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My point in this post was: The top new people who make $150k the first year.... may end up working for $20.00 per hour after all their expenses in 5 years. This is a true story. This was not a person who was a tweener..... this was a person who was working when people with 3 times as much storm experience were sitting at home. This is just the way this biz. is.

Some folks are under the misguided opinion that once deployed, from that point forward you are worth what you made on the storm. Once the storm is over, you do whatever you can to keep the bank acct from dwindling. That may be cleanup for 420 a day, it may be handling $40 auto claims 80 miles from home. While everyone is setting at home making nothing, 420 a day sounds pretty good. And if 420 a day only nets you 20 an hour, you might want to take a look at your standard of living while on the road.

JWG

Jim they way I understood his $20.00 per hour was $240.00 per day and lots of driving, plus room and board. Sounded about right to me.

This is whole topic reminds me of a gig I had in Atlanta on some tornado losses about 16 years. I was a new person on a storm with about 10 others that were "in the click". It wound down and I stayed behind and worked regular branch assit for another 7 months. I could have stayed all year long, but I ask to go home after 9 months. Another person took my place and when I got back to Atlanta the next year on a hurricane he was still working on regular branch assit claims.

After I got home, it was like I am lost, no phone calls, no pressure, no one knows if I am alive or cares. On top one day...next day.... were will my pay check come from.

There are two fundamental problems with this scenario- the first is low pay:

$420 day rate for field work is quite low. In fact, it's low for day rate, period. I started at $400 per day and quickly graduated to $450 - $500 per day I start thinking about day rate vs. fee schedule at $500 per day, and that does not involve 700 miles per week (I consider myself maxed out at 400 miles per week).

The second problem is high expenses. Even if you're only making $420 per day (a lot of this probably has to do with miles, and the fact that he's likely driving a truck or large vehicle-- you don't need one. I highly recommend smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles for road warriors) you should be able to do food, lodging, and fuel for no more than $100 per day.

If there's fee schedule work out there- I agree- $1,000 per day is conservative on cat. That's two or three claims a day not 4.

Bottom line, this sounds like a job for inexperience, or a slacker role.

"it may be handling $40 auto claims 80 miles from home. While everyone is setting at home making nothing" - um, yeah- there are worse things than making nothing. Like making less than nothing. Absolutely NO WAY anyone can afford to drive 160 miles for $40 bucks. Not even at these gas prices. The IRS numbers on that are over $90. And that's to break even.

I agree with you on the standard of living, though- completely. Why these guys stay in these $150 a night hotels is beyond me- and they do. I use Airbnb-- and depending on the situation (I have a much better read on things now than when I started) I'll just rent a house-- and on one storm I know an adjuster who BOUGHT a house and flipped it.

$40 auto claims 80 miles from home...you must be out yo mind.