For jonhwells3366 and ben_093 it depends on the DZ you're at. The first one I was at I didn't get paid but it was a club, all money went back into the club, no one was making money just covering costs so I certainly didn't mind in that case, got some good experience, met a bunch of great people and had a blast. The free beer or two at the end of the day sure helped as well! The hours I got there allowed me to get the job at my second DZ.
Second DZ I was at was a business not a club and as such I was paid per load. Each load took about 0.4, I got paid $20 a load which meant about $50/hr about 4 years ago and the boss was kind enough to even buy me lunch when we were working over lunch time! The second DZ got me where I needed to be to get my first full-time job.
There are certainly good ones out there and there are those who are looking to take advantage of Pilots, its up to each of us to decide which type each DZ is and act accordingly.
Capt Fathom, why should we be paying for endorsements in the first place?
