Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Posts: 90
| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 11:55 am Post subject: Wage Comparisons | |
| Since Lowes requires wages and salaries to be a "top secret" and a firing offense if discussed, it is now time to discuss them. The store I work in is in a medium to low income area with no real competition. Wages are as follows. CSA1: $7.92 per hour, CSA2: $8.92 per hour, CSA3: $9.92 per hour, CSA3 (with 20 years service): $12 per hour, team leader: $12 per hour, department manager: $15 per hour. Now the salaried. Zone Manager $38-42K per year. OPS: $48-52K per year, SM: $65K per year. Of course, salaried get bonuses, hourly gets the bone. These are real figures, not made up. I am a CSA2 with a few years and get $9.50 per hour after a few measley raises. Let's hear your numbers, if you dare. | |
Joined: 07 Jul 2003
Posts: 110
| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 3:59 pm Post subject: | |
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discussing salaries is not a firing offense. this is some 'urban legend' kind of thing, handed down through the years.
The salary ranges you gave for the managers are incorrect, if for no other reason than there is generally about a 10 thousand dollar range from high to low , and the sm salary is not actually listed. |
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Joined: 07 Feb 2008
Posts: 210
| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:35 pm Post subject: Re: Wage Comparisons | |||
Heh, that's funny. I was hired as a Seasonal employee at over $10/hr, make over $13/hr as a Sales Specialist and our Ops makes $70k+/year. We even have some part time cashiers that make over $10/hr. |
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Joined: 18 Jul 2008
Posts: 143
Location: Region 1
| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 6:40 pm Post subject: | |||
Merlin: you are correct that the SM salary is not listed, but you are incorrect in your blanket statement that the "range" for managers is about $10K from high to low. Depending on what part of the country in which you work, at last check the range in my area of Lowe's employment was approx. (from low to high): $15K for LP Manager, $19K for HR Manager, $19K for ZM, $21K for Sales and Adm., and $26K for Ops. |
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Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Posts: 90
| Posted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 10:01 pm Post subject: | |
| Please understand, salaries and wages vary from store to store. It depends upon the local competition a store has. The more the competition, the higher the wages. As I stated, there is no real competition here for Lowes. No Home Depot or such. Just a local True Value store. And I have heard managers say they would like to put that store out of business. And yes, it has been stated by HR and other managers that you WILL be fired if you discuss wage comparison with other employees. Just go around in your store and OPENLY start asking what others make. Then post the results. That is one of the principals behind "competitve wages". | |
Joined: 07 Jul 2003
Posts: 110
| Posted: Thu Feb 05, 2009 8:05 pm Post subject: | |||||
I consider myself corrected. Rather than saying 'generally' I should have said for stores in my range. |
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Joined: 22 Dec 2007
Posts: 445
| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 2:10 am Post subject: | |
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The pay doesn't exactly get determined as to the region of the place or cost of living.
When it comes down to it it's mostly based on the competition in the given area. Is there a hd or best buy sears etc RIGHT near it? I'm not talking miles away... I've seen the pay scales but what I have seen is outdated (it was 2007 data) There is a minimium and maximum but consider a few things when talking about pay 1) compensation must be looked at...the WHOLE thing. Insurance - health, dental obviously. life insurance maybe, 401k and ira...any matching, the stock program. about 20% of what people are paid these days is the package. 2) There is SOS and spiffs and other incentives that can add up. In some states sundays are time and a half and that can add up 3) If there ever gets to a point where say you don't exactly mind the work but the management isnt that good you could try to transfer. The trouble is transfers on a lateral basis can be denied but promotions they can only hold you for two pay periods. Technically higher ranked stores can pay more. I'd say the difference between levels is about 5%. It's a level one to five scale. Most stores are 2's and 3's. 4's are rare, 5's a very rare (I'd say less than 10 are 5's). One's are pretty much with not anything near it. I wouldn't let management intimidate you. Only three people can terminate employees anyway...sm, ops (usually when sm is gone) and hr (for harrasement claims I'd think) zm's can't fire you, dept managers can't fire you, sales can't, admin can't etc |
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Joined: 18 Jul 2008
Posts: 143
Location: Region 1
| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:45 am Post subject: | |||
I think the first priority in determining pay scales and store rankings is the region of the country in which you are employed. The pay scales are then tweaked on a store-by-store (or District) basis to take into consideration things like competition, etc. There are obviously regional differentials in pay scales, hence the need for the 1-5 scale in store rankings. If you take a look at stores which are 1's or 2's and where they're located, and then look at those which are 5's and where they're located, you can see why they are ranked where they are. Pay scales have to have a starting point, and the starting point is regionally acquired compensation data suggesting high/low salary ranges for any given job classification. For instance, HD has one store in Wash., DC. It's in a terrible section of the city and tough to work at. However, from what I hear, the wages there exceed other HD's in the neighboring suburbs just 10 miles away. A lot of it is location, location, location. Last edited by boardwalkties on Sat Feb 07, 2009 8:33 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Joined: 01 Feb 2008
Posts: 497
| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 4:13 pm Post subject: | |
| I'm thinking that this thread has run it's course. None of us are posting what our wages are in our stores. You guys are just about agreeing to why wages are different for different locations. What do you think? Done? | |
Joined: 18 Jul 2008
Posts: 143
Location: Region 1
| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 4:29 pm Post subject: | |
| I think that the subject of salaries is a topic of interest that has generated some dialogue among posters. Wages and salary determination affects all of us. If anyone can shed any light on the subject, I'm all for listening. I'm for keeping this thread alive. If anyone doesn't want to participate, so be it. | |
Joined: 13 Mar 2005
Posts: 464
| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 6:53 pm Post subject: Re: Wage Comparisons | |
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Location, location, location and what you're willing to "settle" for and what Lowe's is "willing" to pay is what may determine what you're pay is going to be.
When I was first hired, as a CSA, more than 6 years ago my starting pay was over $12/Hr. When I told them what I wanted they never even blinked an eye. After several increases and now a Team Leader (soon to be a CSA IV due to the changes) I'm making even more and I'm not in a state or area with a high-cost-of-living... |
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Joined: 19 Oct 2003
Posts: 2801
| Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:02 pm Post subject: | |
Wow, I'm a department manager . I guess I should of held out for more when I came on!  The 20 cent raises don't amount to shit, Inflation ate that up and then some 
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Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 59
| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 8:05 am Post subject: Re: Wage Comparisons | |||
I saw a sign today that said "Tools live here", you must be one of those!!! I went from went from specialist in home decore to the same in appliances and almost doubled my pay. My W2 in Home Decore was about $24k As a DepM at Suck Buy(best butt), I was at +$15hr and my take home now makes that a joke with alot more taken out before I see it. If you have a job during these times be thankfull, these assholes are just..... just assholes!!! |
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Joined: 22 Dec 2007
Posts: 445
| Posted: Sun Feb 08, 2009 3:39 pm Post subject: | |||||
Well I've shown some management the pay scales and things seemed the same from what some mensioned. It isn't based on cost of living, this is why lowes might be more worth it down south and out west than the northeast. According to these raw reports most stores are 2's and 3's in the whole country. So what might be OK in florida can't make it in mass or NY. Yes the 5's are in some areas like brooklyn, la, san diego and the gulf coast. 1's are like presque isle maine which is nearly in canada and has less than 10K people. You can have a high cost of living without having much for competition and vice versa. I'd say the best position to really be in would be a urban market higher level store department manager. You'd get your spiffs, sos and maybe you can bonus on stock items. The worst I'd say might be a night crew for a low level store (can't move up and probably can't get training) |
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Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Posts: 90
| Posted: Wed Feb 11, 2009 10:46 am Post subject: | |
| It is great to see the very needed dialogue put forth on this subject of wages. I hope this thread continues. By the way, the store I am in is a 50 million plus store with almost no competetion. | |
Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 59
| Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 5:42 am Post subject: | |||
hey, this person is a troll for every Lowe's employee. His goal is to start a union to run Lowe's out of business. Why would he be asking for personel info like you pay? THINK ABOUT IT!!! |
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Joined: 03 Dec 2008
Posts: 6
| Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:44 am Post subject: | |
| lowes should go union | |
Joined: 01 Feb 2008
Posts: 497
| Posted: Fri Feb 13, 2009 3:18 pm Post subject: | |
| Do you realize that in these trying economical times union based companies are laying people off too? A union isn't the way to insure job security. It may be the way for those who don't perform to remain employees when they should have been let go. | |
Joined: 22 Dec 2007
Posts: 445
| Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:00 am Post subject: | |||
While that technically is true consider this...if the employee free choice act passes unionization will be far easier. If a competitor unionizes even partially it can have effects. |
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Joined: 04 Feb 2008
Posts: 90
| Posted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:17 am Post subject: | |
| Yes, Unions are not a sure way to keep a job, but it is better pay and benefits. As for a better way to keep "non-performers", I see that every day where I work and it is not Union. By the way, if a non-performing (lazy) individual does not do his job in a Union workplace, that person gets wrote up and if this laziness persist, he is canned. But usually, the people who works with such a person, addresses the lazy person rather harshly. He performs or quits. I do not know where you get the idea Unions protect lazy people. As for Audiosup. I am not a troll. I do not live under a bridge. Unions destroy business? It is usually poor management that destroys business or simple corporate greed. Why do I ask for your personal pay. There is a law out there if I recall. EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK. My goal is a better life for the American worker. Japanese team philosophies is not the way. Competetive wages is not the way. Only when a company has to answer to a group of people (Unions), does the company begin to share the wealth. Your trickle down philosophy is equilivent to bread crumbs that fall from the masters table. I thought about it and EXPERIENCED it long before you shit in your first diaper. You think about it, Audiosup! | |
Joined: 13 Feb 2009
Posts: 18
| Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:59 am Post subject: | |
| I always wondered way Lowe's doesn't post salaries for positions. My last employer posted ranges for each level that most people found very helpful. Thier has been instances in my store where new cashiers being hired in were making more then some of the ones that have been thier ten years, in fact one of them went to the DM and the DM got that cashier a good raise. | |
Joined: 13 Feb 2009
Posts: 18
| Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:59 am Post subject: | |
| I always wondered way Lowe's doesn't post salaries for positions. My last employer posted ranges for each level that most people found very helpful. Thier has been instances in my store where new cashiers being hired in were making more then some of the ones that have been thier ten years, in fact one of them went to the DM and the DM got that cashier a good raise. | |
Joined: 13 Feb 2009
Posts: 18
| Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 11:59 am Post subject: | |
| I always wondered way Lowe's doesn't post salaries for positions. My last employer posted ranges for each level that most people found very helpful. Thier has been instances in my store where new cashiers being hired in were making more then some of the ones that have been thier ten years, in fact one of them went to the DM and the DM got that cashier a good raise. | |
Joined: 15 May 2005
Posts: 82
Location: Georgia
| Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 2:25 pm Post subject: | |||
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Joined: 19 Oct 2003
Posts: 2801
| Posted: Mon Feb 16, 2009 8:14 pm Post subject: | |
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Oldyeller, What rock did you crawl from under?
I counter just the opposite , Corporate America and Wall Street is the problem, Not unions. How many companies hire part time people anymore? What percentage of the work force is part time? How many don't have benefits like health insurance? Gee, I'll even go as far as a "Living wage" as a benefit! Now, With that said.....Corporate saves a hell of a lot of money to boost it's profits to feed their FAT share holders! Remember those people? The ones with several homes and FAT bank accounts, Feeding from the trough like swines in a barn, While the tax payer (the little guys) pick up the tab to give the workers medicare, food stamps and welfare assistance to survive! Yep, What a shame the unions want the workers to have a life that allows them to support a family. Gee, shouldn't everyone have to rely on assistance? Oh wait, If that was the case the wealthy may have to pay more taxes to support the lower class peons of society, Gee That won't work...I know.....Lets make a welfare to work program where we force these people to work at a minimum wage job for corporate Amarica or they get nothing....Wait, Can't do that.....That program already exist! Think about it.......How many people do you know that what I said above affects them! None? Well than that tells me a lot about your social status. You know many?....Then you should see my point!
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