{"id":1763,"date":"2022-06-15T15:59:00","date_gmt":"2022-06-15T14:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/?p=1763"},"modified":"2024-09-03T21:22:35","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T20:22:35","slug":"real-people-talk-pay-las-vegas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/real-people-talk-pay-las-vegas\/","title":{"rendered":"How 6 people in Las Vegas earn their dollars"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<header class=\"entry-header bg-adp-tan block--article-header alignfull block--article-header\" >\n\n  \n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full entry--image\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1186\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/matthias-mullie-NF9s89qIaL0-unsplash-1.jpg\" alt=\"Image description: The Las Vegas skyline at sunset. End of alt text. \" class=\"wp-image-1911\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/matthias-mullie-NF9s89qIaL0-unsplash-1.jpg 1920w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/matthias-mullie-NF9s89qIaL0-unsplash-1-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/matthias-mullie-NF9s89qIaL0-unsplash-1-1024x633.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/matthias-mullie-NF9s89qIaL0-unsplash-1-768x474.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/matthias-mullie-NF9s89qIaL0-unsplash-1-1536x949.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\"><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@matthiasmullie?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Matthias Mullie<\/a> \/ <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group entry--title-wrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\"><div class=\"entry--social-share\">\n  <ul>\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?u=https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/real-people-talk-pay-las-vegas\/&#038;t=How 6 people in Las Vegas earn their dollars\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/themes\/rethink-quarterly\/img\/facebook.svg\" alt=\"Facebook logo - click to share this article on Facebook\"><\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"http:\/\/twitter.com\/share?text=How 6 people in Las Vegas earn their dollars&#038;url=https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/real-people-talk-pay-las-vegas\/\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/themes\/rethink-quarterly\/img\/twitter.svg\" alt=\"Twitter logo - click to share this article on Twitter\"><\/a><\/li>\n    <li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/sharing\/share-offsite\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Frethinkq.adp.com%2Freal-people-talk-pay-las-vegas%2F\" target=\"_blank\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/themes\/rethink-quarterly\/img\/linkedin.svg\" alt=\"LinkedIn logo - click to share this article on Facebook\"><\/a><\/li>\n  <\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\n          <span class=\"entry--tag tag-style\">Real People Talk Pay<\/span>\n    \n  <h1 class=\"entry-title\">How 6 people in Las Vegas earn their dollars<\/h1>\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-summary-style\">The entertainment capital of the world was hit hard by the pandemic, but Las Vegans are getting back in the game.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n  <div class=\"entry--meta content-width\">\n           <p class=\"authors\">By\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/author\/daniel-james-clark\/\">Daniel James Clark<\/a>\n\n             \n         \n     <\/p>\n    \n  \n  <p>15 June 2022  <span class=\"desktop-only\">\u2014<\/span> <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/issue-5-out-of-office\/\">Issue 5: Out of Office<\/a> \n  <\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\n<\/header><!-- .entry-header -->\n\t<div class=\"entry-content content-width\">\n\n\n\n<p>Las Vegas bills itself as the entertainment capital of the world, but when the global economy ground to a halt during the pandemic, it looked more like a ghost town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The local economy was dealt a bad hand in March of 2020, when all gaming operations ceased in order to combat the spread of Covid-19. The unemployment rate spiked to 33%, one of the highest in the United States. With 26.5% of Southern Nevada\u2019s jobs coming from gaming and tourism-related activity, the financial impact of the shutdown was immense.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--sidebar bg-adp-purple alignright\"><div class=\"block--sidebar__inner\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Las Vegas, United States<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Las Vegas metropolitan area includes Henderson, Boulder City and North Las Vegas, Nevada.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Population: 2 million<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Minimum hourly wage: $9.75<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Average hourly wage: $19<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Sources: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/eag\/eag.nv_lasvegas_msa.htm\">U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lvcva.com\/research\/economic-impact\/\">Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority<\/a><\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Two years into the pandemic, employment has rebounded, and the city has new life. The unemployment rate has shrunk to 6%. Employers are hiring, and employees are finding work in a city that has diversified its entertainment options to include professional sports, fresh gaming technology and a host of other attractions. Other employees never stopped working, keeping the city afloat during the worst of the economic storm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that tourism has picked back up for the glittering city in the desert, we talked to six Las Vegans about their first and future paychecks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Rudie-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Image description: Portrait of Rudie Tanudtanud in a workshop. End of alt text.\" class=\"wp-image-1766\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Rudie-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Rudie-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Rudie-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Rudie-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Rudie-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Rudie.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Rudie Tanudtanud, 46<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maintenance worker and bartender&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In my first job, I was a busser clearing tables at a chain restaurant. I\u2019ve worked most of my career in the food and beverage world, which we all call \u201cthe industry.\u201d I worked my way up through the various levels of the industry from bussing tables, through food running, and on to being a server, which I did for about three years. Just like any food service job, tips are a major part of your take-home pay. Back then about a third of my pay came from tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then, through a friend, I made the switch into bartending, and I tended bars all over Vegas. The money in bartending is phenomenal. And depending on the house you could make all the way up to $19 an hour base wage. And since tips are 60 to 70% of my bartender income, tips can push it up pretty high. Tending bar right before the pandemic, I was probably doing as good as I\u2019d ever done. And when everything shut down, we were pretty much crushed. Even when I was able to pull unemployment benefits, I was only getting a portion of my base wage. It was a life changer; everybody had to dip into savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After the pandemic, when they started calling everybody back, they were running smaller crews, and full-time shifts weren\u2019t given back. You had to work whatever shifts they had available, and I lost my benefits. So, because of all that, I switched gears and took a job in a maintenance position with an outpatient medical facility. It\u2019s much steadier \u2014 way more consistent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I don\u2019t know if I would go back to bartending; it really depends on the pay. But right now, this is absolutely the smart thing to do. I feel comfortable \u2014 I feel safe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Sara_02-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Image description: Portrait of Sara Simpson with pompoms in a gym. End of alt text. \" class=\"wp-image-1768\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Sara_02-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Sara_02-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Sara_02-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Sara_02-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Sara_02-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Sara_02.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sara Simpson, 25<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Trainer, dancer and cheer instructor<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I have a lot of smaller jobs in Vegas that add up to my total wage. Some are traditional part-time, and others are independent contractor gigs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I started my career teaching dance classes at a local studio where I brought home about $120 a week. I was still living at home then, so it wasn\u2019t a big deal. Around the same time, I also started working at a gym where I got paid $10 an hour to work their front desk. After I graduated from college with a degree in kinesiology, I took over a trainer position at the gym, which helped bump my paycheck up a bit. I also found an opportunity to be the assistant coach of a cheerleading team at a high school in the area, which pays me about $450 a month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After I\u2019d gotten all those things started, the pandemic hit, and the only job I was getting paid for was my job at the gym. I spent time teaching online sessions, which helped me out. During all of this, the local hockey team, the Golden Knights, had open tryouts for their dance team. It was weird; because no one was working, basically anyone with dance experience in town was there. I made it through the auditions and started dancing at games about once a month. At the end of last season, during the playoffs, things picked up. And now this season has been a little more normal, which is great. More recently, I became the head cheer coach at a local private school.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote\"><blockquote><p>&#8220;For a lot of people in Vegas, you put together a bunch of little jobs to make a living.&#8221;<\/p><cite>Sara Simpson<\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>With all of these jobs put together, I\u2019m bringing in about $2,700 a month now. A lot of people ask me how I do it, and I tell them that there are way more people like me than they think. For a lot of people in Vegas, you put together a bunch of little jobs to make a living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And none of these jobs are for the money, really \u2014 I just love them all. It just works out that I\u2019m able to make a living out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Precious-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Image description: Portrait of Precious Briggs on a balcony. End of alt text. \" class=\"wp-image-1769\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Precious-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Precious-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Precious-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Precious-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Precious-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Precious.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Precious Briggs, 33<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cocktail server&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I started as a cocktail server about two years ago with a local casino chain, making about $12 an hour. A lot of my paycheck, like a lot of people in Vegas, came from tips. That first job was a full-time union job, so I was able to engage in the process to get our wages increased and have some job security. Nevada is an at-will employment state, which means that without union support, employers are free to fire employees for basically any reason. So, having that support was really reassuring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When Covid-19 hit, I was laid off, and I spent my time just looking for work. I was able to get unemployment during that time, but as you can imagine, it was much less than I was used to bringing home. It was a struggle. I spent my time looking for work and waiting to be called back.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The state actually passed a law during the pandemic that was supposed to secure what they called the \u201cright to return.\u201d The casino I used to work at opened back up, but unfortunately it seems like they\u2019re not following the law, and I still haven\u2019t been called back. I was able to get another job as a cocktail server at another casino. But something that\u2019s making it even harder for me now is that the IRS has increased tip allocation starting this year. My paycheck is a lot smaller than before. It\u2019s really affected my family, and I just hope that I can get my job back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Joseph_02-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Image description: Portrait of Joseph Marzigliano in a workshop. End of alt text.\" class=\"wp-image-1771\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Joseph_02-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Joseph_02-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Joseph_02-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Joseph_02-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Joseph_02-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Joseph_02.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Joseph Marzigliano, 48<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Maintenance administrator&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When I was a kid, I started work as a busboy at a catering company in New York. I had a bunch of jobs in New York and then some in Texas, but my first job here in Vegas was at a handyman company. I worked there for about six years until I started working for the company I work for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A friend of mine knew there was an opening at a chain of medical centers in town and called me up. I dropped everything I was doing and got the job pretty much on the spot. I said some pretty cocky things about my skills during the interview, so I thought I\u2019d blown it. But they called me and offered me the job pretty much the same day. I made around $30,000 a year starting out, and I\u2019ve been here ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My first position, I was the night guy at one of the buildings. Within about a year, I was promoted up to lead for the building. And I\u2019ve been climbing up the flagpole ever since. I oversee all the buildings now and make sure that everything is working right. The plumbing, the lights, all that. That\u2019s part of what I love about the job: I like the people that I work with, and I like that every day is different. I might be working on repairing a door, and the next day I might be doing plumbing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>During the pandemic, it was weird. We were able to work our usual 40 hours a week, and I didn\u2019t lose one day of work. A lot of companies weren\u2019t doing that. There were gates in front of all the hotels. It was crazy, and I was grateful that they kept this place open, which is awesome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Geetha-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Image description: Portrait of Geetha Green at her workplace. End of alt text. \" class=\"wp-image-1772\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Geetha-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Geetha-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Geetha-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Geetha-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Geetha-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Geetha.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Geetha Green, 36<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Re-entry supervisor at Hope for Prisoners&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I started working at 18 as an exotic dancer, but I always maintained another job on the side as well. Since you\u2019re an independent contractor as a dancer, with a regular job I was able to maintain a pay stub. The money in dancing is really good in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Eventually my dancing career led me down a path that was really dark. The entertainment business can either make you or break you. My boyfriend went to prison for dealing drugs, and I continued to support him. It was a very toxic relationship. My friends never really knew the life that I was living.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When I had my son at 22, I realized it was time for me to rebuild myself. I did some work in Elko, a small town, and I met my husband out there. He was the man that I had prayed for, totally square.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I decided to stop dancing and keep my job as an assistant with a realtor. But all it took was me going out once with a good friend to do a little credit card scheme, and next thing you know I was looking at federal time. I caught three felonies, served six months and was released on federal supervision. When I went back for sentencing, I had just had another child. The judge told me he saw me as someone who could make a difference in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But now that I was a felon, all these doors were shut in front of me. I couldn\u2019t get a permit to be able to dance. I found Hope for Prisoners, a re-entry program, and it changed my life. They got me a job working at a casino, and I worked there for almost three years. I made enough there to make everything work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About three years later, I asked Hope for Prisoners if I could come work for them. I came on as a case manager to help other people with stories like mine. This year, I was promoted to re-entry supervisor. Now I work with community leaders and even the people who put me in jail \u2014&nbsp;prosecutors, judges, police. It\u2019s been one hell of a ride. I might make about half of what I did as a dancer now, but it\u2019s worth it, because I am truly happy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Mindy-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Image description: Portrait of Mindy Browne beside a garden. End of alt text. \" class=\"wp-image-1773\" srcset=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Mindy-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Mindy-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Mindy-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Mindy-1536x1025.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Mindy-375x250.jpg 375w, https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/ADP_Mindy.jpg 2000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mindy Browne, 34<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Human resources manager and bartender&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I started out working various jobs in the food service industry all through high school and then college. I made good money in the industry. I was making about $60,000 a year, but when I graduated, I wanted a career where I could use my communications and political science degree. I spent about two years trying to find something and eventually found a position doing human resources work for a casino on the strip. To make that switch, I took a $30,000 pay cut. It was a huge lifestyle change that I wasn\u2019t quite used to. I figured that it was a stepping-stone, and I\u2019d eventually get back there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What I didn\u2019t realize is that in Vegas, human resources jobs in hospitality don\u2019t pay very well because they\u2019re not a revenue-generating part of the ecosystem. I struggled a bit, so I moved into another position as an education supervisor at another property and stayed there for two years. But I quickly found out that there wasn\u2019t anywhere to move up. I dipped back into HR and took a management position that offered me around $45,000 a year. That allowed me to start planning for a family and a house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After I spent a bit more time there, I reevaluated how things were going and realized that I was working 12-hour days and wasn\u2019t seeing my family enough. So I went back to serving at a restaurant. In three or four days a week, I was making the same amount of money I made as a full-time HR manager. It was hard for me because I enjoyed the intellectual stimulation of my HR job. I did the switch again, and then came back to serving. It was hard for me to find the balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Now I bartend one or two days a week, and I also took an HR job with a nonprofit advocacy group. So I get to work at a job that I believe in and also have the additional income from my bartending. I make, combined, around $60,000 a year now, and I have the flexibility and the intellectual challenge I was hoping for.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--author\">      <div class=\"block-author__inner\">\n        <div class=\"author--image\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/author\/daniel-james-clark\/\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/D-clark-298x305.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/><\/a>\n                  <\/div>\n        <div class=\"author--info\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/author\/daniel-james-clark\/\" class=\"author--name\">Daniel James Clark<\/a>\n\n          \n          <p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Daniel James Clark attended college at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he received a bachelor\u2019s degree with an emphasis in photography and a minor in journalism. He lives with his family in Henderson, Nevada, where he spends his time as a homemaker, photographing news events, maintaining a nonprofit website and writing stories.<\/span><\/p>\n          <div class=\"block--author-social\"><ul class=\"author--socials\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/danjclarkphoto\" title=\"Twitter\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-twitter-square\"><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/danjclarkphoto\/\" title=\"Instagram\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fab fa-instagram\"><\/i><\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dclark.photo\/\" title=\"Author Website\" target=\"_blank\"><i class=\"fas fa-globe\"><\/i><\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n        <\/div>\n      <\/div>\n       <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"block--recommended-content alignwide is-style-bg-adp-tan\"><div class=\"block-recommended-content__inner\">\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read more<\/h2>\n\n\n<div class=\"block--article-pushpoint pushpoint__small\">      <div class=\"block-article-pushpoint__inner\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/real-people-talk-pay-malta\/\">\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--image\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/micaela-parente-Jd2XVXLQ0U-unsplash-1084x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--info\">\n                    <span class=\"pushpoint--title\">How six people in Malta earn their euros<\/span>\n          <p>A tax haven rich in history and soaked in sun: The tiny island nation between the coasts of Northern Africa and Italy has many stories to tell.\n<\/p>        <\/div>\n      <\/a><\/div> <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"block--article-pushpoint pushpoint__small\">      <div class=\"block-article-pushpoint__inner\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/real-people-talk-pay-hong-kong\/\">\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--image\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/real-people-talk-pay-hong-kong-header-1084x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--info\">\n                    <span class=\"pushpoint--title\">How 6 people in Hong Kong earn their dollars<\/span>\n          <p>More than 7 million people live in this Special Administrative Region of China. <\/p>        <\/div>\n      <\/a><\/div> <\/div>\n\n<div class=\"block--article-pushpoint pushpoint__small\">      <div class=\"block-article-pushpoint__inner\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/unique-jobs-ninja\/\">\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--image\">\n          <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/rethinkq.adp.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/12\/K2202215-web-1084x576.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n        <\/div>\n        <div class=\"pushpoint--info\">\n                    <span class=\"pushpoint--title\">A full-time ninja carries on ancient traditions<\/span>\n          <p>Kunoichi \u2014 female ninjas \u2014 have played a special role in the history of Japan, and exist to this day.\n<\/p>        <\/div>\n      <\/a><\/div> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<section class=\"wp-block-group alignfull section--sign-up has-background\" style=\"background-color:#7967ae\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-flow wp-block-group-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center is-style-default has-white-color has-text-color has-large-font-size\"><a href=\"\/sign-up\/\">Sign up<\/a> to keep up to date with ReThink Q.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The entertainment capital of the world was hit hard by the pandemic, but Las Vegans are getting back in the game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1911,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[84,61,82,110],"coauthors":[202],"class_list":["post-1763","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-real-people-talk-pay","tag-entertainment","tag-real-people-talk-pay","tag-united-states","tag-vox-pops","issue-issue-5-out-of-office"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.5 - 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