How much should an MEP Engineer produce to justify their salary?

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crunchercrunch

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I am wondering how I can determine the appropriate time to ask for raises. At my current job (we'll call it company A), the company charges clients 1.4x our hourly rate to cover salary and overhead.

At a new company (company B) that I am scoping out, they claim that I will need to produce 3x my hourly rate to justify my position.

The difference between these two companies is that Company A is an international corporation and Company B is a startup. Company B's owner claims that the overhead is staggering, even though large corporations have infamous reputations of enormous overheads and slim profits. Am I getting fooled here?

 
In consulting engineering, I've always seen rates between 2.5-3x hourly, assuming standard levels of benefits, time off, etc.

I have no idea how company A would be making 1.4x work.

 
I charge anywhere from $75 - $140 an hour, which is what the MEP firms I worked for have charged as well.

 
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For a big company a 2.8 multiplier is usually the break even point for a 10% profit...

 
For a big company a 2.8 multiplier is usually the break even point for a 10% profit...

I charge anywhere from $75 - $140 an hour, which is what the MEP firms I worked for have charged as well.

In consulting engineering, I've always seen rates between 2.5-3x hourly, assuming standard levels of benefits, time off, etc.

I have no idea how company A would be making 1.4x work.

Thanks for your guys' responses! So for the year, if I produce 3x my salary, then I would have done what I was hired to do. At what point of production can I justify a raise? 4x? 5x?

 
For a big company a 2.8 multiplier is usually the break even point for a 10% profit...

I charge anywhere from $75 - $140 an hour, which is what the MEP firms I worked for have charged as well.

In consulting engineering, I've always seen rates between 2.5-3x hourly, assuming standard levels of benefits, time off, etc.

I have no idea how company A would be making 1.4x work.

Thanks for your guys' responses! So for the year, if I produce 3x my salary, then I would have done what I was hired to do. At what point of production can I justify a raise? 4x? 5x?
When you can prove that your value is more than what they are paying you now, and they feel like keeping you around.

 
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