If you're going out for a new job, how do you figure out what salary range to ask for? I've applied for a position in my company. It's the same work I do now, but in a national position. Right now I focus on half the country, and honestly don't feel that I get paid nearly enough. I have NO clue about what to ask for in terms of salary. My husband said ask for the moon and let them counter, but I also don't want to scare them off.
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Does you line/field of work publish a yearly salary guide? If so, look through it and make an offer that's comparable for your position and company.
For me, there's a company that publishes a book that tells you the low, high, and average range of pay by position and firm size.
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If it's a job change within the same company, there is probably a max salary bump they can offer, despite what *national* averages may be for similar positions. That's why initial negotiations are so important.
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Check out salary.com and see if it can give you a ballpark figure. I wouldn't ask for the moon as it is generally perceived badly - it's more about knowing what you're worth and aiming in that direction.
Although full disclosure, once I was negotiating a salary for a position where I knew that they really wanted me, I counter offered their offer and they accepted, no questions asked - to this day, I still wonder if I could have gotten more if I had aimed higher! -
If you were applying to another company, I'd say you should ask for what you THINK you should be making. Since you're applying within your company, I think it's a little trickier... they know what you're making now, and obviously think it's what you should be making.
I'd still ask for what you think you should make, but maybe bring statistical averages for your occupation (if you can find them - most occupations have averages available online.) It will show you've done your research, and hopefully help prove your point.
As a side note, when I apply for a new position, I usually ask for a total compensation (base+bonus salary) of about 5% more than what I make now.
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@Alivoo01: @MsLipGloss: @Aimed: @raspberries:
Thanks everyone for the insight! I'm going to go on some local job sites and see what they are offering. When I came into my position I was getting what it was worth, but then the job description changed and they didn't bump me. They are also limited to how much they could give me in a raise every year, so we shall see what happens. -
fyi a friend also told me about glassdoor.com if anyone needs info!
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