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It is kind of odd that salaries are so much lower on LI(excluding NYC) compared to the surrounding counties. I work in White Plains as an engineer and my pay, while not amazing, scaled fairly well compared to cost of living versus cheaper areas I have worked in.
It is kind of odd that salaries are so much lower on LI(excluding NYC) compared to the surrounding counties. I work in White Plains as an engineer and my pay, while not amazing, scaled fairly well compared to cost of living versus cheaper areas I have worked in.
Yes, White Plains, Westchester County and Southwest Fairfield County have held reasonably stable. My impression is Fortune 500 hq's, some Wall St. and some Hedgers have brought in a good amount of cash so there is some trickle down and real demand.
I don't think Westchester business leaders have the same mentality corporate chieftains on LI have. LI was always more DOD and manufacturing, which are really commodity industries today. For the large businesses that are doing business on LI, they can outsource the skilled jobs anywhere, why keep them on LI where the cost-of-living is so high?
Good luck getting into any of the trade unions these days. Besides, we all know NY labor rates are waaay higher compared to other states. It's actually causing a huge fiscal problem. We all pay for this in many ways.
Switch things around a bit... if OP is working in IT, there's actually more opportunity in Atlanta with higher salaries and rates than in NYC. And forget about LI, IT salaries are among the lowest in the nation. For companies that still have any operations left on LI at all, they're here to grab the bargains and that means tax abatements and utility credits. And this spirit extends to compensating skilled professionals at discount rates.
I'm not sure what unions have to do with what I wrote. As a side note if you pick up the chief there are plenty of civil service exams all the time. Perhaps if you get in on the action you wouldn't complain so much about everything. If you were an electrician instead of sitting at that cubicle and train all day, you could be raking in money hand over fist. Then a tax increase wouldn't hurt so bad.
I'm not sure what unions have to do with what I wrote. As a side note if you pick up the chief there are plenty of civil service exams all the time. Perhaps if you get in on the action you wouldn't complain so much about everything. If you were an electrician instead of sitting at that cubicle and train all day, you could be raking in money hand over fist. Then a tax increase wouldn't hurt so bad.
Thanks for the advise.
The reason why tradesman make the money they do is unions. NYS has the highest percentage of union labor than any other state in the US.
Union laborers do not make money hand over fist, but they do better than their friends in Right to Work states.
Getting civil service jobs is akin to hitting the lottery now. 1000's of test takers for even esoteric professional titles. Indicative of the mess when real world professionals are scrambling to get an $80k civil service administrative job. If you're not feeding at the trough, you're supplying the feed. NYS Dept of Labor's prevailing wage laws are basically extortion and inflate all construction costs across the board. This is one of those places I'm in the middle. No decent electrician should get $15/hr but then again a half-decent one shouldn't get $56/hr to screw in a lightbulb and in NY that is what is happening. Look it up...Electrician (Laborer)....Prevailing Wage Schedule $33/hr + $23/hr supplemental = $56/hr. That's steep.
To the OP: No risk, no reward. Adventure is out there. Don't listen to these cronies. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment. You're young, follow your heart and all the freedom in it. Not one of the posters on this thread would be whatever they are today if they didn't take the inherent risks at the crossroads of their lives. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Surviving on 40K is very doable.
That being said, I do agree with one common sentiment. LI is for fat old(er) people with kids. Go to NYC and live a little. You'll be bored to tears here.
Getting civil service jobs is akin to hitting the lottery now. 1000's of test takers for even esoteric professional titles. Indicative of the mess when real world professionals are scrambling to get an $80k civil service administrative job. If you're not feeding at the trough, you're supplying the feed. NYS Dept of Labor's prevailing wage laws are basically extortion and inflate all construction costs across the board. This is one of those places I'm in the middle. No decent electrician should get $15/hr but then again a half-decent one shouldn't get $56/hr to screw in a lightbulb and in NY that is what is happening. Look it up...Electrician (Laborer)....Prevailing Wage Schedule $33/hr + $23/hr supplemental = $56/hr. That's steep.
All good points mongoose, but all is not as rosy as you think in union-land. I have two friends who are union electricians (who make a very good hourly salary like you posted) and both have been furloughed multiple times over the last few years due to the bad economy lack of work etc. Not defending the crazy hourly wage at all but the economy has hit union jobs as well (look at the 100s of civil service layoffs in Suffolk and Nassau as well).
Getting civil service jobs is akin to hitting the lottery now. 1000's of test takers for even esoteric professional titles. Indicative of the mess when real world professionals are scrambling to get an $80k civil service administrative job. If you're not feeding at the trough, you're supplying the feed. NYS Dept of Labor's prevailing wage laws are basically extortion and inflate all construction costs across the board. This is one of those places I'm in the middle. No decent electrician should get $15/hr but then again a half-decent one shouldn't get $56/hr to screw in a lightbulb and in NY that is what is happening. Look it up...Electrician (Laborer)....Prevailing Wage Schedule $33/hr + $23/hr supplemental = $56/hr. That's steep.
Sounds about right to me. Atleast these guys have meaningful jobs that will never be outsourced to 22 year old kid getting out of college who could do it and possibly better. Also in civil service the maintenance man is the one that changes bulbs. Check his salary. Right now day laborers are getting 200/day tax free because Americans are to good to get dirty.
I think we pretty much all agree though this guy is either joking around and stirring the pot or very mistaken.
To the OP: No risk, no reward. Adventure is out there. Don't listen to these cronies. Good judgment comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgment. You're young, follow your heart and all the freedom in it. Not one of the posters on this thread would be whatever they are today if they didn't take the inherent risks at the crossroads of their lives. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Surviving on 40K is very doable.
That being said, I do agree with one common sentiment. LI is for fat old(er) people with kids. Go to NYC and live a little. You'll be bored to tears here.
Atta boy! More great advice on a thread the moderator should have closed posts ago.
Sounds about right to me. Atleast these guys have meaningful jobs that will never be outsourced to 22 year old kid getting out of college who could do it and possibly better. Also in civil service the maintenance man is the one that changes bulbs. Check his salary. Right now day laborers are getting 200/day tax free because Americans are to good to get dirty.
I think we pretty much all agree though this guy is either joking around and stirring the pot or very mistaken.
OMG... you're so funny.
Talk to some one in the trades and let us know if they're rolling in the cash! Maybe you can't outsource a union laborer's job, who job may require him to be outside 6, 8 or 10 hours, during the coldest and hottest days of year, but you sure can hire non-union labor which is much more wide-spread.
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