Disney Hourly Salaries

[LAS2AMS]

These jobs aren't meant to be a career. they are jobs. And they pay over minimum wage. That is awesome! If you want ridiculous, think about teachers getting $34,000 a year with a master's degree (this is as good as it gets where I teach)! That is crazy. Not working at a ride at Disney world!

This is a frivolous argument.

First off, let's get off the "teachers are underpaid" bandwagon.
1) Teachers work just 180 days per year (many even fewer, depending on sick days). That means they work 3 fewer months than the average worker. Of course, they'll get summer off as well as weeks surrounding major holidays.
2) While starting pay can be low, the mean starting salary of a teacher with a graduate degree is about $50K, increasing to $65K mid-career.
3) Teachers enjoy generous state benefits. The average while-collar worker pays $14K/year for mid-tier family medical & dental benefits. Teachers? Just $1K.
4) Most teachers are eligible for retirement after 30 years. In my state, the pension is about $40K annually and the state pays nearly all medical & dental insurance costs (prior to 65, then medicare reimbursement after 65).

Definitely not the "underpaid" gig most want us to believe! Oh, BTW, these are national figures. I live in the Midwest, and a teacher with a master's degree & 20 years experience generally earns $80K. Last fall my local newspaper ran a story revealing that several hundred teachers in my metro area banked over $100K in 2014. Not bad for an underpaid gig that requires only 180 days a year!

 

[Madteaparty001]

Not bad for an underpaid gig that requires only 180 days a year

I'm just going to be a bit nit picky about this statement here. Most teachers are required to come into work early and stay late (so the hours are longer than usually perceived). Then they take work home with them to have it ready for the next day. Then they do even more work on the weekend. Think about how long it takes to write a paper, now think how long it takes a teacher to read and grade the paper times 25 students times 6 classes. That leaves no 'off time' during the school year. So if we do the math for 3 months for summer that's about 91 days. If you take all the Saturdays and Sundays in the year that's about 104 days (if my math is correct). So teachers actually get less time off. I've also known many teachers to use their summer to plan the lesson plans for next year.

Sorry to be off topic, I just wanted to dispel a too long running myth.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Ok...might I suggest that we get off the teacher debate here?

After the last 7 years in New Jersey...I can attest that this is going NOWHERE.

Just cut the head off this snake before it bites you, please.

 

[Polybound]

I get emails occasionally from glassdoor.com, a website for job hunters. Once you sign up (for a free 10 day trial; it then wants some coin from you to continue) it provides information on jobs, companies, salaries, etc.

I recently got an email from them listing jobs at Disney. Here is a partial list (the first line is the job description; the second are the number of jobs available at all US Disney parks; the third is the average salary; the fourth and fifth are the salary range for that job). These can be found at https://www.glassdoor.com/Salary/Di...utm_campaign=watch-n&utm_content=wat-n-salary:

Attractions Host - Hourly
85 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$9.47/hr
$8
$13

Disney College Program Intern - Hourly
81 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$8.70/hr
$7
$11

Attractions Cast Member - Hourly
69 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$9.31/hr
$8
$13

Professional Intern - Hourly
68 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$16.62/hr
$8
$23

Character Performer - Hourly
33 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$10.24/hr
$8
$13

Guest Relations Cast Member - Hourly
24 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$11.39/hr
$10
$12

Senior Financial Analyst
24 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$76,837
$61k
$94k

Cast Member - Hourly
22 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$8.55/hr
$8
$10

Merchandise Hostess - Hourly
19 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$8.61/hr
$8
$10

Attractions Cast Member Intern - Hourly
17 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$9.06/hr
$8
$12

Quick Service Food and Beverage Cashier - Hourly
17 Disney Parks & Resorts Salaries
$10.25/hr
$8
$14

Just a few comments on this list: first, people willingly take these jobs for the salaries offered. Work is work, and I'm sure many appreciate an opportunity to work. And I suspect, at least in the Orlando area, that similar rates likely are in effect at the other parks as well.

Second, and that said, I'm appalled that any company that reports billions of profit per quarter, and ones prices across the board, can't afford to raise these up a few bucks here and there. I mean, a Merchandise Hostess max is $10 an hour, or $20,800 annually (40 hours per week x 52 weeks). That's about $5K above the Federal minimum, not that great. Could you live on $20K a year?

Third, anyone know what is a "Professional Intern"? Seems an odd job description.

Sorry for the mini rant here - but the disparity between CEO pay (and bonuses) and those at the bottom really is outrageous these days.

First. Disney wouldn't be worth Billions for very long if they raised salaries the way you're suggesting.
Second. Prices would go through the roof, because they're not going to eat it.
Third. No one is required to work there. They can go and find a better job.
Forth. The vast majority of Disney jobs are low skill. They're not designed to feed a family on.
Fifth. If the economy was good and the demand for quality labor was high, salaries would go up. It's
a simple matter of supply and demand. It's not though, the economy stinks and there's been nothing but
downward pressure on wages.
Sixth. Iger has earned and deserves every penny. People need to learn a skill that's in demand and find a real
career, instead of complaining and barking up the wrong tree at the ballot box.

 

[Josh Hendy]

Fifth. If the economy was good and the demand for quality labor was high, salaries would go up. It's
a simple matter of supply and demand. It's not though, the economy stinks and there's been nothing but downward pressure on wages.

This I agree with.

People need to learn a skill that's in demand and find a real career, instead of complaining.

Right now the economy is so bad, and is manipulated in such an evil, destructive way that even learning a skill that's in demand is sometimes not helpful. A friend of mine who is a skilled professional has just been put out of business because of regulatory B.S. that prevents her from practicing on one side of a provincial boundary. She can't just write an exam or pay a licensing fee. She would have to do 4 years of school and internships before the evil clowns who have appointed themselves in charge of "job protection" would let her practice. And this is an experienced pro with a long list of clients.

As for complaining ... there's not much else that people can do! The real problems are caused at a level higher than Disney's rank in the scheme of things. People like Iger are guilty to some degree, in that highly intelligent businesspeople should be capable of understanding the causes of the terrible economy and commenting on it and doing something about it. But Iger is only a tool of the poor schleps managing investment funds who have no choice but to try to squeeze every penny out of their investments right now, with practically no regard for long term financial health.

Better than complaining is for everyone to try to educate themselves, in a careful and very skeptical way. And to call B.S. whenever you see it ... especially the B.S. that is shoveled on them from the highest levels of authority and punditry.

Thanks for listening!

 

[Tom P.]

I'm just going to be a bit nit picky about this statement here. Most teachers are required to come into work early and stay late (so the hours are longer than usually perceived). Then they take work home with them to have it ready for the next day. Then they do even more work on the weekend. Think about how long it takes to write a paper, now think how long it takes a teacher to read and grade the paper times 25 students times 6 classes. That leaves no 'off time' during the school year. So if we do the math for 3 months for summer that's about 91 days. If you take all the Saturdays and Sundays in the year that's about 104 days (if my math is correct). So teachers actually get less time off. I've also known many teachers to use their summer to plan the lesson plans for next year.

Sorry to be off topic, I just wanted to dispel a too long running myth.

This argument only makes sense if you're assuming that teaching is the only profession where more than 40 hours per week is required. I am in the IT field, and I guarantee you a whole lot of IT professionals are working nights and weekends to get the job done, and they don't get 3 months off in the summer.

 

[Maineiak]

...Most teachers are required to come into work early and stay late (so the hours are longer than usually perceived). Then they take work home with them to have it ready for the next day. Then they do even more work on the weekend...

Welcome to the real world/private sector (and my mom was a career teacher).

 

[Polybound]

This I agree with.



Right now the economy is so bad, and is manipulated in such an evil, destructive way that even learning a skill that's in demand is sometimes not helpful. A friend of mine who is a skilled professional has just been put out of business because of regulatory B.S. that prevents her from practicing on one side of a provincial boundary. She can't just write an exam or pay a licensing fee. She would have to do 4 years of school and internships before the evil clowns who have appointed themselves in charge of "job protection" would let her practice. And this is an experienced pro with a long list of clients.

As for complaining ... there's not much else that people can do! The real problems are caused at a level higher than Disney's rank in the scheme of things. People like Iger are guilty to some degree, in that highly intelligent businesspeople should be capable of understanding the causes of the terrible economy and commenting on it and doing something about it. But Iger is only a tool of the poor schleps managing investment funds who have no choice but to try to squeeze every penny out of their investments right now, with practically no regard for long term financial health.

Better than complaining is for everyone to try to educate themselves, in a careful and very skeptical way. And to call B.S. whenever you see it ... especially the B.S. that is shoveled on them from the highest levels of authority and punditry.

Thanks for listening!

l Agree with just about everything here. Very insightful. However, Iger's primary job responsibility is to look out for their stockholders. The tax burdens and regulations that the Government is assaulting the business environment with, is handicapping US Corporations like Disney and their ability to expand. The lack of expansion nation wide has resulted in a downward pressure on wages. Cheap money supplied by the Fed. has caused most large corporations into the Financial Markets and what ever it takes for Disney to make a buck is Iger's primary responsibility.

 

[Madteaparty001]

This argument only makes sense if you're assuming that teaching is the only profession where more than 40 hours per week is required. I am in the IT field, and I guarantee you a whole lot of IT professionals are working nights and weekends to get the job done, and they don't get 3 months off in the summer.

So because you chose a career where you are not happy with the amount of time off you have teachers don't deserve the time off that a majority of other 40 hr/week jobs get?

Welcome to the real world/private sector (and my mom was a career teacher).

I don't understand the point of this comment. I pointed out that they receive summers off because they put in so many hours, I never said they shouldn't have to do that.

 

[jwo1976]

This is a frivolous argument.

First off, let's get off the "teachers are underpaid" bandwagon.
1) Teachers work just 180 days per year (many even fewer, depending on sick days). That means they work 3 fewer months than the average worker. Of course, they'll get summer off as well as weeks surrounding major holidays.
2) While starting pay can be low, the mean starting salary of a teacher with a graduate degree is about $50K, increasing to $65K mid-career.
3) Teachers enjoy generous state benefits. The average while-collar worker pays $14K/year for mid-tier family medical & dental benefits. Teachers? Just $1K.
4) Most teachers are eligible for retirement after 30 years. In my state, the pension is about $40K annually and the state pays nearly all medical & dental insurance costs (prior to 65, then medicare reimbursement after 65).

Definitely not the "underpaid" gig most want us to believe! Oh, BTW, these are national figures. I live in the Midwest, and a teacher with a master's degree & 20 years experience generally earns $80K. Last fall my local newspaper ran a story revealing that several hundred teachers in my metro area banked over $100K in 2014. Not bad for an underpaid gig that requires only 180 days a year!

I know I'll catch heat for this but I have to agree with you. I have a degree in mechanical engineering. (where I went to school a bachelors degree require about 130 credit hours, to get a bachelors in engineering it required 155 credit hours, atleast 1 full additional year) Where I live the automotive industry is getting big. A "good" salary in this industry if you work for one of the suppliers is $55K - $65K. No overtime and only 10 days of vacation. The salary is only slightly higher if you work for the OEM. Secondly these jobs usually require about 60 hours per week with a lot of Saturday work. You are not paid overtime nor comp time, and there is no such thing as job security. All of this with 10 years of experience.

 

[Madame]

Teachers don't choose the schedule . I'll gladly work summers and spring break etc, but I'm going to have to get paid to do it...

I'm not paid for Christmas, spring break or summer break. Money is scooped off my paycheque (my take-home when I first started teaching was a joke) & paid to me over periods when I am not working.

Educational assistants have it worse here. They are not paid over these periods either, but can collect unemployment. The kicker? They are not allowed to leave the country *at all* during these periods. No trips to the US, Mexico to heat up on winter break, nothing & these folks are *not* well paid. Neither group is ever allowed to take a vacation during the school year & in fact must pay for a Dr's note if off ill the Friday before a vacation period...

So I'll work year round with 2 weeks off a year, but I don't make up the school schedule.

 

[cbsnyber1]

First. Disney wouldn't be worth Billions for very long if they raised salaries the way you're suggesting.
Second. Prices would go through the roof, because they're not going to eat it.
Third. No one is required to work there. They can go and find a better job.
Forth. The vast majority of Disney jobs are low skill. They're not designed to feed a family on.
Fifth. If the economy was good and the demand for quality labor was high, salaries would go up. It's
a simple matter of supply and demand. It's not though, the economy stinks and there's been nothing but
downward pressure on wages.
Sixth. Iger has earned and deserves every penny. People need to learn a skill that's in demand and find a real
career, instead of complaining and barking up the wrong tree at the ballot box.

To your points:

First, if you read through this thread, raising every employee's salary by $2 an hour would cost Disney all of 2.4% of their current profit. They could raise hourly salaries for every employee this minute and Disney would not even miss it.

Yes, they pay market rate. But it does not make it right. "They're not designed to feed a family on"? What does that even mean? People should starve to death to work for Disney?

And don't get me started on Iger's salary. He earned $1,010, 284 in 2015 - for "personal air travel", "security", and "other". That personal air travel - $277,489 - was just that - the cost to jet him and his family to wherever; it was not business travel. The "other" cost was $49,550 for fitness, stress management, and to help him pay for the legal fees incurred to negotiate his employment contract. In other words, they paid him the equivalent of two and a half low paid employee's annual salaries to cover legal fees to get himself millions and to keep him healthy. And this million bucks was in addition to his salary, bonus, and stock options - $44,913,614 in 2015.

This is all available at https://ditm-twdc-us.storage.googleapis.com/2016-Proxy-Statement.pdf - the Disney official proxy statement (filed with the SEC) for 2015.

Answer me one question: why does one person deserve 2,159 times the salary of the lowest paid person in the company, when both have jobs that are expected to contribute to the profit of the company?

 

[Polybound]

To your points:

First, if you read through this thread, raising every employee's salary by $2 an hour would cost Disney all of 2.4% of their current profit. They could raise hourly salaries for every employee this minute and Disney would not even miss it.

Yes, they pay market rate. But it does not make it right. "They're not designed to feed a family on"? What does that even mean? People should starve to death to work for Disney?

And don't get me started on Iger's salary. He earned $1,010, 284 in 2015 - for "personal air travel", "security", and "other". That personal air travel - $277,489 - was just that - the cost to jet him and his family to wherever; it was not business travel. The "other" cost was $49,550 for fitness, stress management, and to help him pay for the legal fees incurred to negotiate his employment contract. In other words, they paid him the equivalent of two and a half low paid employee's annual salaries to cover legal fees to get himself millions and to keep him healthy. And this million bucks was in addition to his salary, bonus, and stock options - $44,913,614 in 2015.

This is all available at https://ditm-twdc-us.storage.googleapis.com/2016-Proxy-Statement.pdf - the Disney official proxy statement (filed with the SEC) for 2015.

Answer me one question: why does one person deserve 2,159 times the salary of the lowest paid person in the company, when both have jobs that are expected to contribute to the profit of the company?

Does LaBron James deserve what he's being paid? Does Jordan Spieth deserve a Million Dollars for 4 days of work on a golf course at age 21? The major stock holders and Board of Director's of Disney Corporation, who are a whole lot smarter than either one of us sure think so.

 

[cbsnyber1]

Does LaBron James deserve what he's being paid? Does Jordan Spieth deserve a Million Dollars for 4 days of work on a golf course at age 21? The major stock holders and Board of Director's of Disney Corporation, who are a whole lot smarter than either one of us sure think so.

Are they leaders of major corporations? How many people do they employ?

 

[cbsnyber1]

I have no problem with corporations paying their leaders (don't forget - they pay big bucks also to the CEO of Disney, the corporate controller, Head of Finance, and others) in stock options. If the stock goes up, they get paid. What bothers me is they sometimes do things to drive up that stock price that hurt those at the bottom: low wages, restricted hours, layoffs, reduced benefits. If you read these boards, service at Disney has deteriorated over the years - it is not at the level it once was. Entry level people had pride in their work. They believed in the magic they helped create. That seems to be declining along with the decline in respect they are being shown by top management these days.

 

[Polybound]

Are they leaders of major corporations? How many people do they employ?

Doesn't matter.

 

[Tom P.]

So because you chose a career where you are not happy with the amount of time off you have teachers don't deserve the time off that a majority of other 40 hr/week jobs get?



I don't understand the point of this comment. I pointed out that they receive summers off because they put in so many hours, I never said they shouldn't have to do that.

I'm sorry, but this entire post reveals a fundamental disconnect in your view of how the typical private sector job works. If you think that a majority of people in professional positions are only putting in 40 hours per week, and that teachers having the summer off equates to the time off those people in 'normal' jobs get, you do not understand the way the private sector works.

Again, I'm talking about professionals here -- people whose careers require education and training comparable to, or more than, that required by teachers and who make a respectable salary. The majority of such jobs do not entail a 9-5 schedule, but instead require the same immense number of 'extra' hours that you mention teachers have to put in. It goes with the territory, and it is expected of people in professional positions of all types. And yet, no summers off. To argue that teachers do not receive a great deal more time off than other professionals because of the 'extra' hours they put in is, I'm sorry, just plain wrong.

 

[Tom P.]

Answer me one question: why does one person deserve 2,159 times the salary of the lowest paid person in the company, when both have jobs that are expected to contribute to the profit of the company?

How many other people could do the job that Bob Iger does at Disney, and do it effectively? How many other people could do the job that the lowest paid person in the company does, and do it effectively? Answer that honestly, and you have the answer to your question.

 

[Maineiak]

Answer me one question: why does one person deserve 2,159 times the salary of the lowest paid person in the company, when both have jobs that are expected to contribute to the profit of the company?

Both have jobs expected to contribute to the profit of the company, however, the lowest paid person is 1) NOT responsible for the health, welfare and well-being of literally tens of thousands of employees, 2) NOT personally liable for a number of elements facing the company (i.e. fiduciary liability), 3) NOT expected to be on call 24/7, 4) NOT expected to have the in-depth understanding of all facets of the organization...

Shall I continue?

 

[Maineiak]

Again, I'm talking about professionals here -- people whose careers require education and training comparable to, or more than, that required by teachers and who make a respectable salary. The majority of such jobs do not entail a 9-5 schedule, but instead require the same immense number of 'extra' hours that you mention teachers have to put in. It goes with the territory, and it is expected of people in professional positions of all types. And yet, no summers off. To argue that teachers do not receive a great deal more time off than other professionals because of the 'extra' hours they put in is, I'm sorry, just plain wrong.

Thanks for responding to Madteaparty001's question of "I don't understand the point of [my] comment" for me. Very well put.