Salary research

I've received a lot of salary questions since New Year. I'm afraid I don't have lists on my desk covering all the roles I get asked about so you'll have to do your own research. I can tell you that there is upward pressure on salaries right now for many roles across a wide range of sectors.

To research your pay rate, check the salary surveys on recruitment websites such as Hays, Michael Page, Olivier and Ambition to name a few. As salaries are moving so quickly in some sectors it is also wise to keep an eye on news reports in newspapers, trade journals and online. 

When I see stories on salaries, I post them in the "Employment News" section of careerone.com.au so keep that in mind too. If you are job hunting through a recruiter then ask your consultant what the role and sector pay. It is in the interest of the recruiter to get you the highest realistic salary so it stands to reason that they know the latest salary movements.

If you belong to a union or an industry or professional association, these groups also track salaries. If you know someone doing the job you are interested in, ask away. Obviously you cannot ask someone outright: "How much do you earn?" You can ask the person to provide a salary "range" for the relevant job. If you are already in a job, it's okay to ask HR to give you a salary range for your role. I have done this when preparing a pitch for a pay rise. Job ads are a possibility however; most employers are reluctant to include salaries. Happy hunting.

By Kate Southam, Editor of careerone.com.au

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