How much does a grader make a year?

djdilliodon · July 1, 2010 9:55AM

I already searched the forum to this question as i would imagine someone has asked it but no luck. How much does the average coin grader at the grading services make a year?

airplanenut · July 1, 2010 10:05AM

Between a lot and a lot less.

I've heard it can be in the $20-40k range for the most junior graders, and nearing or perhaps surpassing $500k for the top guys.

wondercoin · July 1, 2010 10:05AM

I would say a reasonable range would be $30,000 - $500,000 year depending upon your talents.

Wondercoin

wondercoin · July 1, 2010 10:06AM

That proves airplanenut knows his stuff (who posted 2 seconds before me).

Wondercoin

GRANDAM · July 1, 2010 10:11AM

How can anyone live on $20,000 - $40,000 a year? Especially in California?

Just wondering, GrandAm

mumu · July 1, 2010 10:11AM

<< I would say a reasonable range would be $30,000 - $500,000 year depending upon your talents.

Wondercoin >>

Wow what a range lol! That range also describes about 98% of the US population regardless of career!

I want the guy getting 500k to grade my coin, is that a checkbox option on the submit slip?

30AnvZ28 · July 1, 2010 10:16AM

<< 

<< I would say a reasonable range would be $30,000 - $500,000 year depending upon your talents.

Wondercoin >>

Wow what a range lol! That range also describes about 98% of the US population regardless of career!

I want the guy getting 500k to grade my coin, is that a checkbox option on the submit slip? >>

Yeah but it would cost you an extra $100/coin. That salary has to be paid somehow...

WTCG · July 1, 2010 10:22AM

A few years ago one of the top grading companies once offered me a figure in the upper five figures for a full time position. That was a fair offer although the senior graders often make much more than that.

Even the bulk graders make more than $40,000/ year, which is basically an unsustainable salary in Orange County.

DoubleEagle59 · July 1, 2010 10:22AM

<< I would say a reasonable range would be $30,000 - $500,000 year depending upon your talents.

Wondercoin >>

I hope you're being sarcastic, as that's quite a range.

coinguy1 · July 1, 2010 10:24AM

<< 

<< I would say a reasonable range would be $30,000 - $500,000 year depending upon your talents.

Wondercoin >>

I hope you're being sarcastic, as that's quite a range. >>

I hope he's not, as, that's probably fairly accurate.

djdilliodon · July 1, 2010 10:24AM

Ok mark its time for you to come in this thread and tell us please

coinguy1 · July 1, 2010 10:25AM

<< Ok mark its time for you to come in this thread and tell us please

>>

Didn't you see my previous post?

djdilliodon · July 1, 2010 10:33AM

<< 

<< Ok mark its time for you to come in this thread and tell us please

>>

Didn't you see my previous post?

>>

Nope cause i was posting when you posted it. Mark what does an average coin grader make?

mdwoods · July 1, 2010 10:34AM

<< 

<< 

<< Ok mark its time for you to come in this thread and tell us please

>>

Didn't you see my previous post?

>>

Nope cause i was posting when you posted it. Mark what does an average coin grader make? >>

When Mark graded coins, they were still minting Double Eagles.

truthteller · July 1, 2010 10:49AM

There are part time graders and full time graders. The part timers tend to be on call for large volumes of coins to be graded. These part timers also have coin businesses, so they don't go hungry.

Full time graders are on staff. These specialists are needed for specific roles and grading, so they are paid quite a bit. $250K to $350K. However, they also must travel to shows for onsite grading, so traveling is a must.

TRUTH

richardshipp · July 1, 2010 10:51AM

Yeah but how many of those 500k a year graders can grade from pictures like we can?!?

TomB · July 1, 2010 10:51AM

I believe when Mark was at the grading companies they were still grading wampum.

sinin1 · July 1, 2010 10:52AM

what does an average coin grader make?

Average coin graders do not work for the top tier grading companies.

SportsModerator · July 1, 2010 10:53AM

<< I believe when Mark was at the grading companies they were still grading wampum.

>>

Yap stones

Freshly "minted"

TomB · July 1, 2010 10:56AM

<< 

<< I believe when Mark was at the grading companies they were still grading wampum.

>>

Yap stones

Freshly "minted" >>

Heck, when Mark was grading Yap stones were regarded as Modern Crap.

JupitarCoins · July 1, 2010 10:58AM

I would guess that they make anywhere from $40,000-$300,000.
I dont think anyone of them pull in a half mill. IMHO
And I dont think many will make $300,000 eithier.

greatnortherncoin · July 1, 2010 11:01AM

pcgs will tell us what the starting pay is

clackamas · July 1, 2010 11:01AM

<< How can anyone live on $20,000 - $40,000 a year? Especially in California?

Just wondering, GrandAm

>>

Grading your own coins?

WTCG · July 1, 2010 11:02AM

I will also add that I respect the grading abilities of the vast majority of the graders who work for PCGS and NGC and even the guys at ANACS. Those graders as a whole are excellent and skillful at what they do, despite how much other know-it-all dealers and collectors try to disparage them. Having the ability to accurately grade a raw coin in the flesh is way more difficult than acting like an armchair grader who grades coins by viewing images on a computer screen.

Anybody who believes they can grade consistently and accurately from computer images alone without the benefit of an in-person inspection is out of their mind.

bidask · July 1, 2010 11:09AM

I think Tom Bush should be offered a position as pcgs grader starting at high 6 figurr.

ianrussell · July 1, 2010 11:17AM

<< I would say a reasonable range would be $30,000 - $500,000 year depending upon your talents.

Wondercoin >>

I'm sending this post to J & L.

melvin289 · July 1, 2010 12:20PM

I think they're overpaid, they always undergrade my coins.

Ron

(Actually I've only sent in a few coins in my time and they all came back as what I expected.)

Sonorandesertrat · July 1, 2010 12:23PM

<< 

<< I would say a reasonable range would be $30,000 - $500,000 year depending upon your talents.

Wondercoin >>

I'm sending this post to J & L.

>>

Is J & L is the numismatic equivalent of J Lo?

ianrussell · July 1, 2010 12:31PM

<< 

<< 

<< I would say a reasonable range would be $30,000 - $500,000 year depending upon your talents.

Wondercoin >>

I'm sending this post to J & L.

>>

Is J & L is the numismatic equivalent of J Lo?

>>

J&L are two young graders who are close to Wondercoin... very good graders actually.

wondercoin · July 1, 2010 12:32PM

Ian would be interferring with contactual relations to tell those (2) independent graders about this thread as they might demand a raise!

Wondercoin

P.S. Seriously, expect to possibly earn $25,000 - $40,000 tops as a young, new grader, best I know. Of course, that is not a lot of money in S. CA

melvin289 · July 1, 2010 12:42PM

<< 

<< 

<< I would say a reasonable range would be $30,000 - $500,000 year depending upon your talents.

Wondercoin >>

I'm sending this post to J & L.

>>

Is J & L is the numismatic equivalent of J Lo?

>>

This is more like the numismatic equivalent of J Lo

Ron

Sonorandesertrat · July 1, 2010 1:00PM

Thankfully, you didn't paste Laura's face in.

mirabela · July 1, 2010 2:16PM

On a side note -- how many of us could look at the steady stream of submissions all day long, day in and day out, and not go out of our minds? I am certain this would absolutely kill my interest in the hobby.

mumu · July 1, 2010 2:20PM

<< On a side note -- how many of us could look at the steady stream of submissions all day long, day in and day out, and not go out of our minds? I am certain this would absolutely kill my interest in the hobby. >>

For 500k I'll leave work every day collect stamps, no problem.

ricko · July 1, 2010 11:29PM

For those who can do repetitive work, day after day, it is a good profession. I could not last in that environment. I need new challenges and excitement in work. Cheers, RickO

tahoe98 · July 2, 2010 1:24AM

...i would think the big money earned would be by the CAC guys.

ianrussell · July 2, 2010 4:48AM

<< Ian would be interferring with contactual relations to tell those (2) independent graders about this thread as they might demand a raise!

Wondercoin

P.S. Seriously, expect to possibly earn $25,000 - $40,000 tops as a young, new grader, best I know. Of course, that is not a lot of money in S. CA >>

Wonder, I'm warning you that I am offering my services directly to J&L when they want to negotiate next.

It's amazing that for the most part, different people are thinking in the same range. While some probably think $300-500k is a lot of money (btw. it *is* a lot of money), the amount of money the very best graders save the grading companies each year is far greater.

PawPaul · July 2, 2010 6:10AM

M. Feld,

how in the heck did you do it for 6 years ??

coinguy1 · July 2, 2010 6:15AM

<< M. Feld,

how in the heck did you do it for 6 years ?? >>

I didn't.

It was 7 years, not 6.

djdilliodon · July 2, 2010 7:00AM

<< M. Feld,

how in the heck did you do it for 6 years ?? >>

The real question is how the heck could you leave a job paying that much money! I wonder if a grader messes up on a coin say he over or under grades a coin or maybe a problem coin gets by him, Do the services hold the grader responsible? What type of punishment if any is involved?

coinguy1 · July 2, 2010 7:21AM

<< 

<< M. Feld,

how in the heck did you do it for 6 years ?? >>

The real question is how the heck could you leave a job paying that much money! I wonder if a grader messes up on a coin say he over or under grades a coin or maybe a problem coin gets by him, Do the services hold the grader responsible? What type of punishment if any is involved? >>

Well, first of all, it hasn't been established how much money I walked away from. But I will say that it was somewhere within the ranges that have been mentioned in this thread.

On a more serious note, I left because other considerations were more important to me than the pay.

There was no penalty involved if a grader "messes up on a coin". And keep in mind - when that did happen, the finalizer would bear as much as, if not more responsibility than the other graders.

People have asked how a grader can sit and do the same thing, over and over again, day in and day out, without going crazy. I took frequent breaks, in order to try to keep my eyes and mind fresh. And, while some days were very monotonous, others were exhilarating. In that regard, it was probably similar to many other professions.

greatnortherncoin · July 2, 2010 8:07AM

maybe try work for free ?

LeeG · July 2, 2010 8:15AM

Some

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How much does a grader make a year?

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