Engineering wages

The best way to get more pay is to just switch jobs. It doesn't matter what your "proof" is, if you show to work and say pay me 25% more, I'm worth it it's just not going to happen.

I don't know what the wage scale is for Chem-Es, but remember that he's only worth what someone ELSE will pay him. Since he doesn't have a degree, that might not be all he's really worth to the company. If he's not going to leave there isn't any reason to pay more.

That ain't partcually remarkable. In electronics for example, if you optimise the BOM cost of a product by $1 on a run of 100,000 you've saved $100,000. Trivial really.

Sounds like just your average practical engineering job. Nothing special there really, sorry to tell you.

You are misunderstanding how the business and engineering world's actually work I think.

No such thing as a wage scale in professional engineering really. But that sort of money would be fairly typical for a practical engineering job, regardless of qualifications, or how valuable you think you might be to the company.

You typically only get a large pay rise by changing companies to one that pays more from the outset. If you simply ask for more at your current job, regardless of how valuable you actually are too them, they will often talk you down or out of it completely. Sometimes threatening to leave also works, but you have to be incredibly valuable and be willing to have your bluff called.

But in any event there generally isn't a lot of money in practical engineering, it's a simple as that. There are exceptions like say in the mining industry here in Australia for example. If you want say double that amount you have to be very lucky, maybe in a niche under resourced market, or move into managment or some other area that generally pays more. If you want to get paid directly for the results you achieve for a company then you generally have to be on some commision system like in sales.

Dave.

Actually he was about to move to another factory in another state with the same company and a $35,000 wage increase, but this didn't happen, I ddin't get the details. Mike

I never said he didn't have a degree, he got his Chemical engineering degree from University of Florida, then went to Auburn University for his post doctorate. Mike

I reread my original post and see where I worded that a little strange. "He did not just get a degree, he learned his craft" Sorry for the confusion. Mike

Hi guys, So the answer is, move to a higher paying job or bluff that you will. Thanks, Mike

You are only worth what it cost to replace you.

Tom

In my observation over 20 years in my company, bluffing has always been called. Do not threaten to leave if you do not mean it.

not counting cost of living, that would be one hell of a raise if it worked out!

this is an awesome quote.

Absolutely! This isn't a place to play around, you might not even get the chance to quit. If he's not happy where he is (salary is part of "happy"), find another job and leave and don't take a bribe to stay. Make it clean.

When I took my current job, I was asked if once the job was offered, would I accept a better offer from my (then) current employer. No, they already had the chance. I followed that with, "but the same applies to any future positions". Once I decide to leave, it's too late (so make sure I never want to leave ;-).

Except that management doesn't usually take all those costs into consideration. Your "worth" is diminished by that amount.

Exactly. And some management will always play hard ball regardless of the detrimental cost to them in terms of projects delays or whatever if someone leaves. They would rather lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in revenue and delays or whatever just to prove that nobody is expendable, that's how most big companies work. Many would rather see you leave than give you even a meager pay rise, regardless of how valuable you are to them. The only leverage you have over an employer is a threat to leave, and if they don't care then you ain't worth a dime extra!

Dave.

I second that. The other problem with having your bluff called is that you will lose money (short term) if you have to leave and spend time looking for another job. So it's almost always better to simply find a better and/or higher paying job first and then leave.

Dave.

No, threatening to leave is a bad move. Your only leverage is to find someone that will make you happier. They're not family. It's a job.

This is only an uncle asking these questions, he is happy with his position. I was just disappointed that he isn't earning more. Mike

So you're trying to undermine his happiness. Got it. ;-)

Seriously, I don't think he's doing that badly, salary wise. Of course I don't know what the market is like for Chem-Es (likely pretty rough right now, like everything else). There are likely salary surveys for his specialty on the web. You might check that out. Bottom line, if he likes the job and the people, he's fine.

Please don't top-post.

now,

ty on

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