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2011 Employment Satisfaction & Salary Survey

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From the editors of Photonics Spectra

One of the more notable changes from the 2008 Photonics Salary Survey is the percentage of you who are satisfied with your job. Then, 75% of you said you were content, while 21% percent said you were not. This year, however, only 65% of you reported job satisfaction, while 31% – not so much. There was a change in the ratio of males to females from the last survey, too. In 2011, 5% fewer women answered the survey, while men’s responses were up 9%.

 
 Salary* by primary focus of work
 
 
 
  4%        Aerospace, aviation
$134,077
1%        Agriculture, food, forestry, mining
 $176,000
  2%        Automotive, transportation
  $94,375
  2%        Chemicals, pharmaceuticals, environment
  $86,400
  2%        Communications (telco, cable, video, etc)
 $113,857
  3%        Consumer goods (computers, electronics, etc.)
  $98,250
  4%        Electronics, semiconductors and ICs
  $85,808
  5%        Laboratory (private, government or industrial)
  $94,988
  6%        Manufacturing Equipment
  $84,875
  9%        Medical/biotechnology  $101,731
  5%        Military   $98,236
 30%  
       Photonics (lasers, cameras, fiber optics, imaging, electro-optics, detectors)   $98,406
  1%
       Printing, publishing, graphic arts
 $135,500
  7%
       Test & measurement equipment
  $86,436
 10%        University, institution, college
  $79,144
  1%
       Utilities, energy development
 $122,333
  8%
       Other
 
  3%
       Unspecified
 
 
 *Average salary in US dollars.
 


Are you job hunting?

30% Yes

67% No


Are you satisfied with your job?

65% Yes


Hamamatsu Corp. - Earth Innovations MR 2/24
31% No


Top Vocation Vexations*

  1. Compensation

  2. Management issues

  3. Lack of advancement

  4. Overwork

  5. Stress

  6. Fear of layoff

  7. Desire for change

  8. Lack of resources

  9. Unsatisfying corporate culture

10. And this: Chaos

*from the Survey


How many years with current employer?

12


Would you relocate for a better job?

21% Yes

32% No

43% Depends on location


What do you consider criteria for a better job?

29% More money

25% Corporate culture

  6% Better benefits

  7% More authority

  8% Different technology focus

12% More responsibility

3% Better hours


How many years in workforce?

21


How many years in photonics?

15


              Compensation by current position

 Senior Management  $131,552
 Project/Product Manager  $113,150
 Principal/Senior Engineer  $112,186
 Principal/Senior Scientist  $110,305
 Educator   $86,600
 Researcher/Scientist   $77,724
 Engineer   $75,051
 Consultant   $65,375
 Technician   $60,300


Hours worked in a typical week

45


Hiring

Is your company hiring?

59% Yes

27% No


Is your company hiring for positions that involve photonics?


43% Yes

36% No


What country do you live in?

  34% Europe

  52% North America

0.6% Israel

  9% Pacific Rim

0.6% South America


Gender

92% Male

7% Female


                             Primary focus by gender
   Male  Female
 Photonics  28%    52%
 University  10%     8%
 Medical/Biotech/Pharmaceuticals  10%     4%
 Test & Measurement
  7%     4%
 Manufacturing   6%
    0%
 Military   5%
   12%
 Laboratory   4%
    8%
 Electronics   4%
    4%
 Aerospace/Aviation   4%
    0%

 
In which general category would you place your job?

  51% Research & Development

   9% Marketing/sales

   8% Production/manufacturing

   7% Design

   7% Education

   5% Application

   4% Measurement/testing

   3% Other engineering

   3% Management

   3% Unspecified

   2% Other

0.6% Clinical

Published: August 2011
Glossary
photonics
The technology of generating and harnessing light and other forms of radiant energy whose quantum unit is the photon. The science includes light emission, transmission, deflection, amplification and detection by optical components and instruments, lasers and other light sources, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, related hardware and electronics, and sophisticated systems. The range of applications of photonics extends from energy generation to detection to communications and...
2008 Photonics Salary SurveychemicalsCommunicationsdefenseEmploymentFeaturesindustrialphotonicsSensors & Detectors

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