Salary Question

[Anonymous]

Ykonwanderer

 

You would be doing yourself a great disservice if you didn’t at least shoot for the higher pay. You have an idea what people are being paid at your skill level. I say figure out what’s the least you’ll accept and make it happen. Only you know what your worth.

 

It actually sounds like a cool place to work. You have unique skill and you’ll do just fine.

 

Best!

[ykonwanderer]

If you read me listing my skills as self-aggrandizement then that’s your prerogative, but it’s puzzling to say the least.  

 

I have read far more self-aggrandizement coming from you in a different thread, where people suggested you start your own company since you already do everything better and know more and find your boss so incompetent…

[nca]

Large engineering firms typically pay more in my limited experience. The trade off is working for engineers, lol.

 

Probably better to know your potential worth than always stuck with the mindset that you owe someone a favor for your hard work.

 

Just go for what you think you’re worth. I thought, and still do think I am worth a lot more than what I work for now, but it is what it is.

[nca]

If all the new grads started asking for six figures there might actually be some opportunities.

[Anonymous]

Oh my!

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

Negotiating a pay rate is like making an offer on a house and applying for a mortgage. You need a credit rating and money in the bank. The more you have of each, the stronger you are.

Most importantly and not talked about so much is that having alternatives strengthens your position whether you are the buyer or the seller (employer or employee). The ability to walk away from the deal is the only thing that empowers you to negotiate.

Currently, the employer in most cases has a greater ability to walk away from the deal in more cases than the employee. This was much more the opposite as recently as three years ago.

I negotiated my pay four years ago because I had a job. They did not meet my needs right away – they walked away. But several months later they reaized that they had fewer alternatives, so we talked again and struct a bargain. They discovered that they had less options and I compromised to be closer to home (when gas went over three dollars). The only bargaining chip that I had was that I already had a job. The fact that I met the job description only made me qualified to do the job. It did not empower me to hold my ground on negotiations – the fact that I could walk away did.

If you can walk, you can negotiate whether you are an employee or employer. If you can’t walk, negotiation is risky business.  … just don’t misjudge the other party’s ability to walk away.

[ykonwanderer]

Yeah, I have been considering applying to other firms to see if I could get an offer and then I could relax a little bit about things.

[ykonwanderer]

Another question:

 

Does the hourly billing rate have any effect on what they offer?  I know they bill out “newbies” (i.e landscape designers) at $85-95 an hour for most types of services.  Standard practice in determining these things is to triple what you are paying your employees right?  Obviously they’re not going to be paying us a third of $90, but it certainly should be well within the $20 dollar range, no?

[Dennis J. Jarrard, PLA, CLARB]

Have you thought, as talented as you are and with whatever extraordinary skills you bring to the table, that your employers like you and your abilities and are hoping they can get all of your skills at a reasonable rate…..slightly more than what you a currently earning?  If you demand something that increases your current wage 50% or more they may have second thoughts.

[ykonwanderer]

I would not be asking for a 50% raise, not at all.  I just know that I took the intern position with what is considered the lowest rate for interns (according to my profs) and am hoping they’re not expecting me to also take the low rate in salary.  I’m hoping to get the average, or more if possible.

[Dennis J. Jarrard, PLA, CLARB]

They probably will pay you a third of that $90, but it will not be all in cash.  There are other components to a compensation package.  Vacation, sick and personal time, insurance etc.  That being said your salary rate might be $20 dollars an hour but if you look at your true compensation that the firm is responsible for it might be in the range of $30 per hour.

[ykonwanderer]

That’s true, I’m sure I will be getting dental benefits and chiropractor/massage/physio benefits, etc.  So there is that.

[Chupacabra]

Do research specific to your area and figure out current ballpark numbers – what other people are getting in the US isn’t all that relevant – it needs to be for up north, in Canadian pesos, and for right now. There’s significant variation in starting salaries just between US states, let alone between the US sun belt and remote northern Canada.  When I was looking for My First Job I had offers in Arizona, Hawaii, and Alaska and they ranged from 43K with crap benefits to 53k with killer benefits.

 

Decide what your cut-off is going to be. If 40k is insultingly low, then make a higher number your cut-off point (43k or whatever), but do this only if you have a viable plan B – if a low salary is the only offer you have then you should plan to take it.  Also, if a low starting salary will lead to higher pay in 6 months or to good experience, you should factor that in.

 

Have them make you an offer.  Unless they hit the top end of your salary band I would ask for a few points more.  As others have said, do your negotiations with some respect and humility.  You’re still just an entry level drone.

[Chupacabra]

Above is good advice.  Definitely look at the total package and don’t get wrapped up on just your salary.

[ykonwanderer]

Yes, of course I would be respectful and humble.

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