On April 16th, 2022, I stood on a sidewalk in Washington, DC and asked strangers two questions that would change my life forever: What do you do? And how much do you make?Almost a year prior, I had begun a new role as a Senior Data Analyst making $90,000 supporting a military health communications contract. Unfortunately, this role quickly morphed into an unanticipated nightmare.<h1>Not What I Signed Up For</h1>Within my first month on the job, my only colleague was fired (or in contract speak, ‘reallocated to a different contract’). We were already stretched thin supporting analytics for six different departments, and with his departure, my workload tripled overnight.As the newest employee, I was scared to rock the boat and didn’t question when the role would be filled. I was certain they wouldn’t let me struggle by myself for long, but slowly I started working earlier and later. Soon I realized I was both starting and stopping work when it was dark outside. Work-life balance? I didn’t know her.Our client was stoked with my work though and as a glutton for positive feedback, I didn’t want to let them down. To keep up with the workload, I started clocking in 50+ hour weeks and began feeling the creep of burnout.&nbsp;I went to my managers, the same ones who told me they had my back and prioritized my well-being, and asked for support. This was when I learned that the funding meant to replace my fired colleague had already been spent months ago on analytics software I had no need for.&nbsp;&nbsp;At this moment, I began to question my role. What did the future hold for me here? And the biggest question of all: for all this stress, was I being fairly paid?<h2>Finding Out I Was Underpaid</h2>I typed into Google “What should a Senior Data Analyst in Washington, DC make?”. Each link I clicked on confirmed that I was underpaid roughly $20,000.&nbsp;This realization that I was underpaid hit me like a ton of bricks.&nbsp;I was confused. I thought my salary was fantastic, but each source said otherwise.&nbsp;I was angry. For months I had sacrificed so much of myself, my time, and my energy for a role in which I wasn’t even making close to my market rate.&nbsp;I was disappointed. I thought my company had my back and wouldn’t take advantage of me. At the end of the day, I was a great employee that they got at a fantastic discount.I decided to move quickly and take action. I pulled together a formal letter requesting a raise to match my market rate, which I supported with my market research, stellar reviews from our client about my work, and noting the impact I’d had on the contract.&nbsp;After several months of back-and-forth, my manager finally told me that they only granted raises to employees once they’d been with the company for at least a year, and even then, they didn’t hand out raises of more than 3-5% at any one time.<h2>What Now?</h2>I was shocked, but I refused to accept this fate. I immediately began looking for another job, and in my first interview, the recruiter asked me, “What are your salary requirements for this role?”Armed with my market research, I knew that I was looking for a range between $110,000-$120,000. I countered, “What is your budget for this role? I’m curious if my market rate falls in line with your predetermined budget.”Without skipping a beat, the recruiter responded, “Our allotted budget is around $115,000.” I told them that was exactly in line with my expectations, and a few interviews later, I accepted their offer of $115,000.Desperate to share what I had learned, I began posting videos on my personal TikTok account about these career experiences. I made a video sharing how much I made at every job I had, and the video went viral. Hundreds of people commented that they didn’t know analysts could make that much, that they worried they were underpaid too, and how this video had helped them realize their market rate.I began to conduct more research on pay transparency and learned that it would not only help close existing pay gaps that marginalized many workers, but it would also help improve employee productivity, morale, and loyalty. I realized that pay secrecy was helping companies profit off their workers by underpaying them, and something had to change.&nbsp;With that, Salary Transparent Street was born.&nbsp;<h2>Leading Change With Salary Transparent Street</h2>Our goal was simple: interview strangers about their careers, salaries, and experiences to help others recognize the value of pay transparency. Hopefully, with that momentum we could collectively demand corporations practice pay transparency. With the passage of multiple pay transparency laws in the past year and overwhelming support for pay transparency, I feel we’re achieving our goal.&nbsp;After posting our first video and going viral, I quit my analyst job to pursue this project full-time. Throughout my career, I’ve been searching for a role that would allow me to have a real impact and help people. Unbeknownst to me, realizing I was underpaid allowed me to create that dream job for myself by helping hundreds of thousands of people realize their market value and begin advocating for themselves.

Why I Started Salary Transparent Street

Hannah: Ryan! Thank you so much for being here! I would love to hear more about how you got started in labor law. What made you want to go to law school?&nbsp;Ryan:&nbsp; I'm one of the few lawyers who didn't dream of being an attorney. All I ever wanted to be was a firefighter. I worked really hard, I got a little bit lucky, and I got hired very young and got a solid almost five years out of the fire service. It was a dream come true. I was on a desert rescue squad. I got to work on a medic engine. I got to work with water tenders and do wildfire technical rescue. It was really awesome. My first firefighting assignment ever I made $94 a day for a 24 hour shift because I was a reserve firefighter. The stipend was just to pay for my meals, and then the county provided my gear and the truck and everything. But yeah, $94 bucks a day. That was it. When I wasn't volunteering at the firehouse, I'd go work for an ambulance company making 10 bucks an hour. When I got promoted into a more full time position, I made $8.25 an hour. This was back in 2012.&nbsp;Hannah: Did you ever try to reason with them, like "look at my experience, I'm worth more?"Ryan: It's tough in those kinds of positions. There's not really room for negotiation, but the big pay bump came when I got hired full time by CalFire. There, I was making $16.50 an hour so I doubled my pay. Still wasn't a lot, but with overtime, you can clear $60-70k in a year.Hannah: That’s WITH overtime, though. Guessing your work life balance sucked?Ryan: It was zero. During the fire season, I was never home and that was hard. I had no control over my schedule. On top of that, I can barely afford my truck and apartment. I can barely afford to live, and I have no work life balance. But I loved the job so much. To me, that was just the price of my career. But once I crossed the four year mark, I started looking ahead and thinking, “what do I really want my life to look like?” A fire captain once taught me this - you need to reverse engineer your career. Think of what kind of life you want, what your day to day looks like, what your family looks like, what you look like, and work backwards from there. It was a tough conversation to have with myself, because I still love the fire service, but I had to be honest and accept that this career is not going to give me the life that I want. So, I started reverse engineering. I applied to 13 law schools, and I got into zero. I was crushed, and I was scared. I left the fire service where I had a well respected career, consistent paycheck, and good benefits. I gave all that up to take the LSAT and try to go to law school, and the first thing that happens is 13 doors slammed in my face. I didn’t cry over rejection. I cried over regret. I was so angry at myself. I told myself I was ungrateful, reckless, a failure, that I'd ruined my life. It certainly felt that way for a minute. But, I studied and tried again, and while I didn't get a great score, it was good enough that California Western gave me a scholarship the next time I applied.&nbsp;Hannah: How many years is law school?Ryan: It's typically three, but I got it done in two and a half. You can knock out law school pretty quickly if you want to. The thing is, they don't really teach you how to be a lawyer. They'll teach you essential skills, but to actually get practice ready and be ready to advocate for clients, it's all about the mentorships, internships and the relationships you form. So, I worked at the district attorney, the United States Attorney Civil Frauds division, a superior court judge, a pro bono clinic. I did everything I could to get as much hands-on experience as I could. By the time everything was over, I was ready to start my own business.Hannah: Did you always want to practice labor law?Ryan: When I worked for CalFire, it was a difficult time for the department. We were coming out of the recession still, and we were critically understaffed and underpaid. Guys hadn't had a raise in a long time and morale was pretty low. I got assigned to a little detachment because word got out that I had a college education and I could write well. So I was helping a chief make notes on our collective bargaining agreement for the Union, and I was thinking, wow, a legally trained person can have a real impact on thousands of firefighters. It was cool to see chiefs advocating for us, and labor experts fighting for us and trying to make it better, and that put a little nugget in my head. But even then, I didn't actually realize it. I thought I wanted to be some kind of intellectual property copyright lawyer. Once I got my first taste of labor law, though, I realized that’s where it’s at. You get to stand up for victims, fight bullies, and help people make more money. You get to hold these corporations accountable once in a while. It's hands down the most rewarding for me.Hannah: How long did it take for you to make your first hire as a business owner? And when did you start making money and seeing that return?&nbsp;&nbsp;Ryan: So I was a solo practitioner until this year. 2022 has been an incredibly exciting year for the firm. 2021 was when I decided that, other than my VIP List, we're not doing defense anymore. I’m a worker’s rights attorney, and we are standing up for workers. Once we really leaned in, the practice started growing and I started making good money. Then, I had to make a choice - do I pocket it or throw money into the firm? Should we make some hires? The bigger the firm and its capabilities, the more accountable we can hold companies like Amazon. So, I decided to roll the dice. We added two new associates, a senior paralegal, my assistant/law clerk, who will be an associate soon. These are, in my opinion, the most talented individuals out there, and it makes me feel really good having them here.&nbsp;Hannah: Tell me more about your salary as a lawyer. How does it look now that you have a team?Ryan: I did take a pay cut this year, because I'm investing into my business and into my people, which I believe is the best investment I can make for my firm. I want them to feel supported and taken care of. Comfortably, I can do about $350,000. But the caveat to that is, as the owner, there's a big difference between the profit-taking and the W2. When you're a business owner, especially when you're trying to grow aggressively, it can get a little scary because you don't know. My advice to any entrepreneurs out there is, you're gonna eventually figure out how much you can comfortably make on a month to month basis. Give yourself at least eight months. Don't give up.Hannah: Can you be fired for talking about your pay at work?Ryan: The overwhelming rule for the vast majority of employees is no, you may not be fired for discussing your pay at work. You have a federally protected right to discuss pay and work conditions with your employees. If anyone wants to check that, that comes directly from the National Labor Relations Act, which was specifically enacted to give employees the protected ability to team up and help each other for the purpose of bettering their work conditions. This has been law for almost 90 years.&nbsp;Hannah: Can a company ask you to sign an NDA under the table that says you won't talk about pay at work?Ryan: This is why I'm so obsessed with putting out as much workers rights content as I can, because the power dynamic between employee and employer is incredible. First of all, they control the income. They control how much money you make. They can, in some ways, control your reputation, your quality of life, and then they have their lawyers draft up documents that look really legal and scary, and they tell you to sign it or be fired. It's not fair. The bad news is, they can throw any document they want in front of your face and ask you to sign it. They're not going to get in trouble just for asking you to sign, but a document that says you may not discuss pay, you must vote no on unions, you must always cross a picket line - those are illegal, invalid, and unenforceable. If your employer makes you sign a document like that, and then they retaliate against you when you discuss wages, that document is evidence against them. No court is going to enforce an agreement that is in direct violation with federal law.&nbsp;Hannah: What would you recommend new workers look out for that could be possible red flags of a bad employee or someone who's going to take advantage of you?Ryan: Trust your gut from the beginning of the recruiting and interview phase. In my opinion, you can smell trouble long before you get it. General rule is, anyone who makes you feel less than or acts like they’re high and mighty and powerful, red flag. They're giving you an early warning sign that this employment relationship is going to be one with an ego driven boss who sees you as someone who they can push around to make themselves feel better. You can also tell in the job description or social media pages. If you see anything criticizing prior employees, comments about lazy workers or missing work ethic, “thanks to Joe Biden” and stuff like that, red flag. We're looking for insecure bosses, ego driven bosses, arrogant bosses, those are the three you really want to stay away from and the easiest to spot. Someone who is insecure is going to blame everyone but themselves for their high turnover. They will literally fire or lose 20-30 people in a quarter and still not accept responsibility. So those are my first tips, I think.Hannah: So, if you have a worker who thinks that they're in a bad situation, what steps should they take for support?Ryan: Your specific move is going to depend on the specific situation. *Note - this is not legal advice* The first choice is to report it to HR in writing and keep a copy for yourself. Verbal complaints are worth the paper they're written on because then it's your word against theirs. Do a written complaint and put the company on notice that there is a legal violation. You have just protected yourself from retaliation, because you are the person making the report. I typically tell people not to trust HR, but then I tell them to go there first. That is only because, in most cases, you’ve got to show that the company knew or should have known there was a problem and that you reported it. That way, if they act up, we can draw the causal link between you enforcing your rights and the retaliation, even if they make up a reason. The other option is to file a complaint with your state Labor Board, the NLRB or the DOL. You're not going to see anything overnight, and you’re probably not going to make any money. The hope is there's an investigation and they correct the employer. The final option is to talk to a labor lawyer like me. If you merely have the policy in your handbook, it's not worth suing over. Just file the report. Other attorneys may feel differently,&nbsp; but that’s my opinion. If you actually get retaliated against, whether it’s a termination, a change in work schedule, pay cut, or something like that, that's worth suing over. In that case, I would strongly consider talking to an employment lawyer before you file the NLRB report. Having an attorney help you craft the complaint will help hold the employer more accountable. Those are three valuable tools to keep in your toolbelt.&nbsp;

Thanks for reading!To listen to Ryan's full interview, <a href="https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/5uf9mQD80zb">click here</a>.Follow @SalaryTransparentStreet on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/salarytransparentstreet/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@salarytransparentstreet">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/SalaryTransparentStreet">YouTube</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/salarytransparentstreet">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/whatdoyoumake">Twitter</a>, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/salarytransparentstreet/">LinkedIn</a>.Follow @AttorneyRyan on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/attorneyryan/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@attorneyryan">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@RyanStygar/featured">YouTube</a>, and <a href="https://twitter.com/The_LaborLawyer">Twitter</a>.Ryan's <a href="https://linktr.ee/attorneyryan">LinkTree</a> resources and <a href="https://www.centuriontrialattorneys.com/">Centurion Trial Attorneys</a> company.Do you want Ryan's legal help?: 📞 (888) CALL-RYAN

Fired for Talking About Pay?

What do you do and how much do you make?&nbsp;People have been asking me the first part of that question ever since I graduated college. However, the second part of that question is still seen as taboo and even “tacky” by many in our society. Salary transparency is here to challenge that idea to create a more equitable world of work.&nbsp;Salary transparency is when a company or individual openly shares their compensation. On a company level, its transparent pay policies that include listing salaries on job listings and publishing salaries internally to employees.&nbsp;On an individual level, it’s people discussing their pay with each other&nbsp; – whether that’s sharing it with friends, family, colleagues, officially within their organization, or online to end the gatekeeping culture around compensation. Because the secrecy around what we make at work only hurts the worker, not the company who’s profiting off of underpaid employees.This is why salary transparency is so important in our ever evolving world of work as we seek to close the gender pay gap – as well as other pay gaps including the racial pay gap, disability pay gap, age pay gap, and LGBTQ+ pay gap – and increase diversity and equal opportunities at work.&nbsp;

<h2>The Rise of Salary Transparency&nbsp;</h2>In the United States, the concept of salary transparency dates back to the early 20th century, when unions began demanding greater transparency around pay and benefits. Unions have historically been strong advocates for salary transparency, as it allows workers to negotiate better wages, benefits, and helps to keep employers accountable.In government and public sector jobs, salary transparency has also been the norm for many years. Many federal and state government agencies are required to make some form of wage information publicly available under laws like the&nbsp;<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/footer/freedom-of-information-act#:~:text=The%20Freedom%20of%20Information%20Act%20(FOIA)%20gives%20any%20person%20the,information%20found%20in%20the%20FOIA.">Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)&nbsp;</a>and state open records law.The private sector however, has just started to build momentum in a growing movement towards greater salary transparency. The rise of the internet, social media, and pages like our very own Salary Transparent Street fuels this rise with growing online communities and access to more transparent salary information.&nbsp;<a href="https://nypost.com/2023/03/10/i-found-a-listing-for-my-job-at-a-much-higher-salary-so-i-reapplied/">Employees&nbsp;</a>are now finding out that they were being underpaid at their jobs, including Salary Transparent Street’s founder, Hannah Williams, who found out she was making $20,000 less than her market rate&nbsp;which <a href="https://www.salarytransparentstreet.com/resource-hub/why-i-started-salary-transparent-street">inspired her to start STS</a>.&nbsp;

<h2>The Evolution of Pay Transparency Laws</h2>It’s perfectly legal to discuss our pay with each other as employees and employers can’t legally prohibit employees from sharing that information. Remember that the next time you read a company policy that says otherwise.Under Executive Order 11246, employees have the right to discuss their pay with other employees and applicants. It states that an employee “cannot be disciplined, harassed, demoted, terminated, denied employment, or otherwise discriminated against because you exercised this right,” according to the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/regs/compliance/factsheets/FACT_PayTransparency-Sept16_ENGESQA508c.pdf">U.S. Department of Labor</a>.Congress also passed the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nlrb.gov/guidance/key-reference-materials/national-labor-relations-act">National Labor Relations Act</a>&nbsp;(NLRA) in 1935 that provides employees at private-sector companies the right to seek better working conditions and representation without the fear of retaliation. However, public-sector employees are excluded, which are any state employees, local and federal government workers, agricultural and domestic workers, independent contractors, and workers who are employed by a parent or spouse. Air and rail carrier employees are covered under the&nbsp;<a href="https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/fra_net/1647/Railway%20Labor%20Act%20Overview.pdf">Railway Labor Act</a>.Additionally, there are currently 8 states that have enacted salary transparency laws that require disclosure of wage ranges. These states include Washington, California, Nevada, Colorado, Maryland, New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. The differing laws vary in definition from state to state. For example, Colorado requires employers to include in job listings “a general description of all of the benefits and other compensation to be offered to the hired applicant,” along with the hourly or salary compensation/range for their position. California, meanwhile, only requires employers to provide the pay scale in the job posting, not information about “compensation or tangible benefits.”16 other states are now considering&nbsp;<a href="https://www.americanprogress.org/article/quick-facts-about-state-salary-range-transparency-laws/#:~:text=8%20states%20have%20enacted%2C%20and,considering%2C%20salary%20range%20transparency%20laws&amp;text=Map%20showing%20the%20states%20that,%2C%20Rhode%20Island%2C%20and%20Washington.">pay transparency laws</a>, with legislation being introduced in Alaska, Georgia, Hawaii, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Oregon, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C.&nbsp;

Person explaining salary transparency benefits gif

<h2>Benefits of Salary Transparency</h2>Pay transparency has several benefits for both the employee and employer.For instance, it helps to attract and retain talent for companies while improving employees’ job satisfaction, trust, and increasing productivity. It also helps to improve the reputation of companies and builds a culture of openness with profound long-term effects.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2023/03/19/ways-hr-is-thinking-about-attracting-and-retaining-gen-z-talent.html">Gen Z candidates</a>&nbsp;now expect transparency, and companies could lose out on top talent by not providing it.&nbsp;Salary transparency encourages fair &amp; equal pay while closing several different pay gaps. The most recent significant impact of salary transparency has been its ability to&nbsp;<a href="https://qz.com/work/2118866/the-pros-and-cons-of-salary-transparency">close the gender pay gap by 45%</a>&nbsp;in transparent organizations, according to a study at the University of Utah’s business school.&nbsp;While there are several benefits of salary transparency, it also has its drawbacks. An&nbsp;<a href="https://hbr.org/2022/08/research-the-unintended-consequences-of-pay-transparency">unintended consequence</a>&nbsp;of transparent pay information is that it compresses pay and narrows the pay gap between employees at different levels of an organization or within a specific job category.&nbsp;Wage compression happens in two ways; salaries of lower-paid employees are raised to become more equitable with those of higher-paid employees, or when salaries of higher-paid employees are reduced to become more equitable with those of lower-paid employees. The second case is typically for higher-earning employees who have been historically cisgender white men that’ve out-earned other groups for decades 👀.

Corporate Bro gif with the words E-QUI-TY

<h2>How Companies Can Embrace Salary Transparency&nbsp;</h2>Achieving full salary transparency and pay equity will take more than the efforts of workers to break the stigma around talking about money. Three things have to come together to make this work – community, corporate, and congress. Congress and community are starting to do their part, with partial responsibility now shifting to corporate America.Even though there are no federal laws requiring private employers to disclose compensation information (yet), there are ways they can start embracing salary transparency sooner than later.A few ways corporations can start building equitable policies around pay include:<ul><li>Conducting a pay audit &amp; using data to set salary ranges:&nbsp;A pay analysis can help ensure pay equity internally for employees. This might include an audit on current compensation across organizations and referring to updated market and competitor pay data to compare to and update pay ranges.&nbsp;</li><li>Creating a pay transparency policy:&nbsp;Take into account applicable laws, company culture, and company reputation as you design a pay transparency policy that best fits. Will you need to share pay ranges on job listings and decide how to publish pay data internally to employees? How will you communicate these appropriately both externally and internally? Rolling the policy out in phases may be more beneficial to management than rolling it out all at once.&nbsp;</li><li>Preparing managers:&nbsp;Managers are going to be a big part of how a company communicates pay transparency policies to current and potential employees. This may especially change <a href="https://www.salarytransparentstreet.com/resource-hub/negotiate-salary-offer">how negotiations work</a> with management and they may be less able to grant personal requests in negotiations as their salaries and benefits are more standardized per each position.</li><li>Publishing the pay information internally:&nbsp;This is corporate marketing 101. The way that a corporation decides to communicate how they are publishing salary information internally will have an effect on how it’s received by their employees and potential employees.</li><li>Adjusting &amp; adapting:&nbsp;As you build and publish new pay transparency policies, it will take some time to adapt with the varying personalities and opinions on pay transparency within an organization. Keeping an open line of communication with employees and management about the changes and allowing them to feel like they are a part of decisions being made will help create the most successful outcome.</li></ul>

Gif with a person saying pay what you owe me plus 20% for the inconvenience

<h2>Salary Transparency is The Future of Work</h2>Salary transparency is good for both the employer and employee, challenging both to create environments where they can succeed and grow. Now with over half of America enacting and thinking about pay transparency laws, the movement continues to grow.&nbsp;(AD) Do you know if you’re fairly paid?&nbsp;Fill out this&nbsp;<a href="https://payscale.pxf.io/c/3976832/1542560/16772">short salary survey</a>&nbsp;from Payscale to get a free salary and benefits report, and learn how you compare in your overall market. You'll also get career path predictions, see companies hiring for your role, and find out what skills can help you get ahead.* Disclaimer * to add at the end: This is an affiliate link, which means we may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you click through the link and make a purchase from one of our partners.&nbsp;Need help researching your market rate? ? Download our&nbsp;<a href="https://view.flodesk.com/pages/626ccc8e1e8046b220253e47">free Market Research Guide</a>.Subscribe to&nbsp;<a href="https://view.flodesk.com/pages/629773b2f0870d83de7c7fc7">our weekly newsletter&nbsp;</a>for important recaps on the state of work culture, insightful interviews from successful professionals, and resources to help you navigate and advance in your career.Search through our&nbsp;<a href="https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6345d88312fa5e426dd843e3">4,000+ strong salary database&nbsp;</a>to explore real salaries near you!&nbsp;

The Importance of Salary Transparency

Companies have profited for years off of job candidates &amp; employees being scared to talk about pay and negotiate. Even though those same employers expect people to negotiate salary in a job offer, they often quote the lower end of the salary range in their budget knowing most candidates won’t try and ask for more.

Pay gaps can often be linked to the way different demographics approach negotiating salary. For instance, 42% of women say they don’t feel comfortable asking for higher pay vs. only 33% of men, according to a recent survey done by <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/04/05/when-negotiating-starting-salaries-most-us-women-and-men-dont-ask-for-higher-pay/">Pew Research Center</a>.&nbsp;It’s important to note that even though certain demographics tend to negotiate more than others, the responsibility of closing the pay gap and paying workers fairly is not on the worker. That falls on companies – something that the <a href="https://www.salarytransparentstreet.com/resource-hub/the-importance-of-salary-transparency">salary transparency movement</a> is nudging them to do.Regardless of who has more power in addressing these disparities, learning to negotiate salary is an invaluable skill to have.Key points:<ul><li>Researching your market rate and building a “brag sheet” can help build confidence when walking into negotiations.</li><li>There are pay transparency laws in each state that may affect your salary discussions.</li><li>You don’t have to accept a job offer right away. Ask for some time to review the offer so you can appropriately respond.</li></ul>

<h2>Salary Negotiation Preparation</h2>The worst way to walk into a salary negotiation is unprepared. You’ll need to show evidence and data to back up your ask and show your value, as well as be able to communicate effectively why you should be compensated as such.Being prepared for salary negotiations not only increases your chances of having your requests fulfilled, but it also boosts confidence so you can continue to advocate for yourself throughout your career.&nbsp;Here are a few steps you can take to prepare.<ol><li>Review Job Descriptions</li></ol>It’s best to start with reviewing different job descriptions of the positions you’re applying for, in addition to your current job. Understand the roles, responsibilities, and required qualifications to gauge the level of expertise and experience expected by employers.

2. Research Your Market RateDetermining your market rate involves researching how much you should be making according to your job title, unique skills, years of experience, location, education, and other relevant professional factors.&nbsp;Other elements to take into consideration are:<ul><li>What is the level of the position you’re applying for?</li><li>Are there any preferables that are listed in the job description that make you a more unique candidate?</li><li>Are there any on-call duties listed? Remember: you don’t work extra hours for free.</li><li>Is the role a hybrid role of several different duties that isn’t normally included in that type of position and because of it, the role is more demanding?</li></ul>Tools to UseUsing tools like our <a href="https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ls/click?upn=zv0OIymeN4PLIGdIdZnih3jFGmiW-2FGSoxGGMGlser-2BwOguwBMTEgQJsY4qhH3rAAPOe2EDDI00UIy4ZEFawHABGe497xisoasZBHn5AtyhCIEK4-2Bddj3wOvg-2F16F7gbxhODfEdzWqqbwNdN7v7k8k1bj40e4E0fPXKKrIyryk3K8EoiBmFtN-2Fdy-2FV-2FrKejf3j45vCaxaI7ve0nvhRHVB11JGdFIa49aT7MScN5eU1dBeuEU5ox2tDx-2BpybJHW9oQDGXBZxpcY9zxgN2ZNBQ8iNvMW3h4MizQT-2BjBgPiefF9dD9LKrkH2tInX-2BTIx0SUSUNtAsRV5e0BHUDDAnFg-2FwDL4ymaFAiZLuh1bebye6X9gv53JUjfiK-2FG5KsvzvDU2h-2BxByzFaL1Gv9L6uVmo-2BNvRxG2-2FXSeY-2FS07LIEyTNj2J-2B96yaE2IxrTZvlSb10lC4Su80C2fFc3JE7ilaPSxK62Hvtn1Xh9hfwET7GPlB46aZW8DFkNP7ntMbSkc5a-2Bb8M3KRQGej9Kgj9UY-2BjjNYO9JE8MPshT20BYXhNqoecn3hdktrdgV8s7NvkdEb8t6Dgh72ii306aloofOY2nUJEfUxJ4-2FUThWsp-2FacWm74eD02GB75o8F24AAoj7lxMnx12HcnIaKO9kmZosvtvzeNY6OxPd4EGvU1J071feIQNo5XGb7bU2DtErElkOwMHjs-2Bfa2YRNTwrtohpUbnj9rAf-2BkpMKeEmtnRThVHZIwbLyaMz3okzZpfMvEZVB1ltuNGItqpV4ds-2FrAzRjmSGMjEJ9AROXnFmqr4E-2BS6Glo8vWCDt4ptqh87AIGbVkMne8rKmLBqlIvgJAqYlhPMBIP9VxOni2hNZo70xEcMRgUnYrz-2FHuv0S1rJ42-2B-2F3GhDQ-2Bx-2FSmXH-2FuYQSNO3bqEEcksTmAxJHBiQhmWhJc8YoWXkPs-3DHngR_e-2FZz2TLfiAVe-2FKyTwnKoPmSWDbgl6CfX1faZKhVNwddssNFki5EKYzS82J-2BO2Pyn-2BiPHMJYI2i8dWArze612NznX8V-2BEeqN2Jg6R5igUjFYgNx7sBYR0qc-2BHCeQFI1Z9pkY6BklfFnppiI1SZQhvllxP5JCKmMb6WcfLgwAbC1QSKrppXtVJUMQOqzs76zWOOHoyVe6aRAxRxg50czKwGJk-2BbLZq5fTpaoe0GKHrPwIUE1OLaR9jx9rLJwWUowy2x1k4NbgBrkhjQNoNF0WFN0s06-2F97H6RvYEv4FUth6Im09y2Ui8LtjQCuUnaaV2L3RFrltJ-2BmAu87sZTlENdrCqg7-2FrqlTvdk0bkcntcM8FbHVJjNI-2BSSZEKd-2F-2BNo-2BdcTaFftwpuquOW8ffBayNp6kmh-2Bn5uHH0Fax4pmvNyi4DXn3kGQpHtNdSYxiP03-2Fs8-2F">Market Research Guide</a>, as well as <a href="https://indeedhi.re/42dWSF9">Indeed</a>, <a href="https://payscale.pxf.io/c/3976832/1542560/16772https://payscale.pxf.io/c/3976832/1542560/16772">Payscale</a>, and <a href="https://www.salary.com/">Salary.com</a> can give you a rough starting point of what your lowest and highest salary would be, a.k.a. your market salary range. Then calculate the average and median of your data to get your expected salary rate.&nbsp;From there, you can then gain additional insights from your network. This is where the best research is going to come from – the people you actually know. People like your friends, family, people in your network on Linkedin, past colleagues or bosses, or anyone you think will be comfortable with having that conversation. You’ll have to share with them why you’re asking and be prepared to share your salary as well.Other tools to gather salary data:<ul><li>Use our anonymous<a href="https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ls/click?upn=zv0OIymeN4PLIGdIdZnih3jFGmiW-2FGSoxGGMGlser-2BwOguwBMTEgQJsY4qhH3rAAGsCEz0pkuKMU8YNH4usjTfsO69zG3wJ5vctA-2Bmu3pa9D1zsWrC8BvF7-2FxsKoCvHhHJ0TKOanvGuC-2FR99DahLCoZ8EhNRW57TYNjmVBpXbRre6NAzjgM9zogYqIZBKQFoMcFSjFLjPXCh0dcEvyEcQM3k0dq7bfRIn9X1J9VFg5LBQsxE1tSvmb81bta-2F3Dy8nKVvQvtxahKB-2FwaSP8U93m2-2F8e9B02l9HorZRBBJ1hXOZqNqpa9soF0OZRr5rRM4HD1CMcgKrMwxQdD9S-2ByNvzOs5n2mFxrzYqTAj0PMGGwcULG6B48ImnLPKKRqzoHDxnq9pLlUDa9-2FYYRZvQ-2Bkf69rD3ppgiRawqckMA0a-2F3rlj3IAXxMwK38q-2FFs8YyljTfI28jus1SvcD-2FVLYjFROtyfbXIrKfvsOWyJHDaYIbt3eNfC-2B4as-2BfOkAtRfRYJytXaoYU60a4cnLgVvdGOLw2OtzzHowAOMCbiuYmJrrN-2F2wXuMc-2F0400KdvbnvM3KCzfou-2ByD260s-2BxYvhr2SgMxau28QmGs-2FB749o7YqAHEHkYFMdDf1O24JKv4jtU8x0ODjzjcdTD1y0XMLNwowpHonp-2BMefIyI-2BhdWAmHIrNX-2FHZCIRaNPTIiArfafWCxJgS87DYjhT-2BN5mwXEYzbdwu-2FKLiTPV-2F3oRBL-2BgudWyQZhfsS7B2IeF-2F-2BcQFZdI7n9ua1bh-2B-2FIF0gBsTxr8Yv16tT3yksW2SAYI3wRvoCCtuEssxHgRyKgEKX3pBd8BhDclG6dgXAZNpHjZ0-2BQZRxtNMpXJcaNxUVSjh7OJ5H9Jr6IZBXIPAiHf3IWvfEmDqsA9eoL5UUcybTM2uZzZLyPLT6tmo665FYxCua7-2BGFEFAUZdeIIHIzD8UvvP-2BrRsgWf4glTK0jzPWAJmn3rlEsBhB0PVjfXGh0Ml3oT3XkndAC078E8ykzd1KUDVrk0ZpwH-2F1dhR_e-2FZz2TLfiAVe-2FKyTwnKoPmSWDbgl6CfX1faZKhVNwddssNFki5EKYzS82J-2BO2Pyn-2BiPHMJYI2i8dWArze612NznX8V-2BEeqN2Jg6R5igUjFYgNx7sBYR0qc-2BHCeQFI1Z9pkY6BklfFnppiI1SZQhvllxP5JCKmMb6WcfLgwAbC1QSKrppXtVJUMQOqzs76zWOOHoyVe6aRAxRxg50czKwGJk-2BbLZq5fTpaoe0GKHrPwIUE1OLaR9jx9rLJwWUowy2x1k4NbgBrkhjQNoNF0WFN0s06-2F97H6RvYEv4FUth6Imrfa0-2F-2BxTjG3OdrSIYlocWxsYTIfq71hmXvoFw-2F9benJZQep7JyzqgXNcQ3qBwGAbt6pL66Uo56gAbkTLXCqDXYRYGYM3ztLhXwoSNZD-2Bj5S32ezt8cP73IPW-2FaJfjxrFI3aYiQvDPT0pzjOndyclQ"> Salary Transparent Board</a> of 5,000+ individual recorded salaries.</li><li>Watch our <a href="https://link.mail.beehiiv.com/ls/click?upn=zv0OIymeN4PLIGdIdZnih3jFGmiW-2FGSoxGGMGlser-2BwOguwBMTEgQJsY4qhH3rAAy6A2RB2WanBYqhZ-2BWR6zhMWkx1-2FPeh6hHCywtXO5-2FZhIcWne8HcGCzQfLygNx-2FHUtSlRCOIYEkGLDvvO5gWQoHBofvrkJbCdHpMDJNpVI-2FjYuwtwKn52IksF-2F7j2oYgSint9TAjbwFs3ESjdvEaxaXs2qDLM9dqGcJehaB2yFSJ8DqKWn5iHEaXJz9rZTyC5S7DSs859-2FRfcGWWNPMvdP8fGEOHB-2FCDk4e4uAiA9E6CSKjGc7Il7F3INOOJnGpCPu8Ytl97tHafFAFOzX8D708Rb9B373C-2BmVqVxRhtuiHouU-2BZuZMKfzC1uRjk588pG-2FRqyXLj0iTUMKj2CnLtlqtOLX2tpov1fLeyqZX5olDjOdYw8kNdvVkgoP0HMri0Ia355U-2BvD79tlC6NnY7Nl8YwTvepG8E3BtLGxJc77L3n4kFECnQxmoCfz4mOhWXLqKTbQhuUSuUxvBExitRqkzNPANQ4TlZEzLL8xV6iHN-2FRbLQR2YRYrsZqur-2BGtZSkJ5IA02XHg-2Fnpzlt7OYfCG-2Fd5Ft8YO0kg4KwKFSFx5BtXi1OEznsIpV0psyUI4JWU2i5Y6tAeR4-2FvGX2uKT2uNR0-2FausMTUE2dJPRFasQDFpzfSnO7WByDuLf-2FaEeubgklSqccPY-2BOslaKaqnCzempR5D14iqL3ktMbDelxgYqRN-2FMlf49JJff7oiNkUI8yM2FIrSwu7i7g4qT9zD-2FLjwaiO5iZSCJH0NKT8zYiU1eBWZHk07Ux7n-2FxhcxO6OQtYuYHBu2hJdWYHWOnwrnLeW-2FWRtxmQ-2Bc9CMGwjbdctBMz1Fdb4ub9hSVGgk-2FN-2FY6Upc2w4F0EVWb-2BRm1m0UAj85rtcwZxv-2FU8VndAafW2ATbBeo-3Dmrdb_e-2FZz2TLfiAVe-2FKyTwnKoPmSWDbgl6CfX1faZKhVNwddssNFki5EKYzS82J-2BO2Pyn-2BiPHMJYI2i8dWArze612NznX8V-2BEeqN2Jg6R5igUjFYgNx7sBYR0qc-2BHCeQFI1Z9pkY6BklfFnppiI1SZQhvllxP5JCKmMb6WcfLgwAbC1QSKrppXtVJUMQOqzs76zWOOHoyVe6aRAxRxg50czKwGJk-2BbLZq5fTpaoe0GKHrPwIUE1OLaR9jx9rLJwWUowy2x1k4NbgBrkhjQNoNF0WFN0s06-2F97H6RvYEv4FUth6IkFjJ4H48iiSEZ4XTnxSHQJq0lWTpMMW00aOvxnS93I6WuMJoonHKf4G5QjA4SXHfKSk-2BKYlUsRAuQrfHiPbrBF2xmoUL3Ejl0gpop0rwUwpaDcRk-2Fj4mCf-2B5DQAB6Ip40CXahht4nOcg8zEJvG8NGx">YouTube</a> for interviews with real people about what they do and how much they make.</li></ul>

3. Know Your BoundariesOnce you get to know your expected salary a little better, you’ll be able to set better boundaries around your salary, benefits, and what is expected from you in your new role. Think about your absolute “musts” for you to be able to accept a job offer.Determine your absolute lowest salary you’re willing to accept and quote a salary range above that in the case that they negotiate it down. Then think about other things you need in order to thrive in your new role like remote work, health benefits, a 401(k), or anything else that you need included in your total compensation for you to accept that offer.

4. Practice, Practice, PracticeOnce you’ve gathered all the necessary data and you’re preparing to talk about salary with the recruiter or hiring manager, it’s time to practice. Talking about money and pay is awkward for everyone. Practicing those conversations and what you’re going to say will help make these conversations a little easier.Building a “brag sheet” of all your accomplishments can also help give you more confidence in these discussions. This is basically a spreadsheet or document where you brain dump everything you’ve ever done or accomplished in your career. Then pick a few that you can apply directly to the role to show your unique value and why you should be paid appropriately.&nbsp;

<h2>How to Negotiate Salary: The Nitty Gritty</h2>The salary negotiation process can start at any stage, whether that’s with the salary range posted in the job description, in the introductory interview, or upon receiving a job offer.When is it appropriate to bring up salary expectations?If the job posting doesn’t list a salary range, bring up salary expectations as soon as you can.&nbsp;An appropriate time to do this could be towards the end of an introductory interview when the recruiter or hiring manager asks you if you have any questions. You can simply respond with “What is the salary range for this position?” This is so your time isn’t wasted on several stages of interviews only to find out that the salary is half of what your market salary is.

Compensation Isn’t Only SalaryThe total compensation package is more than just your salary. Total compensation includes your salary, bonus, and anything that falls under employee benefits like health insurance, retirement plan matching, and education stipends.When talking about salary expectations with the recruiter or hiring manager, you can also ask what benefits they offer. Usually companies list their benefits on the careers section of their website or in the actual job postings themselves, but some don’t. When you ask about benefits, you can even ask for their benefit packet and they’ll most likely be fine with sending that to you.Know Your Pay Transparency RightsLook up your location on the <a href="https://my.visme.co/view/8roxdkrq-pay-transparency-law-map">Salary Transparent Street Interactive Map</a> to see if your state, city, or county has any pay transparency laws that protect you in negotiations. For instance, if you’re in the state of Washington and a hiring manager asks you in an interview what you made at your last job, you don’t have to answer that question. That question is actually illegal in Washington, as well as 20 other states.However, if they ask you to provide your expected salary, you can provide them a range.

<h2>Negotiating Salary In The Job Offer Stage</h2>Alright, you’re on the home stretch to the finish line of your job search and receive a job offer. Congratulations! But you don’t have to accept an offer on the spot. Whether they present the job offer to you over the phone or over email, ask if you can have 24 - 48 hours to review the offer. If you can do this in an email, that’s most ideal.Once you’re ready to accept or want to negotiate for more in the job offer, use this format in your response:<ol><li>Thank them for the offer</li><li>Let them know how excited you are to accept the position</li><li>Share that the only concerns you have is with the proposed salary</li></ol>Then you can say something along the lines of: "Based on the market rate for the role, my expected salary based on my location, skills, education, and years of experience is $X." Emphasize your value, skills, &amp; expertise that best match the company’s goals, and use your research and brag sheet to back it up.

<h2>Final Thoughts</h2>Negotiating and advocating for yourself as much as you can will help you get paid what you deserve, but it won’t protect you from employers saying no or passing on you as a candidate. When an employer can’t budge on salary, consider negotiating for other things like remote work, more paid time off, or other benefits that are important to you.&nbsp;Employers can also pass on candidates because they’re going for the cheapest talent possible. In that case, you probably don’t want that job anyway.Stand firm, hold your ground, and keep going. We’re rooting for you!Follow us on <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@salarytransparentstreet">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/salarytransparentstreet/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/salarytransparentstreet">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/salarytransparentstreet">YouTube </a>and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/salarytransparentstreet/">LinkedIn </a>for daily pay transparency interviews and career news you can use!Explore over 5,000+ individually reported salaries nationwide across all industries in our <a href="https://view.flodesk.com/pages/6345d88312fa5e426dd843e3">Salary Database</a>!Need help determining your market rate? Download our free <a href="https://view.flodesk.com/pages/626ccc8e1e8046b220253e47">Market Research Guide</a> to learn what you should be making.Subscribe to our <a href="https://salarytransparentstreet.beehiiv.com/subscribe">weekly newsletter</a> for news updates, professional deep dives, learning opportunities, and more!Send us an email ➡️ hello@salarytransparentstreet.com

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