GhostriderM
join:2006-12-26
Stillwater, OK
|  WISP tower climber wages? PT employee
I am applying for a position at a local WISP here in Oklahoma. I am curious if the wage I am being offered is on par with what I would be expected to earn for the duties required. I would be part time during the school semester at about 20-25 hours a week. Full time during breaks.
I will not get benefits because of my part time status, but I will be the lead tower climber and installer. Fully responsible for training of any new employees.
I would be climbing towers between 100-270ft when needed to install, repair, or replace Access point units or back hauls. Running cable up/down these towers when repair is needed. Responsible for installation of new equipment on towers as the company expands.(harness equipment and transportation provided)
Ground wise I would be in charge of completing site surveys at customer locations to qualify them for wireless services(equipment provided to do this). Complete installations and troubleshooting of customers who qualify for installation of wireless equipment and perform onsite repair services when needed.
In office I will be responsible for adding customers to the database, troubleshooting both wireless and dial up service calls over the phone and repairing systems customers bring in.
I have 1 year in tower climbing work, and over 10 years in computer/networking support and am well versed in a windows environment. Linux is something I dont know much about but can pick it up easily since I am comfortable with a command line.
My primary question is that since I would be the lead tower climber for this company in charge on training all new employees in climbing and support what should I be expected to get paid. Tower climbing occurs fairly regularly per week.
What are current WISP's paying their on stall tower climbers?
Thanks for all the help in advance. I'm still searching though previous threads discussing topics similar to this. |
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robbin
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX | It will help to post your qualifications / training especially related to tower work but also regarding site survey, installation and WISP. |
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Airplane777
join:2004-06-20
2 edits | reply to GhostriderM
Sounds like you will have a lot of responsibilities.
Medical insurance companies have a minimum amount of hours you need to work in a week (which is usually less then 40), in order for the insurance company to qualify you for medical insurance.
Assuming you meet the insurance company qualifications for minimum hours worked in a week, and if the company you want to work for has medical insurance, I would push for medical insurance. Sounds like you would be a good employee for them. A good wage and medical insurance (after probatiionary period), would be fair I think.
They probably have other benefits also.
When I was in cellular, I remember the tower climbers got paid quite a lot. I don't really remember what it was, but I believe it was into the hundreds of dollars per hour.
I realize you have climbing experience, but if you aren't formally certified to climb towers, they should pay to send you to a tower climbing school. It might help any insurance rates you might have to pay. And would be good for your safety. |
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GhostriderM
join:2006-12-26
Stillwater, OK
| reply to robbin
I am well versed in setting up a network with the types of radios he plans to use on the towers, primarily Tranzeo and Trango wireless units. Trango units for this wisp are for 900mhz expansion. Tranzeo equipment is for the regular line of site installs. I have spent over just over a year supporting these types of towers and radios in another part of the country but for only $8.50 an hour which was low but I didnt know much about that type of equipment at the time.
Install wise I can and have completed installs of this exact type of equipment before using tripods on the roof or side mounted poles and similar mounting equipment. I can run wall drops when needed and had about 2 years as a cabler for a home theater company.
For surveys he needs done I have used the equipment the owner showed me that he uses. Mostly antennas attached to a laptop checking for signal strength. I have not used much other test equipment than the type he is already using.
I worked for 5 years at a call center for a major computer manufacturer as a senior, then a coach, then a trainer for the site. I have an associates in networking from the comunity college in OKC so I know my way around a wireless network both from school training and the previous 1 year experience at a WISP that wasn't in Oklahoma.
I'm going back to school and cant work full time but I get the feeling the guy is trying to pull low cost young people who might find tower climbing exciting from the college so he does not have to pay the actual average wages of a tower climbing professional.
So considering I'll be the lead climber in charge of training and hiring(hiring since the boss knows nothing about wireless work himself) new people for climbing and support, not getting benefits, and working part time what would you expect as a good starting wage?
Thanks again in advance for any help! |
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GhostriderM
join:2006-12-26
Stillwater, OK
| reply to Airplane777
Thay have no med insurance. This is a very small WISP. Currently just three people, the guy who is the boss and owner that is not in any way informed in how to install program or deploy the equipment they have, let alone troubleshoot even basic PC problems. The lady who handles the accounts falls into the same boat. The one other tech they have there who does know his stuff is pretty much grounded as he weighs in at around 400+lbs. Hence the reason I will be the lead at towers and training/hiring.
I've seen a contract they use for their full time people and benefits are pretty much limited to accruing some limited ETO and PTO and standard extra time earned off around holidays.
Since the boss wont be offering up benefits the best way I can see it is to get the highest possible hourly wage possible, but at the same time fair based on what I can do, so thats why I'm asking others that work or own WISP's here what starting, median, and top pay generally are for a WISP lead installer and climber.
There is only one other Wisp in town and they pay by the install and you have to provide all you own gear. I have most the tools I would need but no vehicle capable of carrying gear like a ladder and such so I wont be working there. |
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Airplane777
join:2004-06-20
2 edits | GhostriderM:
Sounds like you have a pretty good networking knowledge.
When I mentioned training, I just ment it from the standpoint of tower climbing itself. I was thinking that you might be able to get lower insurance rates if you were formally trained to climb towers. Some places won't let you climb their towers, unless you are certified.
There are a bunch of guys on here that know much more then I do about the tower climbing. I only watched the cellular tower climbers when I use to be in cellular. I stayed on the ground and operated the test equipment, when we were testing antennas and transmission lines. But they did put safety as the top priority.
I don't have first hand climbing knowledge...other then what I did years ago when I use to put up amateur radio antennas on towers. The certified tower climbers on the forum here might be able to give you an idea of what you should charge.
Whatever you do, always put your safety first and use top rate equipment to be sure you are safe. That climbing is very dangerous, if it is done wrong. Make sure the towers you climb are well maintained and safe. |
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cmaenginsb
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-19
Palmdale, CA
| reply to GhostriderM
Ghostrider, do you have any formal tower climbing training or certifications? Many WISPs, even larger ones do not and will not pay the same as a towe climber who climbs for a tower company.
Here in CA at the last WISP I worked for full time, our senior installer who trained the others in everything but tower work was paid $25 an hour. Some migtigating factors was that he was the 5th employee hired, could in general perform a site survey without equipment even on 10 mile links as he knew where the towers were etc, we were a "funded" WISP who was growing and of course we are in CA where wages are higher. If I wasn't the lead tower climber he would have that role as well and wouldn't be paid extra for it.
I would expect a smaller WISP to pay around $15-20 an hour for the role you're expected to pay.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber |
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GhostriderM
join:2006-12-26
Stillwater, OK
| No I dont have any tower certs so I was not really expecting over $20 an hour. Honestly talking with people who have worked there before I dont think anyone he has ever had made that much.
I was expecting around the area you are suggesting such as $15 or so but this guy is aiming for under $10. Even in Oklahoma with no tower certs that seems way too low for tower climbing work to me. there were not enough WISPs here locally for me to ask around about avg wages so I turned to these forums. Thanks for the suggestions guys, anyone else with numbers is welcome to offer feedback as well! |
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slipstream1
Premium
join:2005-11-15
Jacksonville, TX
| Without benefits and stuff this sounds like a small time operation. I would run for the hills. It sounds like they may not even have basic workers comp insurance. In case of an accident, you would be discarded. It sounds very risky to me. I would hate to see something happen.
My advice is to walk away. Do not put your future at risk. |
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robbin
Premium,MVM
join:2000-09-21
Leander, TX
| reply to GhostriderM
said by GhostriderM  :...There is only one other Wisp in town and they pay by the install and you have to provide all you own gear. I have most the tools I would need but no vehicle capable of carrying gear like a ladder and such so I wont be working there. That was the other question I should have asked. Are you going to be using your own tools?
Pesonally I would advise you to NOT train any employee in climbing unless you are properly certified -- not only as a climber but also as an instructor. I know wages aren't great in Oklahoma but you don't need to be involved in the death of another worker who "you trained"! |
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joshg409
join:2005-05-03
Ottumwa, IA | reply to GhostriderM
Relocate to my area, my pay scale is better and I offer paid health insurance. What are you going to school for? If you are changing fields, the AAS with your experience should get you a job at better than $10-12/hr. |
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cmaenginsb
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-19
Palmdale, CA
| reply to GhostriderM
Even in OK you should be able to get $15 an hour. The other posters brought up 2 excellent posts, you need to ensure they are categorizing you properly for workers comp. I also wouldn't want to be responsible for training anyone with myself at least being certified, even better is the instructor cert.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber |
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pkats
join:2003-02-13
1 edit | reply to GhostriderM
wrong spot |
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superdog
I Need A Drink
Premium,MVM
join:2001-07-13
Lebanon, PA
| reply to GhostriderM
said by GhostriderM :So considering I'll be the lead climber in charge of training and hiring(hiring since the boss knows nothing about wireless work himself) new people for climbing and support If You take this position, PLEASE take it with it known up front that You can not, and will not train ANYONE under any circumstances for climbing. As mentioned before, if a tech is climbing, and he or she falls and dies or at best seriously hurts themselves?, Your life as You know it could be over(Not to mention the fact that You will have to live with Yourself if You give out wrong information or advice and something bad happens?).
If I were You, I would make it part of the hiring agreement that they will pay to send You to a Comtrain class. They also have certified instructor classes. You could use the instructor class to Your benefit by not only training new hires, but also new hires for other local WISP's and charge them for it.
Training individuals for installs is also a big deal in my mind?. I am not sure about roofing methods in OK, but I am sure they are not very different from the roofing methods here in PA. In my mind, any installer that is working for a WISP needs to have a complete knowledge of roofing types and methods BEFORE crawling around on one and installing and possibly making holes in one.
Running wires in a home or business is also important, along with knowing both national and local codes for the proper installation of even simple CAT5, as You will be the first one that gets blamed if something is done incorrectly, and a fire or equipment loss results from an install that You or a tech. that You trained does it.
In my mind, the position You have applied for requires You to carry a very large load on Your shoulders, and that load will only get larger as You start to hire and train more personnel.
Also keep in mind that once these individuals You have trained start to get in the field, Your cell phone is going to be a very hot item, as there are bound to be lots of questions from the new installers, and each customer that gets installed is one more that may use the technical support lines that You are also in charge of. As time goes on, You will be busier than a one armed man trying to hang drywall.
If all of this sounds like a challenge You are up for?, push them to pay for Your needed cert's and have at it?. I suppose that $15 to $20 a hour seems fair(at least at first?), and hopefully Your wages will increase to match Your rising responsibilities. I wish You the best. 
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»www.wavecrazy.net Join WISPA today! »www.wispa.org/ |
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LLigetfa
join:2006-05-15
Fort Frances, ON
| There is an interesting series going on now on Dilbert that is so in line with this subject.
»www.comics.com/comics/dilbert/ar···226.html
Don't read too much into it as I am not drawing many parallels.  |
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GhostriderM
join:2006-12-26
Stillwater, OK
| No kidding, that Dilbert Strip is exactly what seems to be going on there. If I am unable to get the owner to pay for tower cert classes should I refuse to train new employees alltogether? From the suggestions here I'm starting to lean that way.
He is still going hire others to climb towers whether I am certified or not but they would only be using their own common sense(and the provided ropes and harness equipment) to climb towers since I know this guy would not pay $1000 + travel expenses to cert each employee especially since he is hiring from college students and I would expect a higher than average turnover rate |
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cmaenginsb
Premium,MVM
join:2001-03-19
Palmdale, CA
| reply to GhostriderM
For liability reasons I wouldn't get involved with them in the first place, but here's my suggestions based on experience:
1. I would state in my hiring agreement that I would never be required to formally train anyone for tower climbing or ladder safety as I am not trained to do so.
2. I would refuse to use any tower safety equipment (harness etc) that is shared. This hasn't been brought up yet but it's impossible to know what has happened to that equipment in the past.
3. I personally will never penetrate a roof so it isn't an issue with me, but if I did it's another thing I wouldn't provide training on.
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CCNA, Comtrain Certified Tower Climber |
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slipstream1
Premium
join:2005-11-15
Jacksonville, TX
| I agree that you should not be providing training to new employees without being trained yourself. The liability of training new employees coupled with your lack of experience is a recipe for disaster.
Make him pay for you to go to Comtrain classes and become train the trainer certified so you can then be qualified to train new climbers. 1 year of tower climbing experience is not much. |
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ssprenge
Premium
join:2006-10-09
Chaska, MN | reply to GhostriderM
Wow! Any tower climbers want to come to MN, and do a job for $50/hr? A simple install on a water tower, maybe 4-6 hrs at most. |
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GhostriderM
join:2006-12-26
Stillwater, OK
| Would anyone think that taking this job part time lower the hourly wage offer? By part time I mean getting about 32 hours per week when working a week where I come in Saturdays, and 26 hours per week when I have weekends off.
Thanks again and happy new year! |
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