NEEDED: I'm trying to create a CPSH (Cost Per Sim Hour) sheet

[andy]

I want to add a CPSH (Cost Per Sim Hour) on my payscales page, and so I need some info from as many shops as possible.

I need to know how many FFS and FBS each shop has, and how many techs are assigned to the shop. I also need to know the shop training/maintenance hours.

For example:
Our shop typically can run crews for 20 hours a day (from 6:00am to 2:00am) and our maintenance hours are the remaining 4 hours from 2-6am. Of course, there's plenty of days where the training is less, but the 20 hour block is available for training scheduling.

I've updated the payscale submission page (http://www.simtechonline.com/payscalesubmission.php)with the four additional questions. Please visit the page and help keep this site accurate.

Any source for info will never be released - I'm sure that you all already know that!

http://www.simtechonline.com/payscalesubmission.php

[The Pirate]

when we first started the new sim site, the bean pokers said $1500.00 per hour wet, 1000.00 dry. since the drop in the aviation word, the charge to the books is now anywhere from $750.00 to 950.00 per hour. this is just "rumor" as we low lifes are on a don't need to know on this stuff.
AAAARRRR!!!
qoute from my favorite canuck, red green "keep your stick on the ice!"

[Jeff]

Gotta compare apples to apples else the results here are pretty much meaningless. I mean time in an old B-707 analog sim doesn't cost the same per hour as a new B-737-800. Hence suggest listing type/series of sim and cost per hour.

[andy]

Good point Jeff, but if nothing else I could always just put the number of sims on the payscales page.

[andy]

Here's what was gathered so far - some of these wage figures may be pre-concession amounts:

http://www.simtechonline.com/pictures/simtechcost.gif

[The Pirate]

Here's what we got so far - some of these wage figures may be pre-concession amounts:

http://www.simtechonline.com/pictures/simtechcost.gif
for ATCMIA, top of scale ain't 30.xx, and no one is there to get it. top of scale after comps for last contract, 29.84, but no one will get here untill 2008!!!
cryaby: petrified emo_narke

[guest]

Here's what was gathered so far - some of these wage figures may be pre-concession amounts:

http://www.simtechonline.com/pictures/simtechcost.gif

Interesting data, but the benefits are usually 30% or more on top of the technician pay plus the company has to match the SS tax. A true picture would of course include the direct and indirect costs. Direct - labor, direct department managers, vendor repair, parts, power, consumption, depreciation of the equipment. Indirect - building, support staff such as sales, HR, flight, security etc.

We have run these numbers at our facility and came up with just under $300 dollars an hour, simulator use per hour per simulator, for the whole operation based on average simulator utilization. Anything extra is $, anything less this costs goes up. The truth is over the years the industry has been lowering the simulator rent prices due to competition and a hurting industry. There is $ to be made, the revenues are not just the simulator time but the wet crews and course packages etc. It would be interesting to see some common industry accounting practises similar to the airlines seat mile costs and such.

[Jeff]

Andy,

I'm a former sim tech now working for a Navy air wing. We pay $434 p/h for B-737-200 time (commercial sim) and $383 p/h for a B-737-600 sim (government sim). In both cases we provide crews, instructors and trainer operators. Supplier only provides sim and maintenance. I am not free to tell you who the suppliers are.

Jeff

[Walker22]

Being a former program manager, I used to see the numbers on a lot of stuff but the bean counters still had some funny ways of tracking things.

I think the lowest we ever paid for straight sim time was $300 an hour, us providing our own instructors, and the highest we ever paid was $450 per hour. We charged only $300 per hour for time in our sim (no instructor provided). This was as recent as late 2004 and I hear the numbers have dropped since, so that means even less pay for techs or less support (ie: parts, OT, etc).

As for calculating benefits, the bean counters I dealt with added 25% of the tech's yearly pay. I believe it broke down to: 8% for medical, dental etc and 17% for state & federal taxes. So, you'll get some variance depending on how good your bennies are and what your state taxes are. I'm not revealing any big secrets here either, this is basic Budgeting 101 for anywhere.

So, speaking strictly from a management perspective, it was always cheaper to pay overtime than to go interview, recruit, background check, and hire another tech to fit into the mix. You were already saving 25% off the top by not having another employee on the books. I personally would've rather had the extra techs simpy for scheduling ease and to not burn anyone out but the bean counters really call the shots. They get to put the final word into the CEO's ear after the Sim Manager leaves the CEO's office, so draw your own conclusions there folks.

[mbushaw]

Just to add some current figures to Walker22's post-
Employer-paid FICA (Social Security) is still 7.5%.
Worker's Compensation Insurance in California is 30%, Nevada is 18%.
Medical, non-airline (that used to mean less benefits, not so sure anymore) no bells or whistles is 20%.

These figures are all for a small sim-maintenance-only shop. The big companies will get better deals on the insurance (larger pool of employees to spread the risk), but not too much better. We used to say the company paid 30% of the employees salary in taxes and benefits, with rising insurance costs most people now use a 50% figure. The change has been in the last 4 years or so.