<p>Hi folks, </p>
<p>I am an Electrical Engineering major at UCSD, I currently hold an internship at a semiconductor circuit company and do things like RF measurements, DC characterizations, and general programming and excel work. </p>
<p>I've been doing this for a year, and I make 10 dollars an hour.</p>
<p>I don't really want to leave the company, but I believe I deserve more, being almost to the end of my junior year, and also considering I've been with the company for a year.</p>
<p>So to the point, what should I be making? I did a little looking into the pay for someone with similar qualifications and schooling as mine, and found the range to be from 13 - 20 dollars an hour. </p>
<p>Also, how should I approach this? I don't know how "proper" it is for an intern to request higher pay.</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Sorry, forgot to mention I also have circuit design (sensor network) and programming experience with a robotics project I did - I have no idea whether this would come into play or not concerning salary.</p>
<p>You should be making $20-$25/hr if you have a decent GPA (>3.0). If you have a lower GPA, you would be in the $15/hr range.</p>
<p>Are you an intern or are you part-time employed during school? If you’re an intern, the best approach would be to wait until the end of the semester. If they offer you a position for a future semester, explain that you would love to return but that their salary range is below the other opportunities available to you and ask if they would be willing to work with you on that.</p>
<p>If you are part-time employed, then it is a different situation since few companies will usually hire an intern during the semester and you would likely have a lot of competition (hundreds of engineering students would love a part-time job relative to their field near campus). What I would do in that situation is look around for companies near campus that are hiring students for relevant EE work before approaching your employer. This does two things: 1) it give you an idea where you can go in case you’re fired (anytime you ask for a raise there’s the potential to be fired). Also, if you’re asked to justify the raise, it will give you the data to do that.</p>
<p>Straight in San Diego, I know that the gas & electric company pays their summer interns at least $20 an hour, plus they pay for housing for those not from SD.</p>
<p>OP: The only real answer is that you need to do some comparison shopping. Apply for other positions and see what you are offered. It may be that you are worth $10/hr, it may be that you are worth $25/hr - I don’t know, and no one else on here will either unless we actually see your resume and speak to your references. </p>
<p>Do not worry about your current employer finding out - people do this all the time. If they ask you about it just tell them the truth - you like the current position but are investigating your options. Heck, go ahead and tell them up front - if they make a stink about it then you are probably in a bad position anyway!</p>
<p>I have a 3.4 GPA - not too bad at least. I think the best idea would be to explore other options and then present them to my employer. </p>
<p>My main concern, however, is experience. This place allows me to get RF measurement and a little circuit design experience when other bigger, better paying companies would probably have me pushing papers. I have a friend at General atomic that does just that. </p>
<p>I just wanted to find out where I stand, I’m kind of tired of my EE friends saying - “REALLY? Ten dollars an hour?!”</p>
<p>Thanks gents!</p>