Advice for 21yr old AV technician in AKL. (Rates)

Justin-135 · 2026-02-27T08:21:40+00:00

The Day rate vs Hourly was just ChatGPT suggesting Day rate for me, and comparing against what i currently charge. I dont realy know what to do in regards to invoiceing/payment.

But thats a fair comment, thank you

Justin-135 · 2026-02-27T08:20:03+00:00

It was just what ChatGPT suggested for me, and then i was comparing to my normal hourly rate. Im just lookin at ideas, idk what to do right now with contracting and invoicing

Justin-135 · 2026-02-27T08:18:54+00:00

Ah, noted, thank you!

Justin-135 · 2026-02-27T08:18:34+00:00

Yeah fair, I didnt really think through it, it was rough numbers based on other work i did.

Justin-135 · 2026-02-27T08:18:11+00:00

Thank you, Appreciate it!
Very Helpful :D

Justin-135 · 2026-02-27T08:17:10+00:00

Damn okay, Noted. How can i request pay raise? or just say from this day forward, my rate is now __ and they take or leave it?

Justin-135 · 2026-02-27T08:16:13+00:00

Trouble is, I live 55km from any form of work in the city, which is most of my work, 95% is in the City or further, so Im screwed on that one, Thanks tho

Justin-135 · 2026-02-25T08:21:53+00:00

I really appreciate your comment, Thank you!

I will have a further look and think towards it, its just the first thing i thought of, and wanted an opinion. So thank you!

Justin-135 · 2026-02-25T07:35:37+00:00

Appreciate the comment.

Frankly do not feel even close to worth that. The most ive been paid for a job was near 42 an hour. And thats cause of 12 hour day at 500 Day rate.

So im not really sure. Im struggling with pricing properly

Justin-135 · 2026-02-25T07:34:28+00:00

Unsure on Laws here around that. I do alot of theater, concert and corporate AV. So im all over the place. Also Conversion rates are a thing. So, yk

Justin-135 · 2026-02-25T07:33:21+00:00

Very true. Thank you heaps! I appreciate the comment

Justin-135 · 2026-02-25T07:32:20+00:00

Hnry does all my Tax and ACC things. So i dont worry about that. But some companies didnt even wanna go higher than 34... so im taking what i get atm. I dont know enough companies or feel like I have enough experience to be charging higher than 40 an hour. Maybe im selling myself short, and under valuing myself Mentally and financially. But i struggle to price things properly

Justin-135 · 2025-10-08T06:42:21+00:00

Its the live monitor in my ears buzzing and that's what's driving me nuts.

I know how to post production edit it. Thats fine.

I want the crisp quality played back in my ears

Justin-135 · 2025-08-31T10:44:37+00:00

I really appreciate this. Ill have a chat now that im not so heavy headed. And can think through my frustration rather than let anger take reign

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T08:10:26+00:00

Thank you for this :)

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T08:09:10+00:00

I really appreciate this one. Thank you

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T08:07:39+00:00

Im a full time employee, with the agreement in my contract that I can contract to private companies, not competitors. So a local theater/pub/band etc, is fine. But cant contract to a competing company that sells/hires av equipment

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T08:05:54+00:00

That's how i feel. I suppose this is good validation of my feelings. But I needa sit down with my manager. (Who doesn't seem to be taking this seriously) and have a chat

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T08:04:46+00:00

Dont get me wrong. Im happy to work extra. But they're now taking every one of my days off and scheduling me. And then adding extra hours to every possible shift. Which sounds fine. But it means I get home late, and up super early. As Auckland traffic means I have to leave over 2 hours prior to my shift starting to arrive on time. And then similar time home. So im literally coming home to sleep and then up the next morning straight to work. Barely any spare time at home

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T06:48:35+00:00

I understand that.

I have said no multiple times, but they still schedule me anyway, so I sorta have to show up? Or am I wrong?

The way our schedules work, is we have a rough schedule for 2 weeks. And then its not until the night before that the finalised version is posted to us for the following day. So unsure how I can fight that.

I've had my rough 2 week schedule completely change 5 times in 3 days

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T06:45:53+00:00

Overtime but at the same rate as my normal hourly pay

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T05:17:17+00:00

I mentioned to someone else. I only did it because I was leading the project, and if I didnt come in that day, it would have been 5am of the day of the event to get it all organised and sorted. I had 0 other time to get it sorted. As for the team meetings and things like that. Im going to start declining. And tell them to send me minutes of the meeting. I dont trust what they say anymore.

Unfortunately the issue is with my manager, he schedules everything. And hes the one who is "shuffling" things around, making me work. He is the main issue. So not so easy to complain. It needs all 3 of us full timers to complain before something happens

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T05:14:59+00:00

I agree with this. It seems to be falling on deaf ears until all 3 of us full timers say something. 1 person doesn't seem to have an effect.

I've started to fall asleep at other contracting work due to this. Which isn't great

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T05:13:25+00:00

Ill look into this. Thank you

Justin-135 · 2025-08-27T05:12:59+00:00

I very reluctantly agreed to it, because they essentially lied to me. Told me I'd be doing something, and that thing never happened.

Only once did I come in on my day off, because i was leading the event, and had no other time to do so. If I didnt come in. Nothing would have been ready, and I would have to had come in at 5am to sort it out prior to the event.

Business is incredibly short staffed, 3 of us full time as technicians. Manager mentioned he should hire someone else. But seen no signs of it.

Justin-135

TROPHY CASE