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| When do you want to start? I'm looking.
I'm not saying that $40K isn't decent pay, but a lot of farmers have the farm pay a lot of their personal bills and then think they live very cheap. As a former banker and talking to my banker, family living is the #1 underestimated expense.
Let's say it is a young married guy. His wife works part-time and makes $20K. Couple young kids. Living fairly conservative and I may be underestimating expenses.
$5000/mo
Take home $4250?
$800 mortgage
$300 auto payments
$100 auto insurance
$1000 health insurance/expenses
$800 food/ household consumables
$200 retirement
$200 gas
That leaves $800 to cover everything else, including things like saving for a new roof for the house, buying a lawnmower, new tires on the vehicle, repairs, clothes for the kids, etc. Pretty tight. Most of the expenses listed would be accounted for outside of family living expense by many farmers. I don't think the listed expenses are extravagant.
The truth is, it doesn't really matter what we think wages should be. If we want to hire and retain good employees, then we need to pay what the local market is. If that's $40K, then you should be able to find what you are looking for. If you can't find them, then $40K probably isn't enough.
Here, we compete with the Omaha/Council Bluffs job market. $30-40K plus benefits is pretty standard at many jobs.
What's starting wages for the railroad out there?
Edit: Pay is also going to depend on responsibilities. A good sprayer operator should get more pay than feedlot labor or the guy raking hay.
Brandon
Edited by Brandon SWIA 11/27/2014 09:12
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Hired man post from below. Pay and benefits?
