salary v. hourly pay

A freind of mine is an electrician, working for a big outfit in milwuakee. He makes around $26 an hour, which I guess is about an average to better wage for a service professional. There is also profit sharing, vacation, 401k, and medical.
Another freind worked his first year for a respected tree company last year, his second year climbing, and made $48,000, with quite a bit of overtime.
I suppose that other industries also pay in this range for the skilled positions. It's a wage that just allows a guy to afford a house and family. If an empoloyer pays less than that, he will constantly loose good employees to them starting their own company, which just turns into competition, or just loose them to other companies.
That $26 an hour is roughly $50,000 per year. That amount, you will agree, does not put you in the lap of luxury, nor the poor house. I do think good experienced climbers should be making within a few thousand of that figure or more, in comparable markets.
 
Glad to see this thread back to the topic and the whinning stopped. One of my favorite things about this site is that the arguing, bickering, chest beating, etc is minimal. If you want the "arborist inquirer" it is at another site.
 
Colorado,no offense taken just wanted to put my thoughts on it .You should do what is right for you.
Greg thats average around here if you work for a good company.
 
Colorado,

I'm a certified tree worker and a certified aborist . But this has nothing to do with my pay.

I have done these certifications on my own. If i were to get paid for all my experience , I would suspect my hourly rate would be more. In cali . I guess. However, if you consider all my benies, I'm probably making $35.00 an hour.
So I cant complain.

Greg
 
Here in TX, $21/hr. sounds like mighty good pay. When I was working for another company, I had to make foreman (after 4 or 5 yrs) to get to $15. When I gave my notice a couple of years later (at around $16.50, don't remember exactly), I might have been able to get up to $20, but my decision to leave was already made. Most of the climbers on that crew made $12 or less. All got 6 paid holidays and health insurance, taxes withheld (no self-employment tax) and usually a pretty nice bonus at Christmas. The big draw was a full week's work year round, which not every company can offer.

The line clearance guys and others at big companies might do well to get $10 (I don't know what their benefits are). Probably some other small companies are paying what I made or more, but I wouldn't expect many bennies.

k
 
If you are getting paid less than twenty dollars an hour as a productive tree climber , you are a fool ! Don't complain about your pay , do something about it ... Colorado ; your boss had open arms , sounds like you had something else open ...legs? do the math !
 
Riggs,

I have never been the type of guy to just make demands, in fact I have only asked for one raise in my life. I know that I do a good job, maybe its my youth that makes me think that I can't walk in to my boss's office and make my demands. My review is in May, I know that I will speak up then.
 
I know I am not Keith but I'll chime in just the same being from Austin.

Most of Texas is very cheap to live in compared to other places. Austin is expensive, not quite as bad as Cali but close. That is the problem I had with working here. What would be a living wage in Houston or San Antonio just won't cut it here. Unforunately, tree wages are not adjusted to meet the cost of living.

I found the only way I could make it was self employed. That way you can get $50 - $70 an hour. Of course with the insurances, truck payments, etc - that probably equals $20-$25/hr

No state income tax

Some places just have to have higher wages - you can't rent a coffin in the Bay area for less than $1000 and gas is super expensive as well.
 
this tread keeps going.... i am an isa cert arborist, a cdl licensed driver, a cert. pesticide applicator, i have a university degree,a nd have 10 years experience between horticulture and arboriculture and i make less than 15 bucks an hour. i made much more money in south carolina as an arborist than here in southeastern va. somebody said you must be a fool to work for less than 20 bucks an hour as a productive climber. i'd like to see that happen over here, because pay just isnt that high. it depends on the part of the country you are in. a new middle class level home can still be purchased here for under 100,000, and because our clientel here doesnt make alot, there are not enough clientel willing to pay alot...ie lower wages. in charleston sc i made 40,000 a year and was slightly above average...so many people down there a rich and willing to pay for good work.
 
I hear ya Chad. Here it is like Roachy says, a good "productive" climber can easily make $20+/hour. We have five guys that have fit that bill (not to mention some floaters). It seems to be relative to the standard of living. I just read a stat that said that Connecticuit has tha highest standard of living followed by NJ. It does not mean that you desrve anyting less, it just is relative to the zone and the standards. Don't dwell on it. If you're happy, that's all that really matters. Hell, I know plenty of guys who quit their jobs even though they were in the mid-high 20's plus bennies judt because they were not happy. Money isn't everything, and the grass is never as green up close!
 
Riggs,
You may be right, but I think Tom's point about cost of living comes into play here. Also, we have plentiful supply of immigrants from down south who manage to survive on 10 bux or so and still send half their paychecks home.

And that is not intended as a slam against the immigrants, who do the work most natives wouldn't touch for twice the money. just the reality of my world.

keith
 
Nathan pretty well covered it. rent on a one-bedroom apt. would be a steal at $500 generally. If you are sure you want to stay here and can get the laon approved, you can just about buy a house cheaper than you can rent, tho the cost of real estate is pretty crazy here too. Austin went all out to become the second silicon valley, so there are tons of people here making big money who snatch up the housing before it's even been built. Of course, recent events have changed that somewhat, but there is still a high percentage of "professionals" in the housing market driving up cost. Otherwise, I think costs are pretty low here by comparison. I think my truck registration is in the $100 range. As Nathan said, no state income tax, though property taxes can be a bitch if you didn't buy in before the boom (and still appraisals go up 10% every year). Sales tax is 8.25% and we try to pay for education with proceeds from the lottery.

All in all, it's cheap here if you can avoid renting your home.

k
 
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