By the hour or by the job

 One of the "one-upsmanship" put downs used on social media and when among the folks desperate for everyone to think they are somebody,  is to say, "what, you get paid by the hour?"

🙄

And, they say this un-ironically as if the vast majority of builder/fixer/maker professionals don't get paid hourly by the company they work for.

The obvious implication is that hourly paid people are slow, lazy, and unmotivated. 

But, as usual, the idea is skewed.

The only people who get paid by the job are contractors.  Who then pay their employees by the hour, or by piece work. 

In fact, there is a legitimate argument for increased quality of work when paid or billed hourly.  Truth be told, most estimates given for work already have time factored in.

Both formats have legitimate reasons to support them and be used.  Both formats, unfortunately,  are all to often abused to the detriment of the customer.  The most important thing is to charge for what one does in an ethical way.   The person doing the work needs to be compensated as they agreed to.  The person wanting the work done needs to get the results they specify and agree to.

Whether that's hourly billing or by an overall estimate or bid is best determined by what and how it needs to be done.

But neither should be abused and neither should be an insult or status symbol.