Other than the eight years that I worked as a Embalmer/Funeral Director for a monthly salary, commissions provided the bulk of my income from Sales & Sales Management.
Mostly weekly, but based on the number of hours that I worked, although I was salaried with Hoerner-Waldorf, with the City of Los Fresnos, and with Texas State Technical College. At TSTC, I was paid per month.
For 21 years of my work life, I guess you'd say they based my pay on my rank. You could say that I was subject to work any time they felt the need. I always looked at it as they were paying me for 24/7 and alot of that was waiting around. You do a lot of 'hurry up and wait' in the Air Force, so it all evened out. No overtime pay, no problem. You pull an 'all nighter', just part of the job. Most of the other times, I was just an hourly worker. Once during my work life, I accepted a salaried position and regretted it.
Always hourly and either weekly or bi-weekly. I knew a guy, who the manufacturing manager wanted to put him on salary and make him a supervisor. He told the manager, "If you can match my overtime pay with salary, I'll do it. Otherwise, it's a definite no." So, what happened? The manager kept the guy on hourly pay and he didn't get promoted. That was fine with the guy.
I always worked by the hour. Some jobs I even had my name on my shirt,a level some feel is undesirable. I liked it no razzle dazzle no hocus pocus, I do what the boss tells me no matter how stupid and inefficient,punch out and go home. No ulcers no sleepless nights, did not feel compelled to treat any other human in an unethical,or illegal,or immoral manner like most owners and managers seem to have an overwhelming need to do in pursuit of the "NUMBERS" Retired on fixed income now happy as a clam. Raised a family paid my taxes and I am not ashamed to look a soul square in the eye.
In the beginning and at the end hourly paid weekly. In between salaried paid semi-monthly or monthly. One job salaried paid monthly plus an over-ride on pay received by subordinates. One business venture that eventually failed.
I have been paid by hours worked, paid weekly, monthly. I have been paid commission and salary and commission only. Have lived and worked most of my work-life in a right to work statewhere Unmions were a dirty word. and the only union in the state worthy of the name was Ma Bell who could raise an effective strike in a few hours. One adjusted to the system, worked hard an hoped you eventually got a raise. Generally speaking hard work and loyalty usually paid off and one finally worked up to a livable wage or salary.
Curiosity and my thinking that How We Are Paid during our working life has a bearing on our retirement. Als0, I was wondering if there were others like me that had income mostly from commissions.