Salary Negotiations
Tools for Determining Salary Benchmarks
The first step in salary negotiations is figuring out what the job is worth in the broader job market. Your benchmarked figure will fit into a range that you determine by researching and comparing a variety of sources including:- NEW! LinkedIn Salary Search
- YSE Employment and Salary Data
- Glassdoor.com
- The National Association of Colleges and Employers offers the most accurate compensation data available. Click here to access the NACE Salary Calculator Center
- Job Search Intelligence
- Bureau of Labor Statistics: Tons of wage, salary and benefits data by region and sector; information on trends and occupational outlooks.
- cbsalary.com: A free salary calculator from Career Builder.
- opm.gov: typically grades 9-11 for Masters degree, depending on previous experience, calculates by location. Even if you are not looking at US Government work, these figures are a good starting point and will give a good idea of averages across sectors by location.
- The Riley Guide
- Salary.com
- Ask friends and recent alums
13 Tips for Salary Negotiations
- Sell yourself in your interview (what makes you the best person for the job?)
- Do your research about the employer and the position
- Increase the value of the job with YOU in it! (the negotiation starts during the interview--help employer see you in the job and all the value you will bring to the organization)
- Don't ask about salary during the interview or be the first to name a number
- Benchmark ALL aspects of the position (job market standards for compensation, perks, title, etc.)
- Know your personal job priorities (location, salary, benefits, value of experience)
- Be prepared with creative alternatives to salary (flex time, bonuses, transportation)
- Enter negotiations with a "Best Alternative to the Negotiated Agreement" or BATNA--i.e. don't be desperate, have an alternative
- Keep interviewing and applying for multiple positions (will give you alternatives!)
- Avoid bringing your personal life into the negotiation
- Do NOT say "That is more than I expected!"
- Use silence as a technique (employer may increase an offer if you don't respond right away)
- The best negotiation is a Win-Win!
What Is Benchmarking?
“Researching and comparing the broader job market’s standards for compensation, title, responsibilities, and perks based on the position, your skill set and qualifications.”-- from Negotiating Your Salary & Perks, WetFeet
Calculate Your Take Home Pay
Online Resources on Salary Negotiations
- Harvard Program on Negotiation Blog Daily posts on wide range of negotiation topics including salary negotations and techniques for women in negotiation.
- Beyond Salary: 12 Additional Perks to Negotiate, idealistcareers.org
- Everything In Your Job Offer is Negotiable, Linda Jenkins, Salary.com
- The Answer To The Toughest Interview Question, Penelope Trunk, The Brazen Careerist Blog
- Statistics from Women Don't Ask: Negotiation and the Gender Divide, by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever
- How To Negotiate Salary, Sakina Rangwala, The Washington Post
“A negotiation is composed of two major steps: planning (research and strategy) and communication (information exchange and agreement). In the planning step, get as much information as you can up front and, using both the company's written and unwritten signals, map your skills against what the company values.”
— Linda Jenkins
Career Development Office » Job Search Skills » Salary Negotiations
