Salary & Compensation

Eight Things That Can Boost Your Pay

The value of the "face" - the person doing the job - is the value of the "space" adjusted for characteristics known to have an influence on an individual's pay. Salary.com calls these "personal variables."

Top of the Pay Range

Salary talk:When your compa-ratio - the ratio of your pay to the market rate for your job - significantly exceeds 100 percent, either your employer is extremely generous, your job is in great demand, or you are ready for a promotion.

Merit Increase

Salary talk: Raises typically range from 3 to 5 percent per year, but in times of economic uncertainty, some companies may give no raises at all. Is it unrealistic to hope for 10 percent?

Negotiating for Meaning

Intangible benefits: Reflect on the type of work you are doing. Do you pick up trade publications when you get home at night? When people who know you find out what you do for a living, are they surprised or do they say, "That seems just like you"?

Now I Have Some Experience

Salary talk: Pay and proficiency usually go hand in hand. For the first few years at a new level, employees typically earn less than the median. Then, as skills and proficiency improve, pay typically follows.

Tuition Reimbursement

Most companies that offer tuition reimbursement base the amount on the employee's grade in the course. Some companies pay at registration, but others reimburse only after successful completion of the coursework. Ask about timing of reimbursement.

How to Ask About Training

Training, especially for junior and entry-level workers, can be a very important benefit to weigh when considering a job offer. Be sure to think of your future career development, not only your future within an organization.

The Salary.com 2008 Salary Value Index

Is your paycheck not stretching far enough? Are you considering moving to a new town? Perhaps you're even having trouble finding a job. If so, it may be time to look at one of the cities at the top of Salary.com's Salary Value Index.

2007 Salary Survey: What Affects Earning Potential in Learning and Performance?

The ASTD market research department conducted surveys with more than 7,000 people in 2007, providing a broad view of salaries across nine areas of expertise in the workplace learning and performance field.