Wages and Benefits in 2023

by Jeff Kunkel, Chair, Board of Directors



Hello friends. Two specific questions have been running through my mind lately:
  1. How do we put a price on the services we offer? 
  2. How do we evaluate what an employee is worth? 
If we were playing Jeopardy, the “answer” might be: “What are two of the most difficult determinations a contractor has to make?” For the last couple of years, certain conditions have allowed us to push these questions toward the back burner. Demand for our services has been historically high and pricing has thus followed. The shortage of skilled workers has put employees in the catbirds seat when it comes to negotiations. 

These trends are in no way permanent, and some economic predictors for our near future may indicate a more pressing need for us to look at how we address the above questions.

The last three weeks I have been short one employee, absent due to extended sickness. One of the results of this has been tool belt marks on my hips. Yes, I have been picking up the service calls and small jobs that I would normally be assigning to this employee. Some of the thoughts running through my mind as I wash my clothes and shower after a recent service call to a poorly ventilated, 4,000-head, hog confinement building: 
  • Am I charging enough for this work? 
  • Am I adequately compensating my people, so that they feel valued and remain happy to work for me? 
Now I realize that many of you are in the field every day, therefore very much in tune with your employees and what they do for you. Heck, 7% of EA contractor members are one-person shops. 


Wage & Benefit Survey


EA’s annual Wage and Benefit survey is a great tool to assist all of us with the above evaluations. I encourage you to fill the survey out if you haven’t already and enjoy your free copy of the results! The report has been rated as one of the top membership benefits.

If you have never filled the survey out, please purchase a copy of the results and I think you will see what a great benefit it can be for you. Note: Members who do not respond to the survey have the option to purchase the report results. Nonmembers who want the report must respond to the survey; there is no option to purchase the report for nonmembers. 

The Wage and Benefit survey is open until March 31.


Take the survey in hardcopy form or online at www.surveymonkey.com/r/9PKT3F6. 

The average completion time is only 8 minutes, and you'll gain a wealth of knowledge in April when the staff compiles the report. 

Work hard, but work safe. (And stay warm.)