# Hourly wage for apprentice



## 18delta (Dec 25, 2015)

So, I fell into an interesting situation the other day. I do mostly handyman and remodel work. Started my own gig doing this after helping my buddy flip a house. A lot of the work I do is electrical ( having apprenticed about 12 years ago before going to college). I do mostly service work: adding circuits, trouble calls, lighting upgrades etc. I had a licensed electrician come out to a job I'm managing to perform a service change to 200 amp panel. 

I've used this guy before for jobs that needed estimates, permits etc. He's seen my work and likes what I do. Offers me a job on the spot. Says he would really like to hire me. Mind you he's there to do a service change. Asks me to do the service change as sort of an impromptu job interview. So i do it. Knock it out in about 2 hrs. He pays me 50$. He charged 1800 to do it. 

A few days later he offers me 15$ an hour to come work for him. Citing he needs someone who is great with his customers and that he knows he can leave alone on a job that can work independently. Once I have established that I can work alone, pay would go up from there. 

Is this a fair offer? I'm on the fence as I already do most of what he does and get paid much more. He also only does service or old work. No new construction. Having a hard time seeing the advantages of working for 15$ an hour when my skill set already commands a higher wage. Any thoughts?? Thanks!


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

18delta said:


> So, I fell into an interesting situation the other day. I do mostly handyman and remodel work. Started my own gig doing this after helping my buddy flip a house. A lot of the work I do is electrical ( having apprenticed about 12 years ago before going to college). I do mostly service work: adding circuits, trouble calls, lighting upgrades etc. I had a licensed electrician come out to a job I'm managing to perform a service change to 200 amp panel.
> 
> I've used this guy before for jobs that needed estimates, permits etc. He's seen my work and likes what I do. Offers me a job on the spot. Says he would really like to hire me. Mind you he's there to do a service change. Asks me to do the service change as sort of an impromptu job interview. So i do it. Knock it out in about 2 hrs. He pays me 50$. He charged 1800 to do it.
> 
> ...


You answered your own question.


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## 18delta (Dec 25, 2015)

MarkJames said:


> 18delta said:
> 
> 
> > So, I fell into an interesting situation the other day. I do mostly handyman and remodel work. Started my own gig doing this after helping my buddy flip a house. A lot of the work I do is electrical ( having apprenticed about 12 years ago before going to college). I do mostly service work: adding circuits, trouble calls, lighting upgrades etc. I had a licensed electrician come out to a job I'm managing to perform a service change to 200 amp panel.
> ...



I don't have a clue what apprenticeships pay these days. A guy I used to work with (when I was apprenticing )told me last year that 35 an hour for my skill set was fair, considering I don't hold a trade license to do electrical. He was a master electrician. I'm just trying to get a line on what a fair offer is or should've been.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

I don't know about that. But I do know laborers get that much an hour in cash around here, plus "taxi service" and lunch.


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## 18delta (Dec 25, 2015)

MarkJames said:


> I don't know about that. But I do know laborers get that much an hour in cash around here, plus "taxi service" and lunch.


Wow. Where is "here"?


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## Tinstaafl (Jan 6, 2008)

Unskilled labor around here (central PA) runs around $12-14/hr. 

Going by your description of what he'd expect of you, $15 borders on insult.


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## MarkJames (Nov 25, 2012)

18delta said:


> Wow. Where is "here"?


Metro Washington DC.


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## WBCarpentry (Jun 19, 2015)

Do you dislike working for yourself? I personally make much more than that an hour so if someone approached me with an offer for a job I didn't really want and a wage that was much lower than my current it wouldn't be a difficult decision.


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## 18delta (Dec 25, 2015)

Tinstaafl said:


> Unskilled labor around here (central PA) runs around $12-14/hr.
> 
> Going by your description of what he'd expect of you, $15 borders on insult.


Yes, it would seem so.


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## 18delta (Dec 25, 2015)

WBCarpentry said:


> Do you dislike working for yourself? I personally make much more than that an hour so if someone approached me with an offer for a job I didn't really want and a wage that was much lower than my current it wouldn't be a difficult decision.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


No, I don't dislike working for myself. I just got started doing this so I don't quite have a full schedule yet. I figured if the offer was reasonable and I could still book jobs on my own, it could be a decent set up. I'm with you though, the offer does suck. Just wanted to be sure I wasn't being an entitled little turd.


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## WBCarpentry (Jun 19, 2015)

Oh. Well if you just trying to supplement your schedule just negotiate until your comfortable with it. 


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

You know his hourly rate, just back out $15-20 an hour to see what the top end should be. The only bottom end on pay is minimum wage. Publix checkers in Florida can make more than $15 an hour.


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## KAP (Feb 19, 2011)

18delta said:


> So, I fell into an interesting situation the other day. I do mostly handyman and remodel work. Started my own gig doing this after helping my buddy flip a house. A lot of the work I do is electrical ( having apprenticed about 12 years ago before going to college). I do mostly service work: adding circuits, trouble calls, lighting upgrades etc. I had a licensed electrician come out to a job I'm managing to perform a service change to 200 amp panel.
> 
> I've used this guy before for jobs that needed estimates, permits etc. He's seen my work and likes what I do. Offers me a job on the spot. Says he would really like to hire me. Mind you he's there to do a service change. Asks me to do the service change as sort of an impromptu job interview. So i do it. Knock it out in about 2 hrs. He pays me 50$. He charged 1800 to do it.
> 
> ...


Seems to me you have all the info you need in your initial post...

1. Likes your work... √
2. Feels confident enough in your ability to leave you onsite with customer to do a project... √
3. Was already financially comfortable enough to give you $25/hour for the work you did showing that you can make him money... √

He already knows this going in...

The only question really is... how much more money per hour will it "go up" after you've shown what you can do... again... and how long will that period be?

As an aside, $15/hour is peanuts for what you're doing IMHO... especially after deductions...

That said.... Nothing wrong with giving a little up in the beginning if you know there is an upside in the long run... 

Best of luck... 8^)


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## Mordekyle (May 20, 2014)

How many hours do you need to become a journeyman?


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Only reason to take the job would to get hours for licensure. 
What are reqs for a sparky in dc.


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## rselectric1 (Sep 20, 2009)

Just started a new kid last week. Totally green to electric. BUT No visible tats, clean cut, eager to work, doesn't take a break even when I tell him to relax for a bit, learning quickly how to bend pipe, college degree, 24 years old, and I started him at 15/hr. He's going to be nearly double that in a few months if he keeps it up.

So as Tin said, throwing that wage at you with experience and able to do a service upgrade by yourself (provided it was inspected and you did it right) is a huge slap in the face regardless of the region.

Sounds like a typical snake/user to me.


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

Metro M & L said:


> Only reason to take the job would to get hours for licensure.
> What are reqs for a sparky in dc.


I've known a few that boot the guy right before they make their hours...


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## m1911 (Feb 24, 2009)

hdavis said:


> I've known a few that boot the guy right before they make their hours...


That goes beyond a dick move..,


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## hdavis (Feb 14, 2012)

m1911 said:


> That goes beyond a dick move..,


Less competition. They aren't going to pay the guy, train them, and get them ready to go out on their own, no matter what they say. I've known multiple master electricians to do this - just hold the carrot and yank it away at the finish line...


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## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Its just business.


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