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I’ve worked in the same hospital 21 years now. Work in the boiler room. Our department and building maintenance are having a hard time finding qualified people willing to work in a hospital with COVID-19 going on. It’s already hard finding qualified people willing to do the job with the shift work and pay compared to the pay for other mechanical related jobs locally. My view on this job is job security and a steady paycheck is better than a job with a large paycheck but prone to market swings (oil field). Maintenance has one basic maintenance position open for more than 6 months. Our department recently hired a new guy but we have one ready to retire and two of retirement age who have ongoing health problems (cancer on one and heart on another).
Hospitals are filled with jobs that don’t require medical degrees. Building maintenance, receiving inventory, patient transport, kitchen positions, secretaries, and housekeeping are all positions available without a medical degree. There are opportunities to move up from within. If you’re hired in housekeeping you can move up to other positions for higher pay.
Thing is, in "Housekeeping" is also a dangerous job. I worked for Providence medical years ago. Their "housekeeping" staff would collect the bags from surgery and every 4-6 months, one worker would get a needlestick. This was when AIDS was rampant
Even today it's (from what i hear) not that more safer today. But yes I agree, there's many different jobs available in a hospital, one does have options.
The pay is apparently not competitive enough then. No one is risking covid for pre covid era pay
So many employers want something nothing. Then then why when they can’t find any quality applicants and/or suffer high turnover.
This country seriously needs to consider teaching “Common Sense 101” classes. It’s astounding how many people lack it these days
Locally the big money industry for those with mechanical skills is the oil industry. During one particular downturn in the oil field we literally had oil field workers knocking on our door asking if we were hiring. Our bosses tried hiring AC mechanics straight out of trade school and they turned down the job offer because of the pay compared to working at an AC service company. We have a few former oil field and AC service workers working with us. They took the pay cut because their previous job was just too physically demanding for their age and health. They said they wished they had come to work with us much earlier.
I have been in Hospital Facilities for over 22 years now. I started as a Locksmith for the Hospital. Over time the organization grew from a one hospital (240 bed) with two clinics and a couple medical office buildings, to a two hospital, (second hospital is a 24 bed rural hospital) one continuing care center with 75 beds, 15 unit clinic system and multiple medical office buildings. We have a total of 38 buildings that we own or lease.
It is difficult getting people to go into the profession. I think our pay is competitive though. I don't see as many people going into the trades as in the past.
For me I had a wide range background in the trades. At the hospital I learned all about boilers, chillers, air handlers, running a Physical Plant. I am a Certified Building Operator. Additionally I have my certification in Plant Operations. Over the time I have been at the hospital I became a Project Manager.
We changes our structure to a 5 level or range of Building Engineer. When I started everyone was on the same level and there was no room for growth. Once you topped out that was it for you. Then we switched to a two level department.
Maybe 5 years ago we changed it to a 5 level range. Building Engineer I thru V. Starting pay in our area is $22 and goes up to $52 for a Level 5. Yes I am in the 6 figure club now. In fact I have done quite a bit of Overtime this year so I am doing ok financially. That is why I don't see pay as the problem.
I’ve worked in the same hospital 21 years now. Work in the boiler room. Our department and building maintenance are having a hard time finding qualified people willing to work in a hospital with COVID-19 going on. It’s already hard finding qualified people willing to do the job with the shift work and pay compared to the pay for other mechanical related jobs locally. My view on this job is job security and a steady paycheck is better than a job with a large paycheck but prone to market swings (oil field). Maintenance has one basic maintenance position open for more than 6 months. Our department recently hired a new guy but we have one ready to retire and two of retirement age who have ongoing health problems (cancer on one and heart on another).
Hospitals are filled with jobs that don’t require medical degrees. Building maintenance, receiving inventory, patient transport, kitchen positions, secretaries, and housekeeping are all positions available without a medical degree. There are opportunities to move up from within. If you’re hired in housekeeping you can move up to other positions for higher pay.
Many hospitals by me have laid off non essential workers and put a hiring freeze in effect because the COVID-19 has put a crunch on their operating budget.
I have been in Hospital Facilities for over 22 years now. I started as a Locksmith for the Hospital. Over time the organization grew from a one hospital (240 bed) with two clinics and a couple medical office buildings, to a two hospital, (second hospital is a 24 bed rural hospital) one continuing care center with 75 beds, 15 unit clinic system and multiple medical office buildings. We have a total of 38 buildings that we own or lease.
It is difficult getting people to go into the profession. I think our pay is competitive though. I don't see as many people going into the trades as in the past.
For me I had a wide range background in the trades. At the hospital I learned all about boilers, chillers, air handlers, running a Physical Plant. I am a Certified Building Operator. Additionally I have my certification in Plant Operations. Over the time I have been at the hospital I became a Project Manager.
We changes our structure to a 5 level or range of Building Engineer. When I started everyone was on the same level and there was no room for growth. Once you topped out that was it for you. Then we switched to a two level department.
Maybe 5 years ago we changed it to a 5 level range. Building Engineer I thru V. Starting pay in our area is $22 and goes up to $52 for a Level 5. Yes I am in the 6 figure club now. In fact I have done quite a bit of Overtime this year so I am doing ok financially. That is why I don't see pay as the problem.
This is what a boiler operator at Ford motor company makes.
Base Pay plus benefits and a UAW job.
$76K - $82K
FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Boiler Operator
Detroit, MI
$63K-$124K (Glassdoor est.)
I have been in Hospital Facilities for over 22 years now. I started as a Locksmith for the Hospital. Over time the organization grew from a one hospital (240 bed) with two clinics and a couple medical office buildings, to a two hospital, (second hospital is a 24 bed rural hospital) one continuing care center with 75 beds, 15 unit clinic system and multiple medical office buildings. We have a total of 38 buildings that we own or lease.
It is difficult getting people to go into the profession. I think our pay is competitive though. I don't see as many people going into the trades as in the past.
For me I had a wide range background in the trades. At the hospital I learned all about boilers, chillers, air handlers, running a Physical Plant. I am a Certified Building Operator. Additionally I have my certification in Plant Operations. Over the time I have been at the hospital I became a Project Manager.
We changes our structure to a 5 level or range of Building Engineer. When I started everyone was on the same level and there was no room for growth. Once you topped out that was it for you. Then we switched to a two level department.
Maybe 5 years ago we changed it to a 5 level range. Building Engineer I thru V. Starting pay in our area is $22 and goes up to $52 for a Level 5. Yes I am in the 6 figure club now. In fact I have done quite a bit of Overtime this year so I am doing ok financially. That is why I don't see pay as the problem.
Our place divides maintenance and plant operations into separate departments. The plant operators have to be in the building at all times while maintenance is only there Monday-Friday in the day shift. Rest of the time us operators must try to take care of essential trouble calls that would usually go to maintenance. Our hospital is at least 10 stories tall and is ever expanding outward. We also have several other buildings tied to our energy management system. Been there 21 years and still discover things I never knew before. I enjoy that part of the job along with making the patients comfortable and safe. What I always find frustrating is when administrators and engineers plan a project either without our input or ignore our input which leads to larger problems in the future requiring more work to correct their mistakes. One current issue is our water softeners. They went with a cheap set up and are now having to figure out a way to run a large water supply line so contractors can come in and replace the isolation valves as well as the faulty control valves because the hospital went with a design we told them will begin to fail in less than 10 years. Cheap butterfly valves (isolation valves) and control valves with a light coating that wears away causing these valves to leak. There are better designs but they naturally cost more upfront, but they’re cheaper in the long run with less down time for routine service. They did the same with our boiler controls. We use to have an easy digital control system for setting operating pressures. Now we have a tiny dial that will change the pressure at the slighted touch of the dial making fine tuning extremely difficult.
This is what a boiler operator at Ford motor company makes.
Base Pay plus benefits and a UAW job.
$76K - $82K
FCA Fiat Chrysler Automobiles
Boiler Operator
Detroit, MI
$63K-$124K (Glassdoor est.)
I don’t know about that industry, but I find Indeed estimates in my industry to be wildly inaccurate. It’s like going by Zillow estimate to see what your house is worth, don’t waste your time.
But yes, union jobs generally pay well. That’s why the middle class was doing so much better 30, 40 years ago than it is now. I don’t begrudge them their salaries. How much are those CEOs making?
But if any company cannot find workers, they are simply not paying enough.
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