Straight to the point, $$$ question.

SALWAYS

Member
I am new here, so forgive me if I am breaking some code of online forum ethics, but we are for the most part anonymous, so why not.

I am a senior tech in a rural part of the Northeast region. I am curious what other techs are making in different parts of the country.

I'll start it off. I am a 4 year TSGer and am at $23.85 /hr. Is this about the norm?

Like I said, I am just curious, and am trying to decide if I want to throw my hat into the supervisor ring. SO.......what does a long term tech expect to make compaired to a sup? Also, if I seem naive, I am a bit. $money$ isn't talked about much up here and it seems rude to ask in person.

Thanks, and again, I am sorry if I offend anyone.
 

IWorkAsDirected

Outa browns on 04/30/09
If it were me I would stay where you are, at least you know you are going to be paid for the hours you work. I don't know about other managment positions but I would never ever consider being a FT supervisor or Center Manager, I think they make about $5 an hour if they were to figure it out. Our FT supervisors work 15-16 hours a day. Center Manager probably works more than that. AND they are on call 24/7 so they basically have no life.
 
Your wage is pretty good. I was making a little more than you but I was in TSG for a couple years longer.

If you choose to go into management, your 8 hour workdays are over. If you become a TSG supervisor, you will work 10 hour days, be on call 24/7 and drive all over your district. All your technical skills will be out the door. Chances are, you would get rotated to other departments as well. You become salaried and the increase is nice, but you are no longer entitled to OT. So with all the additional hours you work, the actual hourly rate isn't much more than what you're making now.

If you choose to stay a tech, you should self-develop as much as you can. Because of your high pay rate and not wanting to go into management, they may target you. Remember, there was a couple rounds of "workforce balance initiatives", so there may still be more coming. Even if there isn't any, they may still target you since you make so much and don't want to go into management. They would prefer to have the people at the high end of the pay scale gone and replace them with fresh meat back at the bottom.

I was in TSG and left a couple years ago. I thought about going into management but I saw what it did to friends of mine who got promoted. You have to make a lot of sacrifices at home when you go into management. Right now I am in the software field and my TSG skills from UPS didn't get me very far at all in the real world. That's why I made the suggestion to self-develop as much as you can. Try to learn some real-world stuff so you can have some marketable skills in case you leave UPS.
 

ImpactedTSG

Well-Known Member
I left UPS two years ago due to the downsizing and was a senior tech at 21.50 per hour. Basically I was making around 44k per year to swap out hardware and call NJ when things were out of the norm. Now I am making about 65k per year and doing a lot more technology wise. I am already part of the management team after only being there for 2 years, and I don't have to work 10-12 hour days and worry about relocation. :)
 
I am new here, so forgive me if I am breaking some code of online forum ethics, but we are for the most part anonymous, so why not.

I am a senior tech in a rural part of the Northeast region. I am curious what other techs are making in different parts of the country.

I'll start it off. I am a 4 year TSGer and am at $23.85 /hr. Is this about the norm?

Like I said, I am just curious, and am trying to decide if I want to throw my hat into the supervisor ring. SO.......what does a long term tech expect to make compaired to a sup? Also, if I seem naive, I am a bit. $ isn't talked about much up here and it seems rude to ask in person.

Thanks, and again, I am sorry if I offend anyone.

This roving reporter having seen the blood and guts of good boys splaterred aroung the marsh says to leave whille you can. The entire I.S. is measured by body count which is the McNamarred way fo doing things. The lies of UPS will get you killed. This reporter advises that you find an honest company before you get shot in the back by your boss. Escape under cover of darkness, quick.
 

SALWAYS

Member
Yeah, I have a BS in Comp Sci and several industry certs, so I'd be abandoning all that if I went into mgmt and all of a sudden was an on-car. Then, what, two years ago now, they took away tuition assistance for Masters for techs and I find myself asking what I'm still doing here. Ah.......what to do? I just wish there was more of a technical ladder to climb here!
 

ImpactedTSG

Well-Known Member
Yeah, I have a BS in Comp Sci and several industry certs, so I'd be abandoning all that if I went into mgmt and all of a sudden was an on-car. Then, what, two years ago now, they took away tuition assistance for Masters for techs and I find myself asking what I'm still doing here. Ah.......what to do? I just wish there was more of a technical ladder to climb here!
Trust me, get out while your skills are not totally eroded. What certs do you have? Please don't say A+ and Net+ because those are not worth the paper they are printed on. If you cannot do some of the following, please take a few classes or get a hold of some eval copies and build your own network to learn on.

Migrate Echange 2003 to 2007?
Configure VLANs and routing on a Cisco 3750?
Deploy a SAN with fiber-switching?
Create GPOs in Active Directory to lock down users, assign printers, install MSI packages?
Create ACLs on a Cisco ASA 5500?
Use SCCM 2007 to manage SW inventory and rollout operating systems to multi-platform machines?

These are just a few of the things I get to do that I would have NEVER had a chance to do at UPS.

I know it's easy for me to say this, but if you are a tech at heart and like technology, GET OUT NOW! If you are just there for the job, then try to get into management. It may suck, but it's a long term job. TSG at UPS is a dying breed IMO.
 

SALWAYS

Member
Yes, While I do have A+ and N+, both requirements for TSG, I also am an MCP Win 2k, and Yes I agree A+ and N+ aren't overly impressive, but come in handy as an elective for the MCSA. Which isn't necessarily a route I want to go. In many cases, not all, but many, a Masters is a better opton and likely my next step. Regardless if UPS will fork out the $$$.

I should have been a lawyer! :happy-very:
 
Trust me, get out while your skills are not totally eroded. What certs do you have? Please don't say A+ and Net+ because those are not worth the paper they are printed on. If you cannot do some of the following, please take a few classes or get a hold of some eval copies and build your own network to learn on.

Migrate Echange 2003 to 2007?
Configure VLANs and routing on a Cisco 3750?
Deploy a SAN with fiber-switching?
Create GPOs in Active Directory to lock down users, assign printers, install MSI packages?
Create ACLs on a Cisco ASA 5500?
Use SCCM 2007 to manage SW inventory and rollout operating systems to multi-platform machines?

These are just a few of the things I get to do that I would have NEVER had a chance to do at UPS.

I know it's easy for me to say this, but if you are a tech at heart and like technology, GET OUT NOW! If you are just there for the job, then try to get into management. It may suck, but it's a long term job. TSG at UPS is a dying breed IMO.

The key is to pick an avenue and pursue it. Specialize so to speak (developer, network admin, network engineer, etc).

My current responsibilities include things that I would have never ever had the opportunity to support at UPS. I have my own test network of about 25 machines and VM's. UPS would never let you create a VM much less a test domain. In my test network I have all different types of domain setups with Exchange 2k, Exchange 2k3 and Exchange 2k7. I test anti-spam and anti-virus software on Exchange servers. At UPS I never did anything with Exchange. I don't consider myself an expert yet, but I've definitely learned lots about Exchange.

Remember the Communications Policy at UPS? If you are doing anything questionable via your UPS email, Exchange gives them the power to do lots of things to your mailbox without you ever knowing a thing.
 

upscorpis

Well-Known Member
Salways,

Do you have any interest in software development? There are opportunities to move from the District into Corporate IS if you'd be interested in relocating to one of the development campuses. I started in the District and I've got one such person that now works for me. I figured I'd mention it in case you weren't aware of the opportunity.
 
Salways,

Do you have any interest in software development? There are opportunities to move from the District into Corporate IS if you'd be interested in relocating to one of the development campuses. I started in the District and I've got one such person that now works for me. I figured I'd mention it in case you weren't aware of the opportunity.

When did this happen and which dev campuses are you referring to? Back when I still worked for UPS, I expressed plenty of interest in relocating to GA, NJ, MD, KY to pursue technical opportunities but was constantly told no.
 

upscorpis

Well-Known Member
I did it sooo long ago it doesn't apply to today. There was a recent program to bring folks from the Districts into a development "boot camp". If they showed promise, they were offered jobs in the campuses to which you refer. I don't believe a full relocation package was offered. This was a little over a year ago if I remember correctly. Those that are interested should express interest locally and keep their ears open for the next opportunity. Not everyone is accepted into the program. I cannot pretend to know the qualifications the local management team uses to select candidates but you could ask. I mention it only because I know it happened and could happen again.
 
B

BROWN4LIFE15

Guest
there still is such a program...log on to UPSERS.COM...I stumbled across it today...go to the main page and select Career Opportunities with UPS Information Services -

Employees looking for an opportunity to put their Information Technology or related degree to work can do so via the UPS Information Services (I.S.) Technology Opportunity Program (TOP).

To provide career opportunities to qualified employees, TOP was developed to identify potential candidates within UPS with appropriate four-year degrees to become a part of the I.S. team.
Eligibility is based on the following criteria:



    • A degree in Math, Computer Science, Engineering, or Information Technology is required
    • The candidate must be in one of the following positions:
      • Hourly
      • Part-time supervisor
      • Part-time specialist
      • Full-time specialist
Selected candidates will take part in an intensive training program in Parsippany, NJ. Those who successfully complete the training will be permanently reassigned to one of several UPS I.S. locations in the United States.

Qualified employees now are being considered for career opportunities through this recruiting initiative. The deadline for applying is Friday, February 15.
If you know of employees who may be interested and meet the educational requirements, encourage them to follow-up with your district Human Resources manager or district Workforce Planning manager. Employees may also visit the TOP Web site to register.


Additional information is available under Related Links and Related Files:
Management Briefing and Prework Communications Meeting (PCM) for use week-ending January 26. The Management Briefing should be reviewed with all part-time management and full-time specialists (at pre-sort meetings, center planning meetings, or one-to-one discussions). The PCM is intended for all part-time non management employees.


 
Oh the friggen irony. I tried for years to get into corporate IS and was always given the run around. I even had my manager helping me out and still got the run around. For district TSG it was virtually impossible to get any further technically. It's funny that after I left UPS they decided to implement a program like this. Has anyone had any success with this? What does the intensive training entail? Is it primarily application development (C++, C#, .net). I'm kinda mad that I am missing out on this, but hopefully it will open doors for some of the other district TSG people who want to further their technical career.
 

ImpactedTSG

Well-Known Member
Oh the friggen irony. I tried for years to get into corporate IS and was always given the run around. I even had my manager helping me out and still got the run around. For district TSG it was virtually impossible to get any further technically. It's funny that after I left UPS they decided to implement a program like this. Has anyone had any success with this? What does the intensive training entail? Is it primarily application development (C++, C#, .net). I'm kinda mad that I am missing out on this, but hopefully it will open doors for some of the other district TSG people who want to further their technical career.
This is just a way to thin out TSG without layoffs. UPS can find developers for the above software packages anywhere. Howver, this will decrease TSG staff without the cost of seperation packages that were given out during the layoffs of two years ago.
 

Deeohem

Well-Known Member
Actually many of the candidates who made it to Mahwah when I attempted to get hired/promoted were not TSG. True there were TSG and at least one TSCer who was going to be laid off if not hired. but there were IE folk, Part time sups who just completed their degrees, etc.
 

SALWAYS

Member
I was aware of this and actually inquired when it was last offered, a year or so ago. The problem is, it offers little to no relocation $$$. That's a big cost when you own a home and wife has a job... Plus, it isn't much more money, if any more at all.
 

upscorpis

Well-Known Member
Freeloader - I know C# and Java were part of the training. It wouldn't surprise me if C++, VB.NET, and COBOL would be offered as well as we do have some products that use these languages.

ImpactedTSG - IT talent is not that easy to come by. Anyone with skills I can get from the District I'll take over an outsider any day - without question.

Salways - I understand that the relo thing is not ideal. If cost is a factor, I suggest aiming for the GA or KY campuses since the cost of living is a lot less than MD or NJ. As for salary, I think it's safe to say the upside potential is MUCH higher than anything TSG can offer. For that matter, it's higher than anything in the District can offer. Early promos are based on merit so your abilities are the only limiting factor. The individual on my team received a promo after six months. The early salary jumps can be fairly significant.

Deeohom is right on with the comment about the diverse backgrounds of the last group.

The program may not be for everyone, but at least it exists for those who would like the option.
 

SALWAYS

Member
Oh, I agree 100%! It is a great program for some. I am just saying, without the relocation package, the sale of a house, closing costs on both ends, the loss of a wifes income and the inconvienence of uprooting, becomes a much bigger hurdle.

My degree is almost all programming (BS Comp Sci), mostly Java and C, but learning a new language, as I'm sure you'd agree, isn't as overwhelming as learning your first.

If I were single, with just an appartment, a car and the clothes on my back, you couldn't sign me up fast enough.

What does a typical senior level programmer with say 12-15 years in make? Is 100k reasonale...80k...110k+ ? Being so rural, I really have no way of even beginning to guess. More in NJ or MD and less in GA?
 
ImpactedTSG - IT talent is not that easy to come by. Anyone with skills I can get from the District I'll take over an outsider any day - without question.

I'm amazed that you make that statement because it makes plenty of sense but yet not many other decision makers up there feel the same way (unless they are turning over a new leaf lately).

Salways - I understand that the relo thing is not ideal. If cost is a factor, I suggest aiming for the GA or KY campuses since the cost of living is a lot less than MD or NJ. As for salary, I think it's safe to say the upside potential is MUCH higher than anything TSG can offer. For that matter, it's higher than anything in the District can offer. Early promos are based on merit so your abilities are the only limiting factor. The individual on my team received a promo after six months. The early salary jumps can be fairly significant.

Relo would have been a big factor for me too. Moving from Florida to somewhere up north would have been a huge leap of faith. Cost of living in Florida is high but I know it's ridiculously high in NJ & MD. Having endless technical opportunities at one of those campuses would have been nice... oh well.

Just out of curiosity, can you throw out any grade levels / salary figures?
 
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