# Salary Schmalary



## THeme ssaGE (Jul 16, 2006)

Help! After a long period of unemployment due to surgery, I have landed a craftsman/designer position at where I will be creating and making props and sets for mass and individual retail. Salary has yet to be discussed but this is an 8 hour plus position. I doubt I'll have medical or dental. Any ideas on what an experienced yet young designer should resonably expect per hour?

Thanks for any feedback on this topic.


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

I put in a 5 week stint at a well-respected prop and animatronics company and the pay was only 8 bucks an hour. Companies like that operate at extremely narrow (if any) profit margins, and they can't afford to pay workers good money or benefits. Fairly simple props would have to be priced out of the budget range of anyone smaller than disney if they did. Now, you say mass retail, that would seem to mean (to me, anyway) something in an automated facility, because a handful of people can't make mass anything by hand.

Keep us posted.


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## THeme ssaGE (Jul 16, 2006)

Im gonna be working in a big warehouse making prototype props, and If the bosses like it, then it will be sent over to the main store to be sold, or it may get handed over to China to be mass produced. 

Ya to be clear, Im not part of the mas production or anything. 

Im being hired to come up with new ideas for props and then to make it. I'll be sculpting, wiring control boxes, painting, and so on. Im taking on a pretty big role. He said he needed a creative person to manage various things, and to make animatronics


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## Revenant (Mar 17, 2007)

Dayum. You got the dream job. I was just a trench grunt in the machine shop. *sigh* 
Happy for ya dood. Good luck!


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## THeme ssaGE (Jul 16, 2006)

Thanks Rev

Any idea what a starting rate for this position would be? I mean I know I will have to prove myself (over and over....thats life), but what would be a fair starting rate of pay?

I mean Im just trying to make enough to survive! I have to make atleast $20 an hour to make ends meet.....atleast. I mean ya on the one hand Im on cloud 9, and Im eager to start, BUt, I should be careful not to come off like I'm gonna take anything I can get.....Even though thats how I feel. But really I'm just trying to know my worth, or whatever. Thanks for the help people.


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## psyko99 (Jan 11, 2008)

Hey, great job. I think your in the right range. Check out Salary.com. I had done some HR work for a telco here in NY and found that to be a good resource. For an Industrial designer or a set designer the hourly range for the 25th percentile (low range) is btwn $20/hr and ~$22/hr. Obviously, you should take your experience and education into account.

If you have experience in the field and a BS in either engineering or design, you could go higher. Even an associates degree in drafting or design would be beneficial.

Salary negotiation is a tricky area. Good Luck!


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## Frighteners Entertainment (Jan 24, 2006)

I wish you luck and keep us posted!


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## Death's Door (Mar 22, 2006)

From reading your posts, I understand your dilemma. To get to have a creative job making props but also making a living due to cost of living, surviving, etc., this can be a tough decision. Investigate as much as you can and please keep us posted.


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