According to the results, most contractors (93 percent) provide health insurance, paid holiday, and vacation benefits. Eight out of 10 contractors provide some form of retirement plan, and from there the percentage of benefits offered reduced steadily. ACCA reports that 45 percent of respondents offer sick leave, 34 percent offer short-term disability benefits, and 25 percent provide long-term disability. Half of the respondents require technicians to contribute toward the cost of health and dental benefits.

Furthermore, across the United States, base technician compensation fell in the $35,000 to $40,000 range. Twenty percent of respondents offered base pay in the $45,000 to $55,000 range. However, compensation differed significantly by region, with contractors in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic offering the highest average compensation. It also was calculated that over five out of 10 participating companies make 10-percent employer contributions to their technicians' 401(k) retirement plans, while 13 percent make no contribution at all.

Publication date: 04/05/2004