Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with salary and negotiation

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.

How do I negotiate salary?

schroedinger — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 16:42:47 -0800

Negotiating salary. What? How? Do I email? Phone? Accept the offer, and then negotiate? And what wording do I use to not sound like a dick? All right, I got offered a job! However, I'd like to negotiate the salary to get maybe $1-2/hour more. Here are details:

- The HR director sent me the email on Thursday, and was out Friday, back on Tuesday
- I have not officially accepted the offer yet
- The position is entry-level

Things in my favor:
1) I am hardworking, a good employee, good references, blah blah, but I'm guessing this will not sway them as I haven't worked there yet
2) I am considering other offers that pay $3-4/hour more than what this job has offered me
3) I know for a fact the guy who worked the job before me, who had similar credentials, was paid the salary I'm asking. Before [i]him[/i] they paid someone $3/hour more than that (though that person had much better credentials than I do).

Things not in my favor:
1) This job is entry-level
2) I do not have direct job experience in this exact area

I'm not sure how this negotiation will work. Do I send an email that says "I would like the job, but could you give me more money" just to acknowledge the offer as quickly as possible? Do I wait until Tuesday and call to say the same thing? Do I accept the offer by email, then call to negotiation on Tuesday? Do I accept the offer with HR and negotiate the salary with my would-be supervisor? I have no experience in this area whatsoever. I don't want to leave the offer hanging over the weekend, but I also have read it's improper to negotiate by email.

Also, what specific language would you recommend so I don't sound greedy?

"So what kind of salary were you looking for?" What's a good answer to such a question?

krautland — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 04:50:26 -0800

"So what kind of salary were you looking for?" What's a good answer to such a question? I hate this moment in interviews when a potential employer asks how much I want. the range of what I could ask for in my industry is wide and the trade-rag statistics don't really help me either. so I usually go with what I think is fair. sometimes that's right-on but sometimes it's too much and sometimes it's too low.

this question is about to come up again. I'm tempted to go low because I quite like the opportunity but the potential job brings serious responsibilities with it and I don't want to suggest that I'm less experienced than I actually am. the written information I do have on the position does not state what kind of salary they are looking to pay at all.

so how should I handle this question? is there a nice way to deflect the question back to the interviewer, to suggest they should make an offer?

What do you do when you know you're #2 ?

Anonymous — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 17:52:42 -0800

I was just offered a job I was turned down for last month. How do I best handle the conversation? I've been job-hunting in a tight market and the most promising interview I've recently had resulted in an email along the lines of "your skill set is impressive but does not match our needs closely enough." I was disappointed because I thought the director and I had a good conversation and that my background met and even exceeded their needs. I didn't follow up to find out why I wasn't chosen.

Now it's a month later and I've just listened to a voicemail asking me to come in for a conversation because their first pick bailed "due to unforeseen circumstances" and as their number 2 pick, they want to see if I'm still interested. I've never been in this position before. What I want to know is:

1. Is it standard to ask just what those unforeseen circumstances were that took out pick #1?
2. How should this affect salary negotiations if I decide to take the job, or should it? (Again, this is a NPO -- I've never worked for one and I'm not even sure how to negotiate in this instance.)
3. Does being the #2 choice generally poison the well as far as relationship, progress, etc? This is a tiny office, and I'd be working closely with this person, so we'll need to have a very solid working relationship.

I'm especially eager to hear from people who have been in this position before or who have a lot of professional NPO or HR/hiring experience. Thanks for your help.

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?

Why does her colleague get paid more?

hatmandu — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:52:35 -0800

My wife has a salary review coming up. A few months ago a colleague doing the same job as her revealed his wage was £1000 a year more, though he has been there for a shorter time. Should she mention this in her meeting? Background:
- she's been at the company for four years
- she's going to be taking maternity leave in the autumn, but wants to return to her job
- the other guy does the same job; he started after her and took a year out, negotiating the current deal on his return
- both are good at what they do and liked/appreciated for it
- he's a good negotiator; she is not confident with that sort of thing

Is it sexism in the workplace? Is it just 'you get what you ask for'? And how should she approach asking for it...?

(I anticipate some people might say: 'Are you sure she's as good at the job, aren't you biased?' Let's assume for the sake of argument she is: the key thing is to help her negotiate upward!)

Salary negotiation: Can I ask my employer-to-be to match a counter-offer from my current employer?

PlusDistance — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 16:52:41 -0800

I've accepted a new job and I'm giving notice tomorrow. I may have low-balled myself, salary-wise. If my current employer counter-offers, can I ask my new employer to match? Just agreed to take a new job. It's an exciting opportunity at well-regarded company, but they're a relatively small operation, and people who worked there told me they were "downright cheap" when it came to salary. So when the recruiter asked me what I was looking for, I made an initial offer that was less than I would have asked for elsewhere (but more than I thought they'd give me). I expected them to counter, but instead they called back and gave me exactly what I asked! (The recruiter said, "Yes, that's pretty much what [executive I interviewed with] was thinking.") Now I wonder if I've low-balled myself.

Tomorrow morning I expect to get the offer letter, and then I'll give notice. My current employer might counter offer on salary.

Two questions: Would I be jeopardizing my new gig if I went back and asked them to match the new offer? And if not, how can I phrase it so it doesn't sound (or sounds less like) I'm simply shaking them down?

You hang up first. No you hang up first. No you hang up first...

boots — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:02:12 -0800

At what point in the job interview process is it appropriate to inquire what the salary might look like? I've been doing the job interview thing for far too long now, and I'm getting pretty damn good at it, if I do say so myself. However, there's one point that I'm still unsure about. I was led to understand (from where, I don't rightly recall) that one waited until after a job was offered before even mentioning salary, benefits, etc., let alone negotiating them. My parents think this is absurd. They think that I should inquire what the salary range might look like during first interviews, because "you're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you." That part I understand, but for some reason salary seems like the exception to that rule.

So, who's right? Do I ask about potential salary before they offer me a job (or bring it up on their own) or do I bide my time and wait until they've made an offer to negotiate like hell?

NYC if it makes a difference.

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.).

I need them to show me the money ... now how do I ask for it?

notjustfoxybrown — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 15:41:56 -0800

I low-balled myself when called about a job prospect. How can I turn that around in the interview? I just got a phone call about a job for which I've applied (that frankly, I'm a tiny bit overqualified for ... but I only plan to keep the job for a year or so). The HR woman told me that they were impressed with my skills but before they brought me in, they wanted to know the salary I was seeking. The numbers I came in with (I gave her a range) didn't seem to phase her and I was asked to come in for an interview. Now I think I should have gone higher. Is there any way to finesse that if I'm offered the position?

the billz to pay the billz

Anonymous — Sat, 08 Dec 2007 19:07:03 -0800

Too late for salary negotiations? So, I'm leaving a place I've been for 10 years for a new venture. It's in a comparable field, somewhat comparable environment.

Long story short, I made an assumption about my salary amount that fell short of its actual amount. In the negotiation process, I accepted their offer without putting up any fight b/c I thought it was a good amount over my current amount. Guess what? It isn't. The actual amount plus benefit differences = a deficit of $2,500/year and six vacation days.

Now, I've gone back and asked for benefits from my future employer to make this comparison, so I think a discussion that leads into salary would not be totally unexpected, but...

I have officially resigned from my current job, and I really do want to leave and go to this new place. In all honesty, I'm not basing my decision solely on money at this point, but if there's a way for me to get more, then I'd like to.

You might think me a greedy bastard for saying that, but trust me, we're talking a low salary by industry standards, and I'm probably at the bottom of middle class.

So, should I just suck this up as a life lesson and leave it be? Or is there wiggle-room without pissing off a future boss?

Thanks all - anyone wishing to reach me privately can do so here: salary.cluster@gmail.com.

Negotiate a raise without issuing an ultimatum?

OmieWise — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 07:06:10 -0800

How does one best go about negotiating a raise when one is not inclined to use resigning as a negotiating tool? I've been doing my present job, 75% administrative/25% clinical, for a little over a year. When I was hired (promoted, really, to Program Manager) there was a full time Medical Director for my program who had a lot of experience and provided a lot of support. Soon after I started that person resigned and a new Medical Director started who works less than half time. While she is very good at her job, there are inevitably more things that I have to deal with as a result of being the only administrative person at the clinic three days per week. My current Medical Director is now starting a large research project that will keep her from the clinic for all but maybe a half day per week. There is plenty of medical support for patients and other clinicians, but there will be even more day to day stuff for me to field.

I asked for a raise a few months ago and was told (by the Clinic Director, but through my Medical Director) that since my job description has not changed, I was not really eligible for a substantial raise. (I believe HR was consulted about this, I work for a VERY large employer.) While it is technically true that my job description has not changed, and will not change, my job has changed and will change more. I'm not sure how to describe this substantial change.

It may or may not be relevant that I know the previous person in my position was paid substantially more. She had much more experience, so that seemed reasonable, but it also just so happened that the employer I work for was restructuring their HR just as I was offered my job, and I suspect that my position was downgraded in that adjustment.

So, the biggest problem with my negotiating position is that I like my job a lot. It's in a field that I really want to work in, it has a nice mix of tasks, the field I work in has a lot of flaky players but my employer is not one of them, and I'd like to stay. Additionally, I'm a social worker, and the money I make is actually pretty good for that field, and in order to match it elsewhere I would have to most likely search for a job substantially more administrative and, hence, boring to me.

I'd love thoughts and suggestions about how to make a strong case, and how to represent the non-technical change in my job, when I ask for a raise. I'm particularly concerned that I figure out a way to suggest how serious I am without having to threaten to leave my position. I'm not worried about making the case of me as a good employee, because I am and I'm comfortable saying so.

Job negotation tactics

holympus — Thu, 19 Jul 2007 21:14:46 -0800

I recently moved to Los Angeles, and I've been in the job hunt for a couple of weeks now. I'm relatively qualified in my field, and I just received an offer. Should I lie to them about other offers if I feel that they've low-balled me? My friend is in the following situation:

"Just before I left, I had a pretty lucrative offer in DC. Needing an income to pay rent, I am forced to get a job pretty quickly. Luckily, I recently got a job offer at a nearby firm. The qualifications for the job are pretty much the exact same as those needed for my declined DC offer. The problem, however, is that the newly offered salary is drastically lower -- under two thirds that of the previous offer.

I really need a job and I think this place would be perfect for me. I've already told them that I had a previous offer in DC that was drastically higher. I stated that with my qualifications, it's still a low offer. After discussing the salary over the phone, the LA company has already raised the offer a little bit -- but is still pretty insignificant.

I need to respond to the company very soon and am wondering what to do next. My question is, would it be OK for me to tell the company that I currently have another offer which they should attempt to match -- even if that is not the case? Is that wrong?"

How much money does a technology coordinator make?

bonheur — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 07:11:04 -0800

What kind of salary can I expect as a computer lab technology coordinator at a fancy private school in the Boston area? I am interested in this job as a technology coordinator for a school. The position would involve managing and maintaining about eighty computers and one server, supervising the computer lab while classes use it, and collaborating with teachers to develop curriculum to make use of all the new, fancy technology. I have two years of teaching experience and one year of low-level tech support experience. I would be part of the IT department at the school, and have two supervisors in that department. The salary scale for the position is stated as $30,000-$80,000, depending on qualifications. I need help figuring out what kind of initial offer to expect, or what salary to ask for. Help?

Negotiating Help!

sfkiddo — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 18:32:17 -0800

I'm negotiating on a job offer tomorrow. Has anyone ever negotiated doing freelance work on the side? I'm meeting with my future boss tomorrow and would need some tips in negotiating working freelance while holding a full-time position. I have the offer paperwork in hand: the language on IP is actually fairly narrow (only applies to work done at Company X's direction, on their equipment, etc.) as opposed to some of the laughably broad agreements I've seen ("any thought you have in your head while in our employ belongs to us"). But do I need to have a specific contract saying I'm allowed to freelance?

One of my references already broached the idea of me freelancing to the hiring manager (she is one of my clients). My argument is that I can broaden my skills on someone else's dime that will probably come in handy to Company X in the future. (I also feel that Company X has no business telling me how I can spend my own time, but of course wouldn't verbalize this aggressive view.)

As far as the general negotiations go, I'm torn between trying to get more salary or going for softer perks like being able to attend all conferences in my field, getting a signon bonus, etc. I was good and never said a number during the initial stages; they gave me a range to see if we were in the same ballpark: we were, but their range was surprisingly narrow (5K). A friend suggested to ask about where in the grade level does their offered salary fall; any other ways to ask for more money that don't just sound greedy?

Any and all advice is much appreciated.

Can This Job Offer Be Saved?

croatoan — Tue, 06 Mar 2007 07:28:14 -0800

I have a job offer, but the salary they're offering is too low. How can I negotiate a better salary? I've been a web developer (Programmer/Analyst II) at a University of California university for five years. Over two years ago, I started doing web application development that should have put me at Programmer/Analyst III based on this matrix. About a year ago I discussed this with my boss; he agrees I should be a P/A III and has started the paperwork, but things move really slow. He did the reclassification work for a colleague in our group, and his boss is sitting on the paperwork.

I wasn't really looking, but a Programmer/Analyst III opportunity came up at another university within the UC system that I was perfectly qualified for (actually, I'm overqualified), so I applied and I have a offer. The problem is, I'm making $67K, and the offer is $72K. The range for the position is $66-110K; the midpoint is $88K.

I was expecting something around the midpoint of the range based on my experience and skills. The offer is about what I'd expect to make at my current job after my next performance review, and it's less than I'd be making if my current employer had done the right thing and adjusted my salary with my increased workload two years ago. How can I negotiate a better offer?

Other stuff: The new job would be a better fit in terms of the technology they use, and the commute would be better. The benefits would be basically the same.

Job offer basics

messylissa — Sun, 14 Jan 2007 16:49:09 -0800

What are things I need to know to ask and say when I receive a job offer? And, conversely, when I don't? I had a second interview for my first professional, post-college, "Welcome to the Real World" job on Friday. They're calling tomorrow with their decision. I feel good about the interviews, and want to be prepared if when they call to offer me the position. What do I need to know to ask?

The job would involve me moving across the state, to a much bigger (and thus, more expensive) city. This is a lower paying job (the range they gave was $20K-$30K), so I imagine some salary negotiation might need to happen. Is it out of line to ask, and HOW do I ask for them to pay to move me? What are all the things to consider?

Obviously a rather open-ended question, but any career advice sites only give very specific advice, as well as other AskMeFi questions.

Oh, and, if it matters, this is for a project coordinator position in the alternative energy industry.

What is the average salary for assistant media planner?

herbiehancock00 — Tue, 26 Dec 2006 01:39:23 -0800

What is the average salary for an assistant media planner position and what are some tips in salary negotiation? I was just offered an assistant media planner position at a top interactive marketing agency (sapient) and will soon be discussing about salary. I've tried to find salary information for this position in the interactive marketing field but couldn't find any. Any help would be great. Also, I would like some tips on salary negotiation. I'm a recent college graduate so I don't have much experiences in this area.

How much to move

Deep Dish — Thu, 20 Jul 2006 18:50:00 -0800

I am interviewing for a new job shortly. I am trying to come up with a dollar figure for how much I should ask for. I will be changing cities, working a fairly similar job to the one I am in now, and moving to a city where the housing costs are slightly higher. How do I figure out how much I need to make the move? Is a calculator available to help with this decision? I am looking for raw numbers here, I will factor in social costs later. I own a small house, and my brother has agreed to assume the mortgage or rent the place. I would likely buy a house worth about 10K more than the one I live in now. I expect to incur some expenses in the transfer here but I expect worse case scenario is 2K.

My moving expenses would be fairly small. I don't own much. Two half-tonne loads going about 225KM should cover those expenses. Let's say maximum $500.

I earn right now somewhere around 33K-35K which is factoring in some profit sharing money, overtime and a bit of stock. I pay for most of my own benefits. I can usually expect a 3% raise every year. The stock I hold is the only retirement plan, and it has lost money recently and as far as I know has never paid a dividend. The profit sharing doesn't happen if the company loses money.

The new organization will pay more at least 37K a year, and I will probably seek 40-42K. The workweek is a half an hour a week shorter on average - I get every second Friday off. The benefit plan is cheaper and less comprehensive - which is fine because I don't use it much (knock on wood) except for glasses and drugs to deal with minor ailments from time to time (this year about $60 to me). I live in Canada so basic medical care is socialized. The pension plan is exceptional - if I stay there 20 years I probably retire a millionaire, and the workplace is unionized. Raises tend to come with every collective agreement. 3% is probably average. The Union dues are pretty stiff but tax deductible.

Taxes, auto insurance etc should all be the same.

Help me ask for a raise.

Anonymous — Sat, 05 Nov 2005 20:44:58 -0800

I'm a developer in the US and I make about $46k. For my position in my zip code, salary.com says that I should make around $60k. Help me ask for a raise. I work at a startup which explains part of my predicament. I accepted the below-market number because it seemed (seemed!) like a cool place to work and I knew at the time that the company couldn't afford what I was worth anyway. The founders also promised that they'd "take care of me." You may already see where this is going.

I've worked there a couple years and the job isn't as fun as it once was. On top of that, the low salary isn't helping. I'd like to get back into the ballpark of what I'm worth but I'm not sure what number to shoot for. I can't really ask for a 30% raise... can I?

One last thing. I'm about 6 yrs out of college but I've never had to bring up the subject. Either I've had decent bosses that brought it up on their own or the whole yearly-review thing brought it up for me. Now I have a miser of a boss and the thought has apparently not entered his mind since the day I started. Once I figure out the numbers, how do I start that ball rolling? These threads (salary negotiation strategies, Do I play hardball?) have been helpful and I'm open to other advice as well.

Show me the money!

Anonymous — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 08:49:04 -0800

What's the potential downside of claiming you have a job offer, when you don't, in order to renegotiate your current salary and position? And how bad would it look if they don't bite and I don't take the (non-existent) job?