RE: military overcompensation

[Gandhi]

Originally Posted by titlefight

Knock it off!!!

HO HO HO MERRY XMAS

[Lubaolong]

Originally Posted by Greg Anderson

You talk about high school kids, so ignorent for not rushing into one of the most advertised jobs out there, while you have joined thousands of under employed over educated students, who are there out of sure ignorence.

You say you think you are better than most of the people here and a live a life we covet, when you can't even make a 6 figures salary in the land of the plenty coming from a wealthy family. If you knew how many people with a six figure salary have lauged them selves out of their chairs reading this shit, you would sleep right through Christmas. Man I sure hope granny left more than a video, because if this keeps up, all the meds in the world are not going keep you from eating cat food out of a metal can.

I think you have misunderstood my post somewhere. I speak Chinese well enough, have enough experience, and an active ts security clearance to ensure a 6 figure income no matter what. I still get email job offers from resumes I have posted on intelligencecareers.com and careerbuilder.com. These are my fallbacks. I will always have this. But I hate translating. And I hate only make $100k a year doing a job I hate. And I don't like busting my ass trying to run an additional business to make more. That's why I'm going back to school. I've talked to an engineering graduate of the school I'm attending that is a manager working outside the US and my sister fiance's friend in a similar situation in the Philippines. They are both making serious bucks. I'm working hard with hopes of my wife and I being able to do the same in addition to a side business. I will always be able to earn $100k+ and so will she no matter what. We are only trying to improve our position and find a more enjoyable profession. I have hopes our household income will top $500k one day. If it doesn't and we're destine to be stuck at $250k or wherever it ends up, I can't say we didn't try.

And I don't think electrical engineering is an overpopulated field. Every job outlook projection I've seen looks good. I think with my diverse background, security clearance, management experience, and useful language proficiency I will be an attractive package. I could be wrong I guess, but we'll see. I have high hopes for us.

Merry Xmas to you, too. Have a good holiday and be safe.

[Rudy Richter]

Originally Posted by Lubaolong

There's nothing wrong with being in the military. It is a noble job. The pay and compensation is just too much.

Compare Joe that joins the military at 18 to Timmy that goes to a good university, gets an engineering degree (the most challenging, highest paying bachelor degree) :

Joe, age 22, married, Army Seargent, hanging out in Hawaii, surfing having a good time:
Yearly Regular Military Compensation: $61,016.32
(Basic Pay+BAS+BAH+COLA)
http://www.dod.mil/militarypay/pay/calc/index.html

Timmy, age 22, college graduate, Electrical Engineer:
Average Yearly Starting Salary: $52,009.00
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/15/pf/c...ex.htm?cnn=yes

Tell me why someone that joins the military with a high school education should earn that much more than one of the highest paying, most technical college degrees? They shouldn't.

After 8 years, do you think maybe the engineering degree will pay off?

Joe, age 26, married, SFC, still surfing his life away:
Yearly Regular Military Compensation: $80,652.96
same site as above

Timmy, age 26, 4 years professional experience, working on his master's, Electrical Engineer, also in Hawaii:
Medium Yearly Salary: $72,205.50
salary.com

Again, why should Joe that maybe went to a 6 week training course to teach him to type numbers into a database be making more? It's ridiculous.

I am going to refrain from bringing up what some other people said, but to besides that your numbers are way off. I don't care what website you got that from. The numbers you have sound like electrical engineering salaries right out of school with out bonuses, options, ESPP etc.

If you chose to work for a company that doesn't offer some of the compensation I mentioned, it's your own problem. Different areas also yield different compensation, which is taken into account in salary averages. Also, imo basing compensation on salary alone in high tech industry is not very wise. Let me put it this way, I got out as an E-5 in the army, now work as a EE in the bay area with 5 years experience(semi conductor field), and despite the fact that our stock is doing shitty right now I am still making more than 4 X what I did in the army. When semi conductors pick up again the difference will be in multiples of 10 magnitudes. If you are worried that engineering doesn't pay, then don't go into that field because obviously you lack passion for it and therefore would not be likely to do very well. You shouldn't be worried abut the poor military guys making more than you. It's the perks business owners get that at times are obscene.

[sholinmonkey]

Originally Posted by Lubaolong

There's nothing wrong with being in the military. It is a noble job. The pay and compensation is just too much.

Compare Joe that joins the military at 18 to Timmy that goes to a good university, gets an engineering degree (the most challenging, highest paying bachelor degree) :

Joe, age 22, married, Army Seargent, hanging out in Hawaii, surfing having a good time:
Yearly Regular Military Compensation: $61,016.32
(Basic Pay+BAS+BAH+COLA)
http://www.dod.mil/militarypay/pay/calc/index.html

Timmy, age 22, college graduate, Electrical Engineer:
Average Yearly Starting Salary: $52,009.00
http://money.cnn.com/2005/04/15/pf/c...ex.htm?cnn=yes

Tell me why someone that joins the military with a high school education should earn that much more than one of the highest paying, most technical college degrees? They shouldn't.

After 8 years, do you think maybe the engineering degree will pay off?

Joe, age 26, married, SFC, still surfing his life away:
Yearly Regular Military Compensation: $80,652.96
same site as above

Timmy, age 26, 4 years professional experience, working on his master's, Electrical Engineer, also in Hawaii:
Medium Yearly Salary: $72,205.50
salary.com

wow I completely forget that I even posted that comment and now it has its own thread, haha. I don't know much as much as the other veterans that posted here about pay because I've only been overseas once.

but I don't understand how you got 61G for a year of service. me and all my friends that have been deployed all got between 25-30 the most. and we made sure we got all the different kinda "pays" like BAH. so if its possible can you itemize all the benefits and pay that you got the 61grand from?

[Lubaolong]

Originally Posted by Rudy Richter

The numbers you have sound like electrical engineering salaries right out of school with out bonuses, options, ESPP etc.

That's what the first comparison was.. a 22 year old straight out of college. Many military members in more challenge jobs get bonuses as well. Do you know many engineers that get a $12k sign on bonus starting out? Or anything close to a $90k reenlistment bonus? Not to mention other programs and perks for military members.

I'm sure there are always exceptions. If you were stuck in a barracks as an E-5 with roommates eating chowhall food and only living off your base pay, you may very well be making much more now.

[Rudy Richter]

Originally Posted by Lubaolong

That's what the first comparison was.. a 22 year old straight out of college. Many military members in more challenge jobs get bonuses as well. Do you know many engineers that get a $12k sign on bonus starting out? Or anything close to a $90k reenlistment bonus? Not to mention other programs and perks for military members.

I'm sure there are always exceptions. If you were stuck in a barracks as an E-5 with roommates eating chowhall food and only living off your base pay, you may very well be making much more now.

Dude.... let me put it this way: The benefits of my job kick the living shit out of military benefits. Military hospitals suck dino dick in comparison to the doctors at my disposal do to having a high speed PPO. I go to the best sports ortho clinic in the bay area for reasonable amount out of my pocket. They turned me into the bionic man in the last two years. One of the problems they fixed, is problem the army doctors said they had no clue. This is just one issue.

Point being.... military benefits, while nothing wrong with them, are not the end all, and best out there.

[Rudy Richter]

Originally Posted by Lubaolong

That's what the first comparison was.. a 22 year old straight out of college. Many military members in more challenge jobs get bonuses as well. Do you know many engineers that get a $12k sign on bonus starting out? Or anything close to a $90k reenlistment bonus? Not to mention other programs and perks for military members.

I'm sure there are always exceptions. If you were stuck in a barracks as an E-5 with roommates eating chowhall food and only living off your base pay, you may very well be making much more now.

Yes... depends on the company. Sometimes high signing bonuses indicate a hire and fire company though(of course that is bad).

Do you know a military branch that pays 40-60% profit sharing of your anual salary, besides offering ESPP, competitive amount of stock options, product bonuses, as well as a health plan that would make you refuse to see a military hospital again?

[J-Fight]

I think cops make too much - all that bullshit detail work... infuriating...

Luba has sufficietly gotten PWND in this thread.

[Lubaolong]

Originally Posted by Rudy Richter

Yes... depends on the company. Sometimes high signing bonuses indicate a hire and fire company though(of course that is bad).

Do you know a military branch that pays 40-60% profit sharing of your anual salary, besides offering ESPP, competitive amount of stock options, product bonuses, as well as a health plan that would make you refuse to see a military hospital again?

I don't know much about working on the outside for good companies and what they have to offer. I worked for a shitty translating company and have been self-employed since. Forgive me for my ignorance. Just looking at pay, the military looks to be very competitive, especially for someone with little education. If you say you get better stock options and health plans that make up for the pay and bonuses, I can't argue I guess.

[Lubaolong]

Originally Posted by J-Fight

I think cops make too much - all that bullshit detail work... infuriating...

Luba has sufficietly gotten PWND in this thread.

Rudy has been the only person to make a valid argument. I really have no idea about how common certain benefits are and how much they weigh for engineers in comparison. I guess he owned me. Oh well. Some military still get paid too much..