Tesla To Offer $25 Average Hourly Wage To Gigafactory Employees

Cameron Aubernon
by Cameron Aubernon

Tesla is set to offer an average of $25/hour for future employees at its Gigafactory battery-pack production facility in Nevada.

Valuewalk reports the figure comes from Economic Development Authority for Western Nevada chief Mike Kazmierski, who adds that the average wage — set to exceed those given to new employees of other automakers, suppliers, and Tesla’s own workers on the factory floor in California — is helping to push the state’s minimum wage from between $10 and $12 in 2012, to $12 and $15 now.

The breakdown of the average is as follows:

  • $22.79: the minimum for 4,250 Gigafactory workers on the factory floor
  • $27.88: the minimum for 820 technicians tasked with managing equipment and quality
  • $41.83: the minimum for engineering and senior staff

Though Tesla says it never claimed it would pay Gigafactory employees $25/hour via a statement to AutoblogGreen — noting that its projected wages “were informed by regional wage trends” — University of California professor and labor economist Harley Shaikin said the automaker was doing this not only “to attract the best and brightest,” but to keep unions at bay through higher compensation.

Cameron Aubernon
Cameron Aubernon

Seattle-based writer, blogger, and photographer for many a publication. Born in Louisville. Raised in Kansas. Where I lay my head is home.

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  • MarkySparky MarkySparky on Apr 17, 2015

    DW: It already exists. Tesla fans post drone pics of the construction site on Twitter weekly. Troll better plz

  • Djoelt1 Djoelt1 on Apr 17, 2015

    Elon, did you take account of how much people will have to drive to get to your amazing factory? Why don't you locate it near where the employees can live and where the products are used. Wouldn't that make sense? Maybe even locate it on an existing public transit network!

    • See 1 previous
    • Mcs Mcs on Apr 17, 2015

      @bikegoesbaa Its also approx halfway between Fremont and the lithium mines that will supply it.

  • DrunkMike DrunkMike on Apr 17, 2015

    I hope this factory and all of its workers don't need water... just saying.

  • Brn Brn on Apr 18, 2015

    We're supposed to be impressed? For skilled labor, the wages are kinda low. The wages listed in the article are minimums, so maybe the average is more reasonable.

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