$27500 good starting wage?

[fixthecopier]

I guess what everyone says about location is true. I have 8 years with the same small company and I am just now in the upper 20's. Three weeks out of the month I have to take care of the 300 Konica Minolta's that are under contract in my area. Also I get to do service calls on all of the printers, faxes, plotters, shreadders, scanners of any brand and age, that call in from my area. On the fourth week I pick up another 600 contract copiers that are over 5 years old, so the other tech can collect meter readings. Also in my spare time I get to deliver toner. This all takes place on a military base. It is a small family business and some of the perks are no meters or GPS in our trucks, the trucks are maintence free and newer models, there are no time clocks at the shop and nobody cares if you are late or keeps up with how many days you were out sick. I could make more somewhere else but sometimes money isn't everything.

[Copier_Guy]

I hear you, but I know where some of your money went. Into those new trucks. I know the Fayetteville area. I have family that lives there and most of my family are located 30 miles north west of there. The cost of living is lower there than NY or alot of other cities, but 8 years and upper 20's? That's something. I was contemplating moving down there, but I think I'd get pissed at the salaries and want to come right back. I wonder what the money is like for independent operators.

[CanonHPTech]

If I never give a better piece of advice or tip on this board, let it be this...


SELL YOUR SELF!

Never sell yourself short. I stepped into the copier portion of this industry about 2 years ago with printer and network experience. Lets put it this way... I am between 20K-40K w/o a company vehicle. This is not a get rich industry. Learn to sell yourself as the most eager to learn, eager to do, and eager to advance. Walk in with the hopes of being the service manager, the CEO, the President and voice them in the first interview. For the most part, standard techs/engineers should be a entry level position, not a career choice. Senior tech's should be somewhere be approaching their 40's but not past, otherwise, you lack the skills or talents of either advancing or starting your own business. Like the others said, if you can live and be happy with that salary, then dive in. Otherwise, shop around and build a network of peers. Good luck sir.

[rar0411]

I just started out at the grand old age of 41 at an olivetti dealer in the UK, I have good pc knowledge and networking, I consider myself lucky to be earning 22k UK pounds and have a company car laptop and blackberry storm