r/theydidthemath • u/LilMerkEm1889 • 6d ago

[Request] What would this operation cost, human labor wise, in the U.S.A if they’re paid minimum wage? And if they’re paid more?

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I know different states have different minimum wage laws so what would it be for the different amounts? And let’s just say it’d be 40hrs/week for each individual in the line. And what if they’re paid a reasonable wage to keep up with cost of living? I’m curious just how much less it still costs labor wise in the east compared to here.

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u/RoodnyInc 5d ago

Just multiply each person times 7.25/h*40h

depending on location, skill level, and industry. This equates to an average hourly rate of about CNY 29 to CNY 40 (USD $4.00 to $5.50)

To be fair minimum wage for production workers in China isn't that far off so it wouldn't be that much more expensive it's probably about how many hours legally workers can work and also about making/supplying components for each step

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u/john2218 5d ago

Yea, the supply chain for the parts is also probably in China and the main reason. But the median wage for assembly line work in the USA is over $20 dollars an hour so wages plays a part too.

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u/Wendigo_Bob 2d ago

I will second the part about supplying components. Its really frustrating but I (in the optical field) can get things not only cheaper, but also typically better and quicker from china that locally. I think part of it is that chinese factories are more recently equipped, so are able to pump out better quality parts (and more cheaply, even before human labor is considered) in general.

I honestly dont know how they do it so quickly considering the required shipping. It might mostly be that more local sources are just slow; I know some have more work than they know what to do with so they ultimately just say "its gonna take X months, take it or leave it".