Salary is always important when it comes to finding a job. However, it’s usually something that’s negotiated during an interview, so it’s very important to research average salaries when applying for jobs. That way, if brought into interview, you’ll know the facts and can bargain accurately. Most employers will seriously consider your named price if you have research to back it up. If you tell them that you discovered that the average salary for your profession is $50,000 (and you can name a reputable source), but you then tell them that you have skills and experience above the average worker (and you prove it), you could get a $55,000 or $60,000 offer. If you don’t have any of that research to back up your offer, an employer is more likely to give you a lower value.
There are other uses for salary research, too. If salary is listed in a job advertisement, you should still do take the time to check the number. You will want to know if the salary the company names is lower or higher than average. You don’t want to apply for a job that will pay you less than it should.
You can find salary information at a variety of places online. One of the biggest and most reputable websites is Salary.com. Here you can search for average salaries in your profession. Plus, this salary wizard will alter the figures based on your location. Average salaries in New York City and California are usually higher than in other states and smaller cities. This difference is designed to compensate for higher costs of living in these areas.
According to Salary.com, the following are the average salaries of ten common professions:
-Nursing (Staff RN): $62,000
-Civil Engineering (Entry-level): $53,500
-Restaurants and Food Services (Manager): $47,000
-Executive Assistant: $50,000
-Education (Public School Teacher): $51,000
-Systems Analyst (entry-level): $54,000
-Pharmacist: $107,000
-Videographer: $61,000
-Account Executive: $63,000
-Copywriter: $43,000
Salary.com doesn’t have to be your only resource, though. It’s good to compare and contrast data you collect. If Salary.com reports an average salary of $50,000 but another source reports the salary for the same position is around $60,000, then you know there is a range of opinions on this matter. With this knowledge, you can really negotiate your salary if you are hired by a company. So, make sure you are armed with all the data you can find when you perform a job search and go into an interview. Try looking at all of the following websites:
-Yahoo! HotJobs (hotjobs.yahoo.com/salary)
-Salary Wizard (swz.salary.com)
-PayScale (www.payscale.com)
-SalaryExpert (www.salaryexpert.com)
Each of these websites have salaries for different industries and occupations.
