Tech Compensation Calculator
Compare hourly, salary, per-stop, and revenue-share pay models side by side to find the optimal compensation structure for your routes.
Pay Model Comparison
Choosing the Right Pay Structure
How you pay your technicians affects not just your costs, but also their motivation, efficiency, and retention. Each pay model has trade-offs—the right choice depends on your route characteristics and business goals.
Hourly Pay
Best for: Training periods, uncertain route sizes, employees who value stability.
- Pros: Simple, predictable for employee, easy to manage overtime
- Cons: No incentive for efficiency, you pay for time not output, overtime costs add up
- Typical range: $16-25/hour depending on market and experience
Salary
Best for: Experienced techs, route managers, employees who want consistency.
- Pros: Predictable costs for you, predictable income for them, no overtime complexity
- Cons: Can lead to slow work if not managed, may overpay during slow seasons
- Typical range: $45,000-65,000/year for experienced pool techs
Per-Stop Pay
Best for: Efficient techs, dense routes, owner-operators.
- Pros: Directly ties pay to output, rewards efficiency, predictable labor cost per pool
- Cons: May incentivize rushing, quality can suffer, income varies with route size
- Typical range: $6-12 per stop depending on service level and market
Revenue Share
Best for: Route managers, senior techs, building toward ownership.
- Pros: Aligns tech incentives with business success, encourages upselling, builds ownership mentality
- Cons: Complex accounting, income varies with pricing changes, may cause disputes
- Typical range: 30-40% of route revenue
Key Considerations
- Route density matters: Per-stop pay works better on dense routes where techs can complete more stops
- Experience level: Newer techs often need hourly to learn; experienced techs may prefer production-based pay
- Your margins: Labor should typically be 25-35% of revenue; higher than 40% hurts profitability
- Tech preferences: Ask what they want—happy techs stay longer
Frequently Asked Questions
What percentage of revenue should go to tech pay?
Aim for 25-35% of route revenue for tech compensation (all-in, including taxes and benefits). Below 25% may indicate you're underpaying and risking turnover. Above 40% typically means you're overpaying relative to revenue, hurting profitability. Use this calculator to find the right balance.
Should I pay overtime or use salary to avoid it?
Depends on how often overtime occurs. If techs regularly work 45+ hours, salary may be more cost-effective. But salary can also demotivate efficiency—techs have no reason to finish faster. Consider per-stop or revenue share instead, which reward efficiency without overtime complexity.
How do I transition techs from hourly to per-stop?
Start by tracking their actual stops and hours for 2-3 months. Set the per-stop rate so their income is similar (or slightly higher) than their current hourly. Communicate the change as a chance to earn more by being efficient. Guarantee their old income for the first month while they adjust.
What about hybrid models?
Hybrid models can work well. Common approaches: base salary plus per-stop bonus over a target, hourly plus commission on upsells, or guaranteed minimum plus revenue share. These provide stability while still incentivizing performance. The key is keeping it simple enough that techs understand and trust it.
How do I handle pay for callbacks and re-services?
This varies by model. Hourly: paid normally. Salary: included in duties. Per-stop: typically not paid extra (incentivizes doing it right the first time). Revenue share: no additional revenue, so no additional pay. Whatever model you use, track callback rates by tech to identify training needs.
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