Research Salary Figures Before Seeing the Boss
So you’ve decided to ask for a raise. The next hurdle is setting an amount. Is what you want realistic? What are other people in your line of work making? How much are you worth? “The best plan would be to make friends in the personnel department,” says management consultant Catherine Burke, “but you have to be cautious because discussing pay is an absolute no-no in any corporation.”
There are resources for finding a ballpark figure for your marketplace value. These references are available in libraries:
For the record:
12:00 a.m. July 30, 1993 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Friday July 30, 1993 Home Edition View Part E Page 4 Column 3 View Desk 1 inches; 27 words Type of Material: Correction
Getting a Raise--The Bureau of Labor Statistics no longer publishes a “National Survey of Professional, Administrative, Technical and Clerical Pay,” as reported in Thursday’s View section.
* “Occupational Outlook Handbook,” U.S. Government Printing Office, a quarterly publication, describing tomorrow’s jobs, type of work, advancement, earnings.
* “Encyclopedia of Associations,” Gale Research, lists 18,000 professional organizations. Find your field of work and contact the appropriate organization for salary statistics.
* “National Survey of Professional, Administrative, Technical and Clerical Pay,” from the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The bureau also publishes national and regional earnings tables. Order by writing the bureau at 2 Massachusetts Ave. N.E., Room 4675, Washington, D.C., 20212. Or call (202) 606-6378.
* “The American Almanac of Jobs and Salaries,” John W. Wright, Avon Books.
* Working Woman magazine publishes a national salary survey every January. Copies may be ordered by sending $3.50 per issue to Back Issues, Working Woman Magazine, Circulation Department, 230 Park Ave., Seventh Floor, New York, N.Y. 10169.
* The U. S. Census Bureau’s Income Statistics Office provides has data on annual national earnings by broad occupational groupings. Call (301) 763-8576.
* In California, guides for specific occupations that include the prevailing wages by geographical area are available in most libraries or can be ordered free from the California Employment Development Department, Occupational Guide Unit, 7000 Franklin Blvd., Building 1100, Sacramento, Calif., 95823.
You can also check the trade or professional journals in your own field.
Interested in more specific information about pay scales? Such information is out there in data bases, but it’s very expensive. It’s compiled by corporate compensation consultants and is more easily available to your boss than to you.
William M. Mercer Inc. is a giant in the field--a full-range consulting firm that conducts about 150 compensation surveys every year for clients who want to buy them and participate in the research. Mercer has an information number, (800) 333-3070.
Although some of the surveys are limited to participants, Joyce Cain, national survey manager, says most are available to organizations that want to buy them. Prices range from $500 to $1,500.
