Installer Wages

[grieved]

Hello, I am looking into an installer position for Ironwood Communications located out of Wichita,KS. Their pay is based upon jobs done and they type they are. I am asking those of you that are and have been installers to give me an idea if these are fair wages and what your experiences as installers have been, good and bad. This would be a company own vehicle. A 1-outlet install is $40, every additional outlet is $16. Dish upgrades are $23, service calls are $16. Hourly pay is given to the fist job and home from the last job. All expendibles are paid for own tools required. Are these fair wages and what pro's and con's have you installers encountered. Also I have not completed any certification courses at this time, do most locals assist with certification or is that only necessary for Personally owned vehicles. Thanks for all your assistance.

 

[damaged]

I can't answer your question, but perhaps you might find something here while waiting for someone to reply:

http://www.satelliteguys.us/search.php?searchid=372654

 

[HCI]

First you say this,

Their pay is based upon jobs done and they type they are. I am asking those of you that are and have been installers to give me an idea if these are fair wages and what your experiences as installers have been, good and bad. A 1-outlet install is $40, every additional outlet is $16. Dish upgrades are $23, service calls are $16.

Then you say this,

Hourly pay is given to the fist job and home from the last job. All expendibles are paid for own tools required.

 

[ClemSole]

If you can't figure out what a fair wage is in your area then you better go look for a different type job. What is fair in your area may not be the same some place else.

 

[hobojoe]

if you get two a day thats only $80- taxes. pizza hut would be better! all that pizza!!! mmmmmm

 

[davesrave]

I feel for the guy posting this legitimate question. These are the lamest collection of answers I've ever seen on this board. Wish I could help, but I can't. Suggest you post in another forum or website. Good Luck.

 

[damaged]

I feel for the guy posting this legitimate question. These are the lamest collection of answers I've ever seen on this board. Wish I could help, but I can't. Suggest you post in another forum or website. Good Luck.

Your reply was so much better.

 

[benj]

In your area, this would be good pay.

The kicker is hourly pay to your first job and from your last. The installers would kill to have that in my area with all the driving.

hobojoe, who nowadays could go out and do nothing but two 1 box installs a day?

 

[hobojoe]

my reply is based on what i have heard that installers are getting min 2 jobs a day and up to 4 max. i would think 3 average is this correct? if so at that rate to us in so calif you would be hurting. gas is $3.25/gal rents like $1300. for two bedroom. ten years ago i use to deliver gas at $22/hr for 12hrs a day with overtime. now if I'm wrong and you could get up to 6 boxes a day. then your going to make it in so calif and at 2hrs a box then your doing 12hrs that's $20/hr-taxes. then some say you pay for your own wire say 75ft each box x 6 x 5 = 2200ft or 2 spools at $50each theres another $100 gone. i just don't know other than what i hear. I'm looking into doing part time work mainly to learn more about all satellite systems and reap the rewards of the businesses. not that the extra money wouldn't help right now just filled my truck up at $80. ouch! what sounds grate is the hourly pay if your in a heavy traffic area. i hear if you work for dish network directly they give you the dish 180 package free! not much but something. i wish you good luck!

 

[urnote96]

Today I Did

Four Room Install
Two Room Install with a KA/KU
Four Room Install
Three room Install/ 1 dvr

Drove 159 miles and made $385....

 

[piertopier]

No do not work for them prices.. i am no longer a installer because of pay like that.. when i started installing DTV/USSB and Dish in the mid 90s i was making 100 for the first box and 25 for each A/O. and i got paid for phone lines by the customer.. i dont know about ironwood but with directech you must buy your drop (cable connectors ect..) when i was installing i would use 3-4 bags of connectors per week and 2-3 roles of wire.. connectors are 25 per bag and coax is about 45 then you must add stuff like ground blocks staples yea they are 15 per box single and 22 per box dual.. and you must install tellephone to each ird phone wire is 40 per box and you will use almost as much of it as you use coax... then you must deal with opening and closing your jobs from the customers home and sitting on hold for 30 min per job to do that....

if ironwood is any thing like directech i would not do it.. you will not be paying your bills with the new pay rates... you will have just enough to pay for cable and eat every day...

oo yea the most you will get is about 4 jobs per day.. they mostly give like a 4 box a 2 box a tivo upgrade and a service call...

if someone dont like you will get all service calls.. and if you go on a service call and its a bad install you must reinstall it to code or you will not pas the QC and they will charge you back for the job if you bust 3 QCs in 12 months you lose you job.

if you want to be a installer you need to find a dealer and go to work for the dealer.. most of them pay 80 and 20 per A/O.. you dont have to deal with service or upgrades too much

 

[hobojoe]

: piertopier, so i was kind of right theres no money in it any more? even sat internet is not paying much and you spend twice the time and materials seeting them up! and three times the responsibility. like i said i just want partime to learn and reap rewards. not to mention a little extra for bills. i checked out dish networks direct company installers they use the company's truck equipment and materials get paid by the hour at $12hr start $14 average $16max and free TV service!!! they even liked having someone partime weekends. rumor is they will start installing wb late fall!!

 

[sksatellite]

Today I Did

Four Room Install
Two Room Install with a KA/KU
Four Room Install
Three room Install/ 1 dvr

Drove 159 miles and made $385....

Hmmm you got an easy installs, but if you are come down to Mckinney, north part of Dallas, them you will find yourself can only do two installations a day.

 

[sksatellite]

Doing some clean up that I found a price sheet for 2004 from american installation service (don't know still exist or not), for DTV only, single receiver $80, add on from the install $20. Also found a price list maybe that was DTV back to 1996 or so, single installatiOn is $250, second receiver, more then some company that pay a single install. From this point, current pay is way under while the operation cost is up. All I can say is, you guy are work for nothing for those installation company.

 

[bsilvertab]

I get 90 for the first receiver plus 10 every additional tuner behond the first.

 

[benj]

Everyone here seems to be an expert so I'll just add these final thoughts and say no more...

Look at what urnote96 did and how much he made. You're a contractor, right Urnote? I don't care what anybody says, 4 jobs, 4 installs is a hard route for someone not used to the work. If Urnote96 is a contractor, I bet he does damn good work and he's also a damn good installer. He's also in a totally different place then the OP- not only from a skillset standpoint, but also from an earnings standpoint.

On the flipside, everyone who says: "don't do it! OMG!!11 It won't be worth it after you pay for gas and cable and connectors and...and...and."

Guys read his post:

- He would be an in-house installer vs. a contractor.

- Company vehicle

- All small parts, hardware, drop mat'ls paid for

- He has to supply his own tools.

if ironwood is any thing like directech i would not do it..

In this particular case, ironwood is nothing like directech. I'm not saying they're the best company in the world, but we're talking about in-house tech vs. contractor.

If he gets good at this job, and feels that he's getting underpaid for his skills, then he'll move on and become work for a retailer, right? Until then he's got to start somewhere.

 

[sksatellite]

Look at what he got paid, its installers pay not contractor. and this price may not include materials, gas and other expensive, I did one job back in four years ago, 4 rooms and it was $199 pay on that job, bit I considering it a loss, it cost me over half a roll of cable, that was $98 for 1000', time to travel and other expensive, how you make enough on this one job especially it took 5 hours to work on site and need to run each room for the cable.

Everyone here seems to be an expert so I'll just add these final thoughts and say no more...

Look at what urnote96 did and how much he made. You're a contractor, right Urnote? I don't care what anybody says, 4 jobs, 4 installs is a hard route for someone not used to the work. If Urnote96 is a contractor, I bet he does damn good work and he's also a damn good installer. He's also in a totally different place then the OP- not only from a skillset standpoint, but also from an earnings standpoint.

On the flipside, everyone who says: "don't do it! OMG!!11 It won't be worth it after you pay for gas and cable and connectors and...and...and."

Guys read his post:

- He would be an in-house installer vs. a contractor.

- Company vehicle

- All small parts, hardware, drop mat'ls paid for

- He has to supply his own tools.





In this particular case, ironwood is nothing like directech. I'm not saying they're the best company in the world, but we're talking about in-house tech vs. contractor.

If he gets good at this job, and feels that he's getting underpaid for his skills, then he'll move on and become work for a retailer, right? Until then he's got to start somewhere.

 

[benj]

Your logic is infallable. You've put a lot of thought into your responses and cannot argue with the points you make.

and this price may not include materials, gas and other expensive,

This would be a company own vehicle...All expendibles are paid for own tools required.

 

[IndyTech]

i'm a little lost, LOL so much to read so many ideas, i know this though. With Bluegrass Sat and Sec (under direchTech)

I get Company Van and Gas Card
I don't pay for small parts
My SBCA test was free
I get routed for 4 - 6 jobs aday
I go to my home wharehouse once a week
AND i make between 800.00 and 1200.00/ week gross
But it make me Cry when i see some of you gettin 90 and 100 a Box for first box, LOL i get 35.00 for the first, 20 for A/O, 25 for dish upgrades, 40 for Tivo or DVR installs 35 for A/O Dvr. 45.00 for world direct installs etc, etc.


Do i need to Jump ship and get with a contractor?

 

[newsposter]

2pts to all installers, good or not. (ok maybe 1pt to bad ones). I can't imagine some of the houses and people you must meet. And the unique situations.