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FeedWho Makes What. . .
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LET’S FACE IT: Talking about money——specifically, what one earns——ranks right up there with disclosures of plastic surgery and the inner workings of one’s sex life. It’s taboo with a capital T. But that doesn’t mean we’re all not wondering. Fortunately for you, we weren’t afraid to tackle the question most wouldn’t touch with a 10-foot pole. We asked San Diegans representing an array of job occupations how much they bring in with each paycheck and what they like most——and least——about their jobs. Some answers were surprising (meet a window-washer making six figures), while others were less so (Padres pitcher Greg Maddux leads a roster of pro athletes pulling in millions). From an archeologist and a model to top-earning CEOs and city employees, we present a list of the most lucrative gigs in town. Some of the salaries listed here are taken from the most-recent public records. With others, we sweet-talked our way into people’s wallets. It’s a small price to pay for a more revealing look at our local job market. At least that’s what they’re paying this writer to accomplish. Just don’t ask how much.
Tracy Playa
Real estate acquisition closing coordinator
$70,000
plus $40,000-$45,000 bonus
BEST: “Gaining valuable knowledge in real estate investing.”
WORST: “Having to be in an office eight to nine hours a day, five days a week.”
Morgan Cordner
General manager,
Lily’s Window Cleaning
$100,000-plus
BEST: “Being outside a lot, and it’s dangerous work so you get an adrenaline rush.”
WORST: “It takes three to four years before you can make good money at it.”
Stuart Comer
Owner/funeral director/embalmer,
Alhiser-Comer Mortuary in Escondido
$90,000-plus
BEST: “The satisfaction you get when the family is pleased.”
WORST: “We’re on call 24/7 and during the holidays.”
Mairead Lundt
Surgical acute staff nurse, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
$58,500
BEST: “Meeting new people every day and having the ability to make their recovery better. And having four days off a week is pretty nice!”
WORST: “When all of my patients need me at the same time and I feel like I can’t be there for each one as much as I would like to be.”
Lilia Martinez
Special-education teacher’s aide
$26,091
BEST: “Seeing the children grow and learn to fit in.”
WORST: “Getting up early to be at work by 7:30 a.m.”
Susan Leighton
American Airlines flight attendant
$40,000
BEST: “I have incredible flexibility, a lot of time off and get to meet all kinds of people.”
WORST: “Being away from my family.”
Janica Smith |  |
Kelliann Klein
Executive team leader for Target
$47,000
BEST: “The experience and the challenge; my team; and I learn something new every day.”
WORST: “I work weekends and 10-hour days.”
Deborah Moore
Diagnostic radiologic technologist
$83,000
BEST: “Helping patients and working with my coworkers.”
WORST: “None.”
Tim O’Sullivan
Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center research technician
$30,000
BEST: “The casual environment.”
WORST: “The repetition.”
Pancho Dewhurst
Vice president,
GDC Construction, Inc.
(green builder)
$150,000
BEST: “Seeing happy clients in their dream homes, and keeping the world green.”
WORST: “Unforeseen conditions.”
 | Seth Mallios |
Liz Palika
Part-time certified dog trainer and animal-behavior consultant,
Kindred Spirits Canine Education Center
$20,000
BEST: “I love hearing from people months and years later, saying how much of a difference we made in their lives.”
WORST: “The low pay. However, that’s our choice. Kindred Spirits Canine Education Center is a nonprofit, and our focus is on education for the dog owner and the dog. We also train therapy dogs for visiting hospitals, nursing homes and more. Plus, we train service dogs for the disabled.”
Aaron Smith
Owner and president,
Destination Surf, manufacturer of surfboard bags and surf accessories
$100,000
BEST: “Surf trips for research and development.”
WORST: “Since we’re a small business, I have to wear many hats.”
Debra Colarusso
Clinical laboratory scientist II,
Scripps Health
$37 an hour
BEST: “It is very rewarding knowing that every day the laboratory testing I perform improves and saves human lives. In addition, the knowledge and experience gained from this position can open up other opportunities in healthcare, biotechnology, management and education.”
WORST: “The laboratory operates on a 24- hour schedule, so it is necessary to work some weekends and holidays. Sometimes I miss this time with my family.”
Nadav Wilf |  |
Colin Leath
Permaculture activist, Earthcare Nation
No set rate, no fixed task, no set schedule. Income was a bit over $3,000 last year.
BEST: “Freedom.”
WORST: “Often working alone until (a) developing a project others value or (b) finding something others are doing that I want to work on, too; living around (a) so many others who use cars and (b) keeping and developing the vision of a way to live that is different from the way so many around me are living.”
Rachel Borgatti
Compost program manager, Solana Center for Environmental Innovation
$38,500
BEST: “Opening people’s eyes to how important composting is for the environment, whether you are talking about waste reduction or toxin-free garden care. And it’s tons of fun!”
WORST: “So much work to be done! I’m very lucky to have a ton of great master composter volunteers to help me out, but it is sad to have to turn down a group or a school for a composting workshop because we don’t have the funding for their area or we don’t have the people to go out!”
Raymond Alegre
Stylist at dk hair
$58,000
BEST: “I love having the ability to make my clients happy by addressing their needs and bringing confidence and style into their lives. I work along side some fantastic colorists and stylists who are as passionate about their work as I am.”
WORST: “San Diego is making its own mark in the beauty and fashion area, and I believe that more public recognition is deserved of the trends set by creative professionals within our evolving city.”
 | Krystel Sayles |
Will Barton
Artist (painter)
$350-$1,000 per painting
BEST: “Being able to create art, which is a very enjoyable and soulful process, at my pace and hours of choice, which allows me a lot of flexibility with my kids, surfing and other business obligations.”
WORST: “Actually trying to make any kind of living here in San Diego.”
Cheryl Reiff
Chapter coordinator,
Sierra Club San Diego
$33,000
BEST: “Feeling like I’m doing something to better our world, and being around people of like mind——people who care.”
WORST: “Changing governing boards and bosses every year.”
Brian Despot
Bike messenger
$23,000
BEST: “I get to be outdoors, ride my bike a lot and have the freedom of not being in a cubicle.”
WORST: “The pay-to-stress ratio is a little off.”
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Reader Comments:
Sorry to have to comment on this... I hasten to add that this is not about the person..
But as a group that has fought for archaeologists wages in the UK, and is glad to be a small part of a similar efort in teh USA.. I take great offence that it is reported that an archaeologist makes 90k a year... NO... a professor perhaps... but an archaeologist in the field.. makes on average $12-13 an hour... and thats when there is work!
and neither do we hunt for treasure, we careful sift evidence in conditions that most people would give up... we are poorly paid professionals, providing a service and more to all people.. we are not paid 90,000... we don't hunt treasure...
I am happy for the Prof that does... but he does not represent the vast majority of the men and women who uncover your past.
Wow $90,000+ a year as an archaeologist. That is, frankly, unbelievable and misleading with respect to anyone interested in becoming an archaeologist. I think a far more accurate portayal of this particular salary and field of expertise is more aptly associated with a professorial career. In this case, a professor of anthropology, however, the range could just as easily suit other fields of education.
Some of the top dollar jobs in the field of archaeology within San Diego range from $15.00 to $18.00 per hour for field technicians (sans per-diem). This equates to roughly $37,000 per year (at the upper end), with the caveat that the archaeologist is going to be employed full-time for an entire year (2080 hours); another unlikely scenario as archaeology is generally contract/project specific. This is the wage range that most undergraduate degree holding archaeologists can hope for upon entering the workforce. Certainly advanced degreed professional archaeologists will earn more (myself in the $50,000-$55,000/year range with 10 years paid experience, that does not go far in California). I have yet to run into any professional archaeologist earning the range that the Professor does.
Lastly, no self-respecting archaeologist hunts treasure. I will forgive this slip of the tongue and chalk it up to a bad choice of words on the professor's part. I would assume he is not educating and training a crop of treasure hunters, but rather anthropological scientists specializing in the subdiscipline of archaeology.
A colleague has let us know that, according to the April 2008 issue of SDM, archaeologists earn more than $90,000 per annum. This is rather shocking news to those of us who work in this field, many of us for a number of decades, and none of whom have earned that kind of dosh. Without a doubt a few, well positioned, "archaeologists" earn that sort of wage, but as they mainly do not conduct actual fieldwork, or manage field personnel, or execute special studies, it can hardly be said that they are actual archaeologists. For a clearer picture of the state of the field archaeologist pay and conditions please browse through these fora on Archaeologyfieldwork.com (http://www.archaeologyfieldwork.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2672; http://www.archaeologyfieldwork.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1898; http://www.archaeologyfieldwork.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2978; http://www.archaeologyfieldwork.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=3108; http://www.archaeologyfieldwork.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=2471). Perhaps it would be possible for your magazine to interview some of us to round out your portrait of the archaeologist. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
And incidentally, we do not hunt for treasure, we conduct science-based investigations, and provide our clients with sound legal advice.
Respectfully,
Richard D. Shultz
While most archaeologists don't make 90K a year, many government archaeological jobs are offering between 70-100K. And while these high earning jobs might not be strictly field jobs the people who fill these positions are still VERY MUCH archaeologists. Mr. Shultz you sound a bit bitter.
In San Diego County the lowest wage a starting archaeological technician, who only has a BA and no real field experience, will make is $17.17 an hour (AGAIN this is STARTING, not the top dollar job someone else posted about). However if your goal is to become a professional archaeologists it is highly recommended that you get an advanced degree, as the earning potential increases exponentially.
Also if you own your own company the potential for earning is much higher than if you work for someone else. The same is true with most of the jobs listed in this article. So to the people who are posting about this being misleading you need to get your facts straight, remember to look at the situation (it does list this guy as a professor, not a contract-to-contract shovel bum), and stop trying to discourage people due to your lack of success.
Finally if you are competent and hard working employee, even on a contract-to-contract basis, there is almost always some work in Southern California. You might not be with one company, but that's part of the contract-to-contract game. In my over 10 years of field work I have never been out of work for more than 2 weeks in a given year. Perhaps I'm lucky, but I feel it's more due to me busting my ass, and staying on top of other archaeology jobs when a contract is almost complete.
Dear Editor and Magazine Staff:
It has been recently been reported in your April 2008 issue of salaries for various professionals. I note in particular the following:
Seth Mallios
Professor and chair of anthropology,
San Diego State University
$90,000-$100,000
...“Finding treasure! I’m an archaeologist who gets to unearth San Diego’s rich and dynamic history and then teach students about everything I find. Whether locating forgotten murals, unearthing Palomar Mountain legend Nate Harrison’s old smoking pipe, rediscovering cemeteries that vanished long ago or digging up a 100-year-old toothbrush in the Whaley House well, nothing beats the thrill of unearthing the past.”
Though one cannot object to a professor who imbues enthusiasm to their students for the subject matter they teach, one can question the issue of an anthropology professor labeling cultural materials as 'finding treasure'. That implies an economic value to objects and sites that a working archaeologist would object to and an indigenous person may find offensive.
Those who devote hours of time in the field conducting scientific investigation in archaeology, who hike rugged landscapes in 100-plus degree temperatures, pouring rains and hail, who spend years actively study the cultural practices, materials and landscapes of indigenous peoples are paid less than most professionals, even those archaeologists with advanced degrees. As your article indicates government employees make considerably more money than those in the private sector in most instances.
Though Mellios may make a six-figure salary, please note that this misleads people to believe that archaeologists make this kind of money. Professors obviously do but working everyday field archaeologists who day after day produce quality work and publications with little public acknowledgment nor kudos make nowhere near this amount. There is a wide gap between academics and those of us in the trenches.
Peer,
If that post represents the factual knowledge that you possess and have diligently researched on a topic such as this then I fear having to review one of your reports concerning an archaeological investigation.
The chart in the link provided (see: http://www.fedjobs.com/pay/pay.html) clearly defines pay grades for federal employees. Only at Step 10 of GS-11 does one begin to break into the $70,000 and above range (base pay plus adjustments of 13.18%). Field tech archaeologists generally are staffed at GS-03, GS-04, GS-05 or GS-07 levels, while middle management is generally staffed at GS-09 and GS-11. Upper management will be staffed at GS-12 and above.
Recent position announcements on USAJobs for archaeologist include:
GS-0102-03/07 9.78+ /hr
GS-0102-04/07 10.97+/hr
GS-0102-05/07 12.26+/hr
GS-0102-05 14.24 /hr
GS-0193-07/11 36,822.00+ (multiple listings)
GS/YA-0193-02 43,731.00+ (multiple listings)
YA-0193-2/2 45,039.00+
GS-0193-09/12 45,040.00+ (multiple listings)
YA-0193-2/2 47,400.00+
GS-0193-09/09 48,108.00+
GS-0193-09/09 49,847.00+
GS-0193-12/12 65,315.00+
Recent Caltrans Associate Planner position:
Title: Associate Environmental Planner (Archeology)
Salary: $4,619.00 - $5,616.00 (monthly)
Recent position announcements for California State Archaeologists on archaeologyfieldwork.com include:
Assistant State Archeologist $2817.00 - $3193.00 monthly, Associate State Archeologist $4409.00 - $5318.00, and Senior State Archeologist $5199.00 - $6275.00. These positions are located in Sacramento, and are review, not fieldwork, positions (italics mine).
A recent CA Department of Parks and Recreation position announcements was advertising for:
“Two seasonal archaeologist positions available at California Department of Parks and Recreation Southern Service Center (San Diego). The salary range is from $10 to over $15 per hour, depending upon experience and education. There are no relocation costs or housing associated with these positions. These positions do not come with benefits.” These are fieldwork positions, not review.
So you see, “many government archaeological jobs” are not “offering between 70-100K,” and the STARTING wage for an archaeologist in San Diego can be well below $17.17 per hour. So, please continue wearing those rose-tinted sunglasses while digging your STP, encouraging all the tyros by explaining how well paid the profession is, and I’ll continue to illustrate the realities of the business to those that are willing to pay attention. By the way Peer, when you have spent some time working with me, and know me, then you can comment about ME, until then stick to the topic at hand: The poor use of a single example as a proxy to illustrate the conditions of the entire field, and the inappropriate propagation of myths about the profession.
RDS
"Finding treasure," was an unfortunate choice of words, and anyone who knows Dr. Mallios would understand that the word treasure was a reference to the importance he places on the artifacts and information produced by his projects. Rarely do I meet indivduals whom I respect as much as Dr. Mallios. His enthusiasm, integrity, and professionalism are to be admired. While Dr. Mallios is definitly the centerpiece of his projects, he never fails to give full credit to his staff and the students under his direction. Given the egos that roam the acedemic world, I find this very refreshing. You don't have to be around archaeology long to realize that no one is getting rich digging holes in the ground. Like most professions, unless money is your first love, you better love what you do.
Respectfully,
David Lewis