Any Contract Engineers Out There???

[Catalpa_Joe 0]

I got a surprise phone call today from the company I retired from several months ago. They've got a project with a short delivery date & nobody in house to the 3d mechanical design. They hired a replacement for me but he/she isn't up to speed yet. Good help is hard to find were the words they used!! So they want to talk to me about coming back for a while to get them out of trouble. So my question is this. What am I worth with no beny's. 20% more, 30% more, 50% more? What's the going rate for contract work these days? I don't want to bend them over too bad, but gas is supposed to be $4.50 soon & it's a 45 minute drive each way on a good day, close to an hour when the roads are bad. The money would be nice but I'm real content sleeping in until 8, then lunch & the afternoon nap too.

[deeky 0]

Do you have the neccessary hardware/software at home? Sounds like a good opportunity for them to have a temporary remote office. Saves you time and gas money, so you could keep your price down a little and negotiate it as a benefit for both of you. Less pay for them and you could sleep through your commute, still get up at 8 and be to work on time, and get to work in your skivies. Lunch in the recliner, and use what would have been your evening commute to visit the local fly shop and spend the money you just earned.

 

Deeky

[Njardar 0]

Since you are retired you may want to check with Social Security, I believe there is a limit on what you can earn without impacting your benefit. I believe this is also somehow tied to age too.

[Catalpa_Joe 0]

Great ideas everyone. I've thought about working from home but the 3d software requires way more computer than I've currently got or need for anything else. I'll check it out to see what it requires & price a new one just to check that box. The SS income limit for me is $14160 before I lose part of that benefit. I know they bid this project at $90-$100 for engineering hours. But with automated assembly equipment, which this is, for the automotive folks, there's usually a penalty fee for late delivery, usually 1% per week. So on a $750,000 system that's $7500 per week. I'm pretty sure that's what they're up against. So maybe I'm worth just a little bit more to them than I originally thought. Do you think I could really get $7500 per week? I was originally thinking $3k, but who knows. I'll bet they hope I've forgotten it was over 6 years since my last raise!! I'll find out next week!!

[Catalpa_Joe 0]

Thanks Cencafly, the 7500 was said in jest, it's not even in my wildest dreams. When I left they said if I ever wanted to come back or work part time to let them know, but they called me!! I've got several good friends there & I want them to have a long & fruitful future. It's only been a couple of months & haven't tied the first fly yet, something I really wanted to do a lot of. Before retirement I often thought if I could just work Jan & Feb, when I don't get outside much, would be the perfect situation. Maybe I'm getting my wish. I checked further into the SS. They say the 14160 is prorated to 1180 per month. So if I earn over 1180 per month I lose that month's SS payment. If the price is right I'll give it a go!