http://www.onwis.com/news/sunday/lifestyle/0111money.stm Interesting Salary Data for the following occupations: Concertmaster for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and W-2 day-care worker and educational assistant at Clarke Instrumental music director, Milwaukee High School of the Cashier, for 21 1/2 years Congressman Letter carrier, since 1985 Urban forestry specialist trainee Store manager Women's health nurse practitioner Bus route operator, nearly 20 years Parking meter technician for 20 years Theater artistic director, 12 years Waukesha County district attorney Journeyman wireman (electrician) and union organizer who Power plant team leader (operations shift superintendent), Founder, president, CEO, author, museum curator, speaker, Lexus certified master sales consultant Production group leader Museum projectionist and vacuum tube (juke-box )amplifier Programming director/aerobic coordinator and instructor Full-time Avon sales representative, for 21 years Jewelry sales associate, 12 years Zookeeper Journeyman plumber, for nine years School crossing guard, Dover St. and Howell Ave. Captain of the Medusa Challenger, a bulk cement vessel that Commercial (building) plan examiner III Private investigator Mayor College student and exotic dancer He's a service technician; she's an environmental Shop owner and barber, for 29 years Telemarketing manager Freelance food stylist Events manager Deputy sheriff sergeant Shop owner and head body piercer Professional figure skater with "Wizard of Oz on Ice," for Fire education specialist/firefighter Broadcast journalism lecturer, Mass Communication Who makes what By Kristine Kierzek of the Journal Sentinel staff Copyright 1998, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. All rights reserved. January 11, 1998 How much do you earn? It's a difficult question to ask. Not surprisingly, it's also difficult to answer. How rude of me to ask. None of my business, you say? You may be right. But ask I did as many people as I could find. In the grocery store, at the gas station, at the airport even calling complete strangers on the phone. I'd gather my courage, introduce myself and ask this very personal question. Some people were flattered, some were offended. Most were just plain startled. In general, the more money people made, the less they wanted to talk about it. For every 15 or so people I asked, I found one who was comfortable sharing this with me and all our readers. Most people said they were perfectly happy to tell me and most readers what they make; it was their co-workers they didn't want to tell. And everyone was curious to know what other people made. Responses ranged from forthright honesty and long involved life stories to indignant NOs and a few choice words. People behave as if this one number a mere dollar amount defines them as a person. So, we took things a step further, not only asking what they do and how much money they make, but why they do what they do. What, besides money, makes their particular job worthwhile? It's important to note, this is not a scientific survey. We took the word of participants, assumed they told the truth. Some make less than you and me, and some make more, but one thing became apparent: The people who were willing to share the information are comfortable with themselves. They have strong feelings about what they do and why they do it and almost none of those reasons relate to what they earn in actual dollars. So take a peek inside someone else's life. FRANK ALMOND, 33 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Concertmaster for the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra and violin soloist PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra SALARY: The base salary for members of the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra is $46,244 for 44 weeks. A concertmaster in a major symphony can make two to three times the base salary. In addition, earnings from solo performances vary but can be as much as $5,000 per performance. WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "You don't play the violin to meet women. . . . It's the most flexible of any position in the music business. I can perform in the symphony and as a soloist, and I can still play chamber music. . . . I've traveled all over the world doing this. It's a lot of work, but at the same time I've been unbelievably lucky." PATRICIA ANDERSON, 33 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: W-2 day-care worker and educational assistant at Clarke Street School; recreation coordinator for the FAST Program (Families and Schools Working Together) at Garden Homes; recruiter for Mayfair Mall's Boston Store, Wauwatosa. SALARY: $25,000 per year PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Milwaukee Public Schools; Family Services of Milwaukee; and Boston Store, Mayfair WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "It's about helping children and being a positive role model for them . . . The positive comments and strokes you get from the kids is more than what you could ever get from money." BARRY APPLEWHITE, 32 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Instrumental music director, Milwaukee High School of the Arts PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Milwaukee Public Schools SALARY: $40,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I think it's the sense of accomplishment, being able to get from step A to step B in the educational process. The kids' energy mixed with your energy is satisfying." SUSAN E. BAREN, 50ish CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Cashier, for 21 1/2 years SALARY: $11.90 per hour, with an average 29 hours per week PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Kohl's Food Store, South Milwaukee WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "The customers make the job enjoyable. You get to know them, their lives. They're like family. . . . It would be nice to make more, but I think I'm fairly paid." THOMAS M. BARRETT, 43 CITY: Milwaukee and Washington, D.C. OCCUPATION: Congressman PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: U.S. House of Representatives SALARY: $133,600 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "It allows me to work with people who have different points of view. It's tremendously challenging both intellectually and personally. I love it." MARTHA BATSON, 36 CITY: West Allis OCCUPATION: Letter carrier, since 1985 PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: U.S. Postal Service SALARY: $38,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "If you have a love for being outdoors, this is a great job. It has benefits, pays well and provides exercise." EMERSON BENNETT III, 23 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Urban forestry specialist trainee PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: City of Milwaukee, Department of Public Works, Bureau of Forestry SALARY: $23,000 per year (increasing to about $27,000 after trainee completion) WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I like to make a difference as far as something I can visually see. I look at a tree as something that will be there for my grandkids. I get to work on trees and look down the block and see I made a difference." PAULA BERGMAN, 35 CITY: Whitewater OCCUPATION: Store manager PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: McDonald's restaurant, Lake Mills SALARY: $40,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I've stayed with McDonald's for 18 years because of the people and the different opportunities given me. . . . My first and only job I know that's very rare." BETH BRAUN, 32 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Women's health nurse practitioner PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin SALARY: $35,393 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "It's working on the prevention end of medicine. It's a field where you can empower people to take care of their health, sexuality and lives very all encompassing. You don't go into it for the money. . . . You get a lot of personal satisfaction out of helping." JOHN BRUNZELLE, 45 CITY: Cudahy OCCUPATION: Bus route operator, nearly 20 years PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Milwaukee County Transit System SALARY: $17.18 per hour for a guaranteed 40-hour week WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "It has good job security. I get to wear a uniform. . . . I like driving and I like people. You can act yourself, have fun and make a living." TERRY BUBNICH, 46 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Parking meter technician for 20 years SALARY: $29,000 to $30,000 per year PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: City of Milwaukee, Department of Public Works/Administration/Parking WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "Whether people know about us or not, we take pride in that 97% of our meters are working at all times." MARK BUCHER, 40 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Theater artistic director, 12 years PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Boulevard Ensemble Studio Theatre, a black-box 40-seat studio theater SALARY: $2,010 per year in annual honorarium WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "The Boulevard is designed to be an opportunity kind of an open warehouse for young, emerging and returning artists. We work very hard to create art on a budget and we do it." PAUL BUCHER, 42 (brother of Mark Bucher) CITY: Waukesha OCCUPATION: Waukesha County district attorney PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Waukesha County district attorney's office SALARY: $82,000 to $83,000 per year (salary is tied to population) WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "The ability to have an impact, rather immediate, on things going on in this community that affect such a large group of people. You get to right the wrong, or at least address the wrong, and in some very vague way achieve justice. . . . You couldn't do it for the money. This is not a job; it defines who you are. You live it, you breathe it. It's your life. At least, it is in my case." LEON BURZYNSKI, 55 CITY: Merton OCCUPATION: Journeyman wireman (electrician) and union organizer who has worked in the trade for 37 years PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Electrical Workers Union Local 494 SALARY: $22.90 per hour, plus benefits WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I've never thought of myself as anything but an electrician. There's a tremendous enjoyment to drive past buildings you've had a hand in the construction." SANDRA CAMBEROS, 42 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Power plant team leader (operations shift superintendent), Fossil Business Unit PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Wisconsin Electric Power Co. since 1980 SALARY: Team leaders earn $55,000 to 65,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "It's not a dainty job. I'm here because I'm not the type of person to be at home. Sometimes I wonder, do people think electricity magically comes out of the wall? Having a chemistry and physics interest, this is the natural thing. The actual generation aspect of electricity is pretty interesting." JAMES CAMERON, 83 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Founder, president, CEO, author, museum curator, speaker, historian, and wordsmith PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: America's Black Holocaust Museum, since 1988 SALARY: $7,000 to $8,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I don't know what I'd do if I couldn't talk to people about slavery. I continue to do it because people need education. I tell people the history of our country. To see the gleam in their eyes, the understanding of what our country stands for, that's worth all the money in the world." RICH CHRISTENSEN, 50 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Lexus certified master sales consultant PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Lexus of Brookfield, since August 1989 SALARY: $50,000 to $60,000 per year, based on sales commissions WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "The variety of different people I meet every day . . . I enjoy helping people get what they want in a vehicle helping them fulfill dreams." SHEILA COCHRAN, 47 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Production group leader PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Delco Electronics, for 18 years SALARY: $41,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I enjoy putting things together, knowing that at the end of the day I have accomplished something. In my area, we build for Saturn, Cadillac, Corvette and more. . . . These are the types of jobs people need. It offers an awful lot of stability." PAUL DOROBIALSKI, 41 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Museum projectionist and vacuum tube (juke-box )amplifier rebuilder PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Milwaukee Public Museum and PR Novelty SALARY: $10 hour at the museum; rebuilding brings from $75 to $135 per jukebox amplifier, fixing 200 to 250 jukeboxes per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "When I was a child I would spend my Saturdays seeing a matinee and head to the library or the museum. Started at the Modjeska (Theater) as an usher at age 16, trained as a projectionist at 18. It's the life that took place on the screen that I'm fascinated with. . . . And jukeboxes? Not too many technicians today will work with things that have vacuum tubes." DEE EBERLE, 36 CITY: Cedarburg OCCUPATION: Programming director/aerobic coordinator and instructor PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: North Hills Athletic Club, for nine years SALARY: $18,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTH IT: "It's flexible. I get to work out, be around people, have a career and still be with my children." LINDA EMERY, 47 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Full-time Avon sales representative, for 21 years PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Self-employed SALARY: Varies from 10% to 50% of sales. Emery sells about $2,500 worth every two weeks, allowing for profit of $650 and up every two weeks, not including costs for samples and co-sellers' incentives. WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I liked the product and decided to give it a try. Here I am 21 years later still liking the product. It allowed me the time to be with my kids when they were growing up. It's a nice way to make a little extra money. The more you sell, the more you make." KAREN GRAU, 28 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Jewelry sales associate, 12 years PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Kesslers Diamond Center, Greenfield SALARY: $38,000 to $39,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "In our business you see 99% of the people at the happiest time in their lives. There's not a lot of negative feedback. The atmosphere here is wonderful. We all want to retire from here." LISA GUGLIELMI, 32 CITY: West Allis OCCUPATION: Zookeeper PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Milwaukee County Zoo, five years SALARY: $28,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "Seeing the successes watching a baby be born, talking to the public, educating about the animals. You are accomplishing something. It isn't just a zoo; people there really do care for the animals. It's not just entertainment." SCOTT HAMILTON, 32 CITY: Franklin OCCUPATION: Journeyman plumber, for nine years PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Wenninger Co. SALARY: $24.70 per hour WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "Seeing the city being built and knowing people trust me with their health to provide clean water and disposal of waste makes it worthwhile." LORI HAMMOND, 38 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: School crossing guard, Dover St. and Howell Ave. PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Milwaukee Safety Commission SALARY: $8.49 per hour, off school holidays, weekends and summer vacations WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I have children in school and this frees up summers and holidays for my kids. None of us works more than three hours per day." GEORGE HERDINA, 54 CITY: Sturgeon Bay OCCUPATION: Captain of the Medusa Challenger, a bulk cement vessel that travels the Great Lakes, since 1990 SALARY: $100,000 per year PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Medusa Cement Corp. WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "It's the lure of the lakes and a good break. You work 10 months of the year, off two for the winter." DAVID KAKATSCH, 54 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Commercial (building) plan examiner III SALARY: $54,620 per year PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: City of Milwaukee, Building Inspection Department WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I think I'm helping assist the developing community from the homeowners to the building owners to the architects who are not as familiar with the codes. That's a rewarding thing you get to see a broad spectrum of projects, basic as well as intricate." ANGELA KVIDERA, 40 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Private investigator PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Kvidera Investigations SALARY: Rate of $50 per hour, ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars per case WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I was interested in the legal field after graduating from Marquette. I liked the street aspect of this. The majority is to investigate criminal investigations. No looking in windows no divorce cases. For me, the interest keeps me going on it." JOHN NORQUIST, 48 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Mayor PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: City of Milwaukee SALARY: $108,978.05 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: Norquist loves the city of Milwaukee and is working to accomplish his goal of making it a more valuable place, his press secretary said. MEGAN O'DONNELL, 26 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: College student and exotic dancer PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Art's Performing Center SALARY: Earns strictly tips, a minimum of $100 a night, but on average about $200 per night, working three to four nights per week. The most she has earned in one night is $350. WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "It's better than McDonald's and it keeps me in shape. It provides an interesting social life and the good customers make up for the rude and offensive ones." CHUCK QUIGLEY, 49, and his wife, LOUISE QUIGLEY, 46 CITY: Shorewood OCCUPATION: He's a service technician; she's an environmental landscaper, writer, natural childbirth teacher PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: He works for Oberlin Filter Co.; she's self-employed SALARY: $45,000 and $6,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "We feel that work should be what you love to do what you enjoy doing, what uses your creativity and skills and something that has a positive impact in the world. Chuck feels he is cleaning up the world with his filters. I am doing it bit by bit each time I create a natural garden." ANTONIO RENTAS, 48 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Shop owner and barber, for 29 years PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Tony Rentas Barber and Hairstyling SALARY: $20,000 to $25,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I like being my own boss, having my own place, working with the public. You have to have patience, time and an interest in the final product. I am very proud of what I have done. I work hard, and I have something to show for it." GIL SCHANTZ, 59 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Telemarketing manager PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra SALARY: Middle managers earn about $30,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I majored in marketing and I enjoy sales. I'm also a musician; the marriage of the music and the sales is just a great fit for me. Music is a very important part of my life. For me to be able to help people experience that . . . and to hear these masterpieces is a great reward in itself." KARLA O. SPIES, 31 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Freelance food stylist PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Self-employed SALARY: $25 to $30 per hour for grocery shopping and food preparation; $350 to $400 on day of photo shoot WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "Everybody loves food. Everybody needs to eat. This is a job that combines my skills and interests." MICHAEL SPREDEMANN, 27 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Events manager PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Mile High Adventures and Entertainment, since January 1996 SALARY: $25,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "My interests are more of the high adventure stuff, and through the job I get to meet people, go camping, rock climbing and all sorts of things." MARK STRACHOTA, 46 CITY: Greendale OCCUPATION: Deputy sheriff sergeant PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Milwaukee County Sheriff's Department, for 23 years SALARY: $47,000 per year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I like my job. You have so many different places to go, different responsibilities. The freeway is nothing like the airport and that is nothing like the jail. . . . It certainly doesn't get dull." MELISSA STROBBE, 28 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Shop owner and head body piercer PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Tie Me Down; owner for six years and body-piercing for 3 1/2 years SALARY: Has ranged from $2,000 to $30,000 WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "The more I learned about body piercing, the more I wanted to know. I get satisfaction from adorning people. This encompasses everything from science to art." WENDY SUCKOW, 20 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Professional figure skater with "Wizard of Oz on Ice," for two years. PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Feld Entertainment SALARY: $500 per week, doing traveling shows for eight months of the year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I just enjoy making people happy by performing on the ice. You can just see it in people's faces." GERARD WASHINGTON, 27 CITY: Milwaukee OCCUPATION: Fire education specialist/firefighter PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: Milwaukee Fire Department SALARY: Starting salary for first-year firefighter is $24,374 per year. Washington, a firefighter for six years, earns $41,000. WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "I've always wanted to be a firefighter. . . . Feeling like you've helped someone, there's nothing like it." MARK ZOROMSKI, 38 CITY: Grafton OCCUPATION: Broadcast journalism lecturer, Mass Communication Department PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT: University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee SALARY: $39,000 for nine-month school year WHAT MAKES IT WORTHWHILE: "My mom was a principal. My siblings are teachers. Teaching's always been a passion of mine. Not that I didn't enjoy my years in television, but this is in my blood. . . . This (salary) is considerably lower than what I was making before (as director of news planning for WITI-TV (Channel 6) from April 1987 to January 1996), but I'm having a great time." Some salaries listed above may have increased slightly with the new year. For these people, a job is more than a paycheck Kristine Kierzek is an editorial assistant at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. In the spirit of disclosure, full-time editorial assistants start here at $23,608 per year.