>(Besides, >how overqualified to you have to be before salaries begin to become >respectable?) > >David Skolnik >Columbia University Thanks David! I agree! Folks, we keep talking about and adding to what a piano technician ought to be capable of before he or she should be a CAUT, but we keep avoiding what a CAUT ought to be worth in terms of salary. The schools obviously aren't paying for all these qualifications. So, why should they be required? I've been doing a little research on salary ranges for PTs in southeastern state schools and finding that the average salary won't support a family, unless it's supplemented by outside work (which administrators "allow, as long as it doesn't interfere with regular full-time responsibilities" -- I don't see how interference can be avoided.) The best salary I've found at a state school can't possibly support the tech's cost of living. (Don't worry, I don't know what any of you make -- I just got ranges. Most of them are posted on the Human Resources web site of either your school or state.) In fact, I've found private sector custodians who earn more than the average full-time university staff piano technician salary. And in areas where the cost of living is lower too! Truck drivers make more than we do. Ron Torrella wrote: >while holding down three jobs (Univ. tech, private practice, and father of >two) What I'm finding is that schools are expecting us to work outside in addition to our full-time responsibilities, not merely "allowing" it. With the type of skills we possess, this just shouldn't be necessary, particularly when we have college degrees as well. Everyone wants us to be more and more educated and yet pays us less and less while the cost of living soars. I look up and down my street and see my peers with similar educational backgrounds in various fields and much less on the job experience earning an average of a minimum of two times our salaries. What can we do to change this? Oh, by the way, performance-wise, I was an award-winning voice person in college as a business major and the son of a piano teacher. But I only took piano for a couple of years in Jr. High school, and my piano teacher doubled as my algebra tutor. I've progressed on my own at the piano since then but please don't ask me to present a piano recital -- much less as a prerequesite for my employment. All I'm interested in is providing the best life I can for my family while doing something I enjoy. They are what matter to me. If I can't provide that living for them, then I'll have to find something else to do. Sorry. I hadn't vented in a while and just yesterday learned of a probable 12-13.5% cut to our higher education budget in this state (which translates into "if you have a job next year, you won't get a raise"), while our rising natural gas and electric bills, gasoline prices, grocery bills, and property taxes are going to run us in the ground. Jeff Tanner, Piano Technician School of Music University of South Carolina Columbia, SC 29208 (803)-777-4392 (phone)
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