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131. Looking for Higher Pay? | 想有更好的薪酬嗎

131. Looking for Higher Pay? |  想有更好的薪酬嗎

– Musings of Dr. Jamie C. Hsu1.17.2022

Recently, I had a problem with my laptop keyboard, and I couldn’t sign in to my computer to download some important documents.  After numerous online searches and phone calls, I couldn’t find anyone who would service or repair it. Fortunately, a friend told me to hook up an external keyboard with a USB to bypass the malfunctioning keyboard. A trip to the computer store was an eye-opening experience. I can get a brand new keyboard with a USB connection for only $10. Even though the keyboard was made in China, I am still astonished by such a low cost. The material, molding, individual keys, wires, labor, shipping, stocking costs, and profits, all add up to no more than $10. It is hard to believe. I felt really out of touch with how the value chain has changed.

On the other end of the spectrum, during this tax season we needed to purchase tax software. The charge was $50 to download the program. There is basically no incremental cost for the software company to sell one more copy to me. The variable profit for the software company is probably 10 times higher than the keyboard manufacturer’s.

Such is the world of difference between hardware and software profitability. Similar situations happen in the labor and knowledge markets. In the COVID-19 period, many people use delivery services for groceries, food, and other items. Typically the delivery fee is $10-20, depending on the time and distance. In contrast, we recently hired a lawyer to help us with some real estate documents. The fee he charged was $200/hour. What a dramatic contrast between manual labor and knowledge service.

It seems to me that in order to make oneself more valuable and enjoy a higher paying job, one should move from hardware-focused skills to software-focused skills, and study broadly and deeply to be a knowledge worker.

Of course, the highest paying jobs go to people with creativity and imagination. The creation of art and musical pieces by talented artists can fetch millions of dollars. These days, we are seeing many creative people who combine technology, art, imagination, and business skills into a unicorn enterprise, or even a new industry. They become billionaires at the top of the pay pyramid.

I hope you can also successfully move from hardware to software, from labor to knowledge, and from being a worker bee to being a creative entrepreneur.

Good luck and best wishes.

想有更好的薪酬嗎   (2022/01/17)

-作者 許俊宸博士

-中譯 薛乃綺

              最近我的筆電鍵盤出了些問題,搞得我沒辦法登入電腦去下載重要文件。經過好幾次線上搜尋及電話聯繫,還是找不到有人願意幫忙修理。幸運的是,有位朋友提供一個小撇步,用USB去連外接式鍵盤,就可以繞過故障的鍵盤。結果去了趟3C商店,真是令我大開眼界。我只花了10塊美金,就可以買到有USB連接的全新鍵盤。儘管鍵盤是中國製的,但我還是對於這麼便宜的價格感到訝異。從材料、模具、零件、連接線、電路板、到組裝的勞力、運輸成本、庫存成本,甚至利潤,加起來居然不超過10塊美金。這實在很難相信─我覺得自己對於整個價值鏈變化的認知已經脫節了。

          另一方面,在這個報稅的季節,我們需要購買報稅軟體。而下載軟體的費用是50塊美金。基本上軟體公司多賣一套軟體給我,也沒有多增加成本。看來軟體公司的變動利潤,可能是鍵盤製造商的10倍。

          這是個軟硬體盈利能力不同的世界。類似的狀況也發生在勞動及知識市場中。在疫情期間,很多人使用雜貨、食品和其他物品的送貨服務。通常送貨費用約在10~20塊美金,主要取決於時間和距離。相比之下,我們最近聯絡了一位律師,幫我們處理了一些房地產文件。他收取的費用大概是200塊美金/小時。體力勞動跟知識服務之間的對比是相關鮮明的。

          在我看來,為了讓自己更有價值,享受更高薪資的工作,一個人應該從專注於硬體的技能,轉向軟體的技能;並且能更廣泛而深入地學習,成為一名知識工作者。

          當然,薪資最高的工作,屬於富有創造力和想像力的人。才華橫溢的藝術家創作的藝術和音樂作品,可以賣到數百萬美元。如今,我們看到許多創意人士將技術、藝術、想像力和商業技能,結合一個獨角獸企業,甚至一個新的行業。他們成為薪酬金字塔頂端的億萬富翁。我期待你們也能成功地從硬體走向軟體、從勞力走向知識、從工作者走向創造者。祝 好運!