Salary Negotiation Tips: How to Negotiate Your Pay When Starting a New Job

Most people will agree that the central factor in considering a job opportunity is salary. When it comes down to whether or not to accept a job offer, salary is going to be the deciding factor in most cases. So how do you negotiate your salary when you are starting a new job? Before you get into any salary negotiations with prospective employers, do a little homework so that you know how to get through this whole process successfully.

When preparing to negotiate your salary you need to find out how much you and the job are worth. Take some time to research salaries so that you know what you deserve and can effectively say why you deserve it. Investigating will also tell you if a job offer is sensible or unreasonable. Check with online job calculators like Salary Wizard. These sites let you research salaries by both industry and location. You can determine the average salary for your position, as well as some additional information that takes both your experience and prospective employer into account. Salary.com and CBSalary are two other free online salary calculators you might want to try. Visit websites and directories of professional associations as well. Review government reports like the U.S. Department of Labor's "Occupational Outlook Handbook" on the internet. It provides national data (revised every two years) on salary as well as other information for hundreds of jobs. Talk with people who work in the industry you're targeting, along with recruiters and competitors in your field. And lastly, check out online communities, search and utilize message boards, and look at business and industrial trade magazines to gain a little more insight regarding your salary goals.

After researching your salary, take a moment to look at yourself. Knowing yourself is vital to successful salary negotiation. You need to know your skills, accomplishments, work ethics, qualifications, and experience so that you can sell them for a specific price. If you are asking for an above average salary, ask yourself if your credentials are actually above average. You can't expect something for nothing!