Starting salaries - real job and first job

Alexandra · 06-24-2009, 08:04 AM

I thought it might be neat to hear what everyone's starting salaries were.

My first job (aside from babysitting and newspaper routes) was at the local A&P, when I was 15 years old. I made $5.10 per hour.

That was not bad money at the time, although within 8 years or so, I was making around $14.00 for the same part-time job (union), and that was really good money, especially for a university student.

My first "real" or grown-up full-time job once I graduated from graduate school was at Nortel. My salary was $53,000 that year, plus I got a ten thousand dollar signing bonus.

ashby corner · 06-24-2009, 08:16 AM

first job was as a stock boy in a convenience store in a small town in the Maritimes. $2.80 per hour. This would have been in 1983. First "real" job was in 1995 and salary was 26500. Due to a move to a major city and completing some "fancy book learning", I've more than tripled my gross in the last 9 years from 35 to 110.

mfd · 06-24-2009, 09:41 AM

My first job was working cleaning at the airport for $8/hr . It was neat looking at the internal workings of an airport and also an eye opener on how cleaners are the biggest security risk in any company

my first real job out of school was in IT with a starting salary of $55k/year

markievicz · 06-24-2009, 10:59 AM

When I was around 15 I made 3 Irish pounds an hour working nights in a local Dublin nightclub, coat checking and helping the cashiers and bartenders. I ended up bartending there for years, until I moved to the States. Plus phone numbers from various skeevy guys and all the beer I could drink at closing time of course!

For my first "real" job I think I probably made something between US$30-$35k plus a nice bonus and lawyers/immigration fees. That was in NYC, and when I look back at my expenses back then I'm amazed ... $200 for my half of the rent, no cellphone, no gym, no car, no internet, etc. We lived cheap!

paulkoshy · 06-24-2009, 12:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markievicz

When I was around 15 I made 3 Irish pounds an hour working nights in a local Dublin nightclub!

What club was this? Is it still open? You willl see why I'm interested after reading my post.

First job was at canadas wonderland - 6.10/hour working one of the rides - why they let 15 year olds deal with the lives of strangers is beyond me.

First real job was in Dublin Ireland working for a bank. When converted about 48K CAD.

markievicz · 06-24-2009, 12:22 PM

Paul - it was the club in the cellar of F/itzpatrick's C/astle Hotel in Killiney. I grew up not a million miles away and was behind the bar at a wedding upstairs the night it went on fire. If it's still open I'm sure the club undergone a lot of rebranding since then - and I hope they've solved their slug issues!

Max · 06-24-2009, 12:47 PM

My first job, I was working fast food making $6.45 per hour and felt privileged. My first job out of College, I made about $8 per hour counting inventory and felt underpaid. During University I made $10 per hour as a bookkeeper and again felt privileged. First job out of University, I made 50k per year in treasury.

Strange that I generally felt happier when I was underpaid.

Ben · 06-24-2009, 03:07 PM

My first job was working in a rural vegetable garden for 5 summers, starting at age 12. There weren't a lot of jobs around for kids. My village had 300 people, and I didn't even live in town. Cars and rides were in short supply with 8 siblings, and it was difficult to stray too far afield.

Summer 1: $2/hr, raise to $2.50/hr halfway through. 20 hr/week.
Remaining Summers: raise of about $1/hr/year. Finished making $6 per hour at age 16. Can't remember if I ever made it to a 40 hour week.

Starting salaries for an engineer in natural resources are somewhere around 50k. I got $200/week in subsistence money as well ($10k/year), tax-free in my first job.

Well, actually it shouldn't have been tax free, because I did not have a permanent residence, so the company was investigated by CRA and volunteered to take the tax hit on behalf of all the employees affected. It was something like a $1 million liability, I believe.

Retired at 31 · 06-24-2009, 06:27 PM

My first job was teaching a computer class for a community college while still in high school. Upside: $22.85/hour! Downside: 3 hours a week. Further downside: Teaching a computer class for a community college while still in high shoool!

Due to self employment, I haven't had a "real" job yet!

Similar to Max, I have enjoyed some of the "underpaid" jobs. I found they often occupied your body, but your mind was free.

thatdaveguy · 06-25-2009, 08:43 AM

Other than newspapers, my first job was at Kelseys @ $8/hr

First real job, $50k/yr

06-24-2009, 08:04 AM	#1
Alexandra Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 130	Starting salaries - real job and first job I thought it might be neat to hear what everyone's starting salaries were. My first job (aside from babysitting and newspaper routes) was at the local A&P, when I was 15 years old. I made $5.10 per hour. That was not bad money at the time, although within 8 years or so, I was making around $14.00 for the same part-time job (union), and that was really good money, especially for a university student. My first "real" or grown-up full-time job once I graduated from graduate school was at Nortel. My salary was $53,000 that year, plus I got a ten thousand dollar signing bonus.

06-24-2009, 09:41 AM	#3
mfd Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Toronto, Ontario Posts: 192	My first job was working cleaning at the airport for $8/hr . It was neat looking at the internal workings of an airport and also an eye opener on how cleaners are the biggest security risk in any company my first real job out of school was in IT with a starting salary of $55k/year __________________ My Findependence Day My Wealth, Savings and Investing Goals to Reaching Financial Independence

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06-24-2009, 08:16 AM	#2
ashby corner Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 54	first job was as a stock boy in a convenience store in a small town in the Maritimes. $2.80 per hour. This would have been in 1983. First "real" job was in 1995 and salary was 26500. Due to a move to a major city and completing some "fancy book learning", I've more than tripled my gross in the last 9 years from 35 to 110.

06-24-2009, 10:59 AM	#4
markievicz Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 29	When I was around 15 I made 3 Irish pounds an hour working nights in a local Dublin nightclub, coat checking and helping the cashiers and bartenders. I ended up bartending there for years, until I moved to the States. Plus phone numbers from various skeevy guys and all the beer I could drink at closing time of course! For my first "real" job I think I probably made something between US$30-$35k plus a nice bonus and lawyers/immigration fees. That was in NYC, and when I look back at my expenses back then I'm amazed ... $200 for my half of the rent, no cellphone, no gym, no car, no internet, etc. We lived cheap!

06-24-2009, 12:22 PM	#6
markievicz Junior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Toronto Posts: 29	Paul - it was the club in the cellar of F/itzpatrick's C/astle Hotel in Killiney. I grew up not a million miles away and was behind the bar at a wedding upstairs the night it went on fire. If it's still open I'm sure the club undergone a lot of rebranding since then - and I hope they've solved their slug issues!

06-24-2009, 12:47 PM	#7
Max Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 43	My first job, I was working fast food making $6.45 per hour and felt privileged. My first job out of College, I made about $8 per hour counting inventory and felt underpaid. During University I made $10 per hour as a bookkeeper and again felt privileged. First job out of University, I made 50k per year in treasury. Strange that I generally felt happier when I was underpaid.

06-24-2009, 03:07 PM	#8
Ben Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: GTA Posts: 267	My first job was working in a rural vegetable garden for 5 summers, starting at age 12. There weren't a lot of jobs around for kids. My village had 300 people, and I didn't even live in town. Cars and rides were in short supply with 8 siblings, and it was difficult to stray too far afield. Summer 1: $2/hr, raise to $2.50/hr halfway through. 20 hr/week. Remaining Summers: raise of about $1/hr/year. Finished making $6 per hour at age 16. Can't remember if I ever made it to a 40 hour week. Starting salaries for an engineer in natural resources are somewhere around 50k. I got $200/week in subsistence money as well ($10k/year), tax-free in my first job. Well, actually it shouldn't have been tax free, because I did not have a permanent residence, so the company was investigated by CRA and volunteered to take the tax hit on behalf of all the employees affected. It was something like a $1 million liability, I believe.

06-24-2009, 06:27 PM	#9
Retired at 31 Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Posts: 83	My first job was teaching a computer class for a community college while still in high school. Upside: $22.85/hour! Downside: 3 hours a week. Further downside: Teaching a computer class for a community college while still in high shoool! Due to self employment, I haven't had a "real" job yet! Similar to Max, I have enjoyed some of the "underpaid" jobs. I found they often occupied your body, but your mind was free.

06-25-2009, 08:43 AM	#10
thatdaveguy Junior Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 3	Other than newspapers, my first job was at Kelseys @ $8/hr First real job, $50k/yr