Salary vs Hourly

[CNCAppsJames]

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.

I thought you were managing the dept where you are now. Sure you program too.
🤔

I do recall straight programming with no supervisory responsibilities being an hourly job though.

[gcode]

I thought you were managing the dept where you are now. Sure you program too.
🤔

I do recall straight programming with no supervisory responsibilities being an hourly job though.

They offered me salary a few years ago and I refused.
I'm happy as an hourly employee.

[MIL-TFP-41]

In my New York gig, I was "hourly exempt" - which means I was hourly with no overtime. Anything over 40 paid the same as the previous hours. My title was "Sr Manufacturing Engineer". Had my title of been "Manufacturing Engineer", I would of been able to collect overtime. Sure the Sr position had the potential to make more per hour, but the wages overlapped by quite a bit, so the Mfg Engineers wound up taking as much or more than I did.

Hourly now...not sure I would ever want it any other way.

[JakeL]

Hourly here, never really understood salary, seems like you could get screwed over real easy. Though this thread has shed some light on the benefits of salary.

Anything over 40 is time and a half for me. I've done anything from 40 to 75 hours in a week, all depends on the workload. My "usual" work week is 45-50 hours.

If given the option, I think it would take a lot to convince me to go to salary. I like being able to put in some extra hours for some extra cash if I need it.

[JParis]

The problem many people have when negotiating a "salary" is they don't factor in working a few extra hours a week.

I tell people figure out your 40 hr hourly rate, then calculate 5-7 hrs of OT a week....base your salary request on that and leave a "bit" of negotiating room.

I mean you don't just "accept" an offer, right???  Unless it blows you away and then, be afraid, be very, very afraid...

I like to make them wince a bit but not be so out of line that it's outrageous

[gcode]

for most of 2021 and 2022 salary would have been pretty sweet.
for 2023 thu 25 salary would mean I was leaving major $$$ on the table.

[Tim Johnson]

I started salary as a programmer but I was always putting some amount of overtime. I'm hourly now and put in 58 hours on average but I had 65 last week for a hot prototype job.

[JParis]

I am wondering how many of you guys programming and putting in copious amounts of OT are also still running a machine at some level?

[CADCAM396]

I program and run machine but avoid OT like the plague. It does happen and I fully understand the ebb and flow of work load. Am hourly for that reason.

[Incogneeto]

Nope , None , Nunca, What time is it??

See Ya!!

[Jim at Gentex]

Hourly here...been that way for 31 years at this job, and come to think of it, everywhere else I ever worked!

I have had times when those 60-65 hour weeks were necessary, but now I rarely work any OT.
For years I was the solo programmer here, but now they have hired a 2nd shift guy (also hourly), so we both work a straight 40 and everything gets done.

The extra money was always nice when I was younger, and the OT always seemed to come at a time when I needed it. 
But now that I am closer to retirement, the time matters more to me than the money, if that makes sense.

[gcode]

I am wondering how many of you guys programming and putting in copious amounts of OT are also still running a machine at some level?

The last time I ran a machine was 2001.
Occasionally, I've babysit a machine here when there was a hot job running and we needed to keep a spindle
turning while the operator went to lunch, but that really doesn't count.

[Flycut]

I am wondering how many of you guys programming and putting in copious amounts of OT are also still running a machine at some level?

I do.
I run the milling department in a 50 man shop.
We have 3 shifts and I do 60% of the programming.
I also run a UMC that is next to my desk and usually tackle the touchy or unorthodox jobs.
My shift is Monday to Thursday but I almost always come in on Friday's to help the weekend shift start on the right foot. The weekend shift is just a few guys and if the work load is too much I'll pick up the slack.

[JakeL]

I am wondering how many of you guys programming and putting in copious amounts of OT are also still running a machine at some level?

No machine time here either. I wish I could spend a couple weeks here and there on the machine, I feel it would really benefit my programming. But that just isn't in the cards with where the company's at (I've asked).

That being said, I am allowed to look over the machinists shoulder anytime I want. He gives me a heads up before running any of the crazy stuff I programmed so I can watch / listen with him.

Is that an option for everyone? Or are the "computer guys" supposed to stay in front of the computer at other companies?

[JParis]

Is that an option for everyone? Or are the "computer guys" supposed to stay in front of the computer at other companies?

I won't speak for anyone else but at what they're paying me, they don't want me at a machine and I am good with that...last time I had to set machines up at Sig I remembered exactly why I got into programming...it's nothing I want to do any more.