On-call pay in 2026
I'm just wondering what the going rates are here in 2026 for on-call pay for those of who have to do 24/7 support in a field service role.
For most employees, so long as I can remember my company paid $100/per week for after-hours and weekend on-call availability. Quite recently, that number got bumped to $150 allegedly to bring it in-line with the market.
Some others get paid more than that, due to being in leadership roles and/or as part of a relocation package. Those folks got a corresponding bump as well.
Industry is field IT support with a broad scope - retail/POS, networking, wireless,, broadband connectivity, servers, and data rack infrastructure along with some other specialized equipment.
So, what else is out there? I haven't seriously looked around for a VERY long time. I'm not looking, just curious so I can address some of the chatter that's happening amongst our workforce on the subject.
We run one week on and one or more weeks off before a tech does another on-call rotation. A tech who is on-call works a regular 40-hour week but is available for off-hours emergency situations. When not on-call, techs just work a regular 40-hour week. Overtime is paid for any actual call-outs/dispatches. Frequency varies in different areas (nationwide) due to staffing levels, etc.