I think part of it is I also hate being smacked in the face with how much more he makes than me. My 2008 W2 reveals that, including my li'l bonuses in a down year, I made a hair over $60,000 gross (I brought home way less than that due to taxes and medical contributions as well as putting 8% in my 401(k), bear in mind). Guy, on the other hand, cleared a little more than $15,000 more than I did for his gross. To his credit, he too brought home way less than that, due to taxes and maxing out his 401(k) contributions. This would explain part of why we don't look like we make what we make--Guy makes bank, but his rapper name would be Sir Save-A-Lot. And his hit single would be "Baby Got Cash." "I like big funds and I cannot lie / You other brokers can't deny/ When a girl walks in with some itty-bitty debt / and an 800 FICO score / You get SPRUNG / Baby got it goin' on / She likes to buy low and sell high / Well short me short me / call the SEC and re-port me--"
But I digress. Where was I? Oh, income disparity.
I may have mentioned this before, but the two best ways to get a decent increase in income as an architect is to a) get licensed and/or b) change firms. Guy did both over the course of four months in 2006. So, not accounting for being paid less due to my gender (which may have happened but I'm disqualifying that factor for right now because the thought of it makes me angry and the economy reeks so bad that I can only be so angry at one time), Guy got a 15%-20% raise to go to Acme Architects, and he's been paid well and rewarded even better for his performance. And you don't have to be a financial planner or a math major to know that if you start out ahead, you'll likely end up ahead as time goes by and you get raises and whatnot. So looking at Guy's W2 elicits a deep frustration in me, like I'm being cheated and being taken advantage of due to my loyalty to Design Associates.
I realize, on the other hand, that in this craptacular economy, I have actually been rewarded by not being laid off. Well, my loyalty plus my professional abilities have kept me employed, it seems. DA has historically not laid people off, and I know it was bad when they laid off anyone, much less laid folks off in the numbers they did. I also know that, as a healthcare architect with 8+ years of experience, I'm pretty hireable and employable as far as architects go. Granted, there's not a whole lot out there right now, but if I were to be laid off, as soon as something came back, I'd be one of the best candidates. Plus, I'm comfortable with writing, teaching, and public speaking, so I still have some universal job skills that don't limit me to just drawing hospitals all day.
But, as someone with a Master's dregree in Architecture and 8+ years of healthcare experience, I'm pretty underpaid. Most architects are. I suppose I'd rather be underpaid than overpaid, or there goes my job when the time for layoffs come.
3 comments:
Maybe you could scout out other jobs once the recession's over? Maybe Design Peeps would've given Guy more $$$$$ to stay, had they known he was farting in their general direction?
Or I could come out for a visit and get you started at the Diamond Cabaret. :-P
Pixie couldn't make any money at the Diamond Caberet. Some drunk ass-hole would say something stupid or grab where he shouldn't and Pix would verbally cut his heart out, without him even realizing it. "I think that Tiny Person just disembowled me, Jim..."
I'm used to making less than the men. Pisses me off yes, but I had my revenge rather early. The first job I had, I made Carpenter after 3 weeks on the job. Part was affirmative action and the other was the man who was training me told the Foreman I was smarter than most of the Carpenters and ALL of the Junior Carpenters. One guy quit when he found out I was making more than him. His Trainer pointed out that I pay attention to what I'm told and spend no time leaning off the building whistling at passers by. It was gratifying to be sure. Only happened once tho. The rest of the 9 or so years I worked Heavy Construction I was paid from $.50 to $2.00 less an hour, even tho I was never absent, didn't goof off, paid attention to everything.... *sigh*
Morning! been trying to catch up as I let myself fall behind on reading WAD! bad architect! ;-)
Anyway - i will have to find the link, but there is one that will help you realize just how much women are paid less than men. HOWEVER, architecture seems to be a little more of a level playing field.
Except, in the Northeast, well where I am, Boston-like, there really isn't the incentive to get licensed. I'm not sure why we don't get a raise or other incentive for getting that little piece of paper indicating you can now be held liable. Some firms reimburse us for taking the exams, but that's about it. At least in my experience. And I'm sure that's been put on hold due to the craptacular economy.
I don know that previous bosses and I tried to figure out why people weren't taking the exams as quickly as they were when it was the 3 or 4 day extravaganza that it used to be, held just once a year. I would suggest due to the lack of physical (ie dolleros) incentive. A pat on the back feels god for just those 2 seconds it takes to do the patting. :/
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