For some reason, we're having difficulty finding qualified candidates for a systems engineering position for NASA-funded projects at Caltech. So, I'm posting here and a few other non-traditional places that HR hasn't tried yet. The job ad is here: Hiring Systems Engineer, IPAC - Pasadena, CA
Systems engineer opening
- Thread starter nrstickley
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For some reason.
Change it to work from home - and out of state, and you'll find someone; Also not sure if wage is poverty line in CA.
It could be hybrid; roughly 50% at home, 50% on location. Fully-remote would be difficult, at best. I am not in charge of the position (I'm just one of the interviewers), so I can't offer higher pay. The upper end of the specified pay range is decent for this area, especially considering that it is overtime-eligible.
I was just making a point that California is very expensive to live in, so the offered wage after taxes will be around poverty line. (if not below poverty)
Avg for studio's apartment is above 2K per month, thats why you cannot find anyone to take that job.
If Caltech wants to pay that wage, for that experience&job requirements it will have big chances to find correct person for fully remote postition in South Dakota (there's plenty of retired IT techs in SD, and most would be willing for that price, just to have something to do.)
( you pay too little to hire me even for fully-remote location.
)
Avg for studio's apartment is above 2K per month, thats why you cannot find anyone to take that job.
If Caltech wants to pay that wage, for that experience&job requirements it will have big chances to find correct person for fully remote postition in South Dakota (there's plenty of retired IT techs in SD, and most would be willing for that price, just to have something to do.)
( you pay too little to hire me even for fully-remote location.
)I rent a 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom house with a yard and a back garden 3 miles from Caltech for about $2600. So it's not quite that bad. Median household income in Pasadena is $89k, so it's definitely not poverty-level. I'll let the job poster know that there's a perception that the pay is too low.
$58/h is about 120k for a Linux Admin in Pasadena, the median income for such a position (according to salary.com). I guess it's not horrible, especially with overtime (is it 1.5 times?)
That said, with about ten years of experience in the financial sector, the median jumps to 150k, with higher brackets going to 200k+
CyklonDX makes a good point - either lower experience requirements and find a talented but inexperienced fresh grad and train them, accept a 100% remote employee from another state or just keep on wishful thinking, and maybe you will get lucky. Who knows - the job sounds interesting enough to me, but alas I'm neither an experienced Linux admin nor live anywhere near LA.
p.s:
Also don't forget that in the last three years inflation went up over 15%, so 120k today is the same as 102k only three years ago.
That said, with about ten years of experience in the financial sector, the median jumps to 150k, with higher brackets going to 200k+
CyklonDX makes a good point - either lower experience requirements and find a talented but inexperienced fresh grad and train them, accept a 100% remote employee from another state or just keep on wishful thinking, and maybe you will get lucky. Who knows - the job sounds interesting enough to me, but alas I'm neither an experienced Linux admin nor live anywhere near LA.
p.s:
Also don't forget that in the last three years inflation went up over 15%, so 120k today is the same as 102k only three years ago.
Thanks for the feedback. The salary range is set by HR. This is their standard salary range for entry-level systems engineers. So we can't do anything about it. I suppose some cost-of-living information for the Pasadena area could be provided so people don't think all of California is as expensive as San Francisco.