Daily Rate in the Southeast.
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Consider yourself in check. i paid a young climber w gear $12/hr until i saw how much supervision he needed, then backed it down to 10. If certified then $15 is not a low wage but not high either. think what you can do to deliver more value to the company then you can ask for more.
your summer job may not be a fair comparison because it was not year round, for starters. ps i have been around raleigh 26 years. pps i was a terrible employee so i went on my own, not that i am recommending that move. :msp_ohmy:
ClimbMIT
ArboristSite Operative
One of the cheapest tree services here in New Orleans suburbs pays his sub $40 an hour for a 10 hour day. $15 an hour using your own guy is cheap if your good. Most importantly if you are being sub contracted or working for someone is that you can get any tree down safe, efficient, and quickly. I am finally starting to charge the same as above. I am licensed and insured so I tack on dump, gas, helper's pay, estimate, wear and tear on vehicle / equipment, etc.., Talk to some climbers in your area and ask them what they make. Watch them work and see if your just as good or better. Good luck!
Grais
ArboristSite Lurker
Wow that is depressing.
I am in BC where we have a proliferation of talented and hard working arborists who take the job seriously, and for the most part do what they can to further the public image of arbor-culture.
We are not glorified lumberjacks, those days are long gone, and good riddance.
I wouldn't hire a climber if they said they would work for less than 25hr.
A CUA(Certidied UIILITY Arborist) start at 32.00$, appr. make 20-25, that is for a 8 hour day trimming out of a bucket 90% of the time.
If you can hotshot climb you can demand a much higher wage.
You say you were a terrible employee ? To me it sounds like your a pretty terrible boss as well. 10 an hour for a climber with his own gear I cant believe you would even admit that, but I'm guessing it's a pride point ?
mckeetree
Addicted to ArboristSite
From you, that really doesn't surprise me.
Ropegun
ArboristSite Lurker
I started climbing 3 years ago in Kansas and I was making around 12 an hour which bumped up to 15 in a few months. I progressed quickly because I has 11 years on technical rock before I got into trees. Then I started doing hurricane work and started getting as much as $300 a day for sub contract work. That was in Jersey just after Sandy. Now I am in NC making $25 an hour which I think is a fair wage although guys can make a lot more. At this point it would be pretty hard for me to take much less than my current wage and I would charge 30 to 40 per hour for sub contract work. Make sure you have sub insurance before you go out on the side. It is pretty cheap and this is risky work even if you are very good.
PS learn as much as you can from as many climbers as you can and get the ISA rigging book.
Good luck and be careful.
PS learn as much as you can from as many climbers as you can and get the ISA rigging book.
Good luck and be careful.
o my, sorry to have depressed you both. the kid had zero attention span and needed a whole lot of hands-on help, even after 6 months. pride point? i'm ashamed i could not help him get better; if it was more than part-time (and if he had shown up regularly) he might have done better, and yes you are right re my boss qualities.
the good news is his attitude improved and if i do use him again it would be at 12. but 15 for a CA is common in this market. in florida i was looking for work so i could stay close to a dying relative, and the best offer i got from a top company for foreman was 15 and that's with a bcma. so i'd suggest maybe it is more a regional issue than all my deplorable faults.
ps 40 for a well-equipped and insured and talented sub is also common here, but that's comparing apples and kumquats.
Thanks for all who chimed in. First I am grateful to have a job and someone who is willing to take the time to share his knowledge. I think his willingness to offer a salary indicates what he thinks of my good character and strong work ethics, which is really hard to find the caliber of employee I am because I'm guessing most are working for themselves. I feel sticking with hourly and keep demonstrating my value is the way to go.The last company I worked for I made 24,000 in 8 months and missed 27 days because of rain and equipment failure. After living in other areas of the country CA, CO, PA, Charleston SC, GA, and NC. I'm really starting to feel we southern's are really backwards...easy I'm from GA. I'm mean stereotypes are there for a reason. I talked to a guy in Bakersville, NC, he answered the phone "errr yellow" gave him my qualifications and offered to send him my resume and demonstrate my skill for half a day at no charge if he didn't think I was worth it. "Well Resume, Man I start everybody off at $10 an hrrr" to climb a tree are you ####ting me? "Naw Maan I wouldn't #### you, you might become my favo-rite Turd" need I say more. I don't understand how the cost of living in this area is so high and the pay scale so low. The wages are definitely suppressed in this area.I guess because we are all competing with the likes mentioned above. I should have studied harder in school. Talked to friend who is an arborist who i could fill in from time to time for $17, but he is slow. Starting to think of relocating. Talked to a Co. in Australia today who would sponsor my visa and start me off at $25.00 they are short on skilled labor. No kids not married hmmm?
Ropeman what area of NC are you working in. I have also been rock/ice climbing for over 15 years with several trips up El Cap. Who with and how do I get on storm clean-up.
Ropeman what area of NC are you working in. I have also been rock/ice climbing for over 15 years with several trips up El Cap. Who with and how do I get on storm clean-up.
This makes sense--set a timeline and a goal and maybe share that with the boss.
Here I'll be climbing with my old helper tomorrow. told him he'd get 15 if he stayed in production mode instead of rec climber mode. we'll see.
Arbonaut
Go Climb It
Less than $25/hour is abuse. If you can't make an additional $100/day, why not stay on the ground?
arborealbuffoon
Wood Wh@re
Welcome to the New World Order: wages stalled for decades while expenses double and triple. It's happening everywhere, and is worse where there are minimal employment opportunities.
If an employer wants to show HE is serious, compensation is the way. Human resources are the most challenging commodity in the tree business IMO.
If an employer wants to show HE is serious, compensation is the way. Human resources are the most challenging commodity in the tree business IMO.
I agree; many of the good ones tend to move on or start competing with their old company, and many of the others tend to take a lot of management.
hey tc i sent a pm; if you want weekend work i have a job in little switzerland coming up. it looks like just one days work but might be 2. probably late march can do on weekend. let me know what you think. if you want to take pics and start a thread here about restoring topped liriodendron you can :msp_wink:
Ropegun
ArboristSite Lurker
TreeAce
Addicted to ArboristSite
I only breezed through this thread but I can tell you this, I have another workers comp bill due tomorrow and let me tell you.....its the biggest problem that stands between labor and high wages. IMO.
fraidofheights
ArboristSite Lurker
Move to Canada...
I started at 15 on the Ground, but expressed an interest in climbing (also an Ice/Alpine/Rock kid) and was making twenty within the year.
Moved East, and they start Groundman here at 20.
I started at 15 on the Ground, but expressed an interest in climbing (also an Ice/Alpine/Rock kid) and was making twenty within the year.
Moved East, and they start Groundman here at 20.
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ClimbMIT
ArboristSite Operative
I work alone mainly. Worker's comp is not required to have a license in Louisiana. Although it is required to have a groundie. I have another tree guy with his own liability work with me when I need help. Worker's comp. is ridiculously high here as well I got quote from my insurance rep for $10,800 for one year for one employee and she claimed it would cover me as well. I heard that an owner of a business can't claim a workers comp. Also If an employer is providing health insurance, 401k, profit sharing, etc.., Then consider that as well as what you make an hour.
Couldn't agree more. Wish I could pay my guys more but worker's comp bills kill me every 6 months. Tens of thousands of bucks not including the 700 or so I pay every month.
Groundies start around 12-13.
Climber's 15-20
Foreman, ace climbers 25 tops. These are good wages for Southern California.
