How much to pay an assistant?

My daughter-in-law is my assistant and we have worked out her

compensation to repay a sizable loan I made to her. It works great for

us but at some point I will have to hire someone on the open market

and wonder what is considered a fair wage?

 

Also, do you pay an hourly wage, a flat fee per wedding or a

percentage of your fee?

 

Thanks in advance.

Usually a flat fee works best. I would say depending on your wedding budget, and what type of help you are sicking from your assistant, anywhere from $200 -$350 for general assisting would be fine. If we are talking about a second shooter, add another couple of hundred on top. Thats just my opinion on this matter. I used to assist and so i was getting below the "norm" of $200, so i guess now i tend to pay up the $ if i can afford it.

 

Best

 

Anton

someone just ask the same question awhile ago.here http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=008I1e

 

I am sure it is going to be of great help.

I am assisting today for $150. I leave for the job in a few hours.

 

I have assisted for as little as nothing and I have assisted for $125 a day.

 

After asissting I can tell you it is far better financially to learn how to shoot your own wedding and HIRE the assistant.

I pay a flat fee of $250-350, based on whether it is a 6 or an 8 hour wedding.

I tend to get paid about $250.00 per event. They can range from about 3 hours for ceremony and formals, to about 8 hours for everything.

 

Brady

The same as everything,we try to "pay as little as possible".I used to get crap pay to assist some of the top shooters in my area,but the education was priceless.Most shooters around here(upstate NY)will pay between $100-300 a day for a good assistant.An idiot that doesnt shut up,and cant anticipate anything,is worth about $50 a day to carry your gear.

In the mid to lower (Poughkeepsie area) Hudson Valley the pay rate runs about $10 an hour for hired help. That is even for hired help with skills. That is without benefits. This in spite of the area being one of the most expensive places to live. The people who live here commute to NYC for good paying jobs becaus no good paying local jobs exist.

 

When I work for $125-$150 for the day it is usually about 10 hours. that is good pay for this area.

 

Getting $250 for 8 hours is $30 an hour!!! A little more!!

I have not seen a job assisting around here that pays even close.

<i>"Getting $250 for 8 hours is $30 an hour!!! A little more!! I have not seen a job assisting around here that pays even close.

</i><p> OMG, thank you for saying that Nancy. I was ready to call my boss and ask for $300 a party thinking I was the only one who gets paid below $200.<p> --Roy <br><a href="http://www.nyvisual.com">www.nyvisual.com</a>

For the 250.00 per event, I should mention where I am working. I am located in the Finger Lakes, with most of the Photographers being based in Roochester, NY. The shoots are anywhere from Rochester and the surrounding communities to Canandaigua and Victor. Some easy jobs will run as small as 125 per day, with the larger, multi-day, ones going for quite a bit more.

assiting is not a realying job,also they get call when needed therefore something has to have as an insentive. for 50 dollars you are better off just stying home and watch tv.

I assited a guy for like 3 months he would worked me off like a dog an honesty did not conpensated me enough.

 

I have learn that even a photographer or videographer feels like he has it made becuse he takes good pictures or video and does not aprsciate a good assistan is doom becuse once that you have a business is a business and you shoulc work as a team so you can reach you goal (which is making customers happy=money) therfore needs to be compensated so you can always sorround yourself by professionals and relyiable assistans.

 

just an opinion. Also some photographers charge alot more tban others therfore demand more from the assitan as the customers demand more from the photographer therfore the paid is acordinly to the line of work and deamd the photgrapher carries.

We pay $75-125 per hour for assitant..depends on the job particulars..what the client is paying, etc--

You'd better pay an assistant well ... lest someone walk off with some piece of equipment behind your back while you're trying to "set-up that shot".

 

Assistants are for safety ... setup ... security ... inventory.

 

And they're worth the money.

Thanks to all for the insight!

 

I'm spoiled with my assistant. She can walk up to a wedding party and say, "Listen up people. I need for you to line up by zip code" and they'll do it! She used to teach elementary school.

 

When I lose her, I'll be using college students, so according to your advice I'll pay something in the $150-$250 range depending on the price of my package!

 

Thanks again!

I start my non-shooting assistants at $15 per hour. Most of my helpers have been super responsible people that are interested in learning. Once they start becoming valuable to me - I up them to $20 per hour. Once they start shooting and thinking for themselves and anticipating my every move -- I up them to $25 per hour. I will often give them a bonus for a particularly good $$ wedding or if I get a tip.

I pay my assistant $200 for a 6 hr wedding. $275 for 8 hr. He also shoots and is really great. I should probably give him a raise. I'd say for someone with his talant, $250 would be a better starting place. Probably next year when my prices go up... :-)

to everyone who is posting how much they pay. thank you, can you also mention where you are located...