Employee Wages!

[T.C.O.B.]

I am considering hiring a couple of employess. Can you educate me on postioning and pay rates.

Employee Hired: Pay Rate
Entry level to 1 Year experience $6.50
1-3 years experience $7.50
and so on.......
or
Maintenance Tech $6.50
Crew Lead $7.50
and so on.......
I know each area is different, I am in Florida, and any help in employee structuring or pay is appreciated.

Thanks!

[jaclawn]

WHy would I want to do hard labor outside in all weather conditions when I could work inside stocking shelves for $8/hr with no experience?

I think that you need to offer more $$$.

[LoneStarLawn]

jaclawn if your profile was filled out we could see your location and justify your answer. If your in Florida then you are correct. But if your not in Florida then you may be wrong. Markets vary from region to region..depends on where you are..Florida LCO's might have a better idea of the market. I don't live in Florida so I wouldn't know.

[T.C.O.B.]

Thanks Guys! I was only using the numbers as a reference to Position & Pay. Just like to know your pay rates for each position in your company, and how the positions are structured (Laborer, Leadman, Supervisor, ect..). I'll figure out the difference between cities for standard of living.

[mike48114]

in Florida (used to live there)
$7.50 labor
8.00 experiance
8.50 1 year at your place of employment
9.00 crew leader
and so on...

in Michigan and most of mid west whare i live now:
$8.00 labor
8.50 experiance
9.00 1 year at your place of employment
9.50 crew leader

[Runner]

Hey Mike, where abouts in Michigan are you?

[Runner]

I talked to one operator from my area, and he paid his guys 25% of the price he got for the job. In other words, if he sent a two man crew out, then they would split the 25%. The catch is, that he did not pay them any road time. Just actual job time.

[lawrence stone]

Twenty five percent of the gross is what you could pay the one man operator. You have got to remember that there is another 30% you have to pay on the 25% in workmans comp, fica and unemployment comp.

So your labor cost is 32.5% of the gross.

Now if you can keep the rest of the overhead to 17.5% that
one man crew is neting the contractor 50% of the gross.

Hey if a guy can mow $700 or $175 gross a day I say let him.

[landscaper3]

All areas are different, shop around and ask. Up here in Maine experinced lawn care without fertilizer licence makes $10.00hr to start with $12.50 to start. Construction landscaping $14hr and up and formans up to $20.00hr it all depends on your location.

[lawnMaster5000]

well i am paying experience $9
and my crew leader $12

here in st louis this is probably high pay but they do great work and i just relax at college all winter.

[chrisbolte]

I think Cincinnati is high
$8 for kids part time
12 for my crew leader 18 years old experience
$10 for people with experience

[jasonp]

I have not yet hired help but Im going to have to before long. Im going to start them out at 7.00 and if there a good worker move them up to 8.00 ,sometimes money doesnt matter if they are good worker because they are hard to find now days.

[turfman99]

I believe the Federal min wage is $ 6.75. You get what you pay for. In the Pacific Northwest:

Crew Memeber :( Basic laborer) Start at $ 8.00 tops at $ 9.50 after 2 years No drivers license required, but no advancement if you don't.

Foreman or Crew Leader Trainee: $ 10.00 to $ 11.00 after one year. Must speak, read write English fluently.Insurable Drivers license required

Crew Foreman :$ 11.50 to $ 14.00 after 2-3 years depending on experience.

All positions have skill levels that must be met to progress to the next pay step in that job classification.

All positions have full paid medical/dental coverage for the employee. Crew positions are full time, year round work. Uniform shirts, jackets, raingear provided. Never more than a 50 hour work week in season.

We have less than 15% turnover each year.

[SLC1]

Here, I can't even have anyone start for less than $9.50 and that is with only minimal experience. For guys with experience it is around $10.50-$12.00 that is not even crew leader pay. I know one company in town that has some guys on salary and other employees making up to $15 per hour.

[tpirobert]

I recently re-hired a helper at $10/hr. He had been making $8.50/hr 1 year ago. I would be very selective and pay more for the right person...with or without experience. A responsible, honest, mature, dedicated worker will make you money. Anybody else will be a headache and cost you money. It's taken about 10 years for me to accept this and stick to it. Realized I'm running a business and not a social agency.

[LJ lawn]

i too feel like i should be paid by uncle sam(sham) to run a social service/rehab clinic. can't find anyone to work,let alone WANTS to work.these helpers aren't worth squat.does'nt matter if i payed them $20/hr.they ain'y worth it.

[LoneStarLawn]

Originally posted by turfman99
I believe the Federal min wage is $ 6.75.



its $5.15...

Hey Stone isn't FICA included in pay....they used to take it out of my check...did the business have to pay extra for each employee for FICA?

[Edited by LoneStarLawn on 10-17-2000 at 02:29 AM]

[Runner]

My biggest problem was guys that would work for a few weeks, take a few days off,(maybe a week or so) and show back up rarin' to work again when they need a few more bucks in their pocket. And Lord FORBID if I ever loaned them a little ahead of time to help out. Sound familiar to anyone?

[lawrence stone]

The employee pays half the employer matches the other half.

Self employed get to pay the entire 15%.

[Lawn Cruiser]

I pay my 1 helper $8.00 an hour he is 15 years old has worked for me for 2 years and can do as well at the cutting of the lawns as I can. The only draw back is he is not old enough to drive and even if he was I don't know that I would trust him driving my 1 ton truck and pulling the trailer.

[lawnboy]

Did you guys know that it is illegal to hire workers under the age of 18? I read a lot of your writings and many of you are not following the law. I don't want do sound like a mom, but if one of those kids gets hurt it is your butt. This law applies to all kids under the age of 18 using machinery.

spence