Just wondering here. What do y’all think are “decent wages” for the following jobs?
1.) Restaurant waitperson
2.) Corporate scientist
3.) Cabdriver
4.) Chemical plant reactor operator
5.) Chemical plant unskilled helper
6.) Corporate attorney
7.) Product engineer
8.) Retail clerk
9.) Patrol cop
10.) Administrative Assistant
I don’t really have an opinion but this site might be interesting or helpful. It’s from 1999 which appears to be the last year the data are available online. Perhaps it would be fun for people, after you’ve guessed, to check the site to see how close they are.
Do your decent wages include health insurance? if so, is it fully paid, or do the employee’s pay for some of it? Does it cover family members, and again, if so, at what cost to the employee?
Is there a benefit fund? If so, is it a defined benefit or defined contribution plan? A 401K program? If available, are there stock options?
Does the employer have a sick leave policy so that the employee won’t have to choose between working while ill or foregoing part of her/his paycheck? Is there a paid vacation benefit? Are state and/or national holiday paid time off?
Any other benefits–child care assistance, training/education to maintain or obtain skills, payment in professional organizations, health and fitness programs, tuition reimbursement?
Without knowing these factors, I can’t say what a “decent wage” would be for any worker. A salary alone isn’t a good measure of a decent wage.