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3D industry wages are down



The 3D Printing Media Network article has been adapted and supplemented for you by the Top 3D Shop .

For three consecutive years (from 2016 to 2018) in the additive manufacturing industry, there was an annual increase in the average level of wages, which was higher than inflation. But this is no longer the case, because we are seeing a decrease in salaries as a result of the formation of the additive production market (hereinafter: AP).

What does this mean for employers, candidates and working professionals and how it will affect the industry as a whole - read on.

The information provided in the article is relevant to the period before the economic changes of March-April 2020 and, possibly, will be relevant later, after the normalization of the situation.

Content:

  • 3D industry salary research by region
  • Why is this happening and what does it mean
  • Answers on questions
  • What the candidate wants
  • What to offer the candidate
  • How to get the most promising specialists on staff
  • Salary level
  • Salaries in the Russian Federation
  • Required candidate skills
  • findings


3D industry salary research by region


The fourth edition of Alexander Daniel ’s worldwide survey on wages in additive manufacturing is now available. This work is the most comprehensive study of wages in the additive manufacturing industry and considers the issues of remuneration of labor, hiring of employees, motivation of the most capable and global tendency of hiring personnel in the industry.

Downward trend


For the first time in four years, the report shows that the level of salaries in additive manufacturing is declining. One example is Europe, where the average salary in terms of seniority and industry fell by 7.7% compared to 2018. Similarly, salaries in North America and the Asia-Pacific region declined by 2.3% and 6.8%, respectively.



EMEA - Europe (including Russia), the Middle East and Africa


In the region of Europe, the Middle East and Africa (hereinafter - EMEA), the largest reduction is observed in the field of development and engineering (by 12% on average for all levels of positions). Least of all salaries have changed in the field of programming - the reduction was only 1%. In some areas, on the contrary, there is an increase in salaries: for example, in the implementation and consulting sectors, growth was 8%, and in sales - 24%

North America


In North America, salaries in sales fell by an average of 9%, in marketing by 8%, and in maintenance, they remained the same. There are also areas in the North American region in which salaries have increased compared to 2018: in consulting - by 5%, in development and engineering - by 3%, and in programming - by 10%.

Asian-Pacific area


In the Asia-Pacific region (hereinafter referred to as the Asia-Pacific Region), as mentioned earlier, the reduction averaged 6.8%. At the same time, there are no specialties in which there would be an increase in salaries. The only area that was not affected by the change was programming. The smallest reduction was observed in marketing and service - 5%, in consulting the reduction was 9%. The largest reductions are observed in development (11%) and sales (12%).

Why is this happening and what does it mean


Such a decrease in salaries does not mean at all that workers in the industry began to receive less: it only indicates that the industry is developing, the staff is expanding and attracting more people.

“In fact, we see that the expansion of the staff means that more specialists come to the industry to lower positions, a lower rank. These experts then, with experience, move to higher positions, which leads to a decrease in the average figure as a whole,

”said Nick Pearce, founder and CEO of the company Alexander Daniels Global, in the main conclusions of his report.

Impact on recruitment policy


One of the main findings of the study: career growth is the main motivation for AP specialists.

In addition to salary indicators, the report placed great emphasis on the question of what is important for specialists in additive manufacturing when choosing a job , what advantages do they value the most, what makes them change jobs and how they perceive the competitiveness of salaries in the industry. Focusing on this aspect is an attempt to help AP employers understand how to attract talent to their work. Since there are few talented workers, they often have to choose between several job offers, and it is not enough to simply offer them high salaries in order to entice them to their side.

This year’s study showed that career growth is the main motivator for a talented employee both to change jobs and to move to a new position; to be more precise, 77% of AP experts indicated that career growth was the main factor. Next comes the salary, which 72% of AP experts consider to be the main motivator. For the first time in four years of research, salary is not the main motivator. Employers should take this seriously. To clarify this point even better, the report has a special section on career growth and its importance.



Answers on questions


With a shortage of talented workers in additive manufacturing, an effective strategy to attract the most promising candidates is needed as never before.

Researchers tried to find answers to the main questions of recruiters and candidates.

What the candidate wants


Career


Career growth is the most important factor in choosing a job.
Since career growth is the main motivator for a job change, it was logical to assume that he is most desired for the employee. Indeed, among the surveyed AP employees, a total of 89% said that career growth is important or very important for them.

Training


A large number of candidates want not only to work, but also to acquire new competencies.

It also turned out to be important for employees to further education, or any other training.

From respondents:

  • 29% are going to enroll in specialized courses in AP,
  • 22% want to go to university and
  • 31% plan to undergo internal training from the company where they work.


Salary


The vast majority, of course, still want money.

Although the size of wages now ranks second among the motivators for changing jobs, still a rather large percentage of people (72%) rely on it when choosing it. It follows that obtaining decent wages is still important for the employee.

Perspective


For many, involvement in a new industry that has the prospect of active development, confidence in its relevance and the ability to prove itself is important.

Slightly less than half of the respondents (48%) said that it was important for them to work in the field of new technologies that were gaining popularity (one might even say “mainstream”). They want to be sure that this area is in demand and that they can prove themselves in it. The AP industry, which is just at the stage of “growing up,” is suitable for the above parameters.

What to offer the candidate


What privileges should be offered to 3D printing specialists of various specializations in order to attract them to the company?

According to the study, employees value the following privileges the most:

  1. Flexible working hours and the ability to work from home (85% of respondents voted for this option);
  2. Private health insurance, VHI (54%);
  3. Securities and shares of the company (47%).


Workers also noted that they would like to receive:

  • relocation allowance (32%),
  • the ability to use corporate transport (29%) and
  • receive certificates and discounts for dinners, gym visits and cultural events.


The listed data are presented in the diagram below. Employee responses are marked in green and employers' proposals are shown in gray.



How to get the most promising specialists on staff


First



Firstly, it is necessary to provide employees with career opportunities and further training. As mentioned earlier, career growth is the most popular motivator in 2019 to change jobs. Make sure that your company has a clear career path and tell the applicant about it during the interview. Make sure that you understand the ambitions and motivation of the applicant, and that this candidate is suitable for this position and for the subsequent career path.

In addition, indicate as an advantage the possibility of internal training in the company, because 31% of respondents said they would like to use it, emphasizing its importance. An internal training program will benefit everyone: employees will be allowed to advance along their career paths and develop professionally, and you will be provided with an established conveyor of talented and experienced employees. Additive industry talents are eager to learn - by offering them the opportunity to continue their education and providing access to the right tools, you tip their scales to the satisfaction of their work.

For example, the Top 3D Shop uses the Teachbase advanced training system + a mentoring system where each employee has a mentor. We wrote more about this here .



Second


Secondly - a decent salary. Competition for quality employees in the AP has intensified sharply in recent years, and HR managers feel they have to pay employees more. It is not surprising that many applicants agree with this trend, because 72% said that the salary for them is the main reason to leave the old job and move to a new place. It is very important to make sure that you do not offer salaries below industry standards. Further you will find aggregated data on the labor market in the world and in Russia.

In addition, companies should seriously consider providing equity to their employees, as it is one of the three most preferred incentives besides wages. Among other things, enter a flexible schedule and the ability to work remotely, as this is the most important advantage for the employees of the administration.

Third


Thirdly, it is important for employees to recognize their abilities. The best way a company can attract and retain an employee is to recognize and evaluate their talent. For example, the victory in the Top 3D Shop is celebrated this way:



Since the AP field is still developing and the production process often requires special skills and specific knowledge, when hiring qualified AP employees, it may be incorrect to start from the average salary level of similar positions in other sectors.

You can see how companies spend large amounts of money on materials, and then get mistakes in production, because they could not understand what skills are required to make everything work as it should.

Salary level


Averaged data on the standard salary level for employees of APs of various specialties - industry standards for remuneration in the additive industry are presented in this section. Based on them, the AP specialist can find answers to the following questions:

  • What salary do specialists of this profile receive in different regions?
  • How will salary grow with experience?
  • Does the current salary reach the market level?


The amount of wages depends on the specialization and experience of the employee. Next will be statistics on the main areas.

Maintenance Specialists


Maintenance technicians. Their responsibilities include: installing, maintaining and maintaining 3D printers; planning, data processing, documentation and analysis of the work of service points; processing customer reviews; providing technical support to key customers; providing on-the-job support and remotely.

Below is a table with data on the minimum, average and maximum wages of technical maintenance specialists. The first row contains data on the EMEA region, the second on North America, the third on the Asia-Pacific region. Columns are ranked by increasing length of service: from 0-2 years in the first to 15 or more in the last.



Implementation and Consulting


The responsibilities of specialists in this profile are as follows: to understand the requirements of the buyer and show how the AP can be useful to him; send feedback to the development department to further improve the technology; development of technical documentation and parameters; Support for the development and integration of solutions in accordance with customer requirements.

Below is a similar table with salary data for implementation and consulting specialists.



Programmers


Programmers are responsible for the following tasks: definition, development and construction of software architecture (software); development of advanced software that ensures a streamlined workflow from building 3D CAD models to printing; Track the entire software development cycle.

Below is a similar table with salary data for AP programmers.



Marketing


A typical range of responsibilities of specialists of this profile in the AP includes: managing the product portfolio throughout its life cycle; development and improvement of a strategic plan to support the entire product portfolio; determining the direction in which products or services may be valuable to the business in the future; analysis of the market and competitive environment to determine a different vision of the product, which will prove its value and uniqueness.

Below is a similar table with salary data for AP marketers.



Development


Development and engineering specialists are responsible for discovering new scientific or technological concepts that allow the creation of new products, production technologies and services. The list of their posts is very large, here are just a few of them: engineer, researcher, materials scientist, process engineer, mechanical engineer, development engineer, quality consulting consultant. Due to the variety of positions in the development and engineering of nuclear power plants, it is impossible to list the typical responsibilities of a specialist in this profile.

Below is a similar table with data on wages in the development and engineering of AP.



Sales


The sales sector in AP is divided into direct and indirect. In the first case, the goods are delivered immediately to the final buyer, and in the second - to the key partner (distributor). Direct sales managers represent the company in certain regions and develop long-term relationships with various industrial customers, supporting them in introducing the product and helping to discover its additional capabilities. Indirect sales managers are responsible for affiliate programs, which include identifying new business development opportunities, finding new business partners, negotiating and supporting transactions with partners.

Below is a similar table with salary data for sales workers in the AP.



Salaries in the Russian Federation


Since the level of remuneration in Russia traditionally differs from the regional average, we conducted a study on the salaries offered by employers in the 3D industry in the Russian Federation and brought it into a separate table. The salary level is indicated in rubles, valid for January-March 2020.



The average values ​​for the minimum, maximum and average levels of the proposed wage in additive production in Russia based on more than 2000 vacancies are indicated.

Required candidate skills


What skills does an AP specialist need to develop in order to advance a job? What development opportunities can an employer offer employees to improve the quality of work?

As mentioned earlier, many AP employees, for further career growth, plan to take specialized courses in AP, or training within the company. The study has the following data on the most popular courses for employees.

General course


The most popular course is General AP, 24% of respondents voted for it. The demand for it, most likely, is justified by the fact that people are aware of the benefits of obtaining practical experience in the field of nuclear power. Practical experience is increasingly appreciated by self-employed companies, which are likely to themselves stimulate this demand.

Design


The second most popular course was Design in AP (18%). The design skill is in demand among employers, because they are looking for people who are versed in the process of both additive and conventional production, who can apply this knowledge in design work. This demand among AP employers is likely fueling the desire of AP professionals to gain this skill.

Programming


As you can see in the diagram below, the third place in demand was shared by the courses “Programming” and “Metal AP” - 16% each.



The full text of the study of the level of salaries and motivation in additive manufacturing in English can be downloaded for free here , registration on the site is required.

findings


So, as we see from the results of the study, a decrease in the average level of salaries in digital production and 3D-technologies does not mean at all that specialists began to receive less. On the contrary, it says that a lot of new people have come to the industry, who are still starting their careers and, for objective reasons, cannot get a lot.

For the same reason, this trend does not mean a slowdown in industry growth. The number of AP companies and the people employed in them is also growing, along with the development of digital production technologies.

Additive industry companies are actively continuing to recruit staff, providing novice professionals all the opportunities for developing professional skills and career growth, and now is the time to start a career in this area.

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