dagger

Typical Industry Benifets Survey

20 posts in this topic

I'm trying to get a general feeling for what is typical of benefits for the industry. I know people get pretty squeamish when talking about salary so that's not what I'm looking for. I'm curious about the other things. I have an opportunity to change things up at my workplace, and I want to make sure that we are competitive or at least in line with other companies.

Here is our information for an entry level position:

We are a general industrial integrator servicing several industries. Our controls engineers have at least a BS. Starting benefits are as follows:
Area of employment: Chicagoland Area USA
4 hours of weekly flex time
Two weeks a year PTO time. This encompasses any time off vacation, sick, personal, etc... (+1 week after 5 years)
Paid time off for (at least 6) federal holidays
Simple IRA plan with 3% company match
HD HSA, $2k deductible for individual with 100% converge after deductible, company pays a most all of premium
Salary pay based on 40 hours (no OT)
Meals and misc. per diem for overnight travel paid at Federal Rate by location (Travel expenses paid on company card. hotel, flight, rental car etc...)
Mileage paid at federal rate
I believe that our pay is on par with CSIA averages.

 

Thanks in advance for any information you are willing to share.

Edited by dagger

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We are an end user, an automated factory manufacturing automotive components (engine bearings at our location)

Our benefits aren't the best, but here they are.

Area of employment: Blacksburg, VA, no regular travel for us in the electrical engineering group.

Two weeks/year of paid vacation +1 week starting Jan 1 after 5 years (my hire date was May 1, so I had to wait almost 6 years to get my 3rd week)

Paid major holidays (10 days throughout the year)

401(k) (standard and Roth are available) with up to 3% match

CDHP with HSA, high deductible ($1800/individual, $3600 with spouse).  If spouse or other dependent can get coverage through their work, they are NOT eligible).  I'm finding out now that our medical coverage isn't really that good.  Company match of HSA contributions made through payroll deduction up to a maximum ($600/year I think).

Dental/vision plans are separate from medical.  They're ok.

Premiums for medical/dental/vision are based on salary range (employee pays a higher portion of the premium the more they make).

Life insurance included at 1x annual salary.  More costs more.

Salary based on 40 hours.  Engineers are exempt (no OT pay unless we're in on OT and supervising hourly employees).  Technicians are non-exempt (they get paid 1.5 time for approved OT)

Reimbursement for actual travel expenses (not per diem) including mileage at federal rate if we use POV.  This is rare for us, only for off-site training or approved seminars.

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I would not be interested at all in taking that job. Only two weeks for all sick, personal, AND vacation time!? 

I do like the 4 hours flex time but it is a salaried job so I would expect the hours  to be very flexible for engineering. 

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What amount of PTO and flex time do you consider more typical?

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    FWIW-

    I'm not far from Chicago, dagger, and I wouldn't remotely consider working for what you're offering unless you pay over $300k a year. 

    I'm guessing most of your staff is fresh out of college...

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Over $300k? Interesting...

 

But yes, this would be an entry level position. I'm sorry if I didn't mention that.

 

But really not a whole lot changes except PTO time for more advanced positions. 300k is will above the industry average, what do you think creates such a big short fall?

Edited by dagger

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On ‎4‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 11:53 AM, dagger said:

300k is will above the industry average...

You did not state which "industry." Oil and gas, food, manufacturing, etc. all very different industries. Unless you are referring to "automation" as an industry.

On ‎4‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 11:53 AM, dagger said:

We are a general industrial integrator servicing several industries.

Knowledge in an industry, like oil and gas, food, manufacturing, etc. has value. For example if you know NFPA, SIL, gas turbine requirements,  etc. you might rate more "benefits" if the pay is not what you want.

My third job, after the USN, it was a junior position,  had 6 months of paid sick time. Of course that was intended for really being sick. Taking a "sick" day because you had it on the books would get you released from employment.

On ‎4‎/‎10‎/‎2017 at 11:53 AM, dagger said:

I believe that our pay is on par with CSIA averages.

You do not say what the salary is so it is really hard to determine a good offer based only on the "benefits."

Benefits and salary should be negotiable unless you need people possessing all the same skill set.

My2c.

 

 

Edited by Mark-
Spelling error

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Mark,

Average across the automation industry for folks with titles like controls engineer, automation engineer, process engineer, etc... A 2015 survey from Control magazine said that only 15% of those surveyed made over $140K. So $300K seems very impressive. I don't have access to my CSIA survey at the moment, but if I recall correctly the results were similar.

Yes, certainly pay and benefits should be negotiable, but negotiations work best when people start with a reasonable foundation. That's why I'm curious if what we offer seems reasonable.

 

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43 minutes ago, dagger said:

Mark,

A 2015 survey from Control magazine said that only 15% of those surveyed made over $140K.

If this the survey to which you refer: http://www.controleng.com/single-article/control-engineering-salary-and-career-survey-2015/daf7cc2f276804875edf5546c0a1b852.html

I do not see the sample size.

43 minutes ago, dagger said:

That's why I'm curious if what we offer seems reasonable.

Very hard to quantify, IMHO. It really depends on the level of need, of both parties. No job, the benefits look fine until I find something better. Have a job, stop reading the listing. But again, that is based on abilities and pay.

Are you having difficulty hiring/retaining folks with the benefits listed?

 

Edited by Mark-

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Mark,

The survey I got was a little more formal and extensive than that. I would guess that they are both based off the same data, and probably fairly unscientific.

The information I'm looking for isn't if the job is good, bad, attractive, or unattractive. It is how do our benefits compare to others. I just wanted my own informal survey. You know, kinda see what is out there, and how we compare to it. Just a litmus test kind of thing.

Joe's benefits seemed similar, ControlsGirl seems to have better time off, and AutoMax apparently has a pretty sweet gig.

1 hour ago, Mark- said:

Are you having difficulty hiring/retaining folks with the benefits listed?

 

We are having difficultly finding people to even give offers. Beyond that maybe some hiring/retention trouble but those are always very complicated situations.

Edited by dagger

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Just now, dagger said:

It is how do our benefits compare to others. I just wanted my own informal survey.

I would suspect tabulating the published job opening listings of other companies in your area would provided more data. Just a guess.

Just now, dagger said:

We are having difficultly finding people to even give offers.

For me, had I been seeking employment, there are three items on the list that would have prevented me from applying.

>Two weeks a year PTO time. This encompasses any time off vacation, sick, personal, etc... (+1 week after 5 years)
>Salary pay based on 40 hours (no OT)
>Per Diem for overnight travel paid at Federal Rate by location

The first one is a "benefit" (rather strict) and the other two are not benefits. The last two really are unattractive.

My2c.

 

 

 

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For the last seventeen years I've been self employed, so I may be out of date. My first impression was that the PTO is very low. I have never worked for a place where vacation, sick, and personal time off was combined. My experience as always been that vacation was one block of PTO and sick/personal was another. Vacation was always use it or lose it. Unused sick/personal could roll over into the next year subject to limits.

When you couple the low PTO with a health insurance plan that by your own admission isn't much more than the minimum required to be able to say you offer health insurance, I'm not really surprised that you're not getting a lot of applicants.

If I were just graduating and comparing your company to another, your salary offer would have to be significantly higher to compensate for the paltry PTO and so-so health insurance.

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Steve,
Thanks for the info! I tend to feel like our PTO time is low as well, but I have trouble confirming this will data.

 

Just now, Steve Bailey said:

... health insurance plan that by your own admission isn't much more than the minimum required ...

Are you confusing Joe's health insurance with what I posted? I didn't say much about the specifics of our plan.

 

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You're right, I was confusing Joe's post with yours. Sorry.

What is the employer/employee split on the insurance premiums and how extensive is your plan. I realize that health insurance may not be a big influence on new college graduates unless they have current needs for services or are planning to start a family.

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    I wasn't implying I made $300k a year, I was implying that was what you would have to pay me to accept those benefits.

    My compensation includes a six figure base salary, paid overtime, sixteen paid holidays, one month of vacation, full health/vision/dental, essentially unlimited flex time, and annual bonuses.  I've only been at my current employer for a year and a half, but I've held similar positions at three Indiana companies over the last decade and all had similar benefits.

  

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Thanks for the info guys,

13 hours ago, Mark- said:

I would suspect tabulating the published job opening listings of other companies in your area would provided more data. Just a guess.

For me, had I been seeking employment, there are three items on the list that would have prevented me from applying.

>Two weeks a year PTO time. This encompasses any time off vacation, sick, personal, etc... (+1 week after 5 years)
>Salary pay based on 40 hours (no OT)
>Per Diem for overnight travel paid at Federal Rate by location

The first one is a "benefit" (rather strict) and the other two are not benefits. The last two really are unattractive.

My2c.

 

I don't usually see specific details spelled out in most job openings. Things like number of PTO days etc... I'll take another closer look. And you're right some of these things may not truly be "benefits." Maybe and employment package is a better term.
Out of curiosity, what is unattractive about the the Per Diem rate? Is it the requirement of overnight travel, or is it the rate? This is something where I think we are above the average since most people I have talked to have a lower fixed per diem when they travel. The federal rate is fairly high.

12 hours ago, Steve Bailey said:

What is the employer/employee split on the insurance premiums and how extensive is your plan. I realize that health insurance may not be a big influence on new college graduates unless they have current needs for services or are planning to start a family.

We have a high deductible plan with a health savings account. The company pays almost all of the premium. I'm a single 35yo male, and my deductible is $2k then after that insurance covers 100%.

 

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3 hours ago, AutoMax said:

My compensation includes a six figure base salary, paid overtime, sixteen paid holidays, one month of vacation, full health/vision/dental, essentially unlimited flex time, and annual bonuses.  I've only been at my current employer for a year and a half, but I've held similar positions at three Indiana companies over the last decade and all had similar benefits.

  

Did that month of time off for vacation include sick and personal days or was that additional?

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1 hour ago, dagger said:

Out of curiosity, what is unattractive about the Per Diem rate? Is it the requirement of overnight travel, or is it the rate?

Because Per Diem is a crap shoot. If I can find lodging/food/etc. for the Per Diem rate. OK. But what about when it cost me more to be where the company asked me to go. It is convention season in the city/town on a weekend and all hotel rooms are 75% more than normal. I lose out. That might sound like the exception but, it is not. Just pay my expenses, I will turn in receipts.

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Just now, Mark- said:

Because Per Diem is a crap shoot. If I can find lodging/food/etc. for the Per Diem rate. OK. But what about when it cost me more to be where the company asked me to go. It is convention season in the city/town on a weekend and all hotel rooms are 75% more than normal. I lose out. That might sound like the exception but, it is not. Just pay my expenses, I will turn in receipts.

Oh I see. Travel expenses are paid by the company. Per Diem is basically to cover food and misc.

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18 hours ago, dagger said:

Did that month of time off for vacation include sick and personal days or was that additional?

    Basically I'm required to work 40 hours a week minus holidays or vacation days.  I typically work 10-12 hours a day (again, compensated for overtime) so if I want a personal day I just take it.  I have actually missed a week of work due to illness, and was paid for that week even though I told the company it was unnecessary.

    My general feeling is that if you're salaried and not compensated for overtime, you owe me my salary whether I'm at work or actually ill.  If you comp the overtime I don't mind you docking me for not being on the clock.  Of course, I call in sick only when I'm sick, I can see people abusing the system.  My employer is wise enough to tell people if they are sick not to come in so they don't infect the entire office.

    I think a really key issue is controls engineers need to be extremely flexible.  We get called all the time and are always inconveniencing ourselves.  I routinely work holidays and weekends and get dragged out of bed at midnight.  I jump on planes at two hours notice or drive to Kentucky on an hours sleep.  I've been on vacation in California and cut it short because a limit switch failed and nobody could figure it out (true story).  Being a controls engineer is a pain in the ***.  So I want to be well compensated and if I want a day off because it's sunny and I want to wax my truck, I expect to get the day off.

    A field service engineer from Rockwell bills at $225 an hour (non-emergency) and $175 an hour portal to portal travel.  I'm the cheapest person in the whole company compared to that...

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