How to figure out your salary in your next job

Figuring out your salary in your next job comes down to two things: research and knowing your worth. Whether you've spotted a new opening at your company, you're eyeing a career change, or you're already looking for a new job and want to check the pay against your skills and experience, the same question sits front and center: what will you actually earn? Do the homework, and you'll know whether an offer is fair and where you have room to negotiate.

Key takeaways

• Research the market rate for your role by job title, location, and years of experience.
• Use posted salary ranges in job listings as a starting benchmark.
• Weigh total compensation, including bonuses, equity, and benefits, not just base salary.
• Let the employer name a number first.
• You don't have to share what you currently earn.

Step 1: Do your online research

First, get a sense of what people in your position earn. This depends on more than job title. An office manager in San Francisco earns a different average than one in a smaller market, and your years of experience count too. A search on Glassdoor Salaries gives you a baseline for the role you're eyeing, so you can compare it to what you're being offered. With Glassdoor's salary tools, you don't have to guess.

Many job postings now list a salary range, thanks to pay-transparency laws in a growing number of states. Use those posted ranges, along with any salary estimate shown on a listing, as a starting benchmark, and cross-check them against free government wage data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics before you apply.

Scott Irvine, a Glassdoor Community member, offered a practical tip: "You can use any of the job search apps to see where your job is as far as price range (according to experience, area, company) and compare to the offer of compensation bracket from the new company."

Step 2: Do your in-person research

The internet only tells you so much. Talk to people who work at the company and others in the industry to fill in the picture. Reaching out through your professional network or over social media can reveal factors behind an offer you wouldn't spot online. A recruiter on the Glassdoor Community described their routine: "I usually get ready with my researching on local market rates, then discreetly asking people at the company for their expectations."

Step 3: Decide if you'll negotiate

If your market worth is higher than the offer, or even if it isn't, consider negotiating. Knowing the salary range for your position gives you leverage. Tie your target to your responsibilities and the value you bring, come prepared with research and the right questions, and be ready to explain why you deserve the pay you're asking for.

Common pitfall: don't anchor your ask to your current salary. "For me, knowing my worth is crucial. I always check my responsibilities and how they align with the new role," wrote one Glassdoor Community member.

Step 4: Think about what other benefits matter to you

Salary matters, but it's one factor among many. Personal fulfillment, location, work-life balance, and room to grow all shape whether a job is right for you. When you weigh an offer, look at total compensation, not just base pay:

• Cash bonuses, tips, and commissions
• Equity or stock
• Medical and dental benefits
• Paid time off
• Commuter subsidies and other perks

These all factor into what a job is really worth.

Step 5: Ask and let the company reveal

One of the biggest mistakes job seekers make is not asking direct questions. Be confident and ask for the salary range for the role. In a survey conducted for Glassdoor by The Harris Poll, 83% of U.S. employees and job seekers said transparency around pay bands or targets is very or somewhat important to feeling included at work¹, according to Daniel Zhao, Glassdoor's chief economist. Recruiters know this, and they expect the question.

You also don't have to tell an employer what you currently earn. Let the employer make the first offer, then follow up with a number that shows why you deserve to be hired at a better pay rate. One supervisor in the Glassdoor Community keeps it simple: "I always ask what the range is for the role. I try to never give them a number. I ask for the range and then tell them my requirements fall within that range."

Informed candidates make better decisions and earn recruiters' respect. Come prepared, and salary stops being a guessing game.

Want to compare notes with other job seekers? Join the Glassdoor Community and swap salary experiences in the Salary Negotiations bowl.

Methodology

¹ Glassdoor Economic Research, "Pay Transparency Laws Shine a Light on Salaries," Daniel Zhao, November 16, 2022. Based on a survey of U.S. employees and job seekers conducted for Glassdoor by The Harris Poll.