If you want to use a school house approach. Figure the top welder wage, let's say $20. Figure that there are 10 qualified weld procedures. A welder that is qualified to all ten procedures would get 100% of the $20. Next welder is qualified to 9 procedures, 90% of $20 would be $18 dollars. And so forth. A written examination could also be factored in; Blue print reading, layout, metallurgy, process all items pertinent to the welders task. No bogus information to be tested. Make it real.
Next year lets factor in 4% inflation/COL. Now the top wage would be $20.80. Is there a plant incentive/bonus if so use the percentages. Just one shops pay scale.
Hi 357max, your approach would not work in the real world.
We have welders in our organization who may have less weld procedures, but they can weld circles around some welders that have maybe more weld procedures. We need to be carefull in drawing a line between who has the most number of tickets. Apprentices welders should be on a lower pay scale, but once they become journeyman statis, then we have to look at equality for all. Maybe if some of the welders are proficient, for example, in Titanium then i could see a raise in pay.
If you figure this out you are qualified as an HR Manager anywhere. The advice from 357 is good, but I'll give you a couple of the devil's advocate stance:
Attitude has to be factored in. Someone with all the quals, but a lousy attitude is not worth top pay.
Sometimes folks are hired for a very particular task, and getting all the certs is not needed. They may be the best at what they were hired for, but can't do other things. It doesn't make them less valuable for what they were hired for.
Some people may have all the certs, but work slower than anyone else.
Anyway, we are constantly looking at these issues and still haven't come up with a foolproof system.
Charles
Here is more, if your not confused already.
In our company we have a classification system, ie A B C.
All Welders start out as "C" class with an opportunity to advance in six months from the date of hire or one year from their previous classification level.
Since we have two separate manufacturing facilities where we manufacture different components, Welders working in either facility must first qualify to the procedures used in that Plant facility, where they were hired to work. Afterward they can advance through the classifiaction system, by first testing to the procedures and then demonstrating that they can perform the work in the other Plant. Along with this, they are required to have a written recommendation from their direct Supervisor, the HR Manager, the Welding Superintendent, and a recommendation from two Welders in the class level that they wish to advance to.
We started this system about a year ago and so far there have been no complaints. It's also improved the turn over rate for new welding department employees.
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