Salary Research for Job Seekers

After getting a better-paying job, one of our clients came back to us after just three months. He explained that he wasn't fitting into the new company's culture and wanted to find another job. He had received a 50% salary increase compared to his previous job. This situation isn't strange to me because I always advise my network not to solely focus on salary when looking for a new job. However, many people make this mistake by only comparing the offered salary on paper to their current salary. Don't do these mistakes when you got a very high salary job offer. 1. Total Compensation structure: Don't just look at the gross CTC. Many companies show Super bonus and incentive on paper with certain conditions that you never got that. Consider the entire compensation package, including benefits and perks. Sometimes, a lower base salary might be balanced out by great benefits like healthcare coverage or retirement contributions. 2. Cost of Living: Take into account the cost of living in the area where the job is located. Salaries can vary widely depending on geographical regions, so adjust your salary expectations accordingly. 3. Career Growth: Evaluate the potential for career advancement and growth opportunities within the company. Accepting a lower starting salary might be worth it if it offers the chance for quick advancement or skill development. 4. Company Culture: Think about the company's culture, values, and work environment when assessing the offer. A supportive and inclusive culture can lead to job satisfaction and overall well-being, which may justify accepting a slightly lower salary. 5. Flexibility/Location: Now a days no one would like to work for a strict company that just treat their employees as labour and do not provide them flexibility as they required to balance their work-life. Let salary not alone a reason to leave or join a job.

Your company won’t fix your pay gap. You will. Negative truth: lateral hires often make more than long-timers at the same level. They walk in with counter offers and market corrections; you walk in with “we’ll see at annual hikes.” Most companies aren’t proactive or flexible. Your one real shot is a review cycle or a delayed promotion every few years. So how do you handle this personally? Step 1: Know your Pay Gap Index (PGI) PGI = (Market median − Your total comp) ÷ Market median. If you’ve stayed put, expect ~20–25%. That’s the reality for many long-timers. Treat PGI > ~20% as a warning light. Track it yearly. Your goal is to compress the delta, not magically erase it in one shot. Step 2: Set two targets (absolute + relative) 1) Your Personal Number. A clear yearly amount that keeps pace with your FIRE goals, investments, and lifestyle inflation. If you hit this, you’re financially okay, even if you’re not at full market. 2) The Gap Delta. A plan to narrow the spread with laterals over time. Progress over perfection. Step 3: Work the system you’re in Companies run on bands, budgets, and timing: Bands: each role has a pay ceiling. Budgets: mostly fixed; exceptions are rare. Timing: raise the bar around reviews or after visible impact. Translation: don’t just ask for money, negotiate scope. Scope → level → band → pay. Step 4: Ask for a comp reset, not “fairness” Make a simple, business-first case: - Problem → what you owned → measurable outcome (revenue, cost, risk, customer impact). - Show your current scope already matches the next level. - Anchor to market ranges for your role and location. Step 5: Keep real options alive You are always one job switch away from a market reset. Keep it on cards: - Light interview practice each quarter. - Living portfolio (design docs, active GitHub, PRs, dashboards). - Quiet market intel on ranges for your role. This isn’t disloyal, it’s smart leverage. ----- If the gap stays high, choose a path If your company can’t close the gap or meet your Personal Number for two consecutive years: - Try internal mobility to a higher-scope role that unlocks a new pay band. - If that stalls, make an external switch. Set expectations (and protect your sanity) If you like your job, there’s good learning, and your Personal Number is met, staying can still be a great decision. Your experience compounds. At the same time, roles that truly fit your work style, learning expectations, and life are rare—leaving just for money can be harder than it looks. Bottom line: calculate your PGI, set a clear Personal Number, push for scope (not just salary), use internal mobility when possible, and keep the external option ready. Your company may not fix your pay gap, but with clarity and motion, you will.

Of all the companies I've worked with, 2 companies are doing something that I've not seen done in many other places. I've said this before, but it bears repeating. You need to pay your people a salary that: - Covers their basic living expenses without stress - Enables them to participate meaningfully in life outside of work - Doesn’t require them to “survive” the job they’re doing The problem? Most companies are still benchmarking against a market that doesn’t reflect reality. They’re using salary surveys to set pay, without first understanding whether those numbers actually support someone’s life. And here’s where it gets worse: If you let the market set the floor, you’re at risk of institutionalising hardship. Paying “what the market pays” is meaningless if that number doesn’t let your people live well enough to show up and do their best work. But two of my clients decided to flip that model. - They introduced a living wage before seeing what the market told them to pay. - They didn’t wait for a salary survey. - They didn’t wait to see what everyone else was doing. They asked themselves: “What does someone in our business, in this country, need to actually live?” Here’s how we approached it: 1. We mapped out common living costs (rent, transport, food, utilities) in the geographies where they hire 2. We ran calculations for realistic, not idealistic, expenses 3. We set their salary minimums accordingly — and only then cross-checked against market data This is the difference between being market informed and market led. Market informed means you use data to sense-check decisions. Market led means you outsource decisions that should be yours to make. If you want to build a high-trust, high-performing team — start with a pay floor that lets people live, not just work.

💸 Why a high salary is not everything. A reality check we all need. Too often, we equate success with the highest package on offer. But numbers on paper don’t always reflect the true value of your time, energy or peace of mind. Let’s break it down: In the image, Job 1 pays ₹40 lakhs, but demands a 1-hour daily commute. That is 10 extra hours per week spent just getting to work. Job 2 pays ₹34 lakhs, but is a 5-minute walk away. That’s 9 more hours for yourself every week. When we factor in commute time and calculate the effective hourly rate, the job with the lower CTC actually pays more per hour! 🧮 ₹1,538/hr vs ₹1,594/hr — and that’s just the math. It doesn’t account for stress, exhaustion or time lost with loved ones. This isn’t just about commute. The same principle applies to: 🔹 Work-life balance 🔹 Toxic vs healthy work cultures 🔹 Learning opportunities 🔹 Flexibility and autonomy 🔹 Mental and physical well-being 💡 Sometimes, “less” money gives you more life. When choosing between offers (or evaluating your current job), don’t just ask “What’s the pay?” Ask: 🔸 “How much time do I get for myself?” 🔸 “What’s the cost to my health?” 🔸 “Will this role energize or drain me?” As professionals, especially in demanding fields like finance, law, or tech, we owe it to ourselves to look beyond the CTC. Because true wealth is freedom, not just figures. Would you choose Job 1 or Job 2? Let’s discuss in the comments 👇 #SalaryVsLife #WorkLifeBalance #CareerChoices #Productivity #FinanceTips #LinkedInLearning #MindfulCareers #TimeIsMoney

Equal Pay Day moved BACKWARD in 2025 to March 25th, revealing a harsh truth: transparency without enforcement doesn't create equality. 60% of job postings now include salary information—up from just 18% in 2020—yet women still earn just 85 cents to a man's dollar. Even more disturbing? The gap is widening. Of 98 countries with equal pay laws, only 35 have implemented any accountability mechanisms. We're seeing the illusion of progress without the substance. True salary transparency requires action at every level: For individuals: - Share your salary information with "trusted" colleagues - Explicitly ask for pay ranges before interviews - Document salary discussions and decisions - Normalize compensation conversations in your workplace - Research industry standards using sites like Glassdoor and Payscale For managers: - Conduct regular pay equity audits in your teams - Establish clear compensation criteria based on skills and responsibilities - Remove salary history questions from your hiring process - Advocate for transparent promotion pathways For organizations: - Implement formal pay bands with clear progression criteria - Regularly publish company-wide gender and racial pay gap data - Create accountability mechanisms for addressing inequities - Train managers on recognizing and addressing unconscious bias in compensation decisions The data is clear: companies with meaningful transparency see pay gaps narrow significantly in the first year alone. But posting a salary range isn't enough if there's no accountability behind it. Let's move beyond performative transparency toward meaningful equity. Please share this post if you think salary transparency should come with real action. Joshua Miller #SalaryTransparency #PayEquity #Workplace

Negotiating salary is hard. Leveraging data makes it so much easier. Here are 6 unique ways to research salaries for your target role: First, a quick note on how to use this date. Salary will likely come up in your first interview. Do this research before. Aim to gather as much data on the salary range for the role as possible. Then aim for the largest "reasonable" jump you can make (usually the ~70% mark of the range). 1. Find Salaries In States That Require It Most companies won't post a salary range. But several states have passed laws that requires them to. So search for your target job on LinkedIn and filter for those states. Then adjust the salary range for the cost of living in your area. Now you have more accurate salary data! 2. H1BData Info When companies sponsor an employee's visa, they're required to disclose the job title and salary. H1BData[.]info lets you search through all of that data. Since these are actual salaries from real jobs, this is some of the most accurate data you can get. 3. Levels FYI Want to work in tech? Levels[.]fyi doesn't just have salary information. They also have info on internal "levels" that MAANG and F500 companies use to determine salary. Use this info to determine if the offer you get is a good one for your level. 4. Glassdoor Glassdoor gives you salary data in different cuts. You can view general data for your city, job title, and years of experience. Or you can find user-submitted salary info for specific job titles at specific companies. 5. Blind Blind has a salary comparison tool, but don't use it. Instead, search the forums for: [Company] + [Job Title] + Salary Look through the convos of people anonymously sharing salary info. It's a great way to go beyond base to understand bonuses, equity, and more. 6. Look At The Competition Most job seekers only look at this data for their target company. Don't stop there. Find out what their competition is paying for similar roles. Then use that data to your advantage in the conversation.

After a 12-month gap, I was ready to return to work and accepted a role with a salary that was less than I hoped - but I negotiated for an increase to my desired salary at the 6-month mark. 6 months came and went, no increase. I brought the issue to my boss and she informed me that the project she was hoping would bring in more business had not performed well and there would be no increase until the 1-year mark. 1 year came and went, still no increase. I decided to consider exploring other opportunities. I was referred for an HR manager role through my network. When asked about salary I didn't want to give them my current salary because I already knew I was being underpaid. So, instead, I offered them my expectations. I gave them a range that was higher than my current salary but in line with my value and what I knew I could and should be making. They came back with an offer even higher than my quoted range and I accepted. I learned several lessons: - Sometimes people rescind their offers. Things change. Know your value and the reputation of the company before accepting an offer. - Don't be afraid to give your salary expectations instead of your salary history. In some places, it's no longer legal for employers to ask for salary history. - Do your research, know the average salary range for the position, industry, company, and location. These all factor into it. If salary history comes up, address it head-on. Let them know you're aware that you're currently underpaid and that you're looking for something more in line with your experience, value, and the market average, and give them your range. How have you handled the salary question when you're job searching, and you know you're being underpaid? #LinkedInTopVoices #Careers #JobSearch #Interviews

Pauline, how to see and compare the whole salary package that’s offered by a potential employer? 🧐 After I posted about average increments in salary negotiations, someone on my LinkedIn asked me about this. So today, let’s go a bit technical ya? Usually, I use an excel spreadsheet to list everything down for my candidates. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟏: 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞 In the spreadsheet, I usually create a column for the current package and another for the new offer. You can start by listing the basic salary as this is the core part of any package. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟐: 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 Remember, basic salary is not everything. Add any other fixed allowance like transport, handphone, meal, or any other fixed allowances for both the current salary and new offer. These can make a different in the total pacakge. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟑: 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐏𝐅 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐫 Take note of guaranteed bonus (13-month salary / contractual bonus) and the EPF contributions from the employer. Some employer contribute more than the standard rate, which is important to consider as it’s part of your guaranteed income. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟒: 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐆𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 After listing all the components, total them up to get the Guaranteed Income for both the current package and the new offer. This will give you a clear idea of what you’re guaranteed to receive. You can also calculate the percentage of increment here. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟓: 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 Performance bonus is important too. Some companies’ average performance bonuses pay out is 3-4 months, some 2-3 months, and others average 1 month. So, you may want to take this into consideration. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝟔: 𝐅𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬 Remember to include additional benefits such as annual leave, insurance, outpatient benefits, etc. These non-monetary benefits are important to understand the full value of the offer This is the formula for Percentrage of Increment:
 [(𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑒𝑟 (𝑅𝑀) - 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑃𝑎𝑐𝑎𝑘𝑔𝑒 (𝑅𝑀)) / 𝑇𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑃𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑎𝑔𝑒 (𝑅𝑀)] 𝑥 100% You’ll see the differences between the current and new packages clearly displayed in the final column, and this will help you make an informed decision based on the Total Gross Annual Income and other benefits offered. It may look a bit leceh to put it all down, but trust me, once you see the numbers, it’ll be easier to decide if the offer is really worth it. Happy analyzing! Remember, the numbers speak, and they can make all the difference in your next career move! 🤗 🌟 Pauline Cheang from Carli Resources #salarynegotiation #careertips #joboffer #careeradvice #negotiationtips

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗨 𝗣𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗗𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝗶𝘅 𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵𝘀. 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆? For companies operating in Europe, this is a seismic shift in how you structure, report, and communicate pay. The Directive flips the burden of proof - it’s now up to employers, not employees, to justify pay differences. That means deep changes are coming in how you manage reward, recruitment, and reporting. Here’s what your organisation needs to prepare for: 🔹𝗘𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗷𝗼𝗯 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 - Implement a robust grading framework using fair, gender-neutral criteria - Be ready to justify differences in pay - for performance, experience, geography - with clear, defensible logic - Without a consolidated HRIS, this becomes even more complex and will require planning 🔹𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 - Pay bands, criteria, and pathways need to be codified and shared 🔹𝗥𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - Individuals, unions or works councils can request average pay data by category and gender - Employers must proactively inform employees of this right annually 🔹𝗣𝗮𝘆 𝗴𝗮𝗽 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 - Starts in 2027, based on 2026 data - Requires gender pay gaps by band, by quartile - including all variable components (bonuses, LTI, commissions etc) 🔹𝗘𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 - If a pay gap >5% exists and isn’t closed within six months, you’ll be required to undergo a formal Joint Pay Assessment - this is likely to be onerous 🔹𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝗾𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 - No asking candidates about current pay - Pay ranges must be disclosed before interviews - Must take care in setting starting salaries to avoid introducing pay gaps from day one - Gender-neutral job titles, salary decisions and progression criteria are essential - Employees must be free to discuss pay without consequence This is about more than compliance - it’s about credibility and trust and making meaningful progress in addressing pay gaps. If your organisation has a pay gap to close and needs identifying how to address this, we’re here to help. #PayTransparency #GenderEquity ************************* I help global organisations close the gender leadership gap - not with quick fixes, but with evidence-based change that lasts, through talent acceleration programmes, coaching and gender equity diagnostics and consulting. Join our mailing list to be the first to hear about our research, insights, and real-world solutions > shapetalent.com

Most people are living with a salary illusion. The number your employer shows you is not what you actually earn.... Most people calculate their income the wrong way. They take their monthly salary, divide it by hours worked, and assume that’s their “hourly wage.” But that’s only half the truth. The real number is much lower than what you think. Why? Because we forget two big factors — hidden costs and hidden hours. Once you add those, the picture changes completely. Take-home pay is not what your HR letter says. It’s what lands in your bank after taxes, PF/401k, and insurance deductions. That’s your real income, not the gross number your company flaunts. Then come the costs of doing your job: commuting, clothes, lunch, Starbucks runs, parking, childcare, stress-relief spending. These eat into your paycheck silently every month. But you rarely count them. And finally, the hidden hours: getting ready for work, commuting, answering late-night emails, or just recovering from burnout. That’s time you never count as “work” but it’s 100% work-related. Let’s take an example. A ₹1,20,000/month salary looks like ₹600/hour (assuming 40 hrs/week). But after adjusting for taxes, costs, and hidden hours, it drops to ₹400/hour. That’s a 33% drop without even accounting for health or stress. Now imagine what this does to the value of your time. Suddenly, a ₹4,000 dinner = 10 hours of your life. This perspective changes everything. You stop seeing purchases as just “spending money.” You start seeing them as trading your time. Once you know your true hourly wage, every decision becomes clearer. Because the real question is not: “Can I afford this?” It’s: “Is this worth my hours of life?” Follow Sanjay Kathuria, CFA for more!