The 5 year barrier?

[cajunhvac75]

4 years experience and 30k? That's less than $11/hour if you work 50 hours a week. OUCH!!! Is that because you live in such a small town? Does the company you work for charge extremely low prices?

[DD931]

That was my net pay. I end up at 17/hr. I do get health insurance free. And yes it could be because I live in a small town, they charge $70/hr. Am I working for a fair wage?

[cajunhvac75]

I thought that was your gross pay, so I guess that isn't so bad. I'm still too new in this field to know enough about what is a fair wage. I've read people bragging about making 70-100k with just a few years in, and others griping about making $17/hour with 15 years experience. One thing I do know is that nobody is really going to look out for you in the long run except yourself. I am doing everything I can to make myself more valuable...not for my current employer, for myself. I started out 8 months ago at $10/hour. On top of that, I am a 1099 "employee"...so no overtime or benefits and a nice tax debt at the end of the year. It has ruined me financially, but I guess I knew that it would. I am working for a small mom and pop like you dd931...very friendly people to work for, but I'm not family. I am certainly not with them for the paycheck (worst money I have made in my adult life by FAR). This is a learning experience. I'm their expendable tool, and they are my text book.

[DD931]

That's true about looking out for yourself, and the people I work for are very nice and easy to work for do we will see what the future holds. And good luck to you there's Definately a lot of knowledge to absorb.

[beenthere]

I started out 8 months ago at $10/hour. On top of that, I am a 1099 "employee"...so no overtime or benefits and a nice tax debt at the end of the year.

Then your not an employee.

[timebuilder]

Then your not an employee.

Consider this, guys who work for a 1099 check:

as a 1099 subcontractor, the worker cannot have many things, like a daily time and number of hours spent working, dictated by the contractor.

Everyone who works under a 1099 scheme needs to make themselves aware of the limitations placed on their oversight in the past 10 years. You can be given tasks, but not schedules.

[cajunhvac75]

Ya, that is why i put employee in quotes. I am worked as an employee, but paid as a sub. Just their way of not paying me overtime and not paying into my taxes. I am fully aware that this is not legal (even mentioned it to my employer), but I am willing to be put through the financial wringer for the experience. This thread was started with all of this in mind. Financially, there is no way I can continue on like this for more than another 6 months to a year...hopefully long enough to be worth more money to my current employer or someone else. If not, I will be thankful to have this site to ask questions when I start out on my own.

[pcp]

Just messed up. I started out as a residential installer with no experience and before I went to school as a actual employee

[pcp]

Oops. anyway in 2000 making more than 10 dollars an hour.

[Phrancis]

Thanks. I did bring it up once and the secretary (boss's wife) said "we pay our employees enough to invest on their own." I currently earn (30-33k/yr) not enough to invest on my own in my opinion. Unless I want to give up eating once a week. I am going to keep persuading them to match some percentage. Wish me luck, thanks for the insight.

Been reading this lately. Very insightful and most of all, SIMPLE. Take it or leave it but he covers everything from credit cards to Roth IRAs to 401(k) etc. etc.
http://www.amazon.com/Will-Teach-You.../dp/0761147489

[supertek65]

used to be

hourly wage was 33% of billable hour!!!!!!!!!

dont know if that is still correct????????

[timebuilder]

Been reading this lately. Very insightful and most of all, SIMPLE. Take it or leave it but he covers everything from credit cards to Roth IRAs to 401(k) etc. etc.
http://www.amazon.com/Will-Teach-You.../dp/0761147489

My assumption is that this is a dose of financial common sense, aimed a a generation that has none. Another guru reinvents the wheel.

[54regcab]

Getting out of DEBT helps tremendously also !!