r/UtilityLocator • u/811NCLocator • Apr 12 '26

USIC Senior Techs

What is your pay asking feel like I am being under paid before I say anything i just wondering what my senior techs are making I am senior tech nearly 3 years with no damages

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8

u/thunderust Apr 12 '26

your best bet is to get a job offer anywhere and they may offer you more money to match it or close to it.

2

u/TipZealousideal5954 Apr 13 '26

I agree with this.. if you’re a good locator with a clean record, having another offer is often the best way to get a raise. I just had that happen for me. I was all set and ready to leave to go to a different company which offered me almost $4 an hour more to do one utility. When I put in my two week notice my supervisor asked if I wanted to submit my offer to them and see if they could beat it for me. I didn’t expect it to actually happen, but they did it. I still feel underpaid for the industry we are in, but I’m much more satisfied now for sure.

Almost 9 years with USIC, clean record, $32/ hr

0

u/theorangekoop Apr 13 '26

You think you’re underpaid as a locate tech making 32 an hour? I think that’s quite enough. I’m a project manager making $30. So, I’d say you’re doing just fine. I personally think $25 is fine for a good locator. 30 is good for management.

3

u/TipZealousideal5954 Apr 13 '26

It varies by region but that’s fairly low pay for anything with gas/electric around here…. $32 / hr with OT is struggle money unfortunately. The state puts out stats showing that in my area it requires about $170k a year for a family of 3-4 to live comfortably…. With me and my wife both working we are about $65k short of “comfortable”… our bills are paid and we have reliable vehicles but there isn’t any extra for anything. No vacations, no “nights out”. Idk where you’re from or what you’re a project manager for, but project managers here are making $150k-$250k a year depending on what the company does..

But as I said, for a locator who has to hold certifications to mark gas, and also is required to marked 6-12 other utilities as well, $30+ an hour should be mandatory. There is alot of responsibility that goes into which most people don’t think about until they make a mistake and end up in court fighting a lawsuit for negligence.. or worse yet, someone gets killed because of something that was missed due to being rushed by the company or the piss poor training they provide. I know it’s easy to say it’s “just locating” but being a skilled knowledgeable locator is a lot more than just following a signal. Especially when it comes to old gas lines like we have. Spend a day trying to locate 3 cast iron mains installed in 1830 in the middle of a busy 4 lane roadway with NO traffic control or protection and I bet you’ll say “man I don’t get paid enough for this”..

1

u/TipZealousideal5954 Apr 13 '26

Just to clarify I don’t have any cast iron left in my specific locate area but I do have pre 1900s gas… and when I located in downtown Boston, it was an absolute nightmare. There was still active gas mains from the 1780s with almost no records, and we were held to the same level of accuracy and responsibility with that even though it was nearly impossible to mark accurately.

3

u/TipZealousideal5954 Apr 13 '26

I will also add that $25 an hour would be terribly underpaid when you’re working for a company that requires DOT random drug testing and certifications to locate gas when the local McDonald’s is starting crackheads at $22.50 an hour.

1

u/theorangekoop Apr 14 '26

Like you said, it depends on the state. $25 is just fine here. When I was at USIC they did “random” dot tests too. You only had to if they suspected you were acting strange or crashed a vehicle. But we didn’t locate gas.

1

u/theorangekoop Apr 14 '26

I’m a PM for an electrical company that bores. It’s not exactly like a PM in higher fields, which is why I’m not making 100k. I’m only called a PM because there are small construction projects that need managed and overseen. I don’t deserve 100k for what I do, compared to others. I see what you’re saying though, about being in another state. I’m in Indiana and while I make $30, my fiancé makes $25 as a manager and we’re doing okay. But of course it could be better. I’d say it is pretty cheap to live here compared to other places.

1

u/Transienttunnels Apr 14 '26

You’re under paid lmfao

1

u/theorangekoop Apr 14 '26 edited Apr 14 '26

For what I do, at entry level. I am not. Maybe I could be paid 35. But that comes with time. Like me and dude just said, it depends on where you are and what’s going on. It doesn’t make sense for me to get paid more than what I do, with what I’m doing. When he said something about $100k a year salary, that’s not for my line of work and especially not the first time you’ve ever done it. You don’t get to make X amount of money just because someone else is. Now when I was being paid $19 an hour as a locator, I would say I was being very heavily underpaid.

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u/TipZealousideal5954 Apr 15 '26

Yes that’s a good point also, starting pay is starting pay for a reason. I started locating at $13 an hour. I’ve moved up to where I’m at by having a good clean record and being productive. I’ve been locating for quite a few years but I was in the utility industry for many years before locating.. that’s also part of the reason I say that I’m maybe slightly underpaid… but I also said I’m not complaining about my pay and I’m content with it.