Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with salary and employment

Moving From Public to Private Sector and Getting Paid

Anonymous — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:33:09 -0800

How can I transition from a public-sector web job to a private-sector job and get a good private-sector salary? I'm a web developer with over 10 years experience in the industry, and I've been working as a web application developer in a Bay Area university for the last seven years. I develop web applications and content management systems, and I have experience in information architecture, graphic design, and copy editing.

I'm looking for a private-sector job due to budget cuts making the university position untenable. I see a lot of web developer positions in my area and the salaries range from the mid-80s to mid-90s and up depending on the position.

I had an interview recently for a web manager position that required a considerably broader range of responsibilities, and they tried to lowball me by offering low 90s when I knew the position had been listed online starting at 100K. They asked how much I currently make; I eventually told them (77K) even though I don't feel it's relevant because:

* Private-sector jobs pay more than public-sector jobs so they aren't directly comparable.

* This job has more responsibilities than web developer jobs that pay in the range they mentioned.

* I don't make what the university's salary guidelines say I should be making for someone with my experience. I initially started as a temporary employee and my initial salary and two increases (over seven years) were based on a low starting salary.

What other arguments can I use? I know switching jobs is the best time to get a substantial salary increase, and I don't want to start a new job feeling like I'm not being paid what I'm worth.

What's the typical pay difference when going from contract to perm?

mgarnhum — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 06:15:42 -0800

What's the typical pay difference when going from contract to perm? I am in negotiations to go permanent from a contract position. How much of decrease in pay am I looking at? I've read about 30%, but I'd almost rather stay with contract if this is the case. I have insurance through my husband, so that's not a necessity. The only real benefit would be vacation and ST/LT disability and life.

I have never been in this position before, so I'm not sure how it works.

More hours, less money, why not?

Anonymous — Fri, 08 May 2009 07:02:51 -0800

Is it legal and ethical for a company to require salaried employees to work "as many hours as it takes" to complete their work so that the employees are off (paid or unpaid) for one or more weeks per month? My spouse works for a manufacturing company in the state of Texas. Due to the current terrible economic conditions, the company has laid off a substantial portion of the direct workforce, and some smaller percentage of the indirect salaried workforce. Even with those reductions, they still need to reduce expenses. As a result management has instituted site shutdowns of 1-2 weeks per month. For the first couple of shutdowns most people had vacation time they could use to cover the time off. Now my spouse is running out.

In some cases the indirect salaried workforce are being asked to work substantial extra time (20-30 extra hours per week beyond what they would normally work with no overtime as the group in question is salaried) in order to complete their work in the "on weeks" so that the company can carefully ensure that they do no work at all during the "off weeks" and therefore not pay them for those weeks if they have run out of vacation. The company has explained that this is being done to try to prevent additional layoffs, and therefore the employees should all pull together to make it through.

To me it feels unethical, and I wonder if it is legal. Is it? If not, how should my spouse proceed?

How do I best arm myself for an upcoming salary/bonus review in this economic climate?

Anonymous — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 10:46:18 -0800

How do I best arm myself for an upcoming salary/bonus review in this economic climate? I guess I'm what you might call "upper-management" at a small tech company. Like many others, our company is looking to cut costs and we will likely have a few layoffs later this month. I, and others, have already been informed that any raise in our base salary is off the table for now. However it has also been noted that pre-existing bonus clauses (such as the one I have) are still available.

So the thing is, for the last year I have been as busy as ever (actually more so), mainly because I have a skillset that only a few others have, and as a result I've been extremely busy and IMO was a huge part of helping to land a contract with a Fortune 10 company that was worth a lot of money for the company.

So, my bonus isn't particularly huge by any standards, it's capped at $5k. However, I know from past experience that my bosses treat all of these situations as bargaining sessions. So last year I walked out of the review with a $3k bonus. However, this year, based on the revenue I feel I helped bring in, plus other criteria such as hitting or beating project deadlines, I feel I deserve the entire bonus.(Especially since there will be no change in my base salary).

So I need strategies for this upcoming session. There have already been comments such as "Well, we're all lucky we even have jobs" and other signs that this will not go my way. In addition to this not quite being rooted in reality, I have realized my bonus structure is not based on objective facts, but is incredibly subjective. This was a mistake on my part when I arranged the terms of my employment, however this is my situation.

Determining salary and compensation requirements, prior to interview with new employer

valannc — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 13:23:02 -0800

Interviewing at new employer... how to determine salary and compensation requirements? My husband is about to have his third interview with a large IT corporation. The HR rep has asked for his compensation requirements -- base salary, equity, and bonus. Any tips on how to determine for the correct compensation figures, and how to negotiate? We don't want to lowball the salary request. We are clueless about requesting equity, as that has not been an option with previous employers.

If my husband takes the position, he will be a manager/analyst responsible for hiring and leading a small team. This is a high profile project and a great opportunity. There are other consideration outside of "typical" salaries for the job. He is an experienced SME with an advanced degree and professional certifications. We would need to relocate, which we would be happy to do.

I see several web sites that list compensation history for specific companies: payscale.com, vault.com, glassdoor.com, the US DOL's Occupational Outlook Handbook
Does anyone know which online resources have the best data and give the best advice?

Respondents to an earlier Askmefi post asserted that salary surveys are not reliable. Any opinions?

Best way to negotiate a large raise?

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:23:37 -0800

How can I smartly/safely negotiate a substantial promotion and raise? I signed onto my current position at a salary in the mid-50s. I definitely undersold myself, but I came from a technical position in a non-technical field and didn't have a very high base to negotiate from. After some staff turnover in the last year, I've informally taken on a much more senior position running the team I was hired into.

Now I would like to renegotiate and make that position official. I spoke with several past employees who held this senior position and their salaries were $40k to $60k higher than what I am making. I've got the chops to be in that range: 8 years of experience, some fairly significant contributions to this company, and a hell of a lot of hours spent in the office. But I am worried that they'll balk at such a sudden increase, even if it's part of a promotion.

Any strategies or advice? Is it wiser to start high and negotiate down, or should I be wary of asking for too much initially and sounding like I'm just fishing?

Pay Grades at SWA

polexxia — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 10:36:02 -0800

Does anyone know what a pay grade 136 at Southwest Airlines pays? I hate applying for jobs hen I don't even know if the position pays enough to make it worth accepting the job, and the information doesn't seem to be anywhere on their site.

How do I negotiate my new salary?

matholio — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 05:56:01 -0800

What strategy should I adopt to clarify and hopefully increase this job offer? I have a job, I think it's a good job, but for various reasons I want to move on.

I had an interview with the CEO of a smallish company, and I thought it went well.

During the 1st interview, the topic of remuneration was discussed, I wasn't really ready for it, and frankly I think I made too many positive noises too early. Some figures were mentioned and afterwards I wished I had made my position clearer.
Basically there was some confusion on my part about Base/Package.

I was tempted to call back to clarify it, but I didn't want to sound over confident.

They followed up with a reference check, and finally a telephone interview with a senior technical consultant. All went well and they made an offer today.

The offer is exactly what the numbers mentioned by the CEO.
Looking at the offer, they have included Super (pension) in the Base.
That's a significant amount, say, at least 8% of Base. Maybe more but they have not indicated how much Super they offer (why?).
It's not really normal to roll these numbers together, quite unusual actually.
Also, regarding the bonus, it's KPI linked, but the KPIs will be thrashed out during the probation period.

So my question is how do I approach these discussions?

In my initial conversation with HR, I stated a minimum base.
In my mind Base does not include anything else.
The CEO may well believe we had an agreement in the first interview.
The at risk component is quite significant, so I feel they have room to move.
Should I offer to give up potential bonus, for more base salary?
Should I mention it's not usual to include super in the salary?

There no point moving for the offer they have presented, but I like the role, I think it will suit me, and they are keen to fill the role. They have been with out this role for at least a month and already feel standards are dropping.

My gut feeling is they can and might meet my minimum salary expectations, I just don't want to stuff it up with my lack of negotiation experience.

Sorry for the rambling back story, I hope it's coherent enough.

Is it possible to guarantee getting paid for a certain amount of time?

clearlynuts — Mon, 05 May 2008 07:00:05 -0800

How can I guarantee two years of pay at a certain rate? I want my employer to pay give me a 150% raise and guarantee to pay me for two years. Let's say I'm in prime bargaining position for this to happen, if they can find it in the budget. What's the best way to guarantee getting paid (I want to have 5x my current salary at the end of two years)?

They could increase my salary, but I wouldn't want them to terminate my at-will employment when they felt they didn't want to pay me anymore. I don't need health benefits, so I could become a 1099 contractor, but I'd like to avoid having to hunt down money on a regular basis.

How can I make this happen?

Salary Negotiation

gm2007 — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 20:30:57 -0800

How do I determine what my salary should be and prepare for salary negotiation in a job interview? I have an interview next week. The job was originally advertised with a relatively wide range (mid to high). The employer wants someone with a law degree, which I have; however, the person hired for the job will not be engaging in the daily practice of law in the traditional sense (i.e., going to court, drafting pleadings, etc.).

Can't we negotiate?

Netzapper — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:34:37 -0800

After only a week or so of job search, I've been offered a software development position at a little startup that does almost exactly what I want to do. Seriously, I cannot imagine a more ideal group to work for. I'm supposed to contact them next week to discuss terms and salary. However, during the interview, some of the statements seemed to imply that they didn't have the budget to satisfy my requested salary. I really want to work for these folks, but don't want to sell myself short. Can you think of creative suggestions I might make during negotiations to make up the difference? This is my first Job, although I have a good deal of non-industrial experience in what I'm doing. I asked for $50k, set a minimum of $40k, and suspect an offer in the low 40's. The benefits aren't great (nor comprehensive), since the company is still so small.

Equity isn't an option at this point. They apparently aren't set up to offer it currently. There was some talk of the possibility of stock options when they go public, but it didn't sound like it would help me pay the bills in the short run.

A friend of mine suggested profit sharing. Since I'd be responsible for a defined, and new, product for them, it seems reasonable that I ask for a percentage of profit made on that until they go public and I can buy into the company.

Any ideas? I don't want to have to walk away just because I couldn't offer alternatives during negotiation. Also, I realize that I may be borrowing trouble, but I just want to have some ideas to offers if it turns out suboptimally.

(And, if you're from the company in question, take this as a sign that I want to work for you and that I'm seeking a mutually beneficial situation.)

If a salary is listed in a job posting is that code for "non US citizens only"?

freshgroundpepper — Sun, 27 Nov 2005 23:21:34 -0800

If a salary is listed in a US job posting is that a hidden signal that the job is actually intended for a non-citizen and that I, as a US citizen, shouldn’t bother applying? Obviously this isn't true in all cases, but is it true in the majority of them? I’ve often thought it strange that the majority of jobs with a salary listed seemed be considerably below what I’d consider normal for that position. It could also be that they’re just starting the salary negotiations at a low point and that depending on experience (like most other companies) they’d be willing to move the value up for the right candidate.

Kirth Gerson mentions this in this old thread about jobs on AskMe, but he also says "newspaper", so it could only apply there an not to web postings.

Can anyone cite an employment law that requires companies to list a salary for a position before offering it to non-citizens?

Anyone have experience with an actual company doing this?

(I’ve seen this on Senior/Lead Software Engineering jobs recently, but it’s possible that it applies to other fields and positions as well)

I'm also comparing salaries based on my own experience as well as what I've seen in recent salary surveys (ex. here).

Salary Requirements in Cover Letters

ao4047 — Wed, 22 Jun 2005 07:21:30 -0800

Sending in a resume today and they are asking for salary requirements. How do I word salary requirements in the cover letter? Is there any standard language used or convention to follow?

Lies and the lying employers who tell them.

12XU — Wed, 15 Dec 2004 22:35:19 -0800

Lies and the lying employers who tell them. Many workers at my small company were given written assurance at the time of our last pay review that we would be enrolled in a health insurance plan on a stated date. Six months later, the promised benefits have not materialized. Do we have any legal recourse? More supporting details: The workforce at our company is about 52 strong. Only around a dozen of us were given notice of our insurance start date in writing, signed by two company officers. We all completed enrollment packages for a Blue Cross HMO program. About a month later when no ID cards and packets arrived in the mail, our payroll office informed us verbally that the plan had been too expensive and was never made active. We are located in Los Angeles County and have no HR department or union.

Looking for a dull well paying job with good hours

b1tr0t — Thu, 11 Nov 2004 10:33:23 -0800

Since the cool jobs suck and pay badly, which less exciting jobs pay really well and have decent hours? Do you have to move to Nebraska? [please add comments so there will be more inside]

Is There a Rule of Thumb for the Amount of Money Your Employer is Making Off Your Effort?

jeremias — Thu, 07 Oct 2004 04:01:25 -0800

Is there a rule of thumb for the amount of money your employer is making off your effort? (MI) In other words it's a general rule in retail that most items in a store are marked up at least 100%. Is there something similar for employees? In other words, let's say I'm offered a job for 20k a year. Does that mean my employer is making 40k from the work I'm doing? Or am I comparing apples and oranges?

Should I get a raise?

skryche — Thu, 27 May 2004 09:02:59 -0800

How much should an Advanced Excel (PivotTable, lookups, etc.) hombre in Manhattan be getting paid? I've been temping in this hole of an office for a few months and almost all spreadsheetery has become my responsibility. I think some sort of raise is in order, but I'm not sure what my target should be.

Going Permanent

amberglow — Sat, 13 Dec 2003 09:38:30 -0800

Ok, so I'm going permanent at this place I've been freelancing for 3 years (it's been a regular gig--2-3 wks/month)--I negotiated a good salary, and an extra week of vacation for the permanent position, but I've never ever liked being permanent and have always felt trapped. Any tips and tricks to help make it psychologically more bearable and cushion the loss of my freedom? a little more inside I'll admit i've been spoiled, but worked hard to arrange my life the way it was--maybe i should have just left instead of going permanent? I know all the people and like them, and like my work, but cherished my time off--I could travel, and relax, etc...Any Freuds in the crowd or Lucy from Peanuts, please help!