I recently found a paystub from when I was laboring for an excavation company one summer during college.

$505 for the week. I remember thinking I was king of the world.

Turret lather operator in a small shop after high school let out - 1973. $1.65 per hour. First paycheck was $54 net. Nice!

I had a cushy state job in '73 (it involved a shovel). A salaried position, started at $278/month. Plus per diem; $15/day, $8 for a single motel room and $7 for food. And I didn't eat $7 of food per day.
Jim

My first real job was over in the Sandbox....

I worked for a joint venture which consisted of Perini/Berger/Harbert/Howard and ITT was the manager... In 1978 as a 19 year old I was making 13.50/hour tax free and had access to Aafes since the COE was the liason between us and the Israeli gov't...

In 1980 I was still hourly making I think 15/hr... I Had a crew of TCNs (third country nationals) from Thailand... all the heavy equipment at my disposal...

My contract was really good ad bonus was based on last years earnings.... so what do the long term guys do when contract is nearing completion....work Mega overtime...

When I returned to the states in 1984??? I interviewed a few times with construction companies and consultants.... and finally settled on a job in construction management...that paid 3.35/hr... since I was not licensed...

Took me a few years to turn things around... I saw some ugly things in the sandbox and decided to not work there again...

But I digress

I was working for a race car renting/maintaining company in '73, traveling all the time and living on a cash per diem. I make $669 taxable dollars that year.

Damn, I got $25/week+ food and a room with a Formula 5000 team. But, there weren't a lot of weeks, were there? ;) :D

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1328728407.jpg

Major money!

When I hear how tough it is for people to find an $8 an hour job these days, I am amazed when I remember that I was making $10 an hour cash back in 1979 building patio covers for a construction company. I don't know how people survive on $8 an hour here in SoCal, when a one bedroom apt rents for 1600 a month.

Even in AZ, In-N-Out Burger starts the kids off at $10/hr. I was making $7/hr. at Wendy's in 1987 and that was more than double min. wage at the time.

'79 it was pretty easy to make 100/day. One bedroom cost between 150 and 200. I had my first house by '74 and the payment was 350. 3 bed, 1 1/4 baths. I soon built another master bath and put in a pool. The ex sold it 13 years later for $387,000!

One bedrooms by then were over a grand.

Motion, 1 bed apts in not-too-bad Long Beach are 9-1200 these days (they had been higher). In fact, I think they are about the same in bad town, but the requirements to get in are more lax. If you want to live in Good Town, you better bring a 750 FICO with you along with first, last and deposit.

Rick, I think In-and-Out is up to around 12 these days, but you better have one hand on the Bible.