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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,585 posts, read 81,206,701 times
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Minimum wage in our state is $8.75/hour most places, even fast food are paying a bit more than that just to keep people from running to the one down the street that pays a little more.
I would say that a single person living in their own rented place would have to make $15/hour minimum to survive here. Where I work, that's about what it pays for the lowest grade positions.
In my current position the range is $30-40/hr and it does require considerable specific experience, though only an AA degree. With a mortgage and kids no one is driving a new car every 3 years on that around her. In our City the median family income is well over $100,000
thanks to all of the Boeing and Microsoft people.
Yes, people, companies, and geographic areas fall on hard times, and you are facing that right now. But getting a job with more pay, for yourself and for your family should be the focus, not making more than those 20-somethings with a GED make. If those people in the office earn more than you or less than you, how does that affect you? It doesn't, unless you allow it to emotionally affect you.
I have a Master's degree and work my butt off in a difficult field. Yes I see people making more than me, with a lesser degree and not working so hard. But that doesn't affect my life at all. Why should I even let that resentment in?
I'm not sure why your post was directed to me. I'm not saying people don't have it rough, but that worrying about what salaries other people make doesn't do you any good.
I've been doing just that-applying to anything I am qualified for. The only thing I resent is that this owner considered me entry level. No I wasn't-I've done this before years ago. The others aren't making much more than me-even a older woman who's been there for 16 years running the whole place-she makes $12.50hr. This guy is so cheap he squeaks.
I was using your list as examples to what some of us have had to chose for work as a last resort. I made $18.65 as a school bus driver. Only reason I lost my job was I shattered my ankle and couldn't pass the Federal DOT physical. I was quite content with my job. I am back where I was when I was 21 years old-not a 45 year old with a family and home. All I can keep doing is looking to go somewhere else. Funny-I've had 3 jobs my whole life. And now I will be job hopping til the right thing comes along and I really am not liking that-I want stability and growth. Not dead end city with no rewards.
One thing to keep in mind with these sites and pay scales is the different job duties/skills involved. Many jobs have multiple "titles" that can be attributed to them. HR in companies use the main job qualifications + the job duties to determine a "fair" pay scale. It's a good system however depending on the job it can be manipulated. AND you have to take into account the type of industry your in, small business vs large business, public vs private, etc.. What is regarded as fair wage in your regions, your zip code, your state, etc..
An indication is the amount of jobs in your area that are available vs the number of qualified candidates. Currently my field *yes* is making a come back and wages are now starting to climb as the demand for qualified candidates increases and the number of qualified candidates decreases.
Its a supply and demand issue ... if you have 5 qualified candidates the main thing a company is going to do is ask what their salary requirements are... and factor that into their decision.
Yeah, for me, it's not really an envy thing. Knowing what others make gives me an idea about how much I should value my work. For all I know, my work could be valued at $10/hr. Knowledge is power, and the more you know, the better off you are in terms of bargaining power. If my employer realizes that I'm ignorant as far as knowing what my position is worth, they will low ball me. Rather than slap some arbitrary value on my work it'd be nice to know what I can get for my experience/skills/etc.
To me, a good wage means you can afford everything you NEED and SOME of the luxuries you want. You can live as well as most people in your area. You can afford SOME medical and dental care and save at least a little.
The actual wage needed would vary a lot from place to place in the US. Starvation wages in DC would be good wages in other parts of the country.
The only thing I resent is that this owner considered me entry level. No I wasn't-I've done this before years ago. The others aren't making much more than me-even a older woman who's been there for 16 years running the whole place-she makes $12.50hr. This guy is so cheap he squeaks.
"Entry level" is described as: Qualifications at this level recognize basic knowledge and skills and the ability to apply learning in everyday situations under direct guidance or supervision. Learning at this level involves building basic knowledge and skills and is not usually geared towards specific occupations. Entry level positions are targeted at a range of learners, including adult learners, candidates on taster sessions, underachievers and ones with learning difficulties or disabilities.
If you are truly unhappy with your job, just keep trying for something better while resisting the urge to burn bridges with your current employer. Complaining about your job and how you're worth more and whatnot doesn't do you any good. Hopefully you don't show your boss or co-workers how frustrated you are because if you're known around the office as "the Debbie Downer who hates her job and thinks it's beneath her" that won't win you any raises. Your best bet is to look elsewhere for employment while still giving your top performance.
"Entry level" is described as: Qualifications at this level recognize basic knowledge and skills and the ability to apply learning in everyday situations under direct guidance or supervision. Learning at this level involves building basic knowledge and skills and is not usually geared towards specific occupations. Entry level positions are targeted at a range of learners, including adult learners, candidates on taster sessions, underachievers and ones with learning difficulties or disabilities.
If you are truly unhappy with your job, just keep trying for something better while resisting the urge to burn bridges with your current employer. Complaining about your job and how you're worth more and whatnot doesn't do you any good. Hopefully you don't show your boss or co-workers how frustrated you are because if you're known around the office as "the Debbie Downer who hates her job and thinks it's beneath her" that won't win you any raises. Your best bet is to look elsewhere for employment while still giving your top performance.
I've done this work before-it may have been 6 years since I have, but I know how to do medical collections-it hasn't changed at all. Add too I got sent back through VESID to get certified in medical billing/coding.
At my job, I don't do anything other than my job. I complete all my work-but the person who is to do the other half of what I give her isn't completing projects we are assigned. It's finally caught up to her goofing off and it's caused issues in the work place. Not my fault I know how to complete my work and not goof off.
My co-workers are all 20+ years younger than I am. And from the information I got from them-that raise I was told I'd get a 6 months-isn't going to happen even if I make the probation period. Some of them have been there for 4 years and no raise from the day they started. No one has mobility-what you are hired to do-that's all you will ever do. One person out of 26-has been there 16 years(she is 63)-still does the same thing she started out as doing. No one else has been there longer than 4.
From the day I walked in to begin work-I've been told stories about other people who'd interviewed there. One woman-said she needed to get her resume out of the car at the start of her interview and never came back in. The other 3 people they hired to do my job-quit after 1-3 days. Isn't that telling to you? Everyday I got the "are your coming back tomorrow" question for over 3 weeks.
It's the worst dead end job I have ever had. Literally. And like I said-I've been applying to other jobs. Something better has to come along. My friend who's a CFO can't understand with my resume and job skills why I can't find a job for 25K a year-even HER receptionist makes more than that. Employers are taking advantage of the times and it will come back and bite them in the rear someday.
What are they good for? Better wages thats about it. Worked in a union. Worst experience of my life.
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... if you have 5 qualified candidates the main thing a company is going to do is ask what their salary requirements are... and factor that into their decision.
Take what you are offered .
