Okay, let’s tackle this. So Paul Thomas has an impressive 51 years of experience in research and development, which is unusually long. However, his role as Research Associate and Research Advisor at Tredegar Corporation and its subsidiaries is more administrative than technical. Location is Terre Haute, Indiana, which is a smaller market. Considering his experience, I would expect a higher rate, but the administrative nature of his role brings it down. Let’s look at benchmarks for researchers in the United States. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for researchers is around $60,000. However, this doesn’t account for experience or education. Paul’s 51 years of experience and degree from Indiana State University suggest he could charge more. Maybe around $100–$150 per hour? But considering the administrative nature of his role, I’ll estimate around $75 per hour.