Average Salary within industry. USA

[Usename]

Hi all,

I was wondering what is an average salary within the industry. Yes, it all depends what you do, but I am interested in that of employee's who are responsible for collecting the healthy fish, inverts etc... clipping, packing the orders, cut-offs, acclimation and properly accomodating the new specimens fish in their proper spots and some maintenance of the systems.

In a wholesaler / Online Retailer.

Thanks.

 

[Douglas S Lehman]

Hello From Chicago
I don't know what the average is, but I'd bet next months budget (aquarium) that it's not nearly enough....

 

[dizzy]

How much is the average salary of an illegal immigrant working in LA?

 

[Anonymous]

:lol: :lol:

 

[JT]

How much is the average salary of an illegal immigrant working in LA?

$10/hour is typically the norm for a grunt worker in LA. A husbandry person with experience can probably command $12 to $15 but not much more than this.

The only area in the biz to make decent money is as a sales rep. at the wholesale level. If you are real good at pimping fish over the phone, you can make upwards of 50K to 70K/year. There are two big dogs in LA who are real good at selling fish and are probably in this dollar bracket if not exceeding it.

My 1040 from my first year as a sales rep. on 104th shows $38K.

Now that I have the vested financial interest in a business, I'm no longer drawing a salary and the only paid employee works for $10/hour in store credit.

 

[dizzy]

Now that I have the vested financial interest in a business, I'm no longer drawing a salary and the only paid employee works for $10/hour in store credit.

So what are you living on? Tips. Or does the occasional sale fail to get rung up? 8O

 

[Anonymous]

One for me, one for the register?

 

[Anonymous]

after hours he must be the dirty guy on the corner with the tin cup..

 

[Anonymous]

i used to work at a lfs that had two registers. i bet you can figure what the second one was used for! :lol:

 

[Usename]

How much is the average salary of an illegal immigrant working in LA?

$10/hour is typically the norm for a grunt worker in LA. A husbandry person with experience can probably command $12 to $15 but not much more than this.

So is this industry worked mainly by 'grunt workers' making 10.00/ hour?

Not good. Why would an etailer who sells 30 thousand a week only pay 10.00 /hr to have guys make it possible. I guess I have no future as an employee. Got to back and start my own thing again.

Just to note. I was in Marine Retail about 10 years ago. Had an accident and had to stop. Would love to do it all over again.

 

[scottfarcuz]

Why would an etailer who sells 30 thousand a week only pay 10.00 /hr to have guys make it possible.

I've never worked in the MO industry, but isnt this how everything here in america works?

 

[JennM]

So what are you living on? Tips. Or does the occasional sale fail to get rung up? 8O

No we don't operate that way. I think his comments were phrased in a way that was a bit misleading, but he does financial compensation for his work. I'm not going to go into details about the inner workings of my business, but rest assured they are all above-board, and appropriately reported. Our "paid employee" is a customer who comes in now and then to help out, and the credit he gets keeps his hobby afloat and his marriage intact *g*. The rest of the time, I work the store full time and JT works in the store and also does our installations, upgrades and a few maintenances in clients' homes. It's a small shop - that's all the 'help' we need.

Having said that - in my experience, $10/hr is about the norm. That's what I worked for when I worked for someone else in a retail setting - and that was 6 years ago. No cost-of-living increase since then I guess since it's still the norm.

My service technicians do a bit better than that, they receive a commission per job for their labour, and a percentage of add-ons. IMO they make decent money. At least nobody is complaining that I've heard. I value good workers and I show my appreciation by paying them what they are worth. A good technician with a good balance of large and small tanks on their route can make some decent money if they are efficient.

I don't engage in the practice of paying commission for in-store sales. Many stores do, but I'd rather pay somebody to dispense good advice and guide a hobbyist to be patient and make appropriate choices, than to load them up with stuff they may not want or need. That approach seems to keep the customer coming back in the long term, instead of a fast cash grab never to see them again. I'll be the tortoise in that race, thanks.

I do know some shops around here pay on a commission basis for in-store sales. Not my way of doing it, but it's one way.

I have long found it ironic that hobbyists want rock-bottom prices on everything, yet they want PhD level service from LFS staffers - can't have it both ways - if wages are uncharacteristically high, then the retail prices have to be high to match. Want rock-bottom prices? Well it takes rock-bottom wages. Unfortunately most people don't draw that parallel. I haven't met anyone yet who spent years in university to get a degree who's content to pay back all those student loans over a 100-year period by working for minimum wage

Jenn

 

[Anonymous]

I have long found it ironic that hobbyists want rock-bottom prices on everything, yet they want PhD level service from LFS staffers - can't have it both ways - if wages are uncharacteristically high, then the retail prices have to be high to match. Want rock-bottom prices? Well it takes rock-bottom wages. Unfortunately most people don't draw that parallel. I haven't met anyone yet who spent years in university to get a degree who's content to pay back all those student loans over a 100-year period by working for minimum wage

This is one of the best things I've read in this forum in a looooooong time.

Thanks Jenn!

Peace,

Chip

 

[Anonymous]

I have long found it ironic that hobbyists want rock-bottom prices on everything, yet they want PhD level service from LFS staffers - can't have it both ways - if wages are uncharacteristically high, then the retail prices have to be high to match. Want rock-bottom prices? Well it takes rock-bottom wages. Unfortunately most people don't draw that parallel. I haven't met anyone yet who spent years in university to get a degree who's content to pay back all those student loans over a 100-year period by working for minimum wage

Not to be argumentative, but...

On the first half, yeah, it probably feels that way. - Its easier to remember the negatives for a lot of people. - Personally, I've been happily paying a premium lately and I'm also seeing things improving around the shop too. Looks like a win-win to me, makes me happy to pay more.

On the second half...... :lol: :lol: - Take a dip in the sump.. - Theres a few there who claim to be physicists (though their reefing activity/involvement is highly suspect) who also claim to be paid roughly {squat}..

Anyway, I do have a more probing point to posting here.. - Out of curiousity (if you don't mind sharing just a little more) - what exactly is "fair" for a good maintenance guy in your opinion?

 

[dizzy]

Jenn,
I don't personally care how JT is compensated. And I was just funning with him, but I do think his comments begged that question. Look if you can sell it to the IRS it's ok by me. I believe a lot of small businesses do fudge though. We work so much that I often take my wife out to eat instead of having her cook at home. We eat quite often at the various Mexican and Asian restaurants which is something around 10 in total. Every last one of them will ring up no sale on the register if cash comes out of the pocket. I'll bet it is like that in other parts of the country as well. Has anyone else noticed this where they are at? I believe word has spread throughout many of the immigrant communties that this country is very easy to get over on. That's not to say a lot of born and reared here Americans don't do the same thing. It's good to hear that the Canadian immigrants don't mind paying their fair share of taxes.
Mitch

 

[JennM]

Well JT and I live together so that saves on expenses I know you were just funning but the casual reader may have misconstrued so I wanted to be clear. I'm not being overly defensive about it because I've got nothing to hide. It's all good And I'm sure you understand that the business owner is usually the last one to be paid.

No I don't mind paying my share of taxes here in the US. Having been taxed til it hurt in Canada, Americans have nothing to complain about where taxes are concerned - I find the system to be very fair. I do miss the socialized health care though.... However people mistakenly think it's "free"... it's not free - every taxpayer in Canada pays and pays and pays in taxes so that everybody has access to medical care - but that's sump fodder. Suffice it to say that I have no problems with the system as it exists here - always room for improvement, but based on what I've experienced back home - I have no complaints.

As to "fair compensation" for my service techs - again I don't really want to get into details, but my techs are private contractors. Own vehicle, own expenses, but they are paid a flat rate per job, plus commission on add-ons - filter pads, carbon, livestock etc. Given what I've seen paid to others in this area I think I'm pretty generous. I also offer health insurance, something that few offer in this end of the industry. The more clients a tech can service, the more he/she makes. Quality is an issue so I don't want people rushing through "volume"... so I make the pay per job attractive so that the technician is inspired to do a complete and thorough job, and they feel duly compensated as such. Fee per job varies on the size of tank(s) and number of tanks.

Where I worked before I opened my shop, the techs were paid $450/week (this was 6 years ago) with company vehicle. What I observed is that some of the techs didn't do $450 *worth* of work... they'd stop and visit with the customers, play ping-pong for a couple of hours, long lunch, etc. They often completed only one or two services per day, when 3 or 4 are more to be expected, depending on the size of each job and travel time required. I don't want to tar everybody with the same brush but more than one tech did this. So when I opened my own business venture I decided to do a per-job pay schedule so that hard workers get due compensation. It works.

Jenn

 

[Anonymous]

no one stays in this or does it at the 'grunt' level for the money

 

[Usename]

well, as far as my main question goes, I guess its going to really be on a case per case deal. I would either have to stay in the company and earn my way up a little to keep making more.

I was just wondering beacuse what if I stay longer and longer.... just how much more can I make.. I was also just wondering what an average would be so I can compare mine with others, in other words, was there a chance that I could get paid more elsewhere. Etc.. Etc...



By the way, found a wholesaler, who never opened up for businesse, is now selling the stuff. About $50,000 worth of stuff going for less than 1/2 that.. 8O anybody want to buy it? one condition though, you buy it, but Iam partners with you I can set it all up so we can start something ..weeee.. :lol:

anyways thats another topic, sorry, could not help it.

 

[spawner]

No
I have long found it ironic that hobbyists want rock-bottom prices on everything, yet they want PhD level service from LFS staffers - can't have it both ways - if wages are uncharacteristically high, then the retail prices have to be high to match. Want rock-bottom prices? Well it takes rock-bottom wages. Unfortunately most people don't draw that parallel. I haven't met anyone yet who spent years in university to get a degree who's content to pay back all those student loans over a 100-year period by working for minimum wage

Jenn

Ha, a guy that just graduated here with his PhD is working at an LFS in his home town now. Of course that is in Hawaii and I think he is just taking a bit of a break for the high stress world of science and enjoying himself a bit, don't blame him at all.

Personally, I'd take a well seasoned fish nut over a PhD in an LFS anyday.

 

[JennM]

Personally, I'd take a well seasoned fish nut over a PhD in an LFS anyday.

That's a good point. People who invest a lot of time in the retail end of this industry *typically* do it for love of the hobby. Many long-time hobbyists venture into the trade to help others, using their experience as their knowledge base.

I'm not a scientist, and I don't play one on TV But I know a thing or two about the hobby, I've been at it for 20 years or so. Of course I'm also the first to admit that my total accumulated knowledge only scratches the surface of all that is to be known out there - but I can certainly help most hobbyists get their tanks up and running and keep them healthy and thriving

Jenn