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Author Topic: a simple yet blunt question on labor rates  (Read 7137 times)

Steve M Smith

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Re: a simple yet blunt question on labor rates
« Reply #10 on: February 02, 2014, 05:03:09 AM »

the next time you edit my humor/sarcasm I'll have to kill you.

That's a risk I'm going to have to take.


He's asking about rates for an actual engineer as in structural engineer, electrical engineer, etc.  There's no such thing, as far as I know, for audio engineering.

I asked because I am employed as an electronic design engineer but I don't have a degree.  It's not essential.


Steve.
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James A. Griffin

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Re: a simple yet blunt question on labor rates
« Reply #11 on: February 03, 2014, 07:52:51 AM »

He's asking about rates for an actual engineer as in structural engineer, electrical engineer, etc.  There's no such thing, as far as I know, for audio engineering.  Although there are engineers who do also mix audio.

Lee

The typos, grammatical errors, and run-on sentences make it difficult to determine what he's really asking.   
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I need to determine where in this swamp of unbalanced formulas squatteth the Toad of Truth

Ray Aberle

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Re: a simple yet blunt question on labor rates
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2014, 12:05:30 PM »

A simple but blunt question on labor rates

What does day labor go for in your area, for stage hand, technical operator (audio, lighting or video) and actual engineer (as in you have your actual degree behind you) and weather union or non union. Do you work on a day rate straight hourly rate or minimum show fee plus hours after 4 hours?

I'm askng this as the discussion has come up once again. I'm so used to just running as solo man plus equipment on a flat rate for shows and Full DJ service with lbrary and equipment I have no real idea of a fair price for just labor only. If you dont feel comfortable posting in forums a OM would be appreciated.
I was in the same boat as you, Richard. I started and grew my business based on Mobile DJ services, and I am really really good at pricing my DJ service side of things. I started getting into live sound production, plus rentals, and that's where I am doing most of my work today. Because I was so used to the DJ side of things, though, it took me a bit to figure out how to properly price both my gear and my labor. Even today, I still screw up sometimes as to how much labor it will take to do an event. :) (I "worked" for "free" a few times last year, because I quoted and billed a certain number of hands, but then ended up getting one more last-minute, and using the money I would have "paid" myself to pay the extra pair of hands. Not what I WANT to do, and not good for the short-term health of my business account as well as myself-- but I would rather have a successful event (and let the client know that next time it will cost more due to the extra labor required) and thus the repeat business.

What got me on track for appropriate labor pricing was what another company charged me. One of my regular events asked for a major production increase three years ago. We did it, but I had to bring in another company to assist with flying speakers (both the speakers that could be flown, the lifts, but more importantly-- the people who are qualified to do so!). When they gave me the quote, sure enough, 4 hands, A1 and A2s-- $300-$325/day rate. So, that's the rate I started using when billing labor charges to clients.

Now I am comfortable billing labor to clients, but it did take a while to get used to the concept. [I still remember a show I did in '08, 2 days, two stages, JBL SRX, EAW wedges on the main, 450s (haha) on the second stage, Soundcraft at FOH, Mackie on the 2nd stage, 4 people total, but two were my parents so I was able to skimp there... but only billed out $3400 total. I was charging day rates for the gear, and not line-iteming the labor separately. The gear rates were carryovers from rentals or DJ events, where it was a fair price for that service... but going to an all-day festival with bands coming and going-- I really screwed that one up. :( ]

-Ray
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Kelcema Audio
Regional - Serving Pacific Northwest (OR, WA, ID, BC)

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: a simple yet blunt question on labor rates
« Reply #12 on: February 03, 2014, 12:05:30 PM »


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