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I've been working for my buddies construction company for about a year now. When I first started I had just gotten laid off and needed work. So I took a job basically just doing the books, had 0 experience in accounting or construction, so I was slow and my boss kind of needed to watch over me for a bit.
Now, I still mainly doing the accounting (we hired someone to transfer our books to another accounting software, she said the books looked MUCH better after I had taken over) payroll admin, and office management.
I also: Maintain and build new pages on our website, advertising, maintain our fleet of vehicles, handle some of the bosses personal bills and accounts while hes away, run errands, communicate with our vendors/clients/project managers....few other things but that is the gist of it. Basically in his own words, I have allowed him to almost never be in the office and instead look for more work for our company (which he is OUTSTANDING at) meet with potential clients, and even get off early so he can play beach volleyball with his friends. I also use my own car for work (although I do charge .50 a mile) and also use my personal cell phone for work which I have not charged for.
I would hope that the fact that I am never late, have called in sick once, (Actually worked from home that day) willing to do anything he throws at me without any help (Example: we did a couple of public jobs, so it was up to me to make sure our insurance limits were good, classify our labor and certify our payroll, apply for payments, etc...) willing to work late and meeting tight deadlines, and am pretty constantly under pressure from all angles.
I have a BA in sociology, I have ALWAYS had a job, even while taking 16 units in college. I have nothing but a great work history. I've had jobs since I was 10. My boss and I are good friends, however he is a business man and I respect that. (He actually somewhat reminds me of my father)
So what do you all think is a fair wage? Considering: My location, will not ask for benefits as long as I can get a fair wage instead, experience, reliability...
Thank you for any thoughts/opinions you have to offer.
SB is expensive. It's tough because you are jack of all trades, and master of a few. I really don't know I haven't worked in CA in 9 years. Having you tried glassdoor to get an ideas?
There are a few ways to look at it. you are obviously doing more than when you first got the job. It also sounds as though the work you are doing is more valueable than when you first started. you should look at www.salary.com/ and see what comperable wages are for the type of jobs you do and then take an average of the jobs.
Yep, employees are like houses, what your worth is whatever someone feels your worth. One employer may say your worth $34 an hour due to your skills and personality, another may think minimum wage is too much for you. Also, you worth is partially dictated by your like workers, if they are willing to settle for low wages, they just dragged down your worth in an employers eyes.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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An accountant makes good pay, but you are not an accountant. Just entering data into a program like quickbooks does not take an accountant. Everything else you do is somewhat above minimum wage range, sort of an administrative/gopher. It sounds like the employer may be taking advantage of your enthusiasm and willingness to take on additional duties but you are not really acquiring transferable skills. Think about what that jumble of duties would look like on a resume. In that area I would expect you to be making $18-20/hour, but even at $25 I would suggest looking for something that offers you more of a future growth opportunity where you can really learn a job and have a promotional path.
This may be true, but oftentimes what somebody pays you, and what they're willing to pay you are two different things. 99.999% of the time they are paying the bare minimum they think is necessary to keep you working for them. One way to test that theory it to find another job and put in your notice. Only then will you find out your true worth. But of course you will need to be prepared for them to call your bluff.
This may be true, but oftentimes what somebody pays you, and what they're willing to pay you are two different things. 99.999% of the time they are paying the bare minimum they think is necessary to keep you working for them. One way to test that theory it to find another job and put in your notice. Only then will you find out your true worth. But of course you will need to be prepared for them to call your bluff.
Hence, you are only worth what someone is willing to pay you. You can only increase your worth by finding a better paying job. In times of recession, or labor surplus, your "worth" can decrease. There are an awful lot of people these days who feel they are worth +$20/hr, although the market would dictate otherwise.
Perhaps a better question to ask would be... How much money can someone make off my time? Some employers are more capable of utilizing a worker to their full potential, while another may only require some of the skills a worker has to offer. The market may dictate that there is limited opportunity to capitalize on the full potential of the company's workforce. Being that the OP is working for a construction company, and many of those companies are facing steep competition and limited opportunity for work, profit margins are likely rather slim. I would expect that to effect what the company is able to pay the OP. "Worth" and what the company can afford may not converge in the middle.
I've been working for my buddies construction company for about a year now ...basically just doing the books
Now, I still mainly doing the accounting (we hired someone to transfer our books to another accounting software, she said the books looked MUCH better after I had taken over) payroll admin, and office management.
I also: Maintain and build new pages on our website, advertising, maintain our fleet of vehicles, handle some of the bosses personal bills and accounts while hes away, run errands, communicate with our vendors/clients/project managers....few other things but that is the gist of it.
So what do you all think is a fair wage?
The first $8/hour (in any job) allows one to compete with the best that McDonalds could hire.
The next $4/hour (in any job) is about demonstrated reliability and basic competence.
The following $3/hour is about trust, longevity and some increased competencies.
Getting beyond the $15/hr level is about making money for the company.
The first $8/hour (in any job) allows one to compete with the best that McDonalds could hire.
The next $4/hour (in any job) is about demonstrated reliability and basic competence.
The following $3/hour is about trust, longevity and some increased competencies.
Getting beyond the $15/hr level is about making money for the company.
Wow, I couldn't have said it better myself I never cracked $15/hr until I was completely confident I was capable of making someone money. Before that, I was merely an investment.
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I never cracked $15/hr until I was completely confident I was capable of making someone money. Before that, I was merely an investment.
