Salary Opinions?

I noticed some other threads regarding salary, hopefully posting my question isn't a problem...

I was wondering if someone could give me an idea of how much an automation engineer with my experience would receive. I think I am getting slightly underpaid, but I really don't have an idea of what to expect for a salary. Salary.com is not very helpful.

My info:
-B.S. Chemical Engineering, 2007
-Did work in college automating a Biodiesel processor in LabVIEW (senior thesis)
- 1/2 yr experience R&D engineer (non-automation field)
-1yr experience working for a system's integrator (current job).

While at my current job:
-Familiar w/ RSLogix5K (ControlLogix), PLC5 (Logix5/500), PICO Soft, GE Fanuc Proficy Machine Edition
-Designed and built HMIs in RSView / Factory Talk View, iFix
-Experience setting up ControlNet and DeviceNet networks
-Proficient in VBA and C/C++
-Expected to go out on Start Up (been out on a couple large projects, 3-4 months worth). Have the experience dealing with hardware and field I/O (FTs, PTs, etc... VFDs, panel checks, SATs).
-Currently contracted to a pharmaceutical company working in their automation group. Everything is cGMP and validated (lots of SOPs and whatnot).

Company and most of our clients are located outside of Boston / So. NH.

Any feedback is appreciated, thanks!

It's a difficult question. The most difficult part is your experience is really very short. If you are learning all this stuff you've been exposed to and your capabilities have increased, then your value has increased as well. However, for a new hire with little experience there is an expectation that your value will increase significantly in a relatively short time and your starting salary probably had that built in to some extent. If your value didn't increase significantly (prove yourself) you'd be laid off because you didn't work out.

However, the most important thing I am hearing here is that you "feel" underpaid. My advice, talk it over with your boss. Communicate. Give him a chance to let you know what he thinks should be happening to your salary in the future and what he considers important to maximize it. Most companies have guidelines for salaries and raises. If you are really good, you may be pushing the limits of those policies. Find out what you can about those guidelines and policies. If you will be happy getting close to the maximum raise allowed, then all you have to do is make it happen.

Mellis gave you good advice.

I you are a 'junior' engineer, ask your boss what you need to achieve to become 'senior' or whatever the next post is.

Sometimes you gotta change jobs to move up the salary ladder but remeber a nice interesting job with training etc is better than a dull and uninteresting one with no training and another thousand a year.

Pay increase

The best thing to do, is talk to your boss when he or she is not buisy. Let him or her know that you want to improve in your knowledge and job performance. (Most companys have the attitude that everyone can improve in some way) Tell him or her that you would like some positive critisisim about your strong points and what you need to work on to help you improve. Your boss will let you know what your strong points are and what you need to improve on. Try not to argue with them because they might have got information from what they see and what others have told about you.
If you are told about things you need to work on, try to improve on them,then in a few months talk to your boss again about how he or she sees your improvment. If they are happy with your performance and you know you have improved, this would be the time to let them know you feel you are ready for a pay increase. But remember you can go to school for many years, but it is what you show on the job that counts.

Pay increase

I did not put in my reply above that a person's attitude has a great deal to do with their job. I have seen alot of good knowlegable and experienced people not advance or lose their job because they could not get along with anyone. I am not saying you have a bad attitude. I am saying there are many reasons for not getting a raise or pramotion. Getting input from your boss is escential.

TkDrgn said:

...... I think I am getting slightly underpaid, but I really don't have an idea of what to expect for a salary. ......

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If you don't know what to expect for salary, how can you feel you are being underpaid? What makes you think you are being underpaid?

You're 1+ years out of school, what kind of raise are you expecting? 5%? 10%? 20% Do you have performance reviews? What is your company's policy on pay increases? How much of your Chem Eng degree is related to the controls work you do now?

The only real test to see if in fact you are being underpaid is to start looking elsewhere, changing jobs (at this point in your career) will net you a higher pay increase then asking for a raise.

I would rate formal training as a lesser attribute , where common sense and the ability to listen and understand what customers are asking for as the primary skills as to which pay raises should be scaled to.

You also have to consider your employer's investment in you. Have you been to any training classes for the various packages that you are familiar with? As for your experience, 1 year in the automation world I'm sorry to say is nothing. You simply have not been exposed to enough variation. You may have wrote a couple of PLC programs, or troubleshot a few, but the value of that is not much. The value comes in gaining experience in various industries and knowing the processes and being able to apply best practice going forward. Almost anyone (yes it is true) can write a PLC program or develop an HMI once exposed to the tools. Believe me, I've seen some I would swear a monkey wrote. But to write one well, to cover all the variables and exceptions to the process, and to communicate the information efficiently to operations, maintenance and supervision, is where you will separate yourself and define your abilities. And that comes from years and years of experience, not after a year of being exposed to some PLC/HMI software.

As a means to gauging your worth, answer these questions of yourself:

Can you go on a startup by yourself, handle mutliple disciplines (PLC, HMI, Drives/Servos, Instrumentation/Calibration) and deal with the customer standing over your shoulder asking "how much longer"?

Can you design a PLC system from scratch? Specify the hardware, I/O modules, power supplies, fusing, wiring distribution, panel layout and draw everything correctly in CAD?

Can you write a PLC program from scratch? Define the I/O configuration, communications, data tables and program files and have everything be well commented and well organized so that someone can come in behind you and readily understand your code and not call you a moron under their breath?

Can you develop an HMI that accurately and succinctly communicates the appropriate information to various levels of need (operations, maintenance, supervision)? Develop a menu heirarchy that makes sense and has good flow? Not innundate the screen with pretty jpegs that serve no purpose?

Can you design a motion controlled system? Size motors, gearboxes, velocity/position feedback, proper protection and wiring, decide between V/Hz, Vector, Servo, Stepper, DC or AC and know when to apply the various technologies?

Are you comfortable picking up a 3rd party manual translated from Japanese to English, and configure, setup, calibrate and operate instrumentation that you've never seen before?

Can you deal with multiple personalities? Overbearing customers? Those that promise you information last week but deliver next week? The customer that constantly tells you, "that's not the way we do it here". Or the customer that says, "I have 3rd grade idiots operating this machinery, so please make it idiot proof or at least such that a 2nd grader could run it". Customers that demand you work 36 hours a day because they have to make production on Monday, and their mechanical group won't be done until 2:00pm Sunday. Customer's that are amazed that your project started up on time, at budget with no catastrophe's but for the sake of putting you in your place, comment that your HMI indicator for that alarm should flash yellow not red.

That's just a small sampling of what many on here face every day of their career and how they can define the money they are paid. It's not that they know how to drag and drop an XIC in RSLogix5, or draw a line in WonderWare. I'm not insinuating that's your credentials, but your value is more based on the above than whether you are familiar with XYZ programming software.

Very well put, that reply could be a real eye opener for many people!

Robertmee probably the most apt response to what a good technician on the fly repiarsman goes through.

robertmee said:

{good answer}

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Great... Now I know that I can't do my job and I am over paid...

Thanks a lot!

With unemployment on the rise I just hope my boss does not read this

What many folks forget or maybe don't want to know is this: You are hired for one reason and one reason only and that is to put money in the owners pocket. You are a profit center...period.

We do that by doing the tasks so well outlined above. When you realize that then you will do well.

Owners pocket. I was told investors pocket. Guess it depends how big of a company we are with. My best move ups have been move ons. I have only had 3 jobs as a professional. I am 43. I was sad to leave each job, but it was good for me. Sounds like your getting excellent exposure. I would stay and keeping building your value. Sounds like your getting the full experience.

Oh yea. I wanted to tell you I left my first job for under pay reasons. I stayed for 8 years. I now contract with them for 6 times what they paid me. Get the experience.

Formal Education is worth a lot it will open many doors. I am working on my degree now. But experience will keep those doors open and the customers very happy and make you some money. If you get about 10 years of REAL programming under your belt. Learn all you can about design, layout, sizing etc as was mentioned just above and the money will come to you.