From a practical standpoint, it’s rather black and white: You should be paid fairly and adequately for the work that you do. On a personal and emotional level, knowing your compensation is justified and supported improves your sense of self-worth, self-confidence, and, ultimately, your workplace performance, according to career expert and co-founder of Motto, Ashleigh Hansberger. “When you’re underpaid, you can feel emotionally broke, and this seeps into other areas of your personal and professional life that also fall short, including how motivated you are at work,” Hansberger says. “Too often [your] lack of confidence, knowledge gaps, and systems that are stacked against you can hold you back and keep you from growing.” Whether you’re up for a raise or promotion, job hunting, or just generally curious, career experts are here to offer advice for determining your value, asking for what’s fair, and trailblazing forward in every step of your career. You can look for associations, journals, membership groups, or job boards specific to your industry and analyze their results. Using the information provided, reach out to the leaders of these organizations for clarity and to determine the nitty-gritty of the research procedures. For example, what a marketing executive earns in New York City isn’t the same as one in Des Moines. Location, experience level, and plenty of other factors influence the range. Your goal is to figure out what another version of you in your town is paid in your role. Perhaps you don’t want a new job, but just know you’re in desperate need of a raise. A recruiter can be supremely helpful to you, and eventually, when you’re ready to move on, he or she can be there to score you a killer new gig, Pretkel says. The trick is to find a recruiter who specializes in your industry and has a pulse on salary ranges. She recommends Glassdoor.com, since it invites users to enter their salary information upon registration and offers a built-in cross-section of data for your industry, based on location. The same is true with PayScale and Salary.com, which utilize crowdsourcing information across the country. Hansberger also suggests LinkedIn as a comparative resource. Once you figure out the average take-home pay in various locations, you can use this professional social networking app to find others near you in similar job functions. Then, you can connect with them and start to build your networking circle. Many workplace conversations are casual and friendly, but for whatever reason, money remains an awkward, even taboo topic. As Hansberger notes, some people think talking about money and salaries is rude or tacky, while others are afraid to bring up number-focused chats. But our hesitation to lean into financial conversations is largely why pay gaps and compensation inequities exist. It’s important to step up, swallow your fears, and confide in professional peers you trust. This isn’t the time to cold-ask almost-strangers; Take salary questions and concerns to someone you know and respect and whose perspective you find valuable. “Start with a warm relationship and keep it super casual,” Hansberger says. “A great way is to ask for help. Tell them you [you’re concerned you’re] being underpaid and ask if they’d be willing to give you advice to make sure you’re not being taken advantage of. You might say: ‘They pay me $X. Is that fair for a position like ours?’ or ‘Is that less than you?’” “You should thoughtfully present why you think you should receive a higher salary and package,” she says. “Succinctly and clearly highlight the impact you’ve made in your career, the impact you can make in your new role, and demonstrate why you believe you’re worth an increase in the offered salary.” Don’t leave out how you’ve benefited the organization with clear data points that backup your message. By illustrating your effectiveness as an employee and leader, as well as market standards, it’s tough for a company to decline your request since they know the chances you’ll hit the road are higher if you aren’t paid what you’re worth. RELATED: How to Ask for a Raise If You’re Underpaid—and Actually Get One And if you’re still not happy? Don’t forget: You can use all your industry salary research while interviewing for a new job at a different company. “If you go in knowing what the benchmark is, you’ll know if their offer is too low, and you’ll have facts and insights to support why you should make more,” Hansberger says. “Be honest about your salary goal. Ask for a specific number in the high range, so you have wiggle room.”
