Technician Wages

[jdylong]

This thread is fascinating. I am very surprised by some of the wages posted herein. It seems to me that a tech making less than 30K/year should be looking elsewhere.
While it is true that sales reps can make six figures I should point out most reps lie about their true income, especially to other salespeople. One thing to keep in mind when looking at techs vs reps. Sales reps usually make a very small salary and are heavily commissioned. This is done to create incentive for them and allows management to feel comfortable if the rep does not perform for a month or two (base between 15-25K/yr). Management "sells" the rep on the "unlimited income potential". 3 out of 4 sales reps make their base salary and not much else. This is a big reason for the turnover in sales reps.

By contrast most techs either by choice or by just not asking opt for a base salary and not much else (perhaps commissions on referrals). To management they appear as a "cost" each month, whereas a sales rep look like an "investment". This of course is way off base, both the techs and reps should have the same goals, keeping customers happy and staying profitable. The difference is how management views the roles. My thought is if you want a bigger piece of the pie, go to your management and tell them you want a 15% paycut. That should get their attention. Then tell them in return you want __% of the quarterly profits from the customers you service. And it should go without saying, if your gonna do this, make sure you know how much money the company makes on your customers, otherwise, they will screw you.

Any management that doesn't take that offer (assuming it's not a greedy %) is insane. Now the tech is motivated to keep the customers happy (which keeps revenue up) and profitable (which puts more money is his/her pocket).

[prntrfxr]

You might want to also consider cost of living. Wages in California, New York and in the north tend to be higher than those who live in the south. Gas prices (usually), groceries, and rent are usually lower.

[teckat]

I worked with a few sales reps ( I am a tech not a sales rep) that had 50-60k by March 1 off of their commissions. And the techs got 30k a year. Also at one company if you turned in a sales lead that put a 85 page per minute machine in an account then you received a $50 tip lead. if it was a fax machine you got $5.

By the way is 14.00 an hour good for 15 years of experience??

with that experience u can easily make anywhere between $ 45,000 & 55,000 yr in NYC(NEW YORK CITY)

[verderacer]

3 Years Copier, 9 Years Printer (HP/Cannon, Xerox/Tektronix and Lexmark), 15 years telecom (Nortel, Mitel and Fujitsu), 28 years Network (MCSE, CCNE, SCO, and others)

All this for $11.37hr.
2 weeks paid vacation
8 sick days
4 personal days
company car

Joined a private company with the promise of 2 reviews a year for the first 2 years, then a yearly increase. Company got bought by a large company and got s-c-r-e-w-e-d. Never got my reviews in the first 2 years, and had one .37 cent increase with the new company. Benefits are ok, but use my wifes which are far better. Been lied to 1 to many times, actively looking.

I have learned after we merged with the new company that all new techs with 0 to 2 years experience started at $14 or more an hour.

*uck UNIONS.... They screw everybody...

[blackcat4866]

I have to agree with verderacer. Initially unions seem to support the membership, but after a short while they become interested only in perpetuating themselves. Let's say the union gets you $25 per hour at your particular specialty. Well in return they want $5 of it for all the hard work they do. And then where are you? Back where you started, and another somebody reaching into your pocket. And when the company decides they can't support the union wages, what then? They dump the whole lot and start from scratch. This doesn't sound like anything I'm interested in. Less job security than I already have. =^..^=

[teckat]

3 Years Copier, 9 Years Printer (HP/Cannon, Xerox/Tektronix and Lexmark), 15 years telecom (Nortel, Mitel and Fujitsu), 28 years Network (MCSE, CCNE, SCO, and others)

All this for $11.37hr.
2 weeks paid vacation
8 sick days
4 personal days
company car

Joined a private company with the promise of 2 reviews a year for the first 2 years, then a yearly increase. Company got bought by a large company and got s-c-r-e-w-e-d. Never got my reviews in the first 2 years, and had one .37 cent increase with the new company. Benefits are ok, but use my wifes which are far better. Been lied to 1 to many times, actively looking.

I have learned after we merged with the new company that all new techs with 0 to 2 years experience started at $14 or more an hour.

*uck UNIONS.... They screw everybody...

your in the wrong state, & city- with that experience you can make at least 65,000-75,000k /5weeks vacation/ 6sick days/all holidays/4 personal days/in NYC- do not have to be in a union.

[verderacer]

your in the wrong state, & city- with that experience you can make at least 65,000-75,000k /5weeks vacation/ 6sick days/all holidays/4 personal days/in NYC- do not have to be in a union.

I have a nephew that lives in NYC, currently in Brooklyn, and have visited often. Though it's a good income I know what it takes to live there. The only other issue is the nice warm winters there... JK...

In regards to unions... Having been a member for several years and currently have 4 different union halls in my territory I have discovered the following. They believe they are the lowest paid, most maltreated, least recognized, under privlidged workers on the earth. In truth they are the largest group of whiny, arrogant, conceited, selfish, narcissistic individuals I have ever been around. Just my opinion of course...

[Shadow1]

In truth they are the largest group of whiny, arrogant, conceited, selfish, narcissistic individuals I have ever been around. Just my opinion of course...

Ain't that the truth. Normally I hate unions, but there is a time and a place for them. I think they should be easier to create, but must state in their charter a realistic, achievable goal, and be disbanded immediately once that goal is accomplished or after some reasonable amount of time.

Master Technician - Production Machines - 12 years exp - $20/hr in Mississippi.
3 wks vacation
Company Car / Gas card
401k
Good Healthcare $250/mo family of 4

My company just announced results for last Fiscal Year - Generally, the sales division lost money, and the service revenue is what kept us afloat, although some districts will be looking for a new service manager real soon. This is typical - sales practically gives the machine away, and they would give the service away if the service department didn't have to sign off on our pricing, but the techs make half what their skill should warrant.

I scared the almighty crap out of one of the big dog sales managers one time: "You know, if you guys walk off the job, we're sitting pretty for quite a while - in fact, our profit figures would improve since the sales department operates in the red all the time. But if we went home, within a week you couldn't sell s***"

[DoctorX]

I've been on both sides of the fence. The really outstanding techs do not get recognized for their performance. But the mediocre techs still hang on to their jobs.

The good sales reps get rewards, probably more than they deserve, but mediocre and poor reps get fired. And you never know what the sales reps get on a deal. I know you probably won't believe this, but I actually had to pay my company $11 to sell a copier. Yes, it was part of a large deal, but still the fact that I LOST money selling something still stings. You probably say "Why would you do that?" Revenue. You have to forecast every month how much revenue you are going to bring in for your company.

It's just like the old saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence".

[20YRSEXP]

It's just like the old saying, "The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence".[/QUOTE]

I think we should get rid of fences.

All this for $11.37hr.
2 weeks paid vacation
8 sick days
4 personal days
company car

Damn dude, you could get that working at an assembly line. or maybe even a fast food restaurant. Good luck in your hunt.