Is my DH earning an appropriate salary?

[okeydokey]

My DH has a master's degree in a science related field and his salary is not as high as your DH's. We do get health insurance which we pay a part of and they pay a part of.

 

[ColoradoMom!!]

Wow - it is tough. Hubby has a BA in Civil Engineering - structures, but without his PE (professional engineering) license, it is tough to find a good paying job. We went from a $60,000 + annual salary working for LA Dept. of Public Works in 1994 to a $42,000 private job (and that was with his BA and PE) just to get back to Colorado. Thankfully he has changed jobs since then, and is earning much more.

But heck, I am an unemployed school teacher, so anyone earning more than $35,000 seems great to me. I have a BA + enough extra hours to make it a Master's just to keep my license - which I have to pay for in addition to the tuition required to renew.

 

[LilBlackSheep]

He drives a company vehicle that we do not pay maintenance, fuel or insurance on. All expenses during travel are paid for with a company cc.

That's a HUGE benefit right there.

 

[cocodog]

I think for an AA degree only, he is doing well.

 

[patsal]

Excellent salary for someone with an AA and his experience.

 

[fkj2]

As an aside, even if your husband considered quitting and/or starting his own firm, he'd have to look closely at his contract with the company. Ohio is a difficult state to fight non compete restrictions in, and he may find himself limited in future job prospects, especially since it sounds as though his present firm has extensive geographical boundaries.

 

[tink2dw]

My Dh a nurse has been unemployed for 2 years!! We are at the point that we may need to move so he can get a job!! We have $3000.00 left. So. after Christmas we have to decide what to do?

 

[Kay1]

If only they provided health insurance it would be fantastic.

 

[disney1990]

Why no health benefits??? I think legally if he works over 20 hrs he should be offered insurance. We have our employees sign a waiver if they don't want it so as not to be fined later, we are in Ohio as well. I think the salary is also good for this area with an associate degree and a 6% match is GOOD.

I don't know about Ohio, but in Maryland there is no legal obligation to offer health insurance.

 

[princessmom29]

Why no health benefits??? I think legally if he works over 20 hrs he should be offered insurance. We have our employees sign a waiver if they don't want it so as not to be fined later, we are in Ohio as well. I think the salary is also good for this area with an associate degree and a 6% match is GOOD.

I am not sure about Ohio but here there is a minimum number of employees before you are required to offer health insurance. A company like the OP's husband works for would not be required to offer it.

I think that for an AA degree with that amount of experience the OP's husband is being paid fairly. And wether we want to admit it or not having a degree DOES make a difference even after you are "in" at acompany. Many, many internal promotions are degree required positions, and your advancement is severly limited without a degree.

 

[MAGICX2]

With that much time spent away from home I think he's underpaid. Usually people are compensated because they have to spend that time away from home. If he was an 8 to 5 guy that didn't travel, that salary might be in line, but he spends alot of time away from his family and deserves to be compensated for it.

That is the way we feel. If the job was even just the tri-state area we would feel it a fair salary. However, its the time spent away that we don't feel he is compensated for.

Although I really don't want to get on my soapbox about this I really think having or not having a degree is what gets you in the door of a company...from there on out your experience with the company (ex. different positions you've held), work ethic, ability to learn quickly etc. should be what determines if you are eligible for a raise or promotion. In MANY companies once you're in...the degree is irrelevant...it's all based on you as a worker at that point.

This is especially true with this company. My husband is third man in line below the Owner/Pres and the VP/Owners brother. The other employee has no degree, but has a military geological background. There have been other employees over the last 6 years, but none of them have lasted more than 1 year to 18 months because they can't handle the travel. But, none of the past employees have had a degree in Civil Engineering or Surveying experience if they held a degree at all. My DH has been the only degreed employee. He is also the Technical Accounts Manager, which means if there is any problems with the job they do at any of the locations he is respobsible for making sure it is taken care of. If that means he is working in California and there is a problem in Conneticut, then he leaves CA when he is finished with HIS job and travels to CT to fix the other persons mistake.
They value him as an employee and as a person. Its his work and work ethic that has gotten him this far. A BS or MS would not get him any higher with this company.

If I were you right now be happy he has a job when the economy improves then things should change.

We are very happy that he has a job that we don't have to worry about losing. That's why we are still there, for now.

To be honest, I would not be bringing up any salary issues right now. The sad fact is, there are probably a few dozen men who are qualified to do the same job as your DH willing to do it for less. Any salary "averages" that you can find posted right now are not going to be right. It is a new world, and a new economy.

I know it would be hard with traveling so much, but if your DH can find the time to finish his degree, he will be much more marketable once the economy turns around. Good luck to him.

His next employement anniversary is in June. We wouldn't be bringing anything up prior to then. However, there really are not a "few dozen men" lined up to his job. They have been trying to higher two people for over a year and can't find someone who either A)fits the bill or B)is willing to put up with the crazy travel.

Does he have 6 years experience or 6 years with that particular company. If he only has 6 years experience and only an associates degree. Then I say the salary is about right for your area.

He has about 10 years experience, 6 years with the current company.

That's a HUGE benefit right there.

Yes, we are very thankful for the vehicle and maintanence.

As an aside, even if your husband considered quitting and/or starting his own firm, he'd have to look closely at his contract with the company. Ohio is a difficult state to fight non compete restrictions in, and he may find himself limited in future job prospects, especially since it sounds as though his present firm has extensive geographical boundaries.

He does not have a "contract" with this company. He is a "free agent" so to speak. He has no time requirement that he has committed to them. There is no other company in America that provides the service this company does. However, some of the companies they service have started to do their own "in house" inventory surveys but it is not as accurate. They will still typically use DH's company once a year just to verify. The equipment comes from Switzerland. So its not an easy start up if we would want to start our own company.

 

[wdwfan16]

This is especially true with this company. My husband is third man in line below the Owner/Pres and the VP/Owners brother. The other employee has no degree, but has a military geological background. There have been other employees over the last 6 years, but none of them have lasted more than 1 year to 18 months because they can't handle the travel. But, none of the past employees have had a degree in Civil Engineering or Surveying experience if they held a degree at all. My DH has been the only degreed employee. He is also the Technical Accounts Manager, which means if there is any problems with the job they do at any of the locations he is respobsible for making sure it is taken care of. If that means he is working in California and there is a problem in Conneticut, then he leaves CA when he is finished with HIS job and travels to CT to fix the other persons mistake.
They value him as an employee and as a person. Its his work and work ethic that has gotten him this far. A BS or MS would not get him any higher with this company.

Since he has a 2 year degree and 10 year experience your DH must be in about 32. He is making a big mistake not getting the BS and MS degrees. AA degrees are not even considered by most employers. Some want a minimum of a BS and many now want an MS. The degree may not help at this company but it will help with his next employer and there will be a next employer.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

I have to agree on him getting a BS/MS. Possibly a PE, as well. Dh and I are both engineers--he's mech., I'm elec., although I've been a full-time mom for 14 years. Most companies will not even interview you if you don't have an MS.

As to his actual salary, it's tough to say if he's underpaid. Certainly, the job involves a lot of travel, benefits would be nice, but the nice company match and company car are good benefits. But the arrangement if far from typical, so you can't easily look at on-line serveys and figure out comparable jobs.

If he thinks he's worth more, he can always ask for it. However, he might want to have a game plan in place for if they say no--is another employer a possibility? Going back to school? Going out on his own? Keeping in mind the job market, I don't know that I would be making a huge deal out of this right now.

 

[MAGICX2]

The prospect of my DH getting a BS are slim to none, let alone a MS. It took him longer than normal to get his AAS due to marriage, family, etc. However, it also took him longer because he had to start at the very basic math and work his way through. DH could do any math problem you gave him in regards to his job, but classroom math is a whole other story. I truely don't think he could get through the higher levels of math required for a BS in Civil Engineering. Which is a shame because, while I know that algebra, geometry, etc. is a daily part of that type of job, I also know that doing the math required for your job is entirely different story than doing math in a classroom. He can do the class work and home work no problem, but when it comes to the tests....
So, while we hate his absence from home, we will stick with the company we are with. They are a great company to work for and treat us really well. Maybe we will tackle the subject of a raise in salary when he hits his 7 year anniversary in June. The worst they can say is no.

 

[BuzznBelle'smom]

Yeah, if he struggles with "book math", then he would have a lot of difficulty getting further degrees or PE license in engineering. Bringing up the money in June sounds like a good plan. Another thought is, perhaps he could see about earning a stake in the company--they may not have stock, per se (too small), but perhaps he could invest in his future that way.

Since your DH has a very specific skill set, he might want to consider starting his own business down the road. Or possibly being some kind of consultant in this area. Either of those, the official degrees are less of an issue.

 

[Chicago526]

My DH works in printing (as in newspapers) and used to work for a company that made and installed presses. He traveled about as much as your DH and only has a HS diploma and a few college level training courses, he doesn't even have an AA. He topped out at about $100,000 (also got health and 401k) after you factored in his per diem for being on the road. He also got to keep his airline and hotel points. Like your DH, there aren't many people that can do what my DH can do, so comparing pay can be tough.

I would say your DH is being under paid, especially given that he doesn't get health care. That said, with the economy, this isn't the best time to be asking for a raise. I think your idea of waiting until his next service aniversary to ask for something is a good one, things may be a bit better by then. I also think it depends on how the company itself is doing. It may be a down economy but if the company is still doing land office buisness, asking for a raise, increased benifits, etc. isn't out of line. If the company's income is down then of course, a raise is likely out of the questions, even if his employers we're willing.

 

[crisi]

Back when I was a boss and people would tell me they were underpaid I always told them the same thing....

"I'm paying you what I can afford to pay you. If you think you are underpaid, I encourage you to find someone who will pay you more. I'll be very happy for you if you do, and will give you great references."

(None of them quit. Turns out none of them were ACTUALLY underpaid. Which I knew.)

I don't know your DH's industry at all, but the surest way to find out if you are underpaid is to see if someone else will pay you more. If they will, you were underpaid. If they won't - then you aren't. If you can't find anyone that is hiring to offer you a job and find out, consider yourself lucky to have the job you have.

 

[dis-happy]

Perhaps a nice way for your dh to ask for a raise without it costing the company much money (mainly start-up accounting costs) would be to ask if they could set up a FSA (flexible spending account) for the employees. At least you'd be paying for medical out of pre-taxed dollars.

 

[MagicalMom]

My Dh a nurse has been unemployed for 2 years!! We are at the point that we may need to move so he can get a job!! We have $3000.00 left. So. after Christmas we have to decide what to do?

People just don't seem to get that there is no nursing shortage. I heard there is a waiting list of 800 stupdent trying to get into the nursing program at the locar Comm. college. I'd love to know where they think they will work? My hospital and many in the area are on hiring freezes. When thats over they will want an experienced nurse, n ot one that needs 3 + months of training.

 

[Frantasmic]

Does he get any paid sick time or vacation time?

Otherwise, his benefits are the salary, the car and maintenance, and the 4-5 percent deposited in his 401K.

So, his actual value of all of these is closer to $75-$80K a year, even without sick or vacation time. It doesn't sound like the schedule really affords him sick time.

Does he get any type of bonus during the year?

I'd say at 75-80K, he's compensated fairly well. Yes, the travel is a lot, but he is paid for the travel and has his expenses paid as well.

Having health benefits would be nice; that's where I'd ask the bosses for job benefits.

I do have a question since he travels a lot and apparently is involved with some dangerous activity for work: what happens if he gets injured on the site or if he suffers a plane crash? Are you on your own for life insurance in those situations or are you only depending on government benefits should such a situation occur? I know that a credit card will pay about 200K should a crash occur and someone dies as part of buying the ticket, but that really isn't a lot of money long term.

It seems the money is good, but the benefits aren't very good considering what he is putting into the company. I'm sure the brothers make twice as much and they probably also have the other benefits I've asked about.

What is your husband charged out to clients at? Is it a flat rate or a fee per hour?