Salaries

[dpolglaze]

Does anyone have a resource for salary data for our industry? I am asking for a raise soon and want to make sure I'm in the right ball park.

It's easy to find how much a press operator makes, but I need to know for my unique position as a trainer and consultant, troubleshooter, workflow analyst, technical post-sales and pre-sales support engineer. My title is "Technical Sales Engineer" but I am finding that for other industries and businesses the duties and responsibilities for this position is very narrow and well-defined, and mine of course is not.

Thanks for any help!

 

[Possumgal]

With the many hats you're wearing, it would be hard to find any statistics that fit your position. That's the way it goes these days. What you can try is to delineate your job into categories as you have, then point out to your boss that he'd be paying a lot more if he hired separate people for these jobs.

If your company is rather large, they probably have a percentage cap on raises, especially these days. Up to ten percent more wouldn't be unreasonable to ask, given the range of your responsibilities.

 

[Alith7]

Many, many years ago, my boss (who is like a second father to me) told me this when we were discussing salaries and cost of living:

As an employee, your job is to try to make as much money as you possibly can. As an employer, my job is to try to pay as little as I can. Then we have to work together so that no one feels shorted. You want a wage that you feel reflects your responsibilities and contributions to the company, something that makes you feel valued. I have to figure out what is the smallest wage that I can pay you that will allow you to have a decent level of living, and also keep you happy so you don't go looking for a better income. Sometimes that middle number isn't possible to find where everyone is happy. But in the end, you have to look out for what you feel is in your best interests, and I have to look out for what I feel is best for the health of this company. I'm sure it would be great if I could pay everyone $50 an hour, but the company would go bankrupt in a month.

While it sounds a bit cold, it is very succinct and true, it's just vocalizing it in a way that no one really wants to think about. If you work for a big corporate company, I don't think you can even ask for raises usually, I think it comes with your regular reviews. If you work for a smaller more personalized shop, it tends to be a lot less formal, and irregular.

All of that said, I am in the same boat as you. My official position is Prepress Manager. My responsibilities include: Prepress manager, IT manager (including all pcs, macs, smartphones, copiers, CTP, and anything else I need to fix), Color Management, Web design and development, MIS system manager, new equipment and software Research and implementation (well, anything that uses a computer anyways), Packaging and die designer, and general boss's right-hand back-up. I also generally repair/fix minor issues with all prepress equipment, copiers, CTP, and sometimes other things. There is NO set "position" to cover what I do.

in the midwest, general "good" pay for this kind of position is $20 give or take a bit. But just a prepress tech generally maxes out around $18. Sometimes if you are doing a lot of CSR work, you can maybe negotiate a small percentage commission.

If you really like the company you work for, be prepared to work with your boss, maybe go in without giving him/her a number at first. Demanding a high salary right off the bat is a good way to put them on the defensive and feel backed into a corner. I think the suggestion to put together an example of all the things that you are responsible for, with standard wages, and then discussing from there would be the best bet. Just don't forget that no matter how important you think you are to the company, everyone can be replaced.

P.S. I did get a raise from that conversation with my boss. And I don't think I have ever asked for a raise since. They usually just appear on my pay check. Generally after I have done something beneficial for the company, or learned a new valuable skill. I was very fortunate to start working for one of the only owners I have ever known that actually values his employees at 18.

 

[soontobeexkonicauser]

Wearing a lot of hats is a reflection of both small business and the state of the economy as a whole for small business. The good news for you is that makes your contribution (or as Alith pointed out value) much higher to an organization. More than will be reflected in something like salary.com, which is for more narrowly focused "functions" within a larger organization or the top management positions that tend to be more widely used, like a general manager.

I never look at paying my employees as the least I can pay, more what is a fair wage. We deploy a "no one gets paid less than X philosophy" This is a culture item and means the top sacrifices some of its pay for those who are at beginning wages. It also means they don't disappear at the strike of the clock and will actually strive to take care of customers, earning everyone more money.

Your pay in a less clearly defined era is about what you bring to the table. Demonstrative examples of cost savings or revenue generation drive those points home. At the minimum, it might get you a bonus. Don't make it personal, make it about what it brings to the company. Don't threaten to leave as a leverage point. Your boss likely knows what your contribution is and what would happen if you left.

If you haven't received a wage increase for several years, dig out the CPI index for your region and point out that just the cost of living has increased significantly. Not uncommon for regional CPI to have increased 7 to 8 percent in the past 3 years. If someone has left and you took over those responsibilities, make that point.

Asking for raise, properly, is like asking for business from someone who doesn't give you any currently: you are risking little to nothing. Standing in front of your boss and making a solid case will also show him/her you have poise and strength. Admirable attributes beyond skill sets.

I would say good luck, but I don't think you need it....

 

[Mark H]

Forget salary reports, they reduce your position to a commodity and give you the going rate for it. Like asking how much a pound of bacon should be. Forget this route.

Instead, figure out how much you're worth to the company and work backwards from there.

You work both pre and post sales engineering; so I should be able to assume that you are at least partially responsible for up-selling and cross-selling clients as well as helping the sales team close the work. There's a value to the service you provide there.

You also said you're a workflow analyst, troubleshooter, and trainer. All of those positions bring value to the company; training makes other employees more profitable, improving workflow reduces errors and shortens production cycles; troubleshooting problems reduces cost of outside technicians. There's a value to the services you provide here as well.

So, what are all those services you offer worth to the business? How much revenue do you help generate and how much cost do you reduce? If they had to replace your services tomorrow what would it cost them?

A Print Distributor will charge a 30% markup, most shops split that 50/50 with the sales person. I'd figure out what you're worth to the company, calculate the markup in there, then calculate the 50/50 split with the company and use that as the starting point for your negotiation.

Mark H