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Calculating or negotiating for a fair salary?

Veteran

Kippie Martin Madison, CT

How does one make sure they are receiving the a pay which is equitable to what others are paid in the company? I know there are sources such as pay scale, onetonline, glass door, etc. but is it possible to retrieve data from the companies website?

17 April 2018 4 replies General

Answers

Advisor

Susana Moraga Hayward, CA

Kippie,

I agree with the above comments and would only add that there is a lot of information about salary negotiation and timing of that as well.
Always be aware that it's more than salary benefits are a significant as is quality of life.
Always wait until you have the full package to discuss salary and always start with a range and know how you can back up what you are asking.
Best,
Susana

18 April 2018 Helpful answer

Advisor

Scott Vedder Orlando, FL

Kippie,

Salary and pay strategies are proprietary to each company and vary greatly. Some companies may be willing to provide you a range for the position, most will not. This provides both a competitive advantage for companies and a financial advantage for them in the negotiation process.

I wish the private sector would get on board with some iteration of the full disclosure the government provides - whether that's indicating ranges of salaries, or just assigning a universal pay scale. Alas, I think we'll never get there. So what can you do instead?

First, understand your rights. Employers in a growing number of places are prohibited from asking you for your current salary. ( https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2017/04/27/whats-your-salary-becomes-no-no-job-interviews/100933948/ ) However, that's not really a challenge if you're a government employee because your salary is public.

So your tactic should be when you're asked about salary expectations to say you'd be happy to discuss that at the appropriate time (ideally at the time of an offer). If pressed, ask the range the job pays. If they insist you give them a number, provide an honest number that is about the middle of the range you'd find acceptable. Do your homework before (as Sarah mentions in her answer here) and understand both what the company is paying for similar jobs, and what OTHER companies are paying for those jobs too.

I hope this helps!
-Scott!

18 April 2018 Helpful answer

Advisor

Sarah Bass Blanco Annapolis, MD

Hi Kippie,

Thank you for your question!

You are correct about sites such as Payscale and Glassdoor, which are great ways to go about it. Unfortunately, I have not come across many companies which are transparent about their salaries, especially if they have jobs whose pay is commensurate with experience.

What can be helpful is to look at the average salaries for several positions at the company, then compare them to other similar organizations that are in the same geographic area - a Project Manager in the NYC area will often have a higher salary than someone in a lower cost area of living. If the company you're looking into is within the same bracket as similar organizations, you know that they are a) probably on par for the cost of living and b) compensating their employees fairly. If it's much lower, that would certainly be something to think about.

Here's a few resources we find can be helpful too!
https://swz.salary.com/CostOfLivingWizard/LayoutScripts/Coll_Start.aspx
https://www.themuse.com/advice/qa-the-secret-to-giving-your-salary-requirements
https://www.forbes.com/sites/susanadams/2014/02/14/how-to-negotiate-your-salary-3/#47445c1d508e
https://www.fastcompany.com/3055541/5-often-overlooked-benefits-that-you-should-negotiate-with-a-new-job-

I hope this helps!

All the best,

Sarah Bass
ACP AdvisorNet Staff

17 April 2018 Helpful answer

Veteran

Kippie Martin Madison, CT

Thank you all for this information.

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