Salary vs Hourly

[Flycut]

What do you think is best?
Seem like all the people that matter around here are salary but none of them seem willing to share why?
If you were to consider switching to salary how would you figure out a fare wage considering you expect to work an average of 55 hours a week?
I know this subject was on the old MC forum but I think it's gone.
Either way, I prefer to start a fresh poll here, with what I consider a good core groups of guys.
Needless to say, I've been hourly since I started in this trade 30 years ago, and feel like I'm missing something.

[RobertELee]

Hourly - because I'm over having my phone ring for every stupid reason.

Salary - because the last couple places I worked went to a Discretionary Time Off for salary which meant they could take whenever they wanted off as long as they had their work complete or on track and didn't need to be on location.

[__]

What do you think is best?
Seem like all the people that matter around here are salary but none of them seem willing to share why?
If you were to consider switching to salary how would you figure out a fare wage considering you expect to work an average of 55 hours a week?
I know this subject was on the old MC forum but I think it's gone.
Either way, I prefer to start a fresh poll here, with what I consider a good core groups of guys.
Needless to say, I've been hourly since I started in this trade 30 years ago, and feel like I'm missing something.

Salary is good, keeps the temptation from working yourself 80 hrs a week,
less complicated, hourly has a lot of drawbacks such as if there is a plant shut down,
you arent getting paid...

Software devs are all salaried for sure

[__]

Hourly - because I'm over having my phone ring for every stupid reason.

Salary - because the last couple places I worked went to a Discretionary Time Off for salary which meant they could take whenever they wanted off as long as they had their work complete or on track and didn't need to be on location.

there should be a button in the sliding thing at the top that will stop it from ringing,
HTH

[Smit]

Some places will abuse you if you're salary, expecting you to work unreasonable hours for the pay offered.

Other places will treat you well. It just depends on your employer.

My salary was based on a 48 hour week but I rarely work more than 40 now so it's a good deal for me. No time clock and flexibility on hours. If I have to take off early for medical reasons I can, no problems.

[__]

Some places will abuse you if you're salary, expecting you to work unreasonable hours for the pay offered.

Other places will treat you well. It just depends on your employer.

My salary was based on a 48 hour week but I rarely work more than 40 now so it's a good deal for me. No time clock and flexibility on hours. If I have to take off early for medical reasons I can, no problems.

I can name a few!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JParis]

Seem like all the people that matter around here are salary but none of them seem willing to share why?

I moved to salary in 2007 when I went to work for S4A....that was the class of employee for that position...so hourly wasn't an option.

Same with Cimquest...

at Sig, again, that was how the position was classified....there the salary position was an overall loss with the number of hours I worked...

Production Manager, again because of the position classification and job duties, salary position.....

Manufacturing Engineer and Manufacturing Engineering Manager.....because of the job duties these are classified as exempt employee positions that in the US defines then as "not eligible for OT"...

In the US they classify employee positions by job duties, requirements and a few other things...

Fo me, in the 16 years I have been a salaried employee it's been an overall win....only the one position really required me to spend a lot more time there than I'd have preferred. 

https://www.adp.com/resources/articles-and-insights/articles/t/the-difference-between-exempt-and-non-exempt-employees.aspx

[gcode]

It depends on how stable the work schedule is
In 2021 and moth of 2022 I was working 40 to 45hrs a week
Salary would have been a pretty good deal

In late 2023 our best customer slammed us with work
I've been doing 50hrs+ at the shop Mon thru Fri and another 10 to 15 at home
on the weekends. The OT amounts to some serious $$$

[JParis]

It depends on how stable the work schedule is
In 2021 and moth of 2022 I was working 40 to 45hrs a week
Salary would have been a pretty good deal

In late 2023 our best customer slammed us with work
I've been doing 50hrs+ at the shop Mon thru Fri and another 10 to 15 at home
on the weekends. The OT amounts to some serious $$$

We have been treated well. Any time anything has required more than a couple hours they will compensate us with additional days off...

[gcode]

In this case, the OT will amount to nearly $100K this year, (pre tax of course)
It would not be possible to get comped with extra time off as the work load is too too heavy.
Even with these hours we are still way behind.

[CNCAppsJames]

I haven't been an hourly employee since the mid-90's except for my 2 year stint doing consulting work.

I personally like the flexibility of being salaried. The general expectation at my company is a 45-50 hour week. That said, as long as the work is done and the customer's support needs are met, the number of hours isn't the "core" focus. My job is a little on the unique side though and is hard to categorize in a neat manner... which is what I love about it.

Gcode I don't know how your company gets away with allowing you to be an hourly employee in this shithole of a state. That's all kinds of wrong. Your position is 100% a salary-exempt position. That being said, as long as you and your employer agree on a compensation package that should be the real determiant. I'm surprised the state hasn't looked at their books. They examine everything else here... except what's important... rat bastards.

[mowens]

I'm sort of a hybrid. I get paid by the hour. However, I am also exempt, For overtime, I get straight time plus $8.50. My hours are also flexible.

[gcode]

Gcode I don't know how your company gets away with allowing you to be an hourly employee in this shithole of a state. That's all kinds of wrong. Your position is 100% a salary-exempt position.

When I worked at **** Engineering it was a salaried position
One of the other CNC Programmers looked up the job description on the state web site which said CNC Programmer was
an hourly position.
He sued them for back wages and unpaid OT and collected about $30K
The guys was a real dirt bag. He accepted the job knowing is was a salaried position then sued them
He tried dragging me into his lawsuit but I wanted nothing to do with it.... and told him so... forcefully !!!
You have probably heard of this ass clown, but I won't name any names.

[YoDoug]

I'm salary with a comp plan. I work between 40-50 hours a week. There is plenty of work and I could work more but I try not to over do it. Technically my job is controls and automation engineering with only a small amount of CNC programming (5%-10% of my time). My work load is very cyclical. When I have a new machine/cell to build I tend to put in more hours. When everything is up and running smoothly I work less hours. I currently have a new project that is actually a decent amount of CNC programming. We have a group of 46 parts that I am programming for our Multus U3000 cell. We switched to HWR four jaw 2+2 compensating chucks and I modified the EOT robot grippers to be able to run prismatic stock and finish parts. Now it is more like a "done in one" 5 axis cnc, robot loaded cell than a lathe. Most of the parts don't have any turning features.

[Del.]

With Social Security I guess I'm salaried. 😂