what salary to expect at custom theater shop

[Sounds Good]

ill be graduating soon with a associate in electro mechanical engineering.

i have alwas wanted to work for a local custom home theater installer and i was wondering what they make salary wise, ballpark of course?

 

[jostenmeat]

I've never heard of a salaried employee that works for an AV company owner. I know several people who own their own biz. For a bigger job, they'll hire a friend who needs some cash to help out. It's all commissions it seems like.

Tough economy makes this field very difficult right now, although I know you can say the same for nearly anything. Talking with one owner, he says even the little things. Example: people are just using TV pedestals instead of paying someone to wall mount it and run cabling, for instance.

 

[highfigh]

ill be graduating soon with a associate in electro mechanical engineering.

i have alwas wanted to work for a local custom home theater installer and i was wondering what they make salary wise, ballpark of course?

If you have no experience, get some. If you start working for a shop, one of the first things they should have you do is run cabling and rather than take it as an insult, look at it as a way to learn the right (or wrong) way to route, secure, layout, terminate and verify conductors. Knowing how everything is connected and how it works from an academic standpoint is fine but without actual experience in all of the infrastructure, you won't impress anyone. You also won't win any friends in the installation department if you design systems that are a royal PITA to wire up.

Your location will have as much to do with how much you can make as anything. If you're in a place where the market is depressed, you won't make much. You're also in the wrong forum to ask questions about the industry. While some of us are in the business, you'd be better off finding a trade forum.

 

[pzaur]

ill be graduating soon with a associate in electro mechanical engineering.

i have always wanted to work for a local custom home theater installer and i was wondering what they make salary wise, ballpark of course?

My brother in-law does custom work and started out hourly and eventually went salary. He actually made decent money at his first job which was a two man company, him and his boss/owner. Of course, it wasn't a whole lot once cost of living was factored in. Most of the work was for very upscale places. Lots of professional athletes, large business owners, and the like.

I believe him to be the exception to the rule. He has since gathered a lot of trade knowledge especially in programming devices. Having an electro-mechanical engineering degree is a lot of degree for custom installing.

As was said earlier, a lot of work depends on the area you live in. Don't expect to making $40k when you start. A degree doesn't guarantee a salary or a job.

-pat