As the saying says, has said, and will always say… money talks. 9/10 times you’re not in a job interview because you’re bored… you’re there because you’re passionate and you need the money! Assuming discussion of pay in some form has already come up somewhere within the experience thus far, you may have seen any one of these:
1. A base rate of pay – example, $x.xx per hour, x hours per week
2. A basic monthly salary – example, $XK per month
But, assuming that none of these were presented to you pre-inverview, you’re probably familiar with this statement:
3. Compensation: commensurate with experience.
If you’re hit with one of these, you’re most likely going to be expected to, in a way, make your own salary requirements. What this basic statement is attempting to assess is how your experience (and salary) PRIOR to this job will funnel into your salary for this job.
First, it is your job to understand what is reasonable and not reasonable in regards to salary for this job. The best way to start, would be to use the internet to find basic salaries for this job at different levels of experience. What is the marginal entry-level pay for this? Mid? Top?
Second, check out growth charts. Is this a new industry? Old? How has the need for this either increased or decreased over the last few years. This would be a good place to make your decision as to what to ask. Is the number you have in mind more specific to salary of the sale position from five years ago, or is it more corresponding to now?
Say, for instance, you have landed an interview doing pharmacology work. What is the entry level rate of pay? Using the internet, we find this:
Interesting results. It seems that the salary for a pharmacy tech is a pretty mixed bag, but within the low to mid 30’s. Assuming this chart is up to date (a very essential thing to check), it would be good to ask for a salary within the area of the low 30’s, assuming again, that you have no job experience, but only educational experience.
Next, check out what the job in your area makes. Here, we see that the pharmacy tech in CA is making somewhere around 32 on average, per year, which is on the higher end of the scale for the job, among other states.
Another important aspect is to not high or low-ball yourself. If your job is averaging salaries in the 30’s such as this one, for example, don’t ask for 38 with no experience. Additionally, while it might increase your likeliness of landing the job, don’t suggest 25, either. Make sure the workload is proportional to the number.
With this job comes a myriad of responsibilities, some you might not even know yet. Don’t forget to ask questions before you throw out a number! Well educated assessments make for good job skills!
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