Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Average wage of a projectionist with tech responsibilites?

This is topic Average wage of a projectionist with tech responsibilites? in forum Film Handlers' Forum at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=007467

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 09-24-2005, 01:37 PM:

I was just curious if anyone cared to share what the average projectionist with some tech responsibities would make? What I mean by SOME tech responsibilities is swapping out the occasional bad component, rebuilding old parts, ordering new parts, bulb changing, booth supervision/training as well as being called at home when something breaks. I'm not looking for anyone to tell me what they make, but maybe just an average figure. Would you charge milage to your theater if you lived a substantial distance away and were called during your off time? I'm trying to get a feel for what a position of this type should be paid.

Thanks..

Posted by Mike Babb (Member # 1379) on 09-24-2005, 06:24 PM:

How about $15 an hour if the person is qualified to do the things you listed, and no mileage but possibly door to door hourly wage if called in during off time? That's off the top of my head, I suspect the pay would be less at least to start and a person is probably worth more than that in the long run but good luck getting it...many theatres don't respect and will not pay well for projection skills.

Posted by Aaron Mehocic (Member # 15) on 09-24-2005, 06:49 PM:

Thats only $31,200 per year. Not bad in the rust belt, but poverty level in other places.

In my opinion, a good projectionist should match a competant manager's yearly gross.

Posted by Mike Babb (Member # 1379) on 09-24-2005, 07:27 PM:

True but I'll bet you won't find many managers below the general manager making much more than that either. Not in the midwest anyway...

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 09-24-2005, 08:52 PM:

Well, I'm all for paying for good help, as it is now, they get under $9/hr. Talk about poverty...

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 09-24-2005, 09:12 PM:

Here a couple of years ago I had a job with duties like that for $14 an hour to start. So $15 sounds/feels about right, for here anyway.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-25-2005, 12:03 PM:

kinda curious....what part of the country that $32K/yr is poverty level...? Brother, if that area's average salary in then $64K to stay afloat, sounds like the cost of living is tremendous (is this California...?).

-Monte

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-25-2005, 12:41 PM:

Monte,

I know in the DC Metro area that $32K is going to make life pretty miserable...not that it isn't doable but it is going to be slumming unless you live with others and don't want/need too much in life. Better not have a family with that income either.

Posted by Dominic Espinosa (Member # 2122) on 09-25-2005, 01:21 PM:

Heh. Last year I grossed around $18000 but I've since gotten a raise so it should be more so long as our new managers keep my hours full [Smile]

I do lamps, maintenance (cleaning, oil change, lamp rotation, etc.), platter timing (AW3's), some troubleshooting, and whatever other odd jobs need getting done around the booth and fit my scope of knowledge/experience.
Previously I've filed aperture plates and helped install TA10's at other theaters.
I live in Merced, CA. in the middle of the San Joaquin Valley. While that income isn't much with low bills it can be lived off of here.
Of course, costs are going up, and if you manage more screens you really should be compensated well over $10/hr.
Hope that help.
--Dom

Posted by Olivia Coleman (Member # 3193) on 09-25-2005, 02:22 PM:

I already know I'm underpaid to a point... [Roll Eyes]

Even though I got a raise this year. I'm lucky that my husband makes good money and we have a roommate. [Wink]

I get just under $9/hr. Which for my company is pretty good. I am the booth manager's assistant so when she's not there I'm her... (I do bulb changes. Platter timing and the like are done monthly and I do this with the booth manager.) [Smile]

Other projectionists/managers who do minimal maintenance get just under $8/hr.

Posted by Kurt Zupin (Member # 2751) on 09-25-2005, 07:27 PM:

As the booth Super/shift manager of a small 5 screen, I make $9.60/hr now but my company has a good raise program.(I can change bulbs, Run the film-guard [Wink]

fix non major repairs, diagnose problems, time plattes, and vacuum the booth [Wink]

) Every 2 months your eligible for a raise. Its up to you how much your going to get. If your doing well in all areas and your going to get a nice raise. If not well, you got no one to blame but yourself. I will be capped out in less then a year though. Which will be $10.50/hr.

I also work a second job loading FedEx trucks in the mornings, and that pays $8.00/hr for 4-5 hours of work every morning tues-sat.

Last year I brought in $22,500 That was also before I got a few raises so that should be up a little this year.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 09-25-2005, 07:53 PM:

You'll do okay with a $32K annual salary in my area of the country. Living costs in Oklahoma are pretty low. Still, you better not have a family to support on that income -at least not one without two incomes. Single parent families in my area often endure some bad financial ordeals.

On the bright side, for the long term that is, one of the fastest growing segments of our population is single people without kids. The medical industry and child care and products industry (along with the higher education industry) is pricing parenthood beyond the reaches of many. I have no kids (or ex wives either). A few years ago I thought about being a father very seriously. Now I think such a move would bankrupt me.

What does that have to do with salaries and dollar buying power? Our economy is eventually going to have to adjust high prices of all sorts of things back down within reach of single income houseolds. We'll either see some serious levels of inflation where salaries are forced upward to adjust with costs of living. Or we'll see serious levels of price deflation. And that may be more likely. I think a housing price bust is going to nail more than a few coastal markets.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-26-2005, 12:59 AM:

Almost kinda points to that this industry isn't the greatest place to earn a decent living, unless you're young and free.

The only exception is either being a qualified tekkie, or a megaplex manager - and job that is outside of the home office.

Is it a sad and unfortunate thing if some of us love what we do and not get the bucks deserved?

-Monte

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 09-26-2005, 02:14 AM:

I have to do ALL tech service at my location with the exception of A-chain PMs. What I make is considerably lower than the quotes mentioned here, but I am getting excellent experience out of the deal, so I guess its a matter of trade-off.

[ 09-26-2005, 08:23 AM: Message edited by: Wolff King Morrow ]

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-26-2005, 03:44 AM:

quote: Aaron Mehocic
In my opinion, a good projectionist should match a competent manager's yearly gross

Course, I could "accidently" fester up a healed wound of a topic on this statement real bad (and not meaning to), and I don't want to get in trouble for this, but when I was in the IA, we were getting paid almost DOUBLE than the managers of certain theatres.

I really was "under the gun" with some of this after the IA contracts had expired and the theatre circuit, that I was working with, allowed me to keep my union scale wage and working agreements, of 6hr, half-day shifts and overtime-as if the contract was still in effect.

I made some fat dough doing this since I worked mainly the doubles each day, plus whatever there was to do before noon and after midnight to get the overtime. I only took one day off at the time-hey,I was free and single and no social life to worry about (LOL), so why not be constructive and make some dough while I had the chance?

Then, one year, a new manager came into our town to take over on a transfer and he raised holy hell to the home office due to that I was making almost twice as much as he was, and I fought back with my boss on this mentioning that this pin-headed of a manager didn't know an inkling on what I knew. He tried to crank me out of the agreement that I was allowed to have and take away the overtime thing as well. He tried to limit my working time down to 35hrs/wk, but I fought him hard on this. It took a couple of months to absolve this problem, but I won out since that pin-headed manager hated our area anyway and the assistant manager took over duties. He really appreciated me of my skills, since he didn't want those kinds of responsibilities anywho.

He was glad that I was there to run the place...totally from the roof down to the basement-to fix the swampcoolers to the coal furnace.

Fun days those were - Monte

Posted by Andy Summers (Member # 3207) on 09-26-2005, 06:18 AM:

The last company I worked for (Warner Village Cinemas UK) the pay was around £6,50. I think that's not bad, and honest, I have say.

The hours I liked, yes I really liked the long hours, tell you the truth I liked all the high-tech 35mm projection, and those Dolby CP-500 where cool looking, plus I liked the people it was a nice good commodity and fun at times.

Yeah I’ll do it again for maybe £7,00 as few years have passed, hehehe… [thumbsup]

Posted by John Walsh (Member # 168) on 09-26-2005, 08:08 AM:

Just for further reference; You'd be fairly poor if you lived in the NY, NJ, CT area making $32K a year. Average rental here is about $1600 a month for a 2-bedroom, no utilities included (except water.)

Posted by Mike Babb (Member # 1379) on 09-26-2005, 08:54 AM:

2005 HHS Poverty Guidelines
Persons in
Family Unit 48 Contiguous
States and D.C. Alaska Hawaii
1 $ 9,570 $11,950 $11,010
2 12,830 16,030 14,760
3 16,090 20,110 18,510
4 19,350 24,190 22,260
5 22,610 28,270 26,010
6 25,870 32,350 29,760
7 29,130 36,430 33,510
8 32,390 40,510 37,260
For each additional
person, add 3,260 4,080 3,750

SOURCE: Federal Register, Vol. 70, No. 33, February 18, 2005, pp. 8373-8375.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 09-26-2005, 09:07 PM:

"2005 HHS Poverty Guidelines"

Bwwaaahhhahahahahahahaha!

Figures obviously computed by guys with six figure annual salaries who pretty much hang out on a golf course all day.
[Razz]

Posted by Chris Trainor (Member # 9) on 09-27-2005, 12:25 AM:

Well, keep in mind, those numbers are 'poverty' level. Granted, many people think that if you can't afford a car, a playstation, a cellphone and a few cableTV boxes your in poverty, but in theory someone can 'survive' on about $9k/year. That could cover reasonable rent (say renting a room, like many college students do for $250 - $300/mo) and food at like $10/day (yes, it can be done, and somewhat healthy) and even that leaves you with about $3k leftover for other expenses.

But, at $9k/year or so we're talking someone who's working part time at McDonalds or so... not projectionists. [Smile]

I used to pay my guys (2001) about $7 - $10/hr. They were all part-time, and the guys getting $10 had some experience and handled some 'tech' duties. That was also 4 years ago... (and I'm still having nightmares [Confused]

).

--Chris

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 09-27-2005, 01:37 AM:

I have noticed that people who haven't got a pot to piss in can still always somehow afford:

- Cigarettes
- Booze
- Tattoos
- Cell phones
- Satellite TV

How does this work, anyway?

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 09-27-2005, 01:53 AM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
How does this work, anyway?

LOL..you forgot to add dog food in that list.

..Called "an odd arrangement of priorities..", or "doing a good job of knowing how to screw the system."

..and the ones who are professional in doing this, are the ones who have the least respect for themselves and others around them....
and unfortunately, I know a few of these people-and I absolutely have nothing to do with them... - "welfare moochers!"

-Monte
-Monte

Posted by Joshua Waaland (Member # 287) on 09-27-2005, 06:37 AM:

Frank,

I am also in the Cleveland area and I have worked as a non-union projectionist all over this region. When I was at Cinemark a few years back, I only made 7-8 dollars and hour. However IATSE pretty much runs everything in the Cleveland metro area as I am sure you must know. I am friends with several of them but have never bothered to ask them what they make. I would venture to guess that they are making close to $20 an hour but not real sure. Hope this helps.

Josh

Posted by Jeffry L. Johnson (Member # 453) on 09-30-2005, 11:50 AM:

Union projectionist wages in Cleveland, Ohio, have been basically stagnant for 20 years. I think the range is from about $12 to about $18 per hour.

Posted by Heath Dutton (Member # 3265) on 09-30-2005, 01:43 PM:

If you were in Alabama, you could expect something in the $7 range for a multiplex. I am going to regret posting this aren't I? [thumbsup]

Posted by Bill Gabel (Member # 1105) on 09-30-2005, 01:44 PM:

The union projection techs that work for Edwards/Regal are still working at 1999 contract rate of $18.50 an hour in Local 150 Los Angeles area.

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 09-30-2005, 04:09 PM:

It seems that union projectionists get the big $$$, and non-union workers get next to nothing. Iowa/Wisconsin/Illinois non union projectionists are $7-$9. If you love the job, how can you survive on that? In my opinion, its simply not enough money. How does one get into a projectionist union? As I understand it (and I really dont) you have to be in the union to get a union projectionist job? Or do you apply at a theater with a union booth and then get into the union after your hired?

Posted by Steve Guttag (Member # 268) on 09-30-2005, 05:39 PM:

The other way is to organize and vote to have union representation. IATSE is certainly the union of record for projecitonists in the USA but other unions can take on such an effort. Once the booth wants to organize, and has a bonified union to represent them, they can effectively call for a vote and demand collective bargaining under the National Labor Laws...you need not do it company wide.

Mind you...there are no guarantees there. You can force an employer to the table and you can attempt to keep them "bargaining in good faith." but you are not guaranteed of any increase in pay or benefits. If you do secure a contract, you might find that you will not get enough of an increase in pay to justify the representation or that your income does go up, on the days you actually do work but not work as many hours.

Then again, you might get the hours and the pay...everything is open at the bargaining table and the keenest mind (and best lawyers) will come out on top.

As for working for a theatre that has a union contract...you often must seek work through either a Business Agent of the union or the shop steward of the location. You will often start in a "permit" status where you work while not a member but will be offered membership after a prescribed time. An advantage of coming to a union by bringing a new location to them is often the time and money of joining a union is often waived in recognition of bringing in new jobs.

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 10-01-2005, 02:13 AM:

There are theater chains that do not "support" unions. In other words, I'm betting they will fire anyone attempting to organize a union amongst the employees.

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 10-01-2005, 06:00 AM:

...which would be illegal in the US.

Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 10-01-2005, 07:30 AM:

Yet it is done all the time in the US due to lax enforcement of those labor laws, and the lack of any real consequences to companies that break them. Even the smallest companies can easily afford the typical fines levied by the Justice Dept for breaking laws regarding organized labor.

Posted by Richard Edward Wells III (Member # 2990) on 10-01-2005, 01:23 PM:

how about 9.50/hr plus regular management shifts at an 11-screen theater in the LA area?