<HTML>In a message dated 5/10/02 6:54:52 PM !!!First Boot!!!, jorge1ml@cmich.edu writes: <BLOCKQUOTE TYPE=CITE style="BORDER-LEFT: #0000ff 2px solid; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px">Comparing to self employed techs has one concern.  Private techs work at high wage, but many work few hours so total yearly incomes can be low. Comments? -Mike </BLOCKQUOTE> Hi guys; I just got back form Japan, so my answer is a little late. But I do want to make a comment regarding salary. First, in regard to private sector "wage." I think we all agree that a private sector tuning of $80, doesn't mean earning $80 per hour. Also, full time private sector tech  work more than 40 hours a week. Even before I had my store, 60 hour weeks were common for me. A CAUT's salary should be comparable to other full time professional staff positions at a university. The advantage we have is that we do have the ability, if we so desire, to earn additional income tuning on the side. By all means, I agree wholeheartedly, that a university should not pay a tech a lower wage with the assumption that extra income can be earned on the side. But by the same token, we might be shooting ourselves in the foot if we advocate that CAUT's earn what the upper end private sector techs can earn. If I recall, the survey taken a couple of years ago showed that a very small percentage of private techs earned more than $50,000 a year. The vast majority of full time tech earned between $35 and $45 K. That is presumed to be net. I realize that was 10 years ago, so we should be looking at $45 - $60 as a comparable wage. But I think that is probably for those that work 60 hours or more per week. So if we compare that to what CAUT's are capable of making, I think it fits in. I think I make about the average of what most of you are making. I will also make about half that much in private tunings. So that puts me about where the private sector comes in. As a side note, one benefit most private sector techs don't have is the paid vacation and professional development time. When I working for my self, any time I took off to go on vacation or to a seminar or convention was unpaid. But the nicest benefit I have now is the paid vacations and paid time off to go to seminars and conventions. That alone makes this job worth the money I get paid. Wim   </HTML>