What do you think you're worth?

[tech_guy]

Are you happy with your salary or do you think you deserve more (or less) for the job you do?

 

I reckon I should be paid another 5k for the work I do and the loyalty & commitment the school gets out of me - I've been here longer than most of the staff now.

[torledo]

i'm probaby being paid what i'm worth at the moment. Obviously it's not enough to live on in rip off britain, but that's another thread isn't it...

 

I'm hoping i'm a year or 18 months away from being worth a hell of a lot more to a prospective employer.....but then i said that 12 months ago and i'm not that much further on. But this time it's different. honest

[GlennT]

Hmmmm .... tough one.

I think I would rather get paid peanuts and enjoy what I did rather than chase after the money (as some of my friends have done). Having said that, I could do with a pay rise!

[Sylv3r]

I suppose the majority of people would like a payrise, but on the grand scheme of things I'm happy with what I earn. But the school does recognise and value the staff and the majority of support staff here are on decent pay, compared to a lot of other schools. The school is aware that it is far better to keep someone they know and will work then let them leave and bring an unknown in.

[kmount]

I'd like to think I'm worth more especially when you see other "non teaching staff" earning more for doing what is perceived as less.

 

Go figure.

[witch]

I look at it this way: could anyone else in my organisation do my job? - No

Could I do anyone else's? Definitely the TAs, office and admin staff. I could do some of the teaching as well - not to a 'good teacher' standard but I could make a reasonable job of it.

So..I should be paid less than a good teacher, but more than everyone else.

Which I am - but I think my pay needs to be nearer that of a teacher.

Frankly, the salary is so bad that only someone who

a) still lives at home, or

b) has another, larger income coming into the household

could possibly manage on it.

[Michael]

It's difficult to quantify really. I believe qualifications in IT do go some distance, but I think it's the expertise you can offer which is the ultimate selling point.

 

If I had the choice, I would employ/hire someone with 10 years of IT experience with examples of what they have managed in that period, rather than someone who's highly qualified from uni with no experience whatsoever.

 

Books teach you basics; real life experiences teach you a great deal more. Remember if you want real promotion, don't be afraid to apply for other jobs.

[kmount]

It's difficult to quantify really. I believe qualifications in IT do go some distance, but I think it's the expertise you can offer which is the ultimate selling point.

 

If I had the choice, I would employ/hire someone with 10 years of IT experience with examples of what they have managed in that period, rather than someone who's highly qualified from uni with no experience whatsoever.

 

Books teach you basics; real life experiences teach you a great deal more. Remember if you want real promotion, don't be afraid to apply for other jobs.

 

Hire me!

[localzuk]

Considering my workload, and the amount of knowledge I have, and the effort I put in, I reckon another £5k would be about right for my job.

[leco]

Notwithstanding the amount of experience, skill, knowledge and expertise that a person may have, they are only worth whatever an employer is willing to pay. It goes without saying that in education very few employers understand the real worth of the IT department's work.

[K.C.Leblanc]

I'm happy with what I get, however I think it should go further. My beef is with the government and not my employers, who are ironically the government.

[torledo]

I look at it this way: could anyone else in my organisation do my job? - No

Could I do anyone else's? Definitely the TAs, office and admin staff. I could do some of the teaching as well - not to a 'good teacher' standard but I could make a reasonable job of it.

So..I should be paid less than a good teacher, but more than everyone else.

Which I am - but I think my pay needs to be nearer that of a teacher.

Frankly, the salary is so bad that only someone who

a) still lives at home, or

b) has another, larger income coming into the household

could possibly manage on it.

 

 

i often think like that....i see person a getting paid nearly double what i earn without having to put in half the effort in.....

 

and i say to myself well obviously it's right i'm earning more person x in the admin, and i SHOULD be earning more than most of the teaching staff, and then i think well there's a reason the teachers are paid more....a school without teachers ?....

 

But ultimately i'm wrong on all accounts, the more i think about it the more i realise that what people are paid is down to many factors - most of these factors are arbitary, and that for every profession there's someone somewhere or an employment sector out there willing to renumerate them well.....

 

Analysing ones worth in comparison to other roles in a school is self-defeating, if an IT pro can wangle there way to a senior position at 40k they've done very well....but for most of us those sorts of salary jumps mean looking elsewhere. Because no matter how good we become or how much we contribute some things just aren't on the cards. Ever.

 

For a young IT pro the knack is to know when it's the right time to move on, so as to maximise earnings potential. You can earn good money, enjoy what you do and progress while still progressing your salary in more than slow drips. I was earning 12k a year 8 years ago and loving what i was doing....but i wasn't earning 12k for very long i promise you....i'm not that much of a slave to the enjoyment of the job.

Edited September 19, 2008 by torledo

[maniac]

For a young IT pro the knack is to know when it's the right time to move on, so as to maximise earnings potential. You can earn good money, enjoy what you do and progress while still progressing your salary in more than slow drips. I was earning 12k a year 8 years ago and loving what i was doing....but i wasn't earning 12k for very long i promise you....i'm not that much of a slave to the enjoyment of the job.

 

I can whole hartedly back that up. 5 years ago I started my educational ICT support journey as network manager of a middle school with 200 computers to look after on a salery of 12.5k. Network manager was merely a job title, as it was just me on my own, I didn't really manage anything, just basically did what was asked of me. Had a pay rise while there, but decided to move on after 2 years to a technician role at a large secondary on a better salery. Worked my way up to 'development engineer' in this school and there was a pay rise for me there as well, but I reached as far as I could go in that position and decided after 2.5 years to move on again.

 

I'm now network manager of a small academy school, on more than double what I started my first ICT support job at 5 years ago, and above all else on the whole I really enjoy my job. I think this is a fair rate for the job I do. There's no doubt I wouldn't have achieved salery wise and knowledge wise what I have in 5 years had I not moved on when the time was right. I learned so much more by moving on to new places than I ever would have by staying in one, and have made a lot of new friends and met lots of interesting people in all the places I've worked. Stay in one place too long and it can become mundane and for want of a better word, boring.

 

Mike.

Edited September 19, 2008 by maniac

[joe90bass]

It goes without saying that in education very few employers understand the real worth of the IT department's work.

 

I think for S Wales and what I do I'm paid a fair wage, especially as my hours are 8-4 and I get 29 days leave a year. Industry would probably be a lot different (unless you're v lucky!)!

 

I think our place is just starting to realise what we do, as we're three weeks into the new year and we still don't have all the IT kit up and running in the new school. I wasn't allowed to buy in support so two of us are setting up all the old and new kit we have. Our LEA helped us move the old kit at the new school but that's all the help we've had! I've done one weekend, but quite frankly I'm so knackered by Friday that another weekend is out of the question, especially as overtime is unheard of.........

 

Apologies for going OT............

[jcollings]

I think I do OK - I get a decent salary, lots of extra curricular stuff to do, 9 or 10 weeks off a year and feel very much valued, supported and appreciated by staff at the school. I also work less than a mile away from home and get to live in the Lake District. Pretty good overall package I think.

 

If I look at jobs within 100 miles of here I rarely find one that would give me an overall better deal so I'm pretty satisfied. Only thing for me is I've been here for 9 years and feel I need a change - trouble is I am also now addicted to long hols and most places I look I'd be back to standard hols!

[elsiegee40]

I am part-time. If I were to go full-time on my current rates, I could not afford to keep my family. I am fortunate to have a husband who has a somewhat better salary. If the credit crunch gets him, I guess I'll have to look for a better rate of pay

[torledo]

I am part-time. If I were to go full-time on my current rates, I could not afford to keep my family. I am fortunate to have a husband who has a somewhat better salary. If the credit crunch gets him, I guess I'll have to look for a better rate of pay

 

do you mean for tax reasons it wouldn't be worth you going full-time ?

 

My own situation is that at some point i have to start earning a minimum of 32k a year from IT to be able to afford a place to live....if i lose my job, i'll have possibly 5 or 6 months of mortgage and council tax payments in the bank, but i'd have no alternative but to find a similar salary. The onus is on me to earn but I'd not be worried so long as house prices come down to the levels predicted by the nationwide chief exec. [although sellers are clearly not getting the message atm]

 

I'm determined not to be enslaved to a lifetime paying off an overpriced shoebox in browns britain....and i'm equally determined not to be a slave to a wage just so i can take out a loan large enough to put someone else in clover. Credit crunch = money for nowt effort is long gone. It also means the employment situation is precarious, especially in our 'information economy' where we buy and sell knowledge rather than actual things. But i'm confident if a develop a broad enough range of skills or choose the right specialism i'lll never be out of work in IT....and should be earning decent money to boot.

 

That's the theory anywho.

[bossman]

I work 6 miles away from my home so 5mins travelling time, I work 8-4 but rarely do i do these hours, at minimum the school gets 2.5hrs per week for free at max they can get up 2 an extra 20hrs, the reason is because I love my job and get great satisfaction out of it.

 

My pay I would say is not bad but looking at what some teaching staff get is not good either in comparison but i look at their faces in a morning and it shows that they really don't like their lot and this is, i think the reason why i regard my job with such fervour.

 

I have been through the mill as probably so many on this forum have been with the heavy handedness of the SLT who at times don't seem to be able to see the wood for the trees but i have overcome this by sheer hard work and a sense of valour in doing so.

My colleagues aka Webman has been right there with me when the chips have been down and he knows more than most how hard it has been for the both of us.

 

Would we change it? not for a moment cos we have done more for our school than many of the teaching staff and we have come out the other side triumphant in the knowledge that our school has risen to 4th in the county within 6yrs due to our concerted effort of just a few members of staff and among them are yours truly and webman.

 

Do we get paid enough for this? well not in money but for what we get out in terms of satisfaction is worth far more! yes we could all do with more money especially webman but we have to remind ourselves that education has only just started to recognise that they need experts to run their networks and not glorified ICT teachers. Schools have become businesses (BSF) and yet again we are the ones to suffer jobwise but it has always been the same with any technical position as the people who end up in charge cannot stand other people being in control and this is the crux of the matter. There are them people in education who know and those who teach.

 

Apologies for being OTT

[GrumbleDook]

Yes, I do get paid what I deserve.

 

But my job has changed considerably over the years and I have been lucky to be able to make the move when opportunities came up. Not everyone has that chance.

 

It is a bit strange that I now actually do some tech support now I am with the LA (as the 'non-teaching' equivalent of an Asst Head in a school I was not officially doing tech support ... just manglement and leadership!) but a heap of my job is project management, PR, strategy and inspection / audit. Since I am starting in this sort of position then yes, I get paid what I should.

 

Ask me again in 9 months when I am knee deep in broadband installation reports, FITS Training, sharepoint development and school audits. I might not feel so optimistic (but I hope I will be !)

[elsiegee40]

do you mean for tax reasons it wouldn't be worth you going full-time ?

 

 

Nope...

 

I mean I currently work 20 hours per weeek. If I were to be full-time, my salary would be higher pro-rata, but that sum would be too low to pay the mortgage and feed the 4 of us without doing shelf-stacking at a supermarket to bring in some extra cash.

 

My husband is the main earner in our home and without his income I could not continue at my present school, even if they offered to increase my hours.

[DSapseid]

I feel i am underpaid by about 10k i am doing the job of a network manager for the salry of a junior tech!!

[steve_nfi]

I feel i am underpaid by about 10k i am doing the job of a network manager for the salry of a junior tech!!

 

I'm with you on this one.

 

I think the whole IT industry in undervalued at the moment. Most people moan about IT but can't live without it (especially in education now).

 

I've been in this industry a long time and seen it from both sides (corporate and government). There was a time when it was a fairly well paid job but lots of people realised this and jumped on the band wagon, which seriously undervalued the job. There will always be people out there willing to take less in the vain hope it will lead to more.

[mrbios]

Definately underpaid, the sheer complexity of the network here and knowledge required to run it mean we should certainly be on more than we are now.... i say we...but im the only one that ever does the technical stuff :/

[tomscaper]

Agree with everyone else, i feel the amount of time and commitment i put in, that i should not be paid this poor wage, plus there is a lot of skill and knowledge required to do the job, whether it be network side or just technical side, unfortunately i do both.

Sometimes i think BSF will help sort out these problems too, a bigger company may be able to pay better or understand the roles better than most LEA wage structure.

[laserblazer]

What am I worth? SFA it would seem. I'm a county swimmer and L1 coach and I've been taking the kids swimming for the last 8 years. Suddenly someone has twigged that I'm not a qualified teacher and so I shouldn't be taking them on my own. So they are going to have to allocate a teacher, who probably knows nothing about swimming and they will have to be a minibus driver as well because I don't think I can justify the time any more.