing that even if they make half as much, they can still live higher on the hog anywhere than in California.

I have also tried technical schools, with limited success. They usually know computers, but very little about A/V or construction. After a couple of years, they can sometimes do the job. However, even with little knowledge of A/V, they need to start at a livable wage. After a couple of years, after being trained, they usually want to start their own custom installation business-- often with my client list.

If you guys have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. I need more techs--knowlegable techs. How do you guys find them?

Sorry, no good ideas... Same problems here in the land of the entitled... What has worked for us is simply waiting until the right guy walks in the door... I know, not the most efficient way of doing it, but when someone comes in looking for work without an ad running, they are usually motivated, if nothing else...

It seems to be better to find the right guy who is trainable and invest the time to train him. Everyone else seems to be incompetant or rigid in their ways. They think they're the best and you don't know squat. Not what I'd call the model employee. When times are as good as they are now, the good guys are spoken for or want to be on their own.

Stew,

If you are paying $35/hr I have a tech for you..... ME...

I am currently employed in the trade, have 5 years experience, truck, tools etc... Have done everything from installing a satellite dish on a single wide trailer to prewiring and installing systems with 6 figure job totals. I am a pretty competent HTM programmer, have trained techs, led crews and I do have some project management experience.

I do not know everything about this industry, anyone who says they do is a fool. My shortcomings are lack of Crestron experience and keypad programming. I also have not done any pronto programming, altho I am sure I could pick it up pretty quickly.

This industry is still a hobby for me, as well as a profession. I love what I do and always willing to expand my skillset.

My pay rate is currently less then it was my 1st day hanging satellite dishes. That aside, I really do like my current employer, they do not micromanage and for the most part value my input.

But it would really be nice to have a few extra $$s left over at the end of the month to put aside to save for an engagement ring, home, newer car or actually be able to afford to go on vacation once and a while.

Me too.... plus San Diego may be one of the only places i'd consider moving to!

Wow! Richie Rich discribed me to a T, except I think I've done a little more crestron no expert. I'd be willing to move for the right price. Besides, I miss the rain.

C-mon down and pick up your rain and bring it back home where it belongs. We are all tired of it down here......

I am debating building an ark in my backyard.......

RR

hows the suicide rate down there?

Probably rising as we speak....

First time in history that an outbreak of S.A.D (seasonal affective disorder) has been seen in California...

The upside of this weather is the local mountains have recieved about 234952875 feet of snow in the last week o. I think I might get the flu (Call in sick and go snowboarding) very soon.....

RR

Boarding was sweet this weekend, plenty of powder to play in. The way the weather today is looking, tomorrow will be a good day to call in sick. I hope my boss doesn't not read this, unless he wants to go up:).

Stew, I know it has to be hard to find a good tech. It seems like everyone I talk is looking for somebody with experience, only to get a ton of people who want to get experience. Besides that, the cost of living here in So. Cal is just crazy, I am looking at pads going for $300k and way up, and thats still in the freakin ghetto. I am trying to buy a pad here so I am working with 3 different companies just to get by. It seems to be impossible to just work for one company and survive here.

Good luck

Stew, I feel for ya.
I almost moved to So. Cali back in 82. I had a 'dream job' of building off road trucks for Cal Wells. My dream quickly fizzled when I looked at housing costs. Outrageous, even then!

Thats why I stuck to the land of Dorothy and Totto.

A good installer only makes 14 to 20 dollars an hour ,BUT, A good 1500 sq. ft. house(not counting the basement sq. footage) will run you about $120,000. And thats in a good nieghborhood.

You left and right coasters get to deal with a lot of jobs that make me jealous!

But, I like having a house with a big enough garage to fit both cars AND my harley in for less than a million,five!

Maybe thats why I deal with a lot of 'coasters' that retired and moved here!

When you live in the land of millionares, you should try charging about $350 an hour (they probably spend more on there dog's shrink). If you all got together and increased your rate, you might get to earn what you worth!

There are houses in San Diego that sell for $300,000 ?????

According to MLS, the cheapest house on the market in the town that I live in is $589,000. That is for a 975sqft 2 bedroom, 1 bath house with a 1 car garage. It was built in the 50s, is bright green and the driveway isn't even paved.......

It is the same floorplan as the house that I live in. The vacant lot next to the house I live in (rent) sold for $975,000. I guess I live in a million dollar house (actually the house is probably worth $25. The property is what is valuable.

Pilgram, a good installer is lucky to make over $14/hr here in San Diego. And the companies charge $85 to $120 an hour. I interviewed with a company a few months ago that told me (after I wasted my time driving to their office) that all new hires (regardless of experience) start at $9.50. I laughed and asked him if that was the pay rate per half hour. Needless to say I did not take the job.

RR

Thats sad.
I know your worth a lot more than that, if the company can support it!!!
I know the market can support it.
If you could possibly afford a home(I don't see how),You should be able to earn top dollar for the knowledge and dedication that this job requires!!!

What does sparky get paid?
It's a lot easier to make a light come one when you 'flip a switch' than it is to make 'dreams come true'!!!

Your not "building taco's" here.

Your definetly not getting what your worth!

As this 'job' aproaches the IT area, you need to 'upgrade' your worth standards.

This has become a 'high tech' area and should be billed as such.

Its time your clients realize that your more important than the 'designers' that up the costs on any build because of there indiciesive requests (change orders)!!!

Well, It should be worth a try, anyway.

I cannot fathom pay rates being so low out there in socal. It just doesn't make sense.

Around here in "mid world" an alarm tech, with good basic skills, gets around $25.00 per hour as an IC (independant contractor-responsible for his own taxes, etc).

Basic A/V "grunt" who does rough-in wiring will get around $15.00 as an IC, with higher"tech" rates to those who can set some basic equipment on final, or do some simple programming on HTM, Pronto, or Niles, Russound multi-room audio systems.

Really nice (new) homes can run around $100.00-$150.00 per SF. Upscale homes maybe $200.00-$250.00 per SF. Average existing home will run around $75.00-$100.00 per SF.

I'm a 10yr veteran. In the audio/video business. Sorry to say I lost my own Audio/Video Bus. to 911. I am 37years old working as a Lead Installer for Magnolia and still find it hard to believe that good installers don't get paid fairly, when we are making this companies alots of money and repeat business. For one there's not alot of us. The way I look at this is that we should be treated like a limited production car with with $10,000.00 Markup sticker on our for heads.