Need some advice

[twc.eX]

Ok. I know a bunch of us in here are in the computer industry, so I need some help. My company is getting more involved in consulting and we were looking around at the average contract rates for some of the key positions. Can you guys/girls help me out here. I'm just looking for dollar amounts for contract work.

Here's the list:
Project Manager
Business Consultant
Graphics Designer
Web Designer
Web Developer
Art Director
CP Dallas
Computer Programmer
PA Dallas
Programmer Analyst
Project Lead
Project Director
Creative Lead
Software Developer
Copywriter
QA Tester
QA Lead
Quality Control Engineer
Technical Support
Database Designer
Director of Technologies (IT)
Network Administrator
Computer Systems Analyst
Development Manager
Research & Development Supv.
Research Analyst
Software Design Manager
Systems Analyst
Systems Analyst Lead
Top IT Officer

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Dave (Ex)

[=DBA=Ronin]

yeeesh...thats quite a diverse list. I can't really help you with that sort of stuff. But I can tell you that the market the job is in (geographically speaking), makes quite an impact. Like for me, I live and work in a small town (12,000 ppl). The company I work for is an independant software manufacturer. Everything we sell we produce in house and it is absoloutely amazing how much we charge for the shit. We sell exclusively to the healthcare industry as that is what our software (Time and Attendance tracking, Payroll Processing, Human Resource Management) is geared towards.

Now, my position just changed to "Development Tech Technical Analyst". That is now my primary position but you could also slash on "Knowledge Management Administrator" as I am also in charge of our Knowledge Base content. We are starting a transition of moving our clients to our .NET applicaitons and it involves a whole new way of troubleshooting the back-end...which is basically what I now do.

With the market I live in, my base starting salary was barely above poverty level. Granted, I didn't start at this position, but in the going on 2 years I have been there, I am still not making nearly as much as one would suspect someone with that sort of title might be getting (I have gotten two raises since I started but they haven't amounted to much. The %'s look good on paper but its like building a mountain out of a mole hill). If I were to move about 30 miles south to Milwaukee, I could probablly land a job doing 3/4 the work and getting paid twice as much.

Anyway...just thought I would throw that out there. GL with your project!

[BuddhaMan]

Sorry bro, I do IT-type schtuff for the gubment as DOD military so I'm like cheap/slave labor. :\

[snipie]

I'm willing to work at home for minimum wage!

[twc.eX]

lol .. thanks Snipee.

I was looking to get feedback from guys like Artis, Czech. I believe they have the best insight in to what I'm looking for.

[=DBA=Ronin]

I'm willing to work at home for minimum wage!

Damn snipie...such a youngster selling out to the man already...fight the power brotha!!

[Pallidrone]

yeeesh...thats quite a diverse list. I can't really help you with that sort of stuff. But I can tell you that the market the job is in (geographically speaking), makes quite an impact. Like for me, I live and work in a small town (12,000 ppl). The company I work for is an independant software manufacturer. Everything we sell we produce in house and it is absoloutely amazing how much we charge for the shit. We sell exclusively to the healthcare industry as that is what our software (Time and Attendance tracking, Payroll Processing, Human Resource Management) is geared towards.

Now, my position just changed to "Development Tech Technical Analyst". That is now my primary position but you could also slash on "Knowledge Management Administrator" as I am also in charge of our Knowledge Base content. We are starting a transition of moving our clients to our .NET applicaitons and it involves a whole new way of troubleshooting the back-end...which is basically what I now do.

With the market I live in, my base starting salary was barely above poverty level. Granted, I didn't start at this position, but in the going on 2 years I have been there, I am still not making nearly as much as one would suspect someone with that sort of title might be getting (I have gotten two raises since I started but they haven't amounted to much. The %'s look good on paper but its like building a mountain out of a mole hill). If I were to move about 30 miles south to Milwaukee, I could probablly land a job doing 3/4 the work and getting paid twice as much.

Anyway...just thought I would throw that out there. GL with your project!


I am the lead programmer for a company that is in a similar type of buisness except our software is all POS geared towards the liquor industry. The main thing about have software that is made inhouse, is that if it is good, you can charge what ever you want for it.

For a client they cant compare your software to another package, like they can with a commerical package. It is like comparing apples to oranges especially when it is geared towards a specific industry.

Now getting back to the original question. Have you tried looking on Monster.com and checking out the average salary calculator? That might give you a better idea of what you are looking for.

The other thing you have to look at, especially from the programming stand point, is the language that is involved.

C#, Java and Perl programmers are going to be more then VB programmers. VB programmers IMHO are really a dime a dozen and can be found anywhere where as the other languages are harder to learn and implement, which leads to a higher pay scale. Also you have to look at what the job entails, especially for a programmer.

Are they working on AS/400? Is it accounting or GUI programming? COBRA or COM involved?

Each job is going to have it's own set of requirements and it is going to be hard to nail down a specific pay structure.

Anyway, I would start at Monster. You could also start hitting all the headhunters on there and pretend you are looking for a job with a fake resume and get some prices out of them. :)

[twc.eX]

Thanks Palli. I've never met you but you sound very cool. Thanks brotha. But that was awesome advice.

I appreciate it.

[Artis]

from past jobs ive had ill make a stab at some of those.

Project Manager: 40-50
Business Consultant
Graphics Designer: 30-50
Web Designer: 30-40
Web Developer: 40
Art Director
CP Dallas
Computer Programmer:35-60
PA Dallas
Programmer Analyst: 40-65
Project Lead: 45+
Project Director: 50+
Creative Lead
Software Developer: 40
Copywriter: 45+
QA Tester: 40
QA Lead: 50
Quality Control Engineer
Technical Support:30-40
Database Designer: 35-40
Director of Technologies (IT): 55 and all the way up
Network Administrator: 40+
Computer Systems Analyst: 40+
Development Manager: 55+
Research & Development Supv.
Research Analyst
Software Design Manager
Systems Analyst: 40
Systems Analyst Lead:45+
Top IT Officer: 60+

these are all rough and are gross yearly incomes but they are similar to what ive seen before in the public and private sector.

[twc.eX]

Thanks Artis. That helps a lot.

[Pallidrone]

Artis = Jamaican?

I am a doctor, a lawyer, a newspaper boy, a firefighter.......

[Artis]

the tuna is lookin' sexy there.

[Czechmate]

Artis's numbers (especially for QA) seem way off to me, so I'll put in my two cents.

Here's the list:
Project Manager - $50k
Business Consultant - $50+k
Graphics Designer - $35k
Web Designer - $40k
Web Developer - $45k+
Art Director - $35k
Computer Programmer - too generic... what level?
Programmer Analyst - too generic again
Project Lead - $50k (really depends on the project though)
Project Director - $55k (again, depends on the project)
Creative Lead - creative lead on what?
Software Developer - How is this different than computer programmer?
Copywriter - $35k
QA Tester - $25k
QA Lead - $30k
Quality Control Engineer - define this more
Technical Support - $25k to $30k
Database Designer - Is this enterprise level or a little DB? That's what will define the price
Director of Technologies (IT) - $100k+
Network Administrator - Depends on network size. Is it five computers or 5,000?
Computer Systems Analyst - too generic
Development Manager - Development of what?
Research & Development Supv. - $80k
Research Analyst - $45k
Software Design Manager - $50k
Systems Analyst - $45k
Systems Analyst Lead - $65k (this is close to what I do for Aetna)
Top IT Officer - $150k

There's a lot of generic titles in there, so I made several guesses as to what you meant. You'll also find this extremely useful (scroll down about halfway to get to all the charts):

http://www.computerworld.com/careertopics/careers/story/0,10801,63423,00.html

~Czech

[twc.eX]

Thanks Kevin. I appreciate the responses. I'll get more specific if those ones get asked about again.

[Artis]

those job titles all sound very familiar to me as lockhead martin job titles and out where i am those incomes are about right. my estimates might have been on the low end but i was thinking more about small to midsize companies not huge companies like aetna.

[Artis]

it also occurs to me that my experience is colored by being 24 yrs old and the incomes ive heard of may be different than what old man kevina may have heard.

[Hexum]

Art Director's make more than 35k.

[Czechmate]

I was just thinking of what the art people made at Daily Radar back in 2000-2001. I could be way off on my guesstimates too, but that's why I posted that link with the national salary survey. :)

~Czech

[Artis]

i hate you kevin.

[twc.eX]

Can't we all just get along?

[Artis]

i hate you too ex. way to go....gg

:)

[twc.eX]

lol.. Thanks Artis.. appreciate it.

[Artis]

im here for YOU bro thats all. im here for YOU damnit!!

[twc.eX]

and back by popular demand....... :youdick:

[Artis]

SWEEEEEEEET!!!!!!