Using Salary Surveys in Your Job Search

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Salary information isn't easy to find. Comprehensive and detailed salary surveys are usually collected by Companies or Commercial Services. The information is rarely available to outsiders or is available only at a prohibitive price. For the job seeker most of the usable salary information will come from the government or trade and professional associations. Often this information is only published in summary form or available to members only.

You must understand your labor market situation to benefit from salary surveys. The salary rates for some positions are determined on a national (or even international) basis. The salaries for other positions are based solely on the local labor market conditions. For example, the salary for a CEO at a Fortune 500 firm is based on salaries paid for similar positions in the USA or Canada. The Salary paid to a Bookkeeper in Dallas, Texas is based on the Dallas labor market and the salary for a similar position in San Jose, California is not relevant

The surveys come from several kinds of sources. You'll want to evaluate the information in terms of age, currency, geographic coverage and application to your own situation.

The Salary Survey Directory is a comprehensive list of links to Sites and articles containing salary, compensation and benefits information. Also included are links to specific advice and tips on salary negotiations, cost of living differentials, and salary calculators. The Salary Survey Directory is organized by Industry and Profession and includes more than 1,200 Sites.