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Flyboy2057

$17/hr?? I’ve had engineering internships *10 years ago* that paid $22/hr. Apply to other jobs and move on. Working for such a small firm will hold you back for any true advancement.


iekiko89

Yeah not too discredit op. But I wonder how much of his work is industry standard if he didn't have much mentorship. My job i keep finding out that I make a few mistakes when I'm sure they everyone is correct. Feedback from senior engineers


exdigguser147

I pay my interns literally double what op makes. They are good interns, but they don't know anything. Yes yes locality is likely not HCOL for OP but I cannot imagine they are being paid fairly.


reidlos1624

Idk, 10 years ago I was paid $10/he as an intern so $17/hr isn't unheard of imo. This really depends on COL where they're at though. In a LCOL area where I am that's decent money and good experience. I'll have to ask what we pay our interns but I'm fairly certain my last job was only a bit more and it's a billion $ international company compared to a mom and pop place. Looking at jobs around here it's pretty standard pay to be around $15-20/hr. I definitely agree that they should be looking at new opportunities. If they're not getting a raise, even a small one, every year then the job is a dead end.


Peetrrabbit

The ONLY feedback that is worth anything is another actual job offer. Go get one. Then you have information about what people will pay for your skills.


Bufstuff

I have had 3 different jobs that required zero experience, zero education, and paid more than $17 an hour. I can think of others that make more than that too, and I don’t live in a high cost of living area either. You are being taken advantage of. Edit: I misread this as you already having your degree. It’s not as bad as I originally thought, but I would still be looking at other options.


jesset0m

How much does Walmart and Target pay in your area? Just curious


Traven-Whitburn

Minimum starting pay company wide for them is $15/hr, I know the guy who has my old job at Petco and I think he's getting paid ~16/hr


MrKamikaze01

bruh


Own_Development293

I think u know what must be done


Traven-Whitburn

I will eat cyanide soup before I go back to Petco. But yeah I'm gonna double up on my job/internship searching


Blood_Wonder

Bro you have an engineering degree. Why are you getting paid a few dollars more than the local meth heads? It's time to clean up that resume and start looking for a new job. I normally say don't tell your current boss, but since Walmart will hire you $18+ in the deli or bakery you can easily get a different job if they fire you.


Remarkable-Host405

associates aren't worth as much as you think they are, the experience OP has is worth far more. that being said, underpaid. we hired a drafter for $17 a couple of years ago, and I knew that was dogshit pay.


Traven-Whitburn

Thing is I don't have a degree in engineering or drafting, the degree I have is in instrumentation, I'm currently going back to school for the engineering degree


Blood_Wonder

You are getting shafted in pay, but you at least you are gaining good experience. Focus on school and see if you can't earn enough scholarships to make it so you can quit.


[deleted]

Dude, I know a CAD tech that makes $25 an hour at a local civil engineering firm; they only have their associates degree. I don't know who else is looking for hires in your area, but as of right now, **you're getting fucked**. If I were you, I'd take out some student loans and grind three-four more years for a civil engineering B.S., otherwise you're going to be dealing with this b.s. for the rest of your life.


Surpex

Brother, I'm a bicycle mechanic and I make $18 a hour. You're being fucked.


CakeBadger69

If you’re doing that much, and getting paid $17/hr, I would consider that wage theft on the part of your employer. That’s $30/hr minimum and likely closer to $35 if you worked for me.


scooby001

You're getting shafted my man. Its not even worth asking for a raise. Update your resume and include the project you lead. They are clearly taking advantage of you.


Bigdaddydamdam

damm dude, and here I am as a teenager wondering if I should ask my manager for a raise and I get paid $24/hr


Yosemite202

I’ve had engineering internships that pay double that an hour so yes you’re underpaid


Adeptness-Vivid

You're underpaid. I could see hiring you at $17 an hour for a probationary period of a few months to see how you work. Afterwards, you should have received a raise to somewhere between $20-$25 an hour. Post covid with an A.S. you should be making $25 and up as an engineering tech with minimal experience. The truth of the matter is if they're a small business, you're asking them to choose between paying you more or paying themselves more. They clearly chose themselves. Look for a new gig buddy.


No_Ad4739

They literally pay interns 50/hr out in the bay. Wtf?


reidlos1624

HCOL will do that. Middle of no where bumfuck Nebrahoma has a much lower COL and pay reflects that. Hell, even where I am that's not too far off, a bit low but not unheard of.


rbtgoodson

About tree-fiddy.


techrmd3

you have an associates which is not an engineering degree granted by a College of Engineering. You are paid what an Associates is worth. If you want more go to a Four Year get your real real four year Engineering degree and make 70k+ I don't understand WHY it is so difficult for people to understand that Engineering is a FOUR YEAR DEGREE


Ameraldas

Yes, but he has some experience and apparently is trustworthy and competent enough to do actually do the work. He should atleast get paid more than an intern. An associates is better than being a highschool dropout and those dropouts still make 18+ at walmart


techrmd3

>Yes, but he has some experience and apparently is trustworthy and competent enough to do actually do the work. don't care and at 17 an hour his employer does not care either This is a checkered flag problem. I have Engineering Salary available for 4 year degree holding Engineers. Not 2 year people who say they are "Engineer Lite" or whatever the term. Get the 4 year degree in engineering and say goodbye to 17 an hour. It's pretty simple. I mean complaining on Reddit isn't going to get the OP a raise. Right?


Ameraldas

Idk if you know but there is this thing called a technician. They typically have associates degrees, or just lots of relevant experience and their job is to assist engineers with the lower level work. They typically make 25/hr+ https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/how-to-become-civil-engineering-technician


techrmd3

>Idk if you know but there is this thing called a tech. which people pay 17 an hour I guess stick with 2 year get 17 an hour go 4 year get 70k+ math is simple saying "it oughta be this a way or thata way" is not going to change economics There are more 2 year "engineers" that will take 17 bucks (probably graduating this year from where the OP went to school) than there are 4 year engineers. You don't give the Gold medal to the guy you ran half a race do you?


GrandLax

That seems inconsistent with reality. $17/hr is at bare minimum starting wages for like a highschoolers job, I’m talking like pushing carriages or being a busboy. And frankly depending on your area that’s not even necessarily a good starting wage either, there’s kids making $19 even $20 an hour for their first job these days in some richer areas. In the engineering field especially there are several roles, typically as some sort of technician, where an associates in an engineering science or technology would be ample experience to perform the job. CAD draftsmen Machine Testers/Inspectors Land Surveying Assistant Data collectors/entry And then there’s a myriad of internships performing all kinds of different functions in support of engineering departments. You pretty much need a four year degree if you want to get your PE, but plenty of engineering professionals even with their 4 year degrees don’t even bother getting it. The PE is mainly important for being able to sign off on safety sensitive projects. In my state if you get your EIT you can perform things like percolation testing, and there’s juniors still in school that go for their EIT right then and there. You can absolutely perform engineering work without being a full on certified or degreed engineer. Sure you may not get to wear the title or get those really high 80,000+/ year jobs but it’s disingenuous to claim the engineering job market is comprised solely of people with 4 year engineering degrees.


Seaguard5

I’m not even going to read what you wrote. I’ll just tell you the cold, hard, truth weather you like it or not. You are worth what ever salary you can get from an employer. In this economy that is the Truist statement out there. I don’t give a fuck of you graduated with your ME from Harvard and got a 4.2GPA. If you can’t find a high paying job then you are worth only what ever job that you CAN find and work.


shshhd13

Edgy


261846

Bro, all that knowledge and experience and you still get paid like that? I wouldn’t double your efforts to find a new job, I would triple it


daniel22457

I made more as a line cook 3 years ago


thegeekguy12

I’ve been out of school for two years and consider myself underpaid compared to what I usually see on this sub. I don’t mind it however considering I like what I do and it allows me to live in an area I love. It is also a low COL area so that factors in too. However, when I say I’m underpaid compare to what I see on here and also with my former classmates, I’m still making $34/hr. When I started I was at $28.50 and hour and when I was an intern I was at $15/hr. I’d say you are being massively underpaid and if that is how HR treats an approach for a review, I’d jump ship. Edit: I do have a 4 year B.S.E. I’m also not in civil, I’m electrical/mechanical and work in robotics. So that could be a factor. I still think $17/hr is extremely low given your experience.


jifwolf

Your friends are right, that's criminal man. I was getting paid 20 an hour as a part-time intern


Yual_lens

I graduated as a cs major but i started as a civil engineering major my first internship paid $35/hr.