Paizo recent job listings and salaries.

[Ath-kethin]

From the postings: "100% paid medical, dental, and vision for employee and immediate family."

This benefit is huge, especially if by "100%" paid they mean the company covers co-pays, deductibles, and similar idiocy. Very few positions or companies will make that offer, but it's not too uncommon in unions IME.

Honestly this benefit is probably the equivalent of a few thousand dollars per year by itself. More if you or a family member is disabled or has special medical needs.

For context: medical "insurance" generally comes out of a person's paycheck in the US and for family coverage often costs $200 or more per pay period. So if you get paid weekly, that's $10,000 or more you're paying for the insurance, and then you have to pay a little bit every time you see a doctor, plus a portion of whatever the doctor bills you.

So 100% paid medical easily makes these positions the equivalent of $50 - 55k jobs on the base level. That's not nothing.

 

[MGibster]

This benefit is huge, especially if by "100%" paid they mean the company covers co-pays, deductibles, and similar idiocy. Very few positions or companies will make that offer, but it's not too uncommon in unions IME.

This typically means the employer picks up 100% of the premiums, but the employee is still on the hook for copays, coinsurance, or meeting the deductible. While not having to pay premiums is pretty sweet, it's difficult to assess how good the benefit package is without actually looking at it. The worst plan my company offers employees is also the cheapest, and I have to bite my tongue to avoid telling new employees that it's hot garbage and they should pick one of the other two instead.

Honestly this benefit is probably the equivalent of a few thousand dollars per year by itself. More if you or a family member is disabled or has special medical needs.

Oddly enough, when it comes to recruitment, most candidates don't really care that much about the total compensation package. They're more interested in their base pay.

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

"According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly wage of United States citizens as of December 2020 is $29.81, while the average weekly wage is $1034.41."

That's a year and a half old, but the hourly rate comes out to just over 59k and the weekly rate comes out to about 54k. Wages have been largely flat for most people, often barely keeping up with the rate of inflation so I wouldn't be too surprised if there wasn't much of an increase in those numbers. The idea that an average American can earn 70k+ a year in the remotely near future is a pipe dream.

Thank you for this information, that put a little context into the wage ranges (which are probably clear for many of you, but difficult to compare for non-US readers. Also, could you clarify what does "exempt/non-exempt" mean? It seems significant if they put it near the top of the ad...

BTW - the starting teaching salary in Seattle is $41,000.00

Thx, this is useful comparison information!

From the postings: "100% paid medical, dental, and vision for employee and immediate family."

This benefit is huge, especially if by "100%" paid they mean the company covers co-pays, deductibles, and similar idiocy. Very few positions or companies will make that offer, but it's not too uncommon in unions IME.

Honestly this benefit is probably the equivalent of a few thousand dollars per year by itself. More if you or a family member is disabled or has special medical needs.

For context: medical "insurance" generally comes out of a person's paycheck in the US and for family coverage often costs $200 or more per pay period. So if you get paid weekly, that's $10,000 or more you're paying for the insurance, and then you have to pay a little bit every time you see a doctor, plus a portion of whatever the doctor bills you.

So 100% paid medical easily makes these positions the equivalent of $50 - 55k jobs on the base level. That's not nothing.

Interesting. How extensive is the cover? Does that mean you get all medical expanses taken care of, or is the portion left usually significant? Does it also include compensation for the time you can't work (say you're diagnosed for cancer, get treated, and come back to work after not being able for say six to nine month, does the insurance cover the medical bills or does it cover maintaining your income while you can't work?

Also, many expenses which in other countries are financed by taxes like health care, education, ect. have to be paid directly out of your own pocket in the US, and with how medicine prices and school tituition is in the states that often ends up being more expensive than the tax based systems.

Yes, that what's make comparisons difficult. I wonder what Paizo is paying, in total, for an employee to get 42,000 in salary.

 

[MGibster]

Thank you for this information, that put a little context into the wage ranges (which are probably clear for many of you, but difficult to compare for non-US readers. Also, could you clarify what does "exempt/non-exempt" mean? It seems significant if they put it near the top of the ad...

An exempt employee is one who is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act requiring overtime to be paid after 40 hours of work each week. A non-exempt worker is required by law to be paid overtime if they work in excess of 40 hours a week. i.e. As a non-exempt employee making $10.00 an hour, if I work 41 hours, the company must pay me at least $15.00 for that additional hour I worked. I could go into the weeds and further explain the difference, but that's really it in a nutshell. I'm an exempt employee, and while I usually work about 40 hours per week, once in a while I work more than that and I don't receive any extras compensation.

Interesting. How extensive is the cover? Does that mean you get all medical expanses taken care of, or is the portion left usually significant? Does it also include compensation for the time you can't work (say you're diagnosed for cancer, get treated, and come back to work after not being able for say six to nine month, does the insurance cover the medical bills or does it cover maintaining your income while you can't work?

Without looking at their schedule of benefits, there's no way to answer these questions. But some companies do offer their employees both short and long term disability insurance. But they usually don't pay 100% of your base pay. The STD/LTD through my company only pays 60% of my base pay. Better than nothing, but things will get tight.

 

[Ath-kethin]

This typically means the employer picks up 100% of the premiums, but the employee is still on the hook for copays, coinsurance, or meeting the deductible. While not having to pay premiums is pretty sweet, it's difficult to assess how good the benefit package is without actually looking at it. The worst plan my company offers employees is also the cheapest, and I have to bite my tongue to avoid telling new employees that it's hot garbage and they should pick one of the other two instead.

Oddly enough, when it comes to recruitment, most candidates don't really care that much about the total compensation package. They're more interested in their base pay.

I'm not saying you're incorrect, but I will say that any candidate that isn't paying attention to the total package will walk away (or sign on) grossly misinformed.

And under normal circumstances I agree with your first point as well, but I've both worked for a private company that covered absolutely everything insurance cost-wise and spent some time pursuing a position in a union that did the same. Since the Paizo staff is now unionized, I don't think it's a pie in the sky idea that they might just cover everything top to bottom.

Interesting. How extensive is the cover? Does that mean you get all medical expanses taken care of, or is the portion left usually significant? Does it also include compensation for the time you can't work (say you're diagnosed for cancer, get treated, and come back to work after not being able for say six to nine month, does the insurance cover the medical bills or does it cover maintaining your income while you can't work?

Without seeing the details of the plan, it's impossible to say. most small companies in the US have absolutely atrocious insurance plans, with coverage barely existent and the employee and employer splitting the upfront cost. The employee is on the hook for all the extra changes, which are many.

But Paizo is 1) not really a small company and b) unionized, so the benefits are probably going to be far better. Especially since they advertise the positions as 100% covered; even if the employee still has to handle little charges, the premiums alone can cost (or save) thousands of dollars per year.

It sounds like a good deal regardless of the fine print, is the takeaway here.

 

[MGibster]

I'm not saying you're incorrect, but I will say that any candidate that isn't paying attention to the total package will walk away (or sign on) grossly misinformed.

I agree with you. But from my experience recruiting, most candidates, especially younger candidates, are not looking at the total compensation package they're looking at base pay. Older candidates, or those who have health problems or dependents with health problems, are more likely to care about benefits.

And under normal circumstances I agree with your first point as well, but I've both worked for a private company that covered absolutely everything insurance cost-wise and spent some time pursuing a position in a union that did the same. Since the Paizo staff is now unionized, I don't think it's a pie in the sky idea that they might just cover everything top to bottom.

I've heard of employers who pay 100% of the premiums, but I have never heard of an employer who would pick up 100% of your medical expenses. Such a benefit package would be uncommon here in the United States even for union shops.

But Paizo is 1) not really a small company and b) unionized, so the benefits are probably going to be far better. Especially since they advertise the positions as 100% covered; even if the employee still has to handle little charges, the premiums alone can cost (or save) thousands of dollars per year.

They have fewer than 100 employees and an estimated revenue of $35 million annually. The U.S. Small Business Association would classify Paizo as a small business.

 

[Ath-kethin]

I agree with you. But from my experience recruiting, most candidates, especially younger candidates, are not looking at the total compensation package they're looking at base pay. Older candidates, or those who have health problems or dependents with health problems, are more likely to care about benefits.


I've heard of employers who pay 100% of the premiums, but I have never heard of an employer who would pick up 100% of your medical expenses. Such a benefit package would be uncommon here in the United States even for union shops.


They have fewer than 100 employees and an estimated revenue of $35 million annually. The U.S. Small Business Association would classify Paizo as a small business.

The Springfield Massachusetts IBEW Local 7 Electrician's Union pays all premiums and reimburses all out of pocket medical expenses, including deductibles.

I worked in a factory once (near Springfield) that didn't even reimburse those expenses, they straight up had hospitals bill them. That catch with hat one, of course, was that working at that factory would absolutely destroy your health and you would depend on on them just to function, after a while.

I pursued membership in the Local 7 for a couple of years, unsuccessfully, and I left the factory job before I ended up like the other employees I could see.

You are correct re: Paizo's size, of course. But I'm accustomed to working for companies that have fewer than a dozen full time employees, so my reference point was off by an order of magnitude or 6.

But it really think the main difference for Paizo is that they're a union house now, which greatly increases the odds of them offering a healthcare package that's actually, you know, competitive with what most of the rest of the world enjoys normally.

 

[aramis erak]

Depends on where you live. In Los Angeles the cost of living for 1 person is about $4,500 a month before you including anything but the rent, utilities, food and transportation. That's for a 1 bedroom at the median price. If you want to live in a bad neighborhood and/or live in a studio apartment, you can save some money.

Philomath (10mi or so from OSU, 2BR apts rent for $700 to $1200.
Corvallis itself, near either Linn-Benton Community College or Oregon State University, a single bedroom shared 4 BR apartment goes for $700-$900, including electric (with a cap)... and 2 BR range from $1200 - $2000 per month...

An exempt employee is one who is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act requiring overtime to be paid after 40 hours of work each week. A non-exempt worker is required by law to be paid overtime if they work in excess of 40 hours a week. i.e. As a non-exempt employee making $10.00 an hour, if I work 41 hours, the company must pay me at least $15.00 for that additional hour I worked. I could go into the weeds and further explain the difference, but that's really it in a nutshell. I'm an exempt employee, and while I usually work about 40 hours per week, once in a while I work more than that and I don't receive any extras compensation.

Most exempt employees on salary are required to be given "comp time" (compensation time off) equal to the overage hours.
Some, like Substitute Teachers in many places, are per-day-pay. My last subbing paycheck was $150/day, $80 for half-day, and $230 if I had to cross 9 hours.... And yes, the half day is just a hair over half-pay - if you got two half-days, the extra $10 was considered compensitory for losing your lunchtime to go between.
There are many kinds of exempt workers... Salary, wage+tips, profit share, per unit of work... which are legal for which fields varies widely by state in the US.

Without looking at their schedule of benefits, there's no way to answer these questions. But some companies do offer their employees both short and long term disability insurance. But they usually don't pay 100% of your base pay. The STD/LTD through my company only pays 60% of my base pay. Better than nothing, but things will get tight.

Feds paid 50% when I was down from an at work injury in 1997. But only for 3 of the 6 months before I was cleared back to duty. State Unemployment covered those three at somewhat less (half base, but not half gross, as unemployment didn't match the Cost Of Living Allowance, at the time, 22.5% increase over base pay, non-taxable, variable by location.

 

[MGibster]

Most exempt employees on salary are required to be given "comp time" (compensation time off) equal to the overage hours.
Some, like Substitute Teachers in many places, are per-day-pay. My last subbing paycheck was $150/day, $80 for half-day, and $230 if I had to cross 9 hours.... And yes, the half day is just a hair over half-pay - if you got two half-days, the extra $10 was considered compensitory for losing your lunchtime to go between.

What you're describing doesn't sound like comp time. Comp time is giving employees paid time off to make up for them working longer than scheduled. So if I work two hours extra on Wednesday, my employer gives me two hours of paid time off three weeks from now to make up for it. For a private employer, this is usually illegal because it's a way to get out of paying overtime. But public sector employees are exempt from that part of the FSLA and are free to offer comp time.

Private employers are not required by the FSLA, or any other federal law that I'm aware of, to give their salaried employees comp time. As a salaried employee, I do not count hours. Whether I work 38 or 45 hours during a week, I will be compensated the same either way.

 

[Maxperson]

Philomath (10mi or so from OSU, 2BR apts rent for $700 to $1200.
Corvallis itself, near either Linn-Benton Community College or Oregon State University, a single bedroom shared 4 BR apartment goes for $700-$900, including electric (with a cap)... and 2 BR range from $1200 - $2000 per month...

Yep. Like I said, depends on where you live. Looking at Watts, one of the worst neighborhoods in Los Angeles, a 4 bedroom apartment is going to run about $3300-$3500 a month for just the base rent.