What are you worth?

[trooper55]

Just a questions for people that have been in this feild longer then me. I have only been doing cnc oporating/programing for about 2 months now and i get 12 an hour witch sucks in my opionion.

List of duites
I Maintain, run, and program everything for our cnc router we are a sign company so i do some 3d but mostly 2d work with wood, plastic, and alum. I manage our invintory back here or the router department (one cnc router) i also do all the building matinence and Im the head of safety. They gave me a dollar an hour raise from 11 witch is what i made when i was just doing sign fab.

I guess im more or less complaining but just woundering if 12 an hour is realy worth all this

[JROM]

Where are you? It kind of depends on where you are and how well your company is doing? Walk out in the parking lot and scope out the owners car.
If he is driving a high end car you should ask for more money.
In Southern Ca. where I'm at a good programer gets between 25 and 35 an hour depending on how high pressure the job is and how hard the work is. The harder the work the less guys can do it, the more you make. It's a food chain and the best make it to the top.

[Geof]

....Walk out in the parking lot and scope out the owners car. If he is driving a high end car you should ask for more money....

No, that means he has spent everything on the car and you are out of luck . If he is driving a clunker ask for more because he is just stashing it in the bank.

Your question is answered in this thread.

What is the average hourly pay for cnc operators in your state

[trooper55]

ya i read through that post. I guess i just didnt get a clear answer from it. I do alot more then just run and program. Like Ill be on the road sat to take down a sign with my boss. so im just kinda up in the air weather or not to ask for more money.

thanks for the replys

[Switcher]

I have only been doing cnc oporating/programing for about 2 months now and i get 12 an hour witch sucks in my opionion.

Only 2 months, & a dollar raise? Thats not bad.

I searched www.monster.com just to see how many job hits for "cnc - La Crosse Wi " the result was "0.000" (not good).

The more jobs in an area the better the pay.




.

[trooper55]

well no i have worked there for about 6 months and have gone up 4 dollors an hour i started as a fab assistant. Granted i have a great wealth of knowledge on fab, and i know a thing or two about cad and cnc basics. I guess i feel like i work very hard for only 12 an hour. And there are quite a few jobs for cnc around the lacrosse area just not on monster people around wi dont know what to do with computer job posting lol.

I guess its just frustrating know that i doubled the production output of that machine from what the guy that had been running it for 2 years had been doing, that and i got a weeks worth or training from him yet i was able to step in and run the machine with out help from others (due to no one else in the place know how to run it) with little to no errors. Ii have organized everything for easy to read and use from for others to look at what i have done, via jobs cut what materials used, and what date it was done basically cataloging my work.

I just want to thank everyone for there opinions. I guess im just trying to find out if there is a future in this line of work or not. I want to learn a trade that i like. I love running cnc machines, grated i wish we had a mill there

Thanks again.
Rory

[Caprirs]

I'll be the rain on your parade.

I think that job isn't worth much. The reason is it's not very precise and isn't really much of a "machinist" position. Tolerances are wide open compared to conventional machine shop practice. Materials are easy to cut. As you said, most is 2D.

You personally may have skills that are worth more, but the specific job may only be worth what you're making. If you were pushing carts at Walmart (no matter how well you pushed those carts), you'd only make minimum wage. If you ran titanium compressor blades on a 5 axis mill, you'd make $35/hr. You might be worth more, but not necessarily at your company.

A way to gauge your worth might be to determine the hourly shop rate your company charges to make signs. If they quote projects based on $25-$30/hr, then your pay is in line with the shops income. If they are billing at $60/hr, then you should probably be making more.

[trooper55]

I bill out at 65$ an hour right now with the machine i run. And Im more then happy to be rained on. I know i don't hold tight tolerances kinda depressing for me ( i like to push my self on my ability's.)

[Chuck Reamer]

i have worked there for about 6 months and have gone up 4 dollors an hour i started as a fab assistant.

Thats more of a wage increase than I got in a 3 year apprenticeship, with 2 years of college before that. I was doing real machine work, CNC mill programing, heat treating, grinding, milling, turning, cylindrical grinding, stamping die trouble shooting and repair, rotational molds, machine maintenance, and sheet metal fabrication.

Your position is not a high paying position even if you do bust your a$$ and double production.

Sorry about bursting your bubble, hey $4 in 6 months is sweet think of what will happen in the next couple of years you may be running the whole place.

[dertsap]

Your position is not a high paying position even if you do bust your a$$ and double production.

Sorry about bursting your bubble, hey $4 in 6 months is sweet think of what will happen in the next couple of years you may be running the whole place.

i couldn t agree more , obviously your boss sees your worth investing into ,and it is exactly that , an investment
your boss knows what the guys are doing and anyone who is bright and ambitious will move further faster than the guys who say "ah its just a job" .
in general a company will treat its employees as good as the employees treat it , especially when its layoff time
with patience time and the right attitude youll move along quickly and the money will come

word of advice dont worry about what the other guys are making and never tell anyone what your making , you never want to give the other guy the edge that will keep you dragged down , he will try to use it against the boss when he wants more money , ultimately it will work against you

[trooper55]

thanks for the advice. Everyone just trying to get a feel for this place and what its going to do. and dont worry i dont have any bubbles lol. Well i do have this to say its sat and im done with work and now i have th shop to my self to paint my bike so its not all bad.

[cnc metalcraft]

Ya give it time i started a fry cook at $9 hour and now a year later 14 so give it more time ones you get a year under your belt then you will be worth real money to some one