[SBE] HD plant construction engineer needed

[Henry M. Seiden]

Kelly,

Not commenting to the point you are making, but simply comparing labor  
cost here in South Florida (where some folks say everything is more  
expensive & I don't disagree), free lance engineering folks who have a  
fair amount of skill for cabling, and general installation are paid in  
that neighborhood- on a freelance basis, about $30./hr. That rate is  
similar to the building trades for skilled construction, though not  
that for journeymen electricians or plumbers. It hasn't changed in a  
while SFAIK.

Full time almost always includes benefits at the local TV stations and  
it's the law. Haven't hired any full time engineers at the station  
level for years, however. I would guess that here the pay rates have  
not kept pace with inflation, but have increased over the years. Many  
of the stations engineers here have de-certified the unions and had  
small increases but to what I do not know.

As to the point you are making about rates being different (or lower?)  
in one area than another, the bottom line is that technicians are not  
paid consistently throughout the country. It may be a respect issue, a  
necessary evil issue, or more likely, a perceived need issue. How  
important is the (SBE member) tech to the overall needs in the  
marketplace at the TV station level? How important are you  
individually? If your technical skills, training, or other skills are  
more vital, the history says then they will be more rewarded in any  
given area. This is the mantra of the SBE. Demonstrable skills  
(Certification programs, study, training, experience, etc.). It is not  
wrong.

There are also general constraints to what you can rise to salary-wise  
at any level, in any job, and many variables in one particular  
station's environment. The SBE mantra is about improving your  
individual skill set and moving within the existing structure.

Those that break the mold move way out of the strictly engineering  
domain, breaking the 'mold', and at some level their compensation is  
not measured against any skill set. I'm simply not going to go there  
and compare world leaders in an election year... But then maybe you're  
out of our league, boss, at least for awhile... Until the next  
election, merger, or baseball World Series.

;-)

Henry Seiden
On Oct 23, 2008, at 19:51 , Kelly Smail wrote:


> Well Henry,

> Here in Montana they pay close to $9.50 per hour. (McDonalds) to  

> start because people won't work for less unless they are hungry.

>

>   As a Student Member 8 years ago, I made $8.00 per hour plus $15.00  

> per for On-Call. Now a Freelancer, I don't leave the house for less  

> than $25 per hour Contracting. I do work for a local station for  

> $10.00 per Hour occasionally but they withhold taxes, carry  

> insurance, provide tools and equipment, and pay for training if I  

> need it. Big difference from having those expenses to carry on my own.

>

> Kelly Smail CBT

> http://www.kselectronics.org/

> kselectronics at hotmail.com

>

>

>

> From: ebukont at msn.com

> To: sbe at sbe.org

> Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 13:19:16 -0400

> Subject: Re: [SBE] HD plant construction engineer needed

>

> so you want an engineer familiar with construction for less than  

> McD.  Good luck.

>

>

>

> Edwin Bukont CSRE, DRB, CBNT

> Comm-Struction and Services LLC

> V- 410.879.5567 F- 410.272.5750 C- 240.417.2475

>

> ebukont at msn.com

> A Harris Broadcast Channel Partner

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> From: A9xw at cs.com

> Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 12:59:20 -0400

> To: sbe at sbe.org

> Subject: Re: [SBE] HD plant construction engineer needed

>

> MiD's pays minimum wage, $20 is more than 3 x minimum wage, flip  

> burgers, stand up in grease heat all day?  That somehow compares to  

> sitting in a room butting connectors on coax and xlr's for 3 x the  

> wage?  I don't think so. Look around, about a 1/4 million will lose  

> their jobs between now and Christmas. They;ll do your $80/hr job for  

> a lot less. This is not a bench tech, repair the transmitter, fix  

> the STL, figure out the IT issues job and you won't caugh out grease  

> from your lungs at the end of the day.

>

> Henry

>

>

>

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-- 
Henry M. Seiden
henry at techworkspro.com
Drag'n'Drop VCF card... Just drag and drop the attached .vcf card into  
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