Question For Northern California Contractors- Bay Area

saucedo80

Hello, I am a painting contractor from northern california- Bay Area. My question to you is what do you start your new employees at. I Know different people have different levels of skill in the painting trade. But what is your pay scale for say:

New employee(apprentice painter)

Journey man painter

Foreman painter

sn001

I own a small painting company in the foothills, 11 employees. I usally start a beginer at 9 or 10 per hr. My regular painters get between 15 and 18 per hr. my top guys get 25 per hr.
I always give new employees a dollar raise after the first 30 working days. I figure if they made it that far I'll probably keep them, after that they have to show me they are worth their next raise.