What was your first paying job? What was the hourly rate?

[undeterred]

Not counting the ones that you do for the neighbors like babysitting, lawn mowing.

My first was at Burger King $1.90 hour. Worked there for 3 months and haven't eaten at one since!

[progmom]

1. Denny's waitress. $2.52/ hr plus tips. nt

[wtmusic]

2. In the Transportation/Food Service Industry

(delivering pizza $2/hr + tips) :P

[chickenscratching]

3. movie theatre, staff lead, 6.15/hr

[liberal N proud]

4. I did farm work in Iowa, Bale Hay, Walk Beans, Shell Corn

What ever the farmers needed.
Walking Beans payed 2.00, Bale Hay payed 3.50
At 14/15 those were good wages

[trotsky]

5. Detasseling corn.

Minimum wage for adults back then was $3.35, so I made less than that, being 13 years old.

[ohiosmith]

6. Sold newspapers and shined shoes at 5th and High in Columbus, Ohio.

Made about $15.00/night weeknights and $45.00 - $55.00/night on weekends.

[sinkingfeeling]

23. What was the year? I remember that place at 5th. and High!!

[ohiosmith]

30. Mid 50s. I would set up in front of the beer joint on the n/w corner.

I can't recall its name. It was kitty corner from Ackers Hardware and across the street from a Rexall Drug.

[sinkingfeeling]

34. I clearly remember the Rexall Drug store. I left Columbus in 1977.

[ohiosmith]

40. I left in 66. Did you live in the North end? What school did you attend?

[sinkingfeeling]

50. Farm girl from Madison county. Mt. Sterling HS class of '66. Then

on to OSU and my first apartment was off High St. a couple blocks north of 5th. I took a bus from there to my job at the Ohio Retirement System on Gay St.

[tsakshaug]

7. Washing dishes

fancy french resturant
3 somthing an hour and all the returned food I could eat

[TlalocW]

8. Paper deliverer

No idea what it was per hour, but I probably did no more than 10-12 hours of work a week and made more than any of my classmates. Did it all 4 years of high school.

Downside was that I had to get up every morning at 3 a.m. to deliver the papers. Fortunately, I was back in bed before 4:30.

First semester of college, I would routinely wake up around 3:00 am, sit up straight, and think to myself, I've got to go deliver papers. Then I would look around, realize where I was, and go back to sleep.

TlalocW

[GoddessOfGuinness]

41. I forgot about my paper route

when I was a kid in 6th grade. I don't remember how much I got paid either, but I made pretty good tips, and some of the folks would give me cookies and such, since it was an afternoon paper, and I'd often see them when I delivered.

On the downside, one of my customers tried to get too friendly with me. I felt kind of uneasy around him, but I was pretty naive, and never said anything to anybody until one day when he called me and wanted to take me for a drive. My mother told me to be careful. If it had been one of my kids, I would've had serious words for the asshole!

[TlalocW]

42. Christmas time was the best time

Most of the clients paid the paper, but some preferred to pay me directly so I had to go collect every month from them. A lot of them were grandmothers so I got lot of baked goodies as well as money.

Oh, and one time, the totally hot daughter (1 year ahead of me in school) opened the door wearing nothing but a towel. I used Fletch's line of my car hitting a water buffalo on her. I don't think she got it... stupid bimbo cheerleader. ;)

TlalocW

[GoddessOfGuinness]

43. I had some apartments on my route...

I saw half-dressed and naked people all the time. They never stopped to think that I'd pass by their door again after I delivered to the top floor apartments.

[Bullwinkle925]

9. God - this is going to make me appear to be ancient!

Worked at a "Mr. Swiss" (equivalent to Dairy Queen) for a whopping
.75 an hour.
We were even expected to stay after hours to clean the grill, etc. for which we weren't paid.

This was in a red state - go figure.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

45. When was this?

[Bullwinkle925]

55. Believe-it-or-not - 1968 in Kansas!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

65. I'm trying to remember when the minimum wage was established...

I hope it wasn't before then!

[LiberalVoice]

10. I was 14 and worked at my ex brother-in-laws Butcher shop.

20 dollars a day for working 12 hours...I should kicked him in the nuts and made eat that 20 bucks.

[underpants]

11. Bagboy at Winn-Dixie $3.15 an hour (I think)

1984.

[Left Is Write]

12. I worked for Hardee's for about five weeks.

I don't remember my pay rate - whatever minimum wage was in 1983.

[GOPBasher]

13. McDonalds. $4.25/hr, which was minimum wage at the time. n/t

[teach1st]

14. Selling luggage and wallets: $1.65 an hour

Working at a Miami department store as a spaced out stoner kid selling stuff had no interest in or clue about. I think that was the minimum wage back in the late 60s. It kept me in pot.

[TheDebbieDee]

15. Checkout/Stocker at Pier 1 Imports in 1982....

I got paid minimum wage, which was about $3.35/hour (I think).

[Mutley]

16. A T-Shirt shop in a really touristy area

my rate was $5.25. Heh, not like I'm doing a whole lot better now.

[Semi_subversive]

17. Dishwasher @ Cheng Sen Chinese Smorgy

$1.45/hour

[chelsea0011]

18. $1.65 hr. Schmuck in stock.

[LeftyMom]

19. retail sales $8/hr

[NewJeffCT]

20. Worked in a small jewelry store @ $3.50 per hour

Minimum wage was like $3.35 at the time, so I was a bit above that in high school. I did clean-up work & engravings on simple things (trophies, backs of watches, etc)

[sinkingfeeling]

21. Grocery store checkout.....75 cents an hour!

[sui generis]

22. $2.85/hr plus tips

Yikes!

[TNDemo]

24. $1 an hour with hope for tips to make it to minimum wage.

Kay's Ice Cream. I was 15.

[Webster Green]

25. Worked on the assembly line at a Chevy engine plant.....

In 1969...making something like $3.85 an hour. That was pretty decent union wages back then. Money went a lot farther in those days. I think gas was about 35 cents a gallon. Hell, I bought a 1963 Corvette split window coupe that year. It cost me $1800.

[Joe_VB]

26. Mine was $9.50 an hour. I was 16 and my granfather got me on a

electrical line construction job. I got a temporary summer union ticket. I drove around in a big old truck fueling up the heavy equipment. That was good money in 1976.

[Lannes]

28. Scraping the tiles off classroom floors at a church school

In the middle of summer with no A/C for $1.00 an hour.

[tigereye]

64. that is astonishing money for that time

I worked in a chemical plant the summer I graduated from high school, the plant where my dad was a salesman...I think I made $4-5 bucks an hour... might have been $6, and I thought I was doing well.

[Lannes]

67. Well it was the mid 70s and I was 13

bad back in those days as well.

[shawn703]

27. If you don't count my paper route

Where I made about $40 a week, it would have to be working in the kitchen at a nursing home. I made $4.50 an hour.

[kick-ass-bob]

29. Bojangles. $4.50/hr.

I lasted a month.

[GAspnes]

31. McDonald's, $0.90/hr, 1966

That was a long time ago. Burgers were 10 cents and none of the meals were happy.

[undeterred]

33. and they used to post an estimate of the number sold on the signs!

[ScreamingMeemie]

54. McDonald's here too! 20 years later at 3.35 an hour.

:hi:

[I aint Miss Behaving]

61. I'm surprised you're still alive! The fries back then were good!

But, just think, when we are buried, it'll take 150 years for our bodies to decompose from all the preservatives we've eaten over the years.

I was going to get cremated, but I'm afraid I'd start a grease fire!

[SammyWinstonJack]

32. Winchell's Donuts . $1.65/hr and all the cake donuts I could eat.

:puke:

[gollygee]

35. Shelving books at the library. $2.45 an hour.

:D

[GoddessOfGuinness]

36. Waitress...$1.35 + tips

I made better money per hour from the tips than from the "wage", fortunately.

[Mikimouse]

37. Sonic carhop (pre-rollerskate era)...$1.35/hr

[jswordy]

38. Service station attendant -- $1.65/hr.

Pumped gas...changed tires...did oil changes. I think that job is now near completely obsolete. Got the job shortly after turning 15, and have had work since, save for one 3-month strecth when I was waiting for a job I had been promised after a move.

[Richardo]

39. Indoor job: Busboy. $1.35/hr.

Before that I was a paperboy. I have no idea what I made from that, but it was based on collections, which I hated.

[forgethell]

44. Bicycle messenger for

Western Union. $1.25/hour. I gained 40 pounds in the first 3 months after I quit that job.

[YankeyMCC]

46. Not counting a paper route I had

It would have to be Burger King. It was minimum wage, circa 1983, I think it was $3.10/hr

[ashling]

47. vet clinic , $1.25 hr.

after school and weekends; came in EARLY Sunday mornings to feed and help vet medicate the animals - also clean up their shit (the animals', not the vets').

[SCDem]

48. Waitress at Aghan restaurant - $4.25 hr + tips

And this was way before Aghanistan was on the daily news cycle so I always had to explay what I meant by Aghan restaurant.

[SW FL Dem]

49. Waitress - Truck Stop - $1.60 hr + tips in 1973

I lasted about 4 months, got laid off after I poured a pitcher of ice water on a trucker after he groped me for the third time. I was 15.

[Pacifist Patriot]

51. Kopenhagen Ice Cream and I haven't a clue how much I was paid.

I think the minimum wage was around $4.00 at that time so I'm guessing something in that ballpark. It was an Independent Ice Cream parlor located in an upscale mall across the hall from an 8 screen movie theatre which was HUGE at that time.

[Welsh_Princess]

52. Administrative assitant/Asst Business Manager $8.50

Working at a small martial arts studio. Mind you, this was only 3 years ago. First ever job, it was great, only 16 hours a week, and fifty percent off any classes they offered.

[roguevalley]

53. box factory. 96 degrees every day. $1.35 an hour. nose bleed optional

[WMliberal]

56. landscaping. $7 an hour, under the table

14 hour days in the Tidewater humidity playing with heavy machinery. Definitely not worth it.

[I aint Miss Behaving]

57. McD's at $1.30/hr and all the grease was free!

[skygazer]

58. Salad bar girl at a local restaurant

$2.30 per hour. I worked part time, maybe 20 hours a week. I was 15.

[warrens]

59. WT Grant, record department, $1.65 an hour

I was 15, it bought me records and stuff. And it was a nice place to work.

[leftofthedial]

60. keeping the fire burning

One used antelope pelt, then a roasted kangaroo rat each night.

[Flying Dream Blues]

62. Hostess at Red Lobster $1.65 per hour!

Dating myself obviously. RL was TERRIBLE and only worked there a couple of months.

[taught_me_patience]

63. 12 years old $3.00 - 1991

My mother's factory. I remember minimum wage was $4.25 at that time.
14 years old $8.00 - 1993 Contracting (good money at that age)
18 years old $5.75 - 1997 University of Hawaii library

[yvr girl]

66. Working at K-mart in high school. I think it paid $6.45 / hour

[last_texas_dem]

68. Movie theatre employee, $5.30/hr.

This was a little over two years ago; $5.30 is 15 cents above minimum wage in TX. I worked there for about 15 mos.

At my new job I make 10 cents more per hour. Woohoo!

[solinvictus]

69. Rent To Own Delivery/Sales/Repo worker..

1989, I started at $3.35/hour.

[fluffernutter]

70. Nordstrom cafe. like $4.75/hr i think.