Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Hourly wages at theater chains?

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Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-05-2005, 01:44 AM:

Anyone know the what theater chains normally start their employees off at?

I know the starting wages at our theater range from $5.15 an hour up to $6 an hour for hourly employees.

AMC here in town the 14 screen starts at $6.50, the 12 screen $6.25 and the 3 screen art house $5.15.

Rave just opened up and they are starting out at $6.50.

What is the norm for most chains and I am truely starting to believe that Kerasotes is CHEAP. I'm afraid we are going to start loosing employees to AMC and Rave since they are respectly 10 and 20 minutes from us.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-05-2005, 02:06 AM:

Shoot, you need to goto Calif, since I heard that they start their floorpeople over 9 buck/hr to keep with competition with the fast food places..

Some do start out their employees the federal $5.15 since these companies know that floor jobs are just crap jobs that people will come and go as the wind, thus expecting as such. Also treat these employees what they are paid-nothing important.

Others do have a higher start to give the employees an incentive to want to stay and be a part of that certain company, and with this higher start there is some positive atmosphere around, plus the drive for success is present as well.

-Monte

Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-05-2005, 02:11 AM:

I'm guessing our company fills they don't need to compete with other chains or they would raise the starting wage.

Though I don't know about Rave, but AMC starts their managers out crappy compared to us. I was offered a management position and was only offered $8.50 an hour but I turned it down for numerous reasons one of them being the fact that it wasn't much more than what I was currently making

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-05-2005, 02:21 AM:

No, your company (Kerasotes) doesn't want to raise the starting wage since they know that the positions are easily filled by anyone and the job requirements are on a simple entry level that the monetary value doesn't merit a higher wage for a very simple job.

Another thing on the minimum wage is that the entertainment business is not like a manufacturing business: the employees are NOT making any product to sell for the company. They're just doing a simple service, not producing something.

Also, this is why theatre circuits really get after their managers if any employee shoots his timecard over the 40hr/work per week and have to pay overtime-since there is no product being manufactured or productivity being performed or done to merit paying overtime.

..crappy wage means that you'd just be a "number", or "tool" to them-nothing special, easy to use to their advantage, and someone to easily lose in the shuffle. One small disadvantage with big circuits in the "white collar" end of the spectrum-unless you know how to "play their game".

I've even heard that the big,big circuits do start out minimum wage-just so many "ants" in the "antpile" to not to worry about if a few are missing by leaving, that these missing "ants" can be easily replaced-if you know what I mean.

-Monte

Posted by Carl Martin (Member # 1146) on 11-05-2005, 04:06 AM:

starting at $9 an hour in california? noooo. san francisco does have a minimum wage of i think $8.50 but that's the exception. i think we start at $6.75 or so, which isn't really too much considering cost of living.

many theaters with a moderate screen count suffer from the disparity between the busy and the lean times. if business is slow, hours get cut back, there isn't enough work to go around, workers who leave aren't replaced immediately. then something big opens and suddenly there aren't enough employees without going into overtime. whoops!

carl

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 11-05-2005, 05:11 AM:

quote: Amanda Jones
I was offered a management position and was only offered $8.50 an hour but I turned it down for numerous reasons one of them being the fact that it wasn't much more than what I was currently making

$8.50 an hour to start as management is actually pretty decent for most places.

Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-05-2005, 11:26 AM:

while yes I know $8.50 is decent I was making $7.50 as a crew trainer and was in college full time so it wasn't worth it to me.

Without discussing my current wage I make way more than $8.50 an hour now so at least Kerasotes is decent when it comes to paying management.

Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 11-05-2005, 11:36 AM:

Oregon minimum wage is currently $7.25, increasing to $7.50 on Jan 1st 2006.

Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 11-05-2005, 11:49 AM:

Wages, in general, are set in the market according the following factors:

1. Work enviroment. Is the job dangerous, or in bad weather? People who work in extreme conditions tend to get paid more. Garbage men get paid well for this reason.

2. Social Acceptance. Is the job socially accepted? Stippers get paid a lot because most people would not do the work.

3. Skill or training needed. Doctors get paid more then nurses.

4. General supply and demand for labor in the market.

Theatre floor work in is in a safe, comfortable enviroment, socially accepted, takes little skill or training, and there is usually a large number of teenagers who would rather work at the theatre then Burger King.

The reality is that theatre floor workers do not get paid much because theatre floor work isn't worth much. The theatre owners aren't being cheap, they are paying what the work is worth to them.

Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-05-2005, 12:04 PM:

but what about my chain that won't even compete their wages with their competion. I've already had some employees say they are thinking of leaving us to go work for Rave.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-05-2005, 12:41 PM:

quote: Amanda Jones
they are thinking of leaving us to go work for Rave.

..sounds like RAVE is offering something better than what Kerasotes has to offer - the usual case of "heading to greener pastures."

Basic cause for job jumping is called "work atmosphere"

..been there and done that as well.

quote: David Stambaugh
Oregon minimum wage is currently $7.25, increasing to $7.50 on Jan 1st 2006

..and brother, do we folks here in W.Idaho know about this!

A small company has one site in the eastern part of Oregon and the owner is pretty wound up tight about this-having to pay $2.35 more per hour per employee in doing the same job as the ones here in the $5.15 per hour in Idaho - and blames the state for him paying extra, and making sure that the manager of that site is making sure that the hours are held down to a bare mininum and they work doubly hard for that extra pay.

-Monte

Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-05-2005, 12:45 PM:

Well I don't think it's atmosphere but the glamour of a brand spanking new theater, more money an hour, and the fact that they let you get 2 guests in for free when you come to movies (we only allow one)

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-05-2005, 12:55 PM:

quote: Amanda Jones
you get 2 guests in for free when you come to movies (we only allow one)

..and that's the "golden ticket" for most employees to look for - how many can get in free on an employee pass.

..and that's the "atmosphere" that I mentioned: tight and cheap with little consideration for the employee, or a more "open door" policy for the employee.

But, these employees who head to RAVE, might have a rude awakening: Sure, more people on a pass, more money per hour, but nothings really FREE..there's a tradeoff for this and they'll find out how, maybe just maybe, that Kerasotes COULD have been the better place to work for than RAVE...but I'm just guessing here...

..finding a "pot of gold" at the end of the rainbow, just doesn't cut it sometimes.

But, kids are kids - they want their cake and eat it too and go after it no matter what.

-Monte

Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-05-2005, 04:48 PM:

The bad thing is the 3 that might go to Rave, are 3 of our best employees.

My complex agrees with me we should give our employees more an hour but we are bind by coporate standards.

One of our employees went to Rave today to check out the theater and from the customer standpoint they have us beat on everything except for prices at box office and concession. $6 for nachos! $4 for a bottle of water! DAYUM! [Eek!]

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-05-2005, 05:38 PM:

I always thought the rule of "minimum $6/hour or a buck an hour per screen, whichever is greater" was a good way to measure a given booth job's pay. [Big Grin]

Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-05-2005, 07:19 PM:

the only thing I do like is our sliding scale pay. I don't think someone who is 18+ available 7 days a week open to close should make the same as a 15 year old who is only restricted to 2 days a week and can't work past 7 pm. I just wished we had a higher scale.

Posted by Mike Spaeth (Member # 524) on 11-05-2005, 09:11 PM:

I don't either ... so I don't hire the 15-year-olds. ....

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 11-05-2005, 09:50 PM:

Damn, Brad. You're cheap. I wouldn't set foot into a booth for less than $10/hour. And that's really, really minimal. I mostly work in single-screen venues, however.

And I say this as one who does the work as a hobby and doesn't depend on the income, either. Regardless, $6/hour for a single-screen house is insulting.

Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-05-2005, 10:43 PM:

I make it a point not to hire 15 year olds but every once in a while you just have to unless you start hiring from your reject pile. Because of their limited availability they can only make $5.15 an hour.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 11-05-2005, 11:15 PM:

The trick Scott is to work in the huge monsterplexes! (It was a joke.) [Razz]

Seriously, theaters will pay shit because for the most part they don't TRULY care about their presentation. They can babble on about it in their company manuals all day long and in their brainwashing (oops, I meant to say "training"), but you DO get what you pay for...and I do agree anything under $10 (which isn't even a livable income in many areas) is insulting.

Before some manager comes along to learn me about how they do care but is angry over the notion that the projectionist should make more than they do...I didn't say that. Managers at most theaters are underpaid as well.

Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-05-2005, 11:28 PM:

I make it a point not to hire 15 year olds but every once in a while you just have to unless you start hiring from your reject pile. Because of their limited availability they can only make $5.15 an hour.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 11-06-2005, 02:09 AM:

quote: Amanda Jones was the last to post
.....unless you start hiring from your reject pile.

NAAAHHH! .. NEVER hire from your reject pile-just destroy (shred)that pile and start over by getting a "NOW HIRING" signage hung up in the boxoffice window. Especially this time of year with the holidays coming around for the needed money for holiday buying.

And stay completely away from the 15yr olds. They're NOT any good whatsoever since you have to work around their limits and legal conditions and that really puts a huge stinky pile of butthurt on the scheduling to where it really drives you bonkers on how to please these "bedwetters."

And, by the time they hit 16 and been "spoiled" with the automatic conditioning that was placed on them during their employment, another pile of butthurt is going to be placed on you when you try to "unspoil" them where they might quit anywho and you'll have to start over.

Crazy world being in an executive position at times.

-Monte

Posted by Amanda Jones (Member # 3326) on 11-06-2005, 02:18 AM:

We have the now hiring sign up and I don't ever hire from the reject pile.

As far as 15 year olds go I never EVER hire them. The 15 year olds we have on staff right now were hired before I took over hiring. The only good thing about them is that they have a set schedule ever Saturday and Sunday (the only days we work them unless it is summer) they work 11-6.

Posted by Paul Gordon (Member # 3320) on 11-07-2005, 07:04 AM:

I work at a single screen change over house and get $10.00 (CND) an hour to work the booth. Its not great but I only work part-time... I have a full time day job. I think it would be really hard to live off anything less, and we have Canadian health care.

Posted by Kate Atha (Member # 3336) on 11-07-2005, 12:06 PM:

I'll keep my company nameless that I work for in the off-season of winter sports. I tend not to complain because I make very good money working on the Ski Patrol at a local ski resort. When I work as a projectionist (trainer, tech responsibilities as much as I can, building, maintenance) I only make 5.20, which I think is flat out ridiculous. I'm a full-time unviersity student though, but I think my work is worth more than what they pay floor staff. The only thing keeping me there is that I like the job. By the way, it is a 12 screen.

Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 11-07-2005, 12:21 PM:

Not that this has anything to do with wages, but Athens WV is a pretty little town and that part of the country is beautiful.

Posted by Daryl C. W. O'Shea (Member # 1303) on 11-07-2005, 05:01 PM:

Some of my best theatre employees were 15. Anybody older is usually bright enough to get a better job, or dumb enough to be a pain in the ass.

Posted by Kate Atha (Member # 3336) on 11-08-2005, 09:03 AM:

In reply to Matt Fields, I'm from Charleston. I just go to Concord University in Athens. I more than likely won't be returning to that theater.

Posted by Ramin Hashemi (Member # 2694) on 11-08-2005, 02:33 PM:

Minimum wage is usually set state by state. Cost of living in LA is different from Blythe Ca. We start people at minimum($6.75), but give good raises (usually $0.25) after ninety days. Thereafter it is merit based.

Posted by Martin Brooks (Member # 1269) on 11-08-2005, 09:08 PM:

quote: Wolff King Morrow
$8.50 an hour to start as management is actually pretty decent for most places.

IMHO, it's not decent anywhere. That's $340 a week, which is $17,680 per year (and that's if you get paid days off and vacations). I don't know anywhere in this country where one can live decently on $18K a year, especially in big cities and most people in this country live in or near big cities.

Corporations have to decide whether they want to turn the U.S. into a third world country. We're fast getting there as they cheap out on wages. Every job can't be a job only suitable for a kid in school or a retired person.

Posted by Matt Fields (Member # 3211) on 11-09-2005, 08:01 AM:

There is no such thing as a set "decent" wage. There are high wages and low wages, but "decent" is an opinion. The labor is only worth what it is worth.

Posted by Wolff King Morrow (Member # 2226) on 11-09-2005, 08:20 AM:

quote: Martin Brooks
IMHO, it's not decent anywhere. That's $340 a week, which is $17,680 per year (and that's if you get paid days off and vacations). I don't know anywhere in this country where one can live decently on $18K a year, especially in big cities and most people in this country live in or near big cities.

I 100% agree with you. By "decent" I meant most places I know give as much as a dollar less per hour for starting management. That makes $8.50 nothing to laugh at for those of us trying to survive.